Where to Find Affordable Classroom Stuffs

Classroom stuff is important in learning of every student. From handling some cleaning materials up to playing with toys, children can possibly acquire lots of knowledge. And this will enhance their cognitive and personality skills. With the low economy we experience nowadays, a lot of businesses have increased the price of their final product to procure losses.

Since our economic status is low, consumers are really trying their best to acquire discounts in every essential material that they purchase. Buyers are looking for a retail store that gives quality, yet affordable amount. Good thing, there are lots of stores which offer low prices when you purchase in bulk. All you have to do is to become wise in weighing in which shop offers best. But what are the important things to remember when buying?

1. When purchasing, canvass first your desired product. If possible, compare their prices with different stores. This takes a considerable amount of time. So when planning to buy equipment like classroom rugs, you must do it for at least 3 months before the class opening. Anyway, classroom decors and kids wall decals should be completely arranged before school year begins. This is for the benefit of children.

2. Try to purchase those items in a pile. Some stores offer discounts when you buy their products in an enormous number. Remember that you can only save money if you pay lesser tax in a product that is purchased in bulk.

3. Try to reconsider applying on some mall cards wherein they allow you to have a lesser payment, if you meet the desired points needed to acquire discounts. In this manner, they will keep you in their top-most consumer lists. Moreover, stick with this certain company so you can gain lots of benefits in the long run.

Now that we are already knowledgeable in some techniques, it is time to focus on where we can find stores that offer affordable amount.

1. Surplus Stores

This shop offers variety of classroom stuffs, however since it is surplus, you can acquire second-hand products. The advantage of this is you may really buy it in a cheaper amount, but problem may occur when you focus on the quality it can give. Furthermore, they rarely give some guarantee in regard with their sale items, so when it is worn out, there's a high chance that you need to re-invest for brand new furnishings.

2. Online Shops

It will surely provide an idea on the product's advantages and disadvantages. They will help you to outweigh the best furnishings suitable for your school. Price will be mentioned and some discounts will be given. However, you may not be able to manually check its quality before purchasing.

3. Exclusive Boutiques

Try to invest in some boutiques which offer various products exclusive for your classroom. Since they specialize these particular materials, you will ensure its quality. Problem will be focused on its affordability. If this is the case, you can try to loan first so it may impart you enough time to pay them. Just ascertain that you pay their arranged interest on time - for you can possibly face some dilemmas when you experience delays in paying debts.

It's really difficult to find some stores that can offer higher discounts. However, if we become wise in purchasing necessary materials, we will be able to guarantee quality while assuring affordability.

Melody Andes enjoys writing for Sensoryedge.com which sells kids wall decals and classroom rugs as well as a host of additional products.

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What Should You Expect From Schools For Gifted Kids?

Public educational institutions are working with fewer resources than ever before. Important programs such as ones for extremely smart kids are being shoved aside as educational institutions are working furiously to keep test scores up. If your child is exceptionally bright, she might flourish with a program that's designed especially for her. Special gifted schools should be able to tailor programs especially for bright kids, but what else should you expect from them?

Schools For Gifted Kids Should Employ Excellent, Licensed Teachers

It's a given that schools for gifted kids need to have excellent teachers. A teacher needs to be able to get creative and plan lessons that will keep kids engaged and eager about learning. They also need to be able to tailor lessons for students who are able to grasp the material quickly and easily. Contrary to what many people might believe, smart students don't need more homework -- they need different homework. Before searching for gifted schools, ask the teachers what kind of assignments will be given out if a student masters the material before the others. The assignments should be creative and engaging, no matter what the subject.

Also ask whether the school requires teaching licenses for each of its teachers. Although it might seem like a ridiculous question, some smaller private institutes may not be accredited, which means the teachers don't need to be licensed. An unaccredited institute isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it could mean your student has a more difficult time when it's time to apply to colleges and for scholarships. To save yourself that hassle, make sure the school is accredited with licensed teachers.

Gifted Schools Should Offer Unique Academic Experiences

Schools for gifted kids should offer more than just standard academic experiences such as classes in math, English, history and more. Instead of reading about the Civil War, some teachers in gifted schools might have students direct their own movie, or write an essay from the viewpoint of someone who lived in that time. Civics teachers could have their students monitor the passage of a local bill or even have them write one of their own to solve a common problem in the community. Before selecting a school, ask what kind of projects students will be working on during the year.

