New Book Reveals How Understanding Memory Processes Leads to Academic Success

Kurt Eby's new book, "Getting an 'A' Without Trying" sounds too good to be true, and at first, it even seems a bit far-fetched, but readers will quickly find that Eby not only has a method to his "madness" but he has actually developed a very logical and simple way of memorizing information through associations that can easily result in earning A's in school. As Eby points out early, even though higher education tends to emphasize critical thinking, first you need to know the material before you can think about it critically, and most "knowing" is simply memorizing facts and figures.

At first glance, the methods Eby suggests may seem outlandish, even nonsensical-they are like crazy cartoons running through our heads-and his classmates concluded, from looking at his notes, that he was either a genius, a cheater, or nuts. But Eby does not claim to be any of the three-he is simply the inventor of a very logical learning method that also happens to be a great deal of fun.

The result of Eby's method was that he received A's in school. In fact, he was only the third person ever to graduate from Palmer College of Chiropractic West with a 4.0, and he did that while only studying 30 percent as much as his classmates. In his book's introduction, Eby tells us, "The point of this story is not to brag about how brilliant I am, but as you will see throughout this book, it is rather about how ordinary I am, and about how anybody can do what I have done."

So what is Kurt Eby's secret? He has taken the time to understand how memory works, and then to build up associations for what he must memorize and to use visual representations of information so they remain firmly in his mind. Really, his method is not much more complicated than that, but the results are astounding, and anyone who reads this book and follows the exercises will quickly discover that he or she can do the same.

As a former professor and someone who has always enthusiastically been able to remember historical dates with little trouble, I think Kurt Eby's method would be very beneficial to students. When a student, I created my own little methods to help me remember things, often associated with stories or using rhythm to remember vocabulary definitions, but I never formulated anything so elaborate as what Kurt Eby has accomplished. Nevertheless, because I have used some similar, though less developed methods, I can definitely see how his process would work effectively.

As a novelist, I also appreciate Eby's methods because I have long known that storytelling is an effective way of learning material. Eby basically teaches us how to create story plots in our heads, associated with the information we need to remember. I think Eby's methods only reinforce how powerful stories are as a way to learn that can also make learning fun as well as educational.

I wish I and all students were taught such a method in elementary school, and this method is so simple that even elementary school children could easily learn it-in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they excelled at it more than older students because they have spent less years mislearning how to learn.

Furthermore, I think many people, as they read about Eby's methods, will nod their heads and say, "I did something like that to remember X when I was in school." Only, most of us did not take the time to develop such methods further and thereby missed out on the benefits Eby saw as a result.

Finally, I appreciate Eby's practical advice not just about how to learn information, but the importance of the mindset required to learn and to succeed in showing you have learned the information. For example, he states:

Your mental attitude when you go into the examination is also extremely important. When I was a TA, I taught students to develop the attitude of looking at examinations as an opportunity to show off. If you go into an examination fearing it, the exam tends to eat you alive. However, if you go into the examination with the attitude that it is your opportunity to show the world how much you know, you come from a much stronger position.

Beyond strategies for memorizing, Eby also reminds readers how to think like teachers so they can take tests in a way to produce impressive results in their teachers' opinions. Eby gives helpful advice for how to answer questions that might not be as easy as simple memorization, as in the case of writing in-class essays, or how to impress instructors during oral examinations.

This book may look small and its methods may be simple, but its information is revolutionary and life-changing nevertheless; buying this book and spending the small amount of time required to read it is well worth the hundreds of hours of study time you will save and the reward of better grades you will assuredly receive. The path to the A's you have always wanted can easily be found within the pages of "Getting an 'A' Without Trying."

National Science Foundation Offers The Geoinformatics Solicitation Grant

Geoinformatics is the science and technology of developing and using information service sciences in addressing the issues linked to geography, geosciences as well as other branches associated to engineering.

The Division of Earth Sciences, under the supervision of the National Science Foundation, is among the actual departments that deal with the promotion and enhancement of the country's Geoinformatics-related programs.

The Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) has constituted means to promote the creation of cyberinfrastructure building activities aimed to eventually enable transformative advances in geosciences research and education.

In line with this objective, the EAR has built a solicitation program with a total anticipated budget of $4,800,000 that will award 5 to 10 eligible applicants the funds that they need in developing their geosciences-related projects.

The aforementioned solicitation program will not support hardware development or major hardware purchases but will normally comprise these particular inclusions:

a) Identify targeted user communities and describe how the proposed activity will address the community's unmet needs

b) Exhibit exemplary awareness and thorough knowledge of present informatics infrastructure and developments that could impact the proposed activity

c) Establish plans for the integration and compatibility of the proposed geoinformatics platform within current geoinformatics projects and activities.

Interested applicants are strongly recommended to contact the program officers of the EAR at the Grants.gov website to be able to discuss their ideas and seek further clarifications.

To be able to take part in this program, applications and proposals need to be electronically submitted to the Grants.gov website on or before January 13, 2012.

