Now is the best time to teach your children how to work around the kitchen. Learning how to prepare and cook food is an invaluable skill. It will become handy when they go to college or become adults. It can be daunting at first, but you can always find ways to motivate them. 

The first thing you can do is delegate kitchen-related tasks to your children based on their age. Toddlers and smaller kids can help by fetching ingredients or kitchen tools within their reach. Bigger children can help wash ingredients or stir up stews in pots with help from mom, of course. The older kids can help peel or slice vegetables and other ingredients. You can make kid-friendly recipes so everyone can pitch in. These activities will improve their willingness to help around the kitchen. 

Nothing piqued a child's interest more than those colorful and fun online games. Search for educational cooking or kitchen-related games online. This will serve as their perfect introduction to the kitchen and, hopefully, a lifelong love for cooking and good food. 

CulinarySchools.org cooking games for kids is an ideal place to start searching for interactive games for children of all ages. Start the small ones with simple educational food games. The Boiled Eggs is a simple colorful game where they can learn how to boil eggs properly. The older kids can explore their extensive selection of games on cooking or serving food. Teenagers, on the other hand, can try their other Fun food-themed games. 

Your little one will love having his own apron and child-friendly utensils while he is on kitchen duties. Invest in quality child-safe knives or ladles that combine safety with fun and colorful designs. Matching utensils and dinnerware in his favorite color or characters will inspire him to spend more time around the kitchen. 

You can always turn a task into an amusing game your children will enjoy. Make sorting and stacking items around the kitchen more enjoyable as a color or shape-sorting game. Any child will also enjoy racing with each other on peeling veggies or spreading butter on bread.

Finally, a beautiful dining experience is another surefire way for the children to love food and the kitchen even more. Explore lovely ways to serve their meals or snacks and lunches for school. Creating bento boxes or enhancing your food presentation will increase the children's interest in food. Asking for their help in preparing these meals will make them more excited to help around the kitchen.

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Higher education is now more accessible than ever before. There are all kinds of ways to study a degree that could offer added experience or simply allow more flexibility. Here are just a few examples of alternative ways to study for those that don’t want to take the traditional route. 

Studying abroad can be a great opportunity to travel and gain an education. It’s popular for those learning another language to study abroad so that they can immerse themselves in the foreign culture. That said, there are many English-speaking degrees abroad such as these computer science courses in India that could be great for those wanting access to top-quality education whilst getting the opportunity to experience life in another country. Some courses abroad can even be cheaper even with travel expenses added on top. 

There are many online courses such as this public safety degree that could allow you to study from home. Such courses can be worked around other commitments as you can study them in your free time. Online courses can also save money if you don’t want the fees of living on campus. 

Academic writing in modern day education is facing a lot of problems. Students are taught using the wrong approach which does not help in writing development. Changing tactics will not only help students to develop their writing skills but positively affect their overall performance. Let's find out the academic writing service problems and the way forward.

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Let’s consider writing to be a two-dimensional process where the first is on getting ideas onto paper. In this case, mechanics are quite important. Making use of verbs, nouns, and adjectives appropriately are crucial in academic writing. But a good teacher isn't going to stop at teaching verbs, nouns, and adjectives alone. 

The teacher's aim besides grammatical development will be to make students have a better understanding of writing’s second dimension; dialogue between the writer and the reader. While reading a copy, the thoughtful pause one gets before flipping to the next page of a book or magazine, the cementing of a set of beliefs symbolizes the connection that writing ignites. 

There are people who will criticise this concept because they believe they can read a dry chemistry plagiarism free papers and still derive information they want. But the fact is even down to technical writing the writer still need to launch a dialogue with the reader. A scientific paper should not be dry when writing; there is a need for the writer to present information in a clear and engaging manner. 

The truth is not everyone writes with the mind of sharing information with others. Like for example, most poems written by Emily Dickson were published after her death. Franz Kafka also gave instructions for his work to be burnt when he dies. But still, his work was published. 

However, students should learn how to write in their own voice and clearly express words. They should know the nitty-gritty of diction, syntax and to be more audience conscious when writing.

If you are one of the many people that graduated from college over the summer, then congratulations! It is a huge milestone to achieve. But what happens next? Your life will change quite dramatically from the four years of studying that you have been used to for so long. Part of the fun now comes from different experiences you will have that can take you onto your next goal, whatever that may be. If you’re not too sure where your life is headed in the next few months, then here are some decisions that you’ll have to make. This huffingtonpost.com article could be worth a read if you’re not sure where to start. The question is, are you ready for your new stage in life? 