Education Shouldn't Be One Size Fits All

Students who are exceptional in math might not have the same experience in language arts. If this is the case, make sure any school you choose has multiple levels of classes for students with differing abilities in different subjects. However, students should never be made to feel like they're less intelligent than anyone else just because they're in a class with a lower difficulty level. A school should celebrate kids of all abilities -- in all subjects.

Finding the right place for your exceptional children shouldn't be terribly difficult, but it might take time to ensure that you're placing them in the right educational environment. Make sure to interview the school's principal or headmaster and take an extensive tour of the school and its grounds. Above all, follow your heart. If it's telling you that a school is the right spot for your child, it likely is.

The Chicago Area Independent Gifted School Network is a network of gifted schools in Illinois. Interested parents can receive information about Chicago gifted schools in one easy to navigate site. To learn more about these schools for gifted kids, visit their website.

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Water in Plants and Animals

Humans like to consider themselves the most superior species on earth. We think we can control everything and are intelligently superior. However, even though the weather conditions are not intelligent at all, we cannot control them, and they truly can harm us. Viruses are incomparably smaller than us, but they are capable to slash thousands of lives. Well, I said enough to be clear. We are not as superior, powerful or able as we think we are. Let us be humble! Even plants and animals are sometimes wiser than us. What do I mean? Read on...

Take the water as an example. The human body needs a certain amount of water every day at any cost. It may be without it up to three days, but then it suffers serious consequences. Plants and animals need it too. No species of flora and fauna can live without water. Plants are fighting for every drop of liquid in dry periods of the year, but finally they wither without it. Animals experience the same fate as plants. However, plants and animals are showing in this case their intelligence, wisdom and greatness.

In the desert, there is no water for months, but there is vegetation and wildlife. You might think there are organisms that can survive without water. No, there are not. Water is life! How do they manage to survive? They are smart! They have adapted their bodies to dry conditions. Cacti survive a long dry period successfully, and the largest ones can live up to two years without rain. To prevent the release of moisture, a small part of a stem are exposed to direct sunlight. The stem is thick to store up water reserves. Its outer layer is also thick to protect stored water adequately. The spikes of a cactus protect it from thirsty animals who could try to suck out its moisture. Almost every plant has its own plan how to survive a drought. Is it quite wisely, isn't it?

Talking about water and animals can remind me of one animal only: camels! Camels are animals that have developed a number of bodily functions in order to survive in drought conditions. During urination, perspiration, respiration and sweating, they lose a minimum of water. A fat tissue in their humps and their tick pelt are sorts of thermal insulation. Their blood composition is also adjusted to drought conditions. Camels have long legs that help them to be further from the hot ground. There are many more camels adaptation to mention and there are many more animals and plants that are super adapted to drought conditions, but I think I do not have to explain further because I think you have understood the message. Animals and plants are also as superior, powerful and able as we are. They can also achieve marvelous things as we can.

Nature around us is phenomenal. It is full of fascinating things, diversity and uniqueness. Humans, animals and plants have many things in common, and one of these things is water. Drinking water is in nature dangerously limited. We need to adjust our living functions to live with a limited amount of water, like some animals. We need to stop wasting water unnecessary! We cannot change or adjust our physiological characteristics, like some animals, but we can turn off the tap whenever possible. At the same time, you should never forget to drink enough liquid because water is life!

This article is a part of a collection of articles. There is a lot of facts in this collection about different parts of the human body and about the surrounding environment. You can learn about your health, diseases prevention and natural treatment of various health difficulties there.

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Where to Find a Heavy Equipment Training Guide?

Heavy equipment requires training and experience in order for an operator to handle it efficiently and with minimum damages, injury and time wastage. National schools are now offering candidates a heavy equipment training guide and hands on training to make operators control their machinery with more knowledge, confidence and expertise.

Construction and housing are major drivers in an economy. The US economy and most world economies are presently going through recession and shedding jobs in all sectors. For the economy in the US to recover, more money has to be poured into infrastructure projects to stimulate drivers like the construction industry. Stalling investment in such sectors has been hurting growth and not providing a necessary stimulus. Recently the British government promised a multi billion pound drive to encourage new ventures in large infrastructure projects. Way back in 2008, President Obama had promised to boost the floundering economy and create 2.5 million jobs by January 2011 by kick-starting stalled infrastructure projects. More action is needed by politicians to implement those plans and create the required impetus in the construction industry. Once the economy turns around the workers who have taken courses from certified and recognised heavy equipment training schools will be the ones in most demand.