Individuals and organizations in the following categories will be regarded as eligible applicants:

a) Universities and colleges accredited by the government and located in the US and its territories

b) Non-profit, non-academic organizations including museums, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the US and are directly associated with educational or research activities

c) For-profit organizations including strong businesses with strong capabilities in scientific or engineering research education

d) State and Local Governments including state educational offices and local school districts

e) Unaffiliated individuals like independent scientists educators and engineers in the US

As stated in the objectives of the Geoinformatics solicitation program in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, the program aims to bolster and enhance the national scientific enterprise via the constant growth of fundamental knowledge and increased comprehension of the complex Earth systems through the assistance of various research opportunities.

The National Science Foundation, otherwise referred to as the NSF, is the agency funding the Geoinformatics solicitation program. The NSF is constantly working into the promotion of the progress of science, the progression of national health, prosperity and welfare, and lastly the noble process of securing the nation's defense.

The primary objective of the Geoinformatics solicitation program is to improve the conduct of research in the field of geosciences by constantly providing support to community-created cyberinfrastructures which in turn integrates knowledge management across the geosciences. Which explains why this solicitation program is very much in keeping with the NSF's effort to promote the nation's interest in the many fields of science.

The Princeton Field Guide To Dinosaurs - An Excellent Reference Book

Book Review - The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs by Gregory S. Paul

We had known about the launch of this book for sometime, after all, it came out last year and I recall reading the review out of Prehistoric Times magazine to colleagues at one of our Friday afternoon meetings, but nobody took the hint and purchased it. However, after having contacted the author on a technical issue concerning the anatomy of Spinosaurids I decided that enough was enough and I have bought it, using the excuse of an "early Christmas present to myself".

For those not yet acquainted with the work and illustrations of Gregory S. Paul, let me quickly put you in the picture before providing a brief review of this offering. Gregory S. Paul is a world renowned illustrator of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals. His enthusiasm for all things Dinosauria is quite remarkable and his research into this subject and deep understanding of these prehistoric animals makes him one of the most respected technical illustrators in the field of Earth Sciences. He has produced a number of books related to palaeontology as well as being a frequent contributor to Nature and Scientific American as well as numerous other respected science-based journals.

The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs - Reviewed

This publication is aimed at the casual reader as well as the serious academic, it combines beautiful anatomical illustrations and life-pose depictions with concise data on a vast range of the Dinosauria. I note that the jacket states that more than 735 individual species are covered with over 600 colour and black/white illustrations, I won't dispute these figures but suffice to say that this book is crammed full of dinosaurs, dinosaur illustrations and dinosaur facts and figures.

The book is laid out like a comprehensive field guide to the subject. It reminds me of the sort of handy, practical guidebooks produced for enthusiastic ornithologists and bird spotters. If one was able to travel back to the Mesozoic then this book would be just the thing to help the explorer distinguish between different Hadrosaurines should he or she encounter them. A sort of "spotters" guide to dinosaurs with lavish accompanying notes. If dinosaur fans have ever tried to unravel the differences between Euoplocephalus and Ankylosaurus then reading pages 233-235 would be a good place to start.

However, this book is not just a dinosaur directory, it starts with a comprehensive outline of dinosaur research, dinosaur discoveries and other information setting the scene for the descriptions that are to follow. In fact, about one-fifth of the 320 pages or so are dedicated to providing detailed descriptions regarding dinosaur anatomy, physiology, behaviour and reproduction. Each of these subject areas is broken down into manageable "chunks" before the major dinosaur groups are introduced.

The rest of this highly informative volume is dedicated to describing the various dinosaur families, genera and species. Although it is not a comprehensive account, a number of "nomen dubium" are included, the author has to be praised for featuring so many members of the Dinosauria.

We have already found it useful, helping to resolve the issue we encountered regarding the Spinosaurids. "The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs" has obviously been a labour of love and the author's enthusiasm for these prehistoric animals really does come across. Just a couple of quibbles, being based on this side of the Atlantic, (Britain) we note that this book is written in American English so expect to see words such as paleontology and behavior, rather than the English spellings. Secondly, the back of the jacket shows a black and white illustration of a herd of mixed Sauropods. The white area of the jacket is going to get quite grubby with all the handling, but these are really only minor points.

Avail Important Information on Architecture and Construction Via Ebooks

Architecture is the art and science of designing a structure, a process that combines planning, designing and constructing a building. A well designed building is often seen as a symbol of culture and a work of art. People who want to know more about architecture can refer to numerous architecture ebooks available on the Internet. In order to gather more information people can also refer to buildings ebooks.

World Wide Web is flooded with several architecture ebooks, such as On Architecture; Ultimate Horse Barns; The Architect's Brain; and Greene & Greene Furniture. These ebooks have all the important information about architecture, including the concepts involved in architecture and when it started, among other such questions. On Architecture is an interesting book written on the topic by Ada Louise Huxtable. The author has captivated the readers from all over the world in through her well-reasoned beliefs about architecture. With her unmatched intelligence, the author has tried to discuss whether modern architecture is still alive. The book is considered one of the most informative architecture ebooks available on the Internet.