Which Job To Choose? 

No doubt you’ll be keen to get to work now that the summer is over. You might know exactly what kind of job you want to get into and will search for any vacancies within that. But what if you’re not too sure what you want to do? Either way, there are likely going to be job offers coming in from different roles. So which will you choose? Think about the benefits of the job for you, as well as the pay, location, and working hours. Will it get you to where you want to be next or is it just a stop gap?

Will You Go Back To Study? 

Many graduates loved studying or want to do something more specific with their career, that they then decide to do a masters and study some more. If you have a specific career or course in mind, then it can be a really beneficial for you. But if you’re just doing it for the sake of it, then it is a good idea to evaluate why you’re doing it and if it is going to be worth it for you. 

If you’re a college student, then you’ll already be well-acquainted with how strenuous getting an education can be on your wallet. While getting people to come to your friend’s gig and making a start on that Dostoevsky novel may seem like the most pressing things right now, it’s also very important to get your finances in order. Here, I’ve listed some of my best financial management tips for students…

Minimize Debt

Tuition fee debt is something that weighs on every student’s mind. However, a lot of them fail to take any real action in order to minimize it. Make a point to get yourself into some good spending habits in order to minimize this heavy financial burden. If you haven’t taken any loans out already, then make sure you’re only taking out what’s needed if and when you do. To do this, look up the kind of salaries available to people with the degree you’re studying, and the average net worth by age in your chosen field. Try to spend your money on the important things, and find little ways to cut back on luxuries wherever you can. Finally, get a job. I know your time is strained as it is, but even working a few hours a week can make a lot of difference in the long run.

Credit cards can be a good thing if you know how to handle them, and have a stable cash flow. However, when you’re a fresh-faced student, they need to be avoided like the plague. Card companies have been known to target inexperienced freshmen, living hand to mouth and easily riled up by the prospect of easy money. They make great customers because they’re often careless with credit cards, and will quickly rack up higher interest payments and late fees. I’m not saying you should never, ever get a credit card, but when you do you need to tread very carefully. Talk to a parent, or anyone who has a little more experience with credit cards than you, then go over all your options carefully using comparison sites. Generally, you should set yourself a fairly low spending limit, and look for cards with cashback rewards and returns. 

Leverage Student Discounts 

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I’m sure you’re already aware of at least some of the student discounts that are available to you. Like most students, you might see many of these as so insignificant that there’s no point in asking for them. While they may be low, they’re not insignificant enough for you to wave away when you’re strapped for cash and trying to support your education! Become an expert on exploiting your status as a student to save money. Everywhere you go, ask for a student discount, and keep track of where the best savings are. Even if it’s only pennies per purchase, those savings will all add up, and help you a lot in the future. 

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If being a student is crippling your finances, start applying these tips today!

Avid readers of my blog, or anyone who has read the tagline, will know that I started writing it while I was still in college. During this time, I wasn’t blogging for the hope that one day I’d have an online money making profile. It was purely because I loved to write and wanted an outlet for my weird and wonderful passions. Little did I know that I was already taking a step towards a more financially stable future. I recommend that anyone in their twenties or even late teens does the same. You have to consider what happens when you retire and stop making a fixed income. There are two reasons for this. First, it will be here a lot sooner than you think and second, if you’re smart you can save enough to retire earlier. So what are the steps that you should be taking? 

Set Up A Second Income 

If you already have a great income, setting up the second one is a brilliant idea. It means that if anything happens, you’ll have something to fall back on. But it also allows you to put any money you make when things are going well straight into savings. Basically, you can fill a nice cash cushion without even trying. You won’t have to worry about taking money out of your first income each month to put it towards savings. You’ll already have covered that need. What type of second income am I talking about? Well, blogging is as good as any. It does take awhile to reach a point where you’re making a profit, but no one said the effect needed to be instant. As long as you’re building towards something, it’s worth doing. 

You can also think about investing some cash in other areas. If you only have a low amount of savings you might think that there are no options open to you. But that’s not the case at all. Look into penny stocks. These low-risk shares are perfect because they don’t cost a lot at all. But there is the chance that they could massively grow in value if you leave them alone for a few years. 

Globe Telecom President & CEO Ernest Cu welcomes at The Globe Tower 32 high school students who were selected to participate in this year’s Globe Junior Mobile Wizard program.

Go on vacation, enroll in a tutorial class, learn new skills, apply for a job - these are just some of the many ways where students can spend their summer.But for some high school techies they grab this rare opportunity to build their future through Globe Telecom’s