Crane operators hold responsible positions in the construction industry. The machinery they operate may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Contractors generally hire old experienced hands. If they hire entry level candidates, it is always preferable for them to have a heavy equipment training guide to have briefed them prior to taking up the job.

Cranes are used for hauling and lowering materials. A machine consists of a derrick or tower to lift and lower cargoes. Cables and pulley systems attached to the derrick are operated via radio controls or through a push button pendant control station by the operator in the crane cab. The security of the construction crew and efficiency of the work depends on the proficiency of the crane operator. By investing some money in guidance and training, an operator stands to gain more confidence and better handling skills.

With the use of heavy equipment training guide, an operator can gain knowledge in how to operate their machinery in challenging situations in various soil types, slopes, rough and irregular terrain and other conditions. Accidents involving cranes overturning can result in grave injuries and even fatalities. Such incidents can cause more than financial losses to the contractors. Deaths and injuries are bad for employee morale, cause insurance hassles and costly delays.

If you are looking for a heavy equipment training guide, visit the website of National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools (NAHETS) for listings of local schools.

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Windshield Replacement Can Save Lives

Many car owners are happy to drive around with stone chips or even cracks in the windshield. They do not realize how dangerous it is. Windshield replacement could save your life.

It might seem like no more than a window to give a clear view of the road and keep the weather off your face. However the windshield is essential to the structural integrity of any modern vehicle. In the event a car rolls over, strong glass helps maintain the structure of the cabin. If it shatters or pops out, the roof may crumple. That reduces your chance of surviving without head or neck injury.

Sometimes people fear such a small fracture will cost too much to repair. It is another one of dozens of nagging details that demand time and money. We have too many of those and tend to ignore the small problems until they become big ones, or until it is too late. A damaged windshield is a tragedy waiting to happen.

Fortunately the cost of windshield replacement may be much less than expected. In fact it may cost the car owner nothing at all.

Indeed new glass is expensive: $200 or $300 depending on the car model. Insurance companies realise a windshield costs much more once it is broken. They also know how important this problem is, and how good glass can prevent a serious injury. That would mean a far more expensive claim than simple repairs.

For that reason, many companies will happily waive the deductible if the existing windshield can be repaired. So you may be able to have that chip or crack fixed without paying anything at all.

I discovered how easy it is last week when I went for a quick oil change. I had driven around with a chip in my windshield for several years. I reasoned that since it had not caused any cracks that it was not serious. It was 10:00 on a weekday morning, the shop was empty and the whole crew was ready to work on my car. The mechanic pointed out that they could fix the chip in 10 minutes with the other work underway.

Here is the easy part: the repair shop will contact your insurance company for you. You will not have to prepare ahead, phone anyone or fill out any paperwork. Just take your car to the glass company. If you wish, go to more than one garage and ask for price quotes. If the chip is small it may cost nothing at all.

When the garage contacts your insurance company, the windshield specialist will probably ask to speak to you. They will ask you to describe the damage and tell them when the incident occurred. If you are like me, the chip happened an embarrassingly long time ago. You might not remember and have to make a best guess. However if that is the worst part of the ordeal, we are silly to wait so long.

The mechanic had been overly optimistic about how little time it would take. Actually the procedure required more than 20 minutes. The repair must be done carefully because a sloppy job can cause the glass to crack. The repairer should clean the surface thoroughly and wear gloves to keep skin oil off the glass. If you do not see this happening, complain and ask to have it done properly. Then primer and resin must be applied and all air must be sucked out of the blemish.

Half an hour may be time well spent preventing a more costly repair, perhaps even a serious injury. However whether the damage calls for a chip fix or windshield replacement, do not put it off. This is not a lesson anyone should learn the hard way.

Found that informative? We have more articles on Windshield Replacement and information to lower your Windshield Replacement cost.

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Art of Cramming

The best way to revise is obviously to start early, ASAP. However, that's not always possible. I mean, you have computer games to play, TV shows to watch, clothes to buy, and what not. By the time you finish all the "important" things, only the last 2-3 days have anything to do with school.

Bad idea.

I mean, cramming sucks. It puts you under a lot of pressure and the worst part is, you don't learn anything. After the exam, you literally instantly forget what you learn. So much for education.

But sometimes, cramming is the only option, like it was for me. I was messing around and only started taking things seriously for the last 10 days or so. I was playing with fire, but, hey, I had more important things to do

If you really want to cram, you better do it the right way. No, that doesn't mean getting out all your notes and reading them 6555 times hoping you will retain all the information. You won't, trust me.