Another famous eBook on architecture is Ultimate Horse Barns by Randy Leffingwell. The book has presented eighteen masterpiece horse barns in very innovative and beautiful manner. All the structures featured in the book reflect the owners' love for horses. Author has selected barns that have exceptional qualities such as health and safety. Ultimate Horse Barns describes the architectural beauty of horse barns and talks about barns used for private purposes, successful breeding or for training purposes.

People can also find reference about buildings ebooks while searching for the information about ebooks on architecture. Walk London: Walks In And Around London; The Essential Titus Burckhardt; Architecture and Authority in Japan; and Innovations In Hospital Architecture are some of the popular buildings ebooks. Innovations In Hospital Architecture is an engrossing book written by Stephen Verderber on this subject. This reference book includes all important developments in the evolving field of sustainable hospital architecture. It describes how architects, nowadays, must provide hospitals with high quality care for patients. The book contains beautiful and extensively illustrated pictures, diagrams and floor plans.

High School Classroom Management Strategies That Work

A classroom that behaves, listens and learns is one of the ultimate goals of every educator concerned with rendering effective service on the job. In reality, effective strategy for building classroom discipline is the Holy Grail that many tired and stressed out educators need to rejuvenate their teaching career. It is also what is needed to make many educators who though passionate about teaching yet are already thinking of quitting the profession to rescind their decisions. If you are a high school educator looking for how to raise your students' test scores, updating your knowledge on high school classroom management techniques is the way to go.

Importance of classroom management workshops: Improved classroom management strategies are part of a continuing education program commonly taught in classroom management workshops which educators who are passionate about attaining success in the teaching profession should benefits from. There are practical skill sets new educators need to acquire and learn when they graduate newly from universities and colleges and join the teaching work force. These skill sets also commonly taught in classroom management workshops go beyond the theories they learnt in these higher institutions and if the new educators are fully equipped for the new trends, then they will be able to withstand the modern age classrooms that are in existence in our high schools and deliver on their callings as practicing educators.

How to build skill sets needed for achieving success in the teaching profession: All educators are unique in their different personalities, that is, weaknesses and strengths, and in their teaching styles. Therefore, the goal of every educator should be how to develop effective classroom management strategies that fits own style and personality using the core techniques needed to facilitate reduction in disruptive behaviors among high school students and create conducive learning environment. While you are working on building your teaching skill sets that works, take note of the following important hints.

Maintain consistency in your approach. If you are looking to enjoy an attentive classroom learning environment and reduce inappropriate student behaviors to the barest minimum, then you must be consistent in whatever high school classroom management techniques you choose to adopt. If you fail to be consistent, you will lose your students' respect as quickly as possible and your skills at managing your class will deteriorate fast which may lead to frustration on the long run.

Maintain positive attitude all the way. You can't successfully implement high school classroom management techniques that works without being positive minded. Plan to teach each lesson with a positive frame of mind and look to your students to be at their best in good behavior and individual classroom participation. Once your students attain the height that is worthy of commendation, make sure they know it. If you approach each lesson with the fear of the worst and then act negative towards your students, you should expect them to act in like manner towards you.

Deal with classroom management issues before they occur. That is being proactive and it will help you to solve potential classroom problems before they occur which is good for your efforts at building high school classroom management techniques that works.

The Joys Of Selecting Classic Children's Books For Your Kids

Parents take a lot of pleasure and delight when selecting children's books for their kids especially if they are classic books. Parents are like walking down memory lane as they go through piles of books and remember their own childhood when they also look forward to reading their own books.

So how should you choose children's books?

Bright and Colorful

Children are naturally fun and active. However, they easily lose interest and attention if they are doing a particular activity for a long time. It's the same thing with reading. You need to capture their attention and keep them long enough to enjoy the books in front of them. Bright and colorful children's books are guaranteed to catch their attention. Dr. Seuss books are classic examples of books that create visual impact on children. They have vibrant colors and illustrations that are really meant to capture the kids' attention.

Good story

Do not underestimate a child's capacity to understand; good stories are really appreciated by children especially if they make them laugh a lot. Select children's books that are well-written, funny, and, as much as possible, those that teach good moral and values. Parents should utilize books not only to entertain children but to educate them as well. It's worthwhile to note that children learn more in a fun environment. So when you they enjoy the books that you read to them, they are likely to pay more attention and learn more in the process.
Engaging and with good recall

Children have very good imagination and they just love children's books that challenge their creativity and imagination. As such, you should choose books that are very engaging; those that ask questions or allow the children to participate in story-telling are very much recommended.

These days, there's what we call personalized children's books where the name of your child can appear as the main character of the book. This will be thrilling for the kids who can really feel like they're real princesses or super heroes.

When you're able to choose the right books, remember that parents also have important roles to play in making such children's books valuable to kids. Make story-telling a regular bonding activity with your kids. Aside from bedtime stories, you can set-aside a specific time of day or specific day of the week when you will just read books to your children. This way, your kids will have something to look forward to and will associate reading with fun and excitement.