Now is the time of year when a lot of people are thinking, “Back to school!” for their kids.  Stores are busier than usual with back to school shopping for supplies and school clothes.  It’s also a time when adults are thinking about maybe going back to school, too.  Fitting in time for classes, though, is hard with jobs and busy lives.  Because of that, Online School is becoming more and more popular with people nowadays because it’s easy to fit school around your schedule. Our son took one online course while he was home for the summer, and it was great to be able to fit in an “online class” and studying into his busy work schedule.

Many people in today’s world are going back for additional job training or maybe even switching to a whole new field.   Some are going to medical assistant school, some to get their alternative certification for teaching in the public schools, some to get training in computer skills, etc.   People are trying to get an edge in today’s competitive job market by increasing their level of skills.   Going back to school is a good way to do that.

Philanthropists are interesting to read about and learn what they do to help other people.  For example, I was reading about richard willich recently, and the article said that he asks these three questions in his personal and philanthropic philosophy:

1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair?
3. Will it improve things?

I think these are very worthwhile questions, and I like the fact that he supports positive youth programs as well as educational and historical preservation pursuits.  That’s probably the teacher side of me that’s drawn to these pursuits.

Do you know of some interesting philanthropists?

Children need to feel loved in order to thrive. This book gives a lot of usable suggestions for how children interpret and feel love. What makes one child feel loved might not be the same for another child. Learn the love language of your child (or children).

I am giving away a copy of this book, The Five Love Languages of Children, and will mail it within the U.S. (Sorry, money is limited and I have to restrict it to postage I can afford.)

This is all you need to do to enter the giveaway: Leave a brief comment on this post with your name (first name is fine) and your email address. Your email address will be confidential and I will not share it with anyone. Names will be disqualified who do not leave email addresses because that is how I notify the winner. I will notify the winner by email to get their mailing address. Again, the mailing address will be confidential and I will not share it with anyone.

Deadline for entry is February, 10, 2010.

Using RANDOM.ORG to determine the winner, the winner is… Maria.  Congratulations, Maria!

If you would like your name entered twice, post about this on your blog and leave a comment with the link to your post.

*Watch for another book giveaway soon: The Five Love Languages. Learn your spouse’s love language and also your love language.

It’s fun to make Pillsbury Turkey Sugar Cookies for a fun project with the kids. Use icing for the “glue.” Glue 6-8 pieces of Candy Corn along the top edge of the cookie.  Glue 2 M&Ms in the middle of the cookie for the eyes. Use a small tube of icing to form the beak underneath the eyes (a small v-shape).  Make turkey feet at the bottom of the cookie.

I know several people who have gotten an online degree and are glad they did.  If I didn’t have a degree, I would consider getting one online.   For someone who had young children at home and wanted to get an online teaching degree, I think that would be great to be able to get a degree from home and be able to study at one’s convenience.

One online site that received attention from TIME Magazine and NBC is Western Governors Online University, founded by 19 U.S. governors to help working adults.  I like the fact that it is nonprofit, is competency based, and emphasizes that each student masters the necessary skills in order to receive a quality education and succeed.  If I were getting an online degree, I would consider WGU considering all of the positive things I’ve read.

Here are some tips and techniques for the homeschooling parent or public school teacher.   Check back from time to time for new articles and ideas.

There are so many uses for cardboard displays.  As a previous elementary school teacher, I think a cardboard display would be a great way to display books or maybe to set up an interest center.

If you have a business and need a way to display DVDs or CDs or maybe you don’t have a business but still need a way to display CDs and DVDs, then you might be interested in checking out these cardboard displays.

Online master degrees are becoming more popular.  There are quality degrees available that can be done online without leaving home.  Some top ranked schools are hesitant to offer online degrees because they think that the quality of the degree is diminished.   However, Gonzaga University realizes that the opposite is true and offers several quality masters degrees online.  Experienced professionals in the work force who might not be able to get a masters degree otherwise are able to get a quality degree in a time frame that works with their busy schedule.

By the way, Gonzaga University is:

• Ranked #3 in the west by US News and World Report
  
• Ranked “one of the nation’s best universities” by The Princeton Review and by Forbes Magazine
• Ranked a “best value in private universities” by Kiplingers Personal Finance.

Are you in the market for a laptop?  Check out wholesale laptops for savings.  Maybe you need one for your business or have a college student in the family who needs a laptop for college work.  Or maybe you would like to have one for home to check email and do searches on the Internet.  Whatever reason, in today’s market it’s great to be able to save money on your purchase!