If you want to cram, you must first get out your notes, and compress your 600 paged biography into something like 10 pages. Cut all the words that make your work longer. You will be surprised at how little useful stuff there is. This will make your revision much more efficient.

Next, start making flashcards with aa the definitions you might need. One side with the word, one side with the definition. Repeat this over and over and over and over again, especially on the morning of the exam. This is critical. Your memory experiences decay at an exponential rate and only by reviewing your flashcards at regular intervals can you retain what you learn.

For the concepts, structures, diagram, flashcard them as well. Make flashcards, loads of them, with the Question and the Answer. The KEY here, is to make the questions seem as "exam like" as possible, and you should be able to see the structure of exam questions by simply looking at a past paper. For example, if you're learning about "Transpiration", put on the question side of your flashcard, "How does Humidity affect rate of transpiration (3marks)". Try to simulate exam conditions as closely as possible.

1-2 days before the exam, do a few past papers. This is EXTREMELY important. After doing a lot of past papers, I realized that many of the questions simply repeated themselves over the years. This is very intentional because there are only a finite number of questions. Go on Google and saturate all the past papers and who knows, you might come across questions that will turn up in the exam.

(An anecdote: In the MCQ, there were at least 7-8 questions that were EXACTLY the same as questions I saw in past papers. Yes, there was not even a word difference in the wording)

What about sleep? I think its better to sacrifice a bit of that. Scientists say you must have a good sleep one day before an exam in order to perform better in a exam. However, we don't have time for that now. Its a matter of life or death. If your exam is in the afternoon, you might be able to catch a few hours of sleep. Otherwise, just sleep more the next day.

Spend the night wisely, you're forgiven if you want to pull an all-nighter. You can't believe how well the human brain is able to adapt to all-nighters if done OCCASIONALLY. If you do it daily...It'll just be one of many days. Drink some coffee on the morning of the exam, and really....

NEVER CRAM AGAIN!

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Art of Cramming

The best way to revise is obviously to start early, ASAP. However, that's not always possible. I mean, you have computer games to play, TV shows to watch, clothes to buy, and what not. By the time you finish all the "important" things, only the last 2-3 days have anything to do with school.

Bad idea.

I mean, cramming sucks. It puts you under a lot of pressure and the worst part is, you don't learn anything. After the exam, you literally instantly forget what you learn. So much for education.

But sometimes, cramming is the only option, like it was for me. I was messing around and only started taking things seriously for the last 10 days or so. I was playing with fire, but, hey, I had more important things to do

If you really want to cram, you better do it the right way. No, that doesn't mean getting out all your notes and reading them 6555 times hoping you will retain all the information. You won't, trust me.

If you want to cram, you must first get out your notes, and compress your 600 paged biography into something like 10 pages. Cut all the words that make your work longer. You will be surprised at how little useful stuff there is. This will make your revision much more efficient.

Next, start making flashcards with aa the definitions you might need. One side with the word, one side with the definition. Repeat this over and over and over and over again, especially on the morning of the exam. This is critical. Your memory experiences decay at an exponential rate and only by reviewing your flashcards at regular intervals can you retain what you learn.

For the concepts, structures, diagram, flashcard them as well. Make flashcards, loads of them, with the Question and the Answer. The KEY here, is to make the questions seem as "exam like" as possible, and you should be able to see the structure of exam questions by simply looking at a past paper. For example, if you're learning about "Transpiration", put on the question side of your flashcard, "How does Humidity affect rate of transpiration (3marks)". Try to simulate exam conditions as closely as possible.

1-2 days before the exam, do a few past papers. This is EXTREMELY important. After doing a lot of past papers, I realized that many of the questions simply repeated themselves over the years. This is very intentional because there are only a finite number of questions. Go on Google and saturate all the past papers and who knows, you might come across questions that will turn up in the exam.

(An anecdote: In the MCQ, there were at least 7-8 questions that were EXACTLY the same as questions I saw in past papers. Yes, there was not even a word difference in the wording)

What about sleep? I think its better to sacrifice a bit of that. Scientists say you must have a good sleep one day before an exam in order to perform better in a exam. However, we don't have time for that now. Its a matter of life or death. If your exam is in the afternoon, you might be able to catch a few hours of sleep. Otherwise, just sleep more the next day.

Spend the night wisely, you're forgiven if you want to pull an all-nighter. You can't believe how well the human brain is able to adapt to all-nighters if done OCCASIONALLY. If you do it daily...It'll just be one of many days. Drink some coffee on the morning of the exam, and really....

NEVER CRAM AGAIN!

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Train To Learn Plumbing And Electrical Skills

If you want to train to become a plumber, you will benefit from learning accompanying electrical skills.

Once you start working as a plumber, it is likely that you will be working on projects where you will have to install electrical equipment such as showers and extractor fans and it pays to be qualified to do this.

Performing plumbing tasks with electrical equipment in rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens is notifiable to local building control if as a plumber you are not registered onto a Part P scheme as a competent person.

If you are a plumber and want to register onto a Part P scheme, you will need to show that you have the appropriate knowledge about domestic installation of electrical equipment through the achievement of a relevant qualification.

Once, as a plumber, you are registered with the Part P Self-Certification Scheme, you will be qualified to check the safety of an electrical circuit without having to refer the job to local building control.

Furthermore, being Part P registered will enable you to issue an Electrical Installation Certificate that complies with Building Regulation requirements as soon as a project is deemed to be finished.

If the ability to self-certify your own plumbing and electrical work sounds appealing to you, you will need to undertake a series of training courses in order to achieve the relevant qualifications.

The most reputable training centres are able to provide a combined plumbing and electrical package that allows practicing tradesmen to undertake the full scope of your plumbing duties within domestic dwellings.

This combined package should take around ten weeks because it will include teaching of the City & Guilds 6189 level 2 diploma in plumbing and heating entry level qualification along with the appropriate electrical training.

Taking the plumbing 6189 at level 2 is the essential starting point to gaining access to the plumbing industry because it provides the necessary knowledge about modern hearing and drainage domestic appliances.

Course qualification information on the 6189 includes learning basic pipe work skills and how to install bathroom suites and above ground drainage as well as central heating systems.

This combined 6189 and Part P qualification course can cost around ten thousand pounds so it is important that you choose the right training centre that is able to meet your requirements.

It is always advisable to turn up at a training centre unannounced to speak to current staff and students about what the qualification courses entail and whether you have the right attributes to take them.

Able Skills provide training through plumbing courses and electrical courses. Able Skills have opened an Energy Saving Training Centre to provide approved training on the installation of energy efficient forms of heating and lighting.

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Train to Improve Your Management and Development Skills

A corporate development manager must possess a number of skills in order to achieve success. It is recommended that corporate development managers receive corporate management training in addition to corporate development training to develop a well-rounded perspective on managing and growing a business. Basic management skills necessary for this role include the ability to plan, organize, direct and coordinate a team. In addition to these skills, managers should also undergo corporate development training, which involves learning to plan and execute multiple strategies to achieve both short- and long-term goals.

As a leader, one of the key fundamentals to developing and maintaining a strong team is the ability to plan and prioritize tasks. Corporate management training uses the 7 P's to emphasize the importance of planning, which stands for: Prior Proper Planning Prevents Painfully Poor Production. For example, if the goal is to increase sales, the manager should project the number of new prospects they would need to reach each day based on how many sales they need to generate from the outreach they have been conducting. Basing tasks on goals and planning to successfully reach milestones is key. Being organized is also essential, given that managers are responsible for overseeing the progress of team projects. After planning and organizing, a manager must understand how to help their team prioritize and stay on track to complete tasks and work toward achieving goals. Each team member should be assigned a number of prospects to reach out to and the number of sales to generate within a specific timeframe. By setting both long- and short-term goals and tasks, everyone on the team will know what their responsibilities are and can become a greater contributor overall.

Corporate development managers are specialists hired to ensure that organizational objectives and initiatives are achieved through project management. In order to see these projects to fruition, managers must define and coordinate his or her team's roles and responsibilities. It is also important to create and manage timelines to ensure that tasks are completed before specific deadlines. For example, a manager might be asked whether a specific market would be profitable for a company to pursue. The manager would therefore be responsible for delegating tasks to his or her team to research whether this would be a good opportunity for the organization. Depending on the results, managers will then need to establish strategic relationships with business partners.

A different scenario might involve identifying and acquiring companies. The manager would once again ask his team to collect information. Once this is done, she or he would list the best candidates and possibly be asked to secure funding for acquisition purposes. Regardless of the business ventures at play, strategic business partners remain of the utmost importance.

There are a multitude of scenarios and situations that the average corporate development manager may be involved in including: recruitment of a new management team, plans for phasing in or out of certain markets or products, establishing relationships with strategic business partners, identifying and acquiring companies, securing financing, divesting of assets or divisions, increasing intellectual property assets, etc. Therefore, it is important to always be prepared to adapt and learn as much as possible about the wide spectrum of business responsibilities that may come into play.

David Shoemaker is Vice President of Learning Solutions and Innovation at eCornell. For more information on corporate development training, corporate management training, or eCornell, please visit http://www.ecornell.com/

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Learn More on How to Become a Phlebotomist

Perhaps you've been wondering about how to become a phlebotomist, or you have always wanted a job in the medical field. This is a highly skilled position and will give you the job security that many people have been desperately searching for. No matter how bad the economy, no matter how much the government mismanages our funds, phlebotomists are always in high demand. There will always be a need for medical professionals and there will always be a need for blood samples for research purposes. The process does take some time and the training facilities vary across the country.

Information on How to Become a Phlebotomist

There are various reputable training centers scattered across the country and as the demand increases for these types of positions, so will the training centers. Generally, becoming certified involves taking a select number of courses that cover a wide variety of topics: mathematics, biology, anatomy, psychology and even law. You can choose to study part-time or full-time, with some study being done at home if you wish. Keep in mind that the process takes longer with part-time studies. You will have to write an exam after each course.

The average time to complete all of your courses ranges from 12-24 months. If you are already in the medical field, you may be exempt from some courses. Once you have completed all of the necessary courses and passed all of the exams, you will need to write your certification exam. Once you've passed your certification exam the state will grant you a license to practice. While you are taking the courses, there will also be a fair amount of hands-on training you will need to complete, usually 100 hours or more.

Online Resources on How to Become a Phlebotomist

When you are first researching your new career, it's a good idea to conduct some initial research, to make sure it is something that is right for you. There are several online resources that will give you information about the best training centers, what kind of courses you need to take, what you can expect in the field and other pertinent information. Once you have gathered all of your resources, contact some schools and training facilities and ask them questions about the course of study, job success rates after graduation, etc. The administrators will be more than happy to answer your questions.

Of course, when you are gathering data on how to become a phlebotomist, you will want to know the cost of the entire course, and how much you expect to earn when you graduate. These are relevant questions and they do vary from city to city. Larger cities obviously pay a higher salary than do smaller towns; however, larger cities may have better training facilities. One thing is for sure - there is nothing more satisfying than knowing you are helping people in need.

Want to learn more about phlebotomy? Check out my website where you can learn Phlebotomy Training, Phlebotomy Certification and many more!

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The Phlebotomy Certification Process

The health care industry has made several changes over the last few decades and many facilities have increased their standards to comply with safety issues, as well as increase the level of care a patient receives. This is one of the reasons that the field of Phlebotomy requires a strict certification process in order to be qualified. The Phlebotomy certification process follows standard procedures and safety measures so that patients can be assured they are dealing with a qualified professional.

The Phlebotomy Certification Process

It begins with a variety of courses taken from reputable schools and facilities. They are located across the country, so finding a good school near you should not be an issue. The training courses involve such things as anatomy, psychology, biology, and several other topics. It covers a wide range so you have your choice of what area you'd like to concentrate on when you have completed your necessary schooling. After each course, you'll be required to take tests and exams to determine your level of skill in each area.

There is also a good deal of hands-on training, and you'll be able to work closely with a qualified professional to further develop your skills. The courses normally take anywhere from 12 - 24 months to complete depending on whether you go full time or part time and whether you pass all of your courses the first time. Once everything has been completed, you can write your certification exam. There are several agencies located across the country that are authorized to give the exam.

How Much Does Phlebotomy Certification Cost?

When you consider the importance of this career and the responsibilities involved in dealing with patients of all ages, then it stands to reason that you are going to have to pay. Each course has a fee associated with it, and the entire course, including certification could cost you in the neighborhood of $2,500 or more. The costs vary widely and are less if you decide to partially train at home. This is not something you will be able to do full time at home though; there will be a required amount of hands-on hours that you must obtain first.

The Phlebotomy certification process is not easy, and it is not a get-rich-quick way to a new career. Like most other things in life, it will take some self-discipline, perseverance and hard work to be successful. Before taking any courses make sure that this is the field you want to get into; do some research online and talk to several training facilities before deciding on one that is right for you. A career in the health care industry has always been considered recession-proof and this field is no exception. If you want a stable income for you and your family, phlebotomy certification training may be your answer.

Becoming a certified phlebotomist isn't hard as you may think. You only have to complete a Phlebotomy Training and take the exam. To learn more about phlebotomy, please check this website: http://thephlebotomytraining.com/

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How To Write A Formal Report

Since I've been spending the past week writing a formal report for my course I thought I would share how they are done. They are tedious, boring and will truly test your will power! Sadly, writing formal reports is just something that has to be done as part of scientific research! The best way to tackle it is to have a good plan and to just sit down and bash it out, otherwise it will loom over you for days and you'll be under pressure to get it done later on.

Where To Start?

One of the first things you should always remember about a formal report is that it should always be spoken about in the past tense. You are going to be writing this and telling people what you did and what you found, so it should never include methods you are going to take or are undergoing. The second important technique that should always be remembered is that you are going to write the whole formal report without being personal. Instead of writing 'I next went on to test the hypothesis...' it should read, ' The hypothesis was then tested...'

Summary

Write in the past tenseAvoid being too personal and informal, always write scientificallyDo not waffle on about thingsKeep your formal report clear, concise and preciseCarefully lay out your report so it flows naturally and logicallyAlways proof read your formal report

What A Formal Report Should Include

A formal report should include the following:

AbstractIntroductionMethodResultsDiscussionConclusion/EvaluationReferences or Appendix

Abstract

An abstract is where you sum up your investigation in 100-200 words. IT should briefly outline what you investigated, the methods that you employed to complete the investigation and what you found. The abstract can be very tricky to write well so it is sometimes best to write it last. This way you have written the rest of your report and you know exactly what you are summarising.

Introduction

The introduction is very important and should engage the reader whilst giving them the relevant information to understand some of the techniques/formula you have used in the investigation. In short it should tell the reader what you are investigating, why it is relevant and the background research you have done to be able to conduct it.

Method

The method is probably the most boring and tedious section of the formal report of all. If you have written a method before conducting the experiment (as many schools, colleges and universities make you do) then this part is made quick a lot easier. Write exactly what you did and remember to keep it in the past tense. It should read as if your experiment went without a hitch or problem. Once you have written it make sure that you read over it and try to remain objective. Someone else should be able to read this and do the experiment perfectly, so make sure it is watertight.

Results

Your results section is fairly simple to do. It should include the relevant tables and graphs that you are going to use for analysis in your discussion and a brief description of what they are showing. Nothing should be analysed in this section and this can sometime be hard not to do this. Keep it short and sweet! Don't put in a table and then a graphical representation of the same table. Pick which shows the data best and then use that one and out the other one in an appendix.

Discussion

The discussion is what I find the most interesting because you finally get to actually think about something instead of blinding going through the motions. Each part of your results should be scrutinised by interpreting the results, finding and discussing any anomalies and where they might have come from, how reliable your results are and how relevant they are. I believe that this section is limitless as you can always find something to talk about in a table of graph if you look hard. If you're finding it tricky then I would suggest looking at each point (if you are using graphs) and asking yourself why it is there and why it got there from the point before and why it moves to the next point. Once you have thought about this you can usually see where an anomaly might have occurred and how reliable your data actually is.

Evaluation

The evaluation should be wrapping up your formal report. Write about where you could have made improvements and where you went wrong along the way. It should also include further investigation that could be carried out that follows on from your investigation.

References/Appendix

Reference section is self-explanatory. Just ensure that you are referencing in the same style all the time and that it is in line with the required referencing style, as some publishers make you use a certain one. The appendix is where any of your raw data can go as well as tables and graphs that weren't used in the results and discussion sections but could still be of use to the reader.

Well that concludes how to write a formal report. This is a decent structure of how to write one and they definitely get easier to do the more you do them. Remember to proof read it always and number your pages. Your name should appear on it too as this is always going to get you're a few marks straight away.

Happy writing! I wrote a piece on How To Beat Procrastination for those that struggle to get going!

If this has been helpful then Go Here for some more interesting How To's

By Daniel Nuttall 10 Dans

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New Dinosaur Discovery - Perhaps the Biggest Dinosaur of All Time

Alamosaurus Rivals Largest Titanosaurs after Recent Fossil Discovery

For a long time, this Late Cretaceous Titanosaur called Alamosaurus sanjuanensis was the only known representative of the Titanosaur group in North America. Recent discoveries have revealed that other types of long-necked dinosaur may have migrated north from South America towards the end of the Age of Reptiles. At an estimated twenty-one metres in length, scientists already knew that this particular dinosaur was a giant, but they had suggested that it was relatively lightly built and when compared to the leviathans of the Titanosaur group such as Andesaurus, Antarctosaurus, Paralititan and Argentinosaurus it remained only a "middle-weight" amongst some super-heavy-weight dinosaurs.

However, the discovery of some more fossilised bones ascribed to A. sanjuanensis may lead scientists to re-think their estimates for the size of this particular beastie, putting the Alamosaurus up there with some of the biggest land animals of all time.

New research from Montana State University's Museum of the Rockies and the State Museum of Pennsylvania has unveiled enormous bones from North America's biggest dinosaur. Trust the Americans to find a dinosaur potentially as big as some of the gigantic Sauropods known from South America.

In a paper published in the scientific journal - "Acta Palaeontologica Polonica", Montana State University researcher Denver W. Fowler and co-author Robert M. Sullivan from Harrisburg, Pa., describe two enormous vertebrae and a femur (thigh bone) that the team collected in New Mexico during expeditions that ran sporadically from 2003 to 2006.

The fossilised bones have been assigned to the species A. sanjuanensis, a dinosaur that shared the Late Cretaceous habitat of the south-western United States with the formidable predator T. rex.

Commenting on the new fossil bones, Fowler stated that Alamosaurus had been known for some time; its remains were first described in 1922 from the Naashoibito beds of New Mexico. More bones have been discovered in New Mexico, Utah, some really nice material from Texas, including a few partial skeletons. So the story about big things coming from the state of Texas could be true after all.

The size and scale of the newly discovered specimens indicates that Alamosaurus may have to be put up there with some of the dinosaur super-heavy-weights, perhaps rivalling the South American giants for the title of the largest land-living animal known to science.

Montana State University researcher Dr. Holly Woodward, had shown in an earlier study that the femur thought to have come from an adult was still growing. Previous height and weight estimates based on the femur and the vertebrae are going to have to be revised and scaled upwards.

Just how big was Alamosaurus?

Just how big? That is the question, scientists can't really be sure, more fossilised bones are needed so that a more complete study can be carried out. Ontogeny in Dinosauria is not a precise science. Dinosaurs for example, may have been subject to indeterminant growth, that is they kept growing throughout their lives. The longer a Sauropod lived the bigger it got - this makes determining maximum size for such creatures rather difficult.

Over the past two decades or so, Argentinian and Brazilian palaeontologists have been unearthing bigger and bigger dinosaurs, putting the rest of the world in the shade. However, these new finds not only show that Alamosaurus is newly recognised as the biggest dinosaur from North America, but also that it was right up there with the biggest South American species: the US is back in the fight for the No.1 spot when it comes to the biggest dinosaurs.

Although comparison of the new Alamosaurus bones with the South American species gave the researchers an idea of size, giant specimens of Sauropods like Alamosaurus and Argentinosaurus are only known from very fragmentary remains offering only a tantalising glimpse of what a complete Alamosaurus might look like.

The scientists would be delighted to find a more complete, adult skeleton to study. Fortunately, Alamosaurus bones are quite common in the Naashoibito of New Mexico, so the researchers have a good chance of going back and finding more.

With the title of the "World's Largest Dinosaur" up for grabs perhaps some new sponsors will be happy to come forward to assist the scientists with their research - the race just might be on.

Tyrannosaur Fossils Found at the Same Dig Site

Large Titanosaur specimens are not the only fossils the scientists have found as they explore the Alamosaurus beds. For example, the team unearthed a broken Tyrannosaurus tooth, perhaps belonging to a T. rex that broke a tooth when feeding on the Alamosaurus carcase.

The discovery of the broken tooth indicates that large Tyrannosaurs (potentially T. rex) co-existed with large Titanosaurs. They shared the same ecosystem. Some scientists have suggested that in the north of its range T. rex specialised in hunting Hadrosaurs and Ceratopsians whilst in the south they were mainly predators of Titanosaurs such as Alamosaurus.

The Alamosaurus discovery goes beyond just "size" bragging-rights, and may have important implications for other dinosaurs. Recent discoveries by American palaeontologist Jack Horner's and his paleo lab at the Museum of the Rockies have highlighted the importance of understanding growth and ontogeny in interpreting dinosaur evolution.

It seems that there is a lot more to learn about these super-sized, prehistoric animals and with researchers keen to explore the Alamosaurus beds, it seems that new fossil material may be found in the near future, thus providing scientists with more evidence as to just how big some of these dinosaurs could be.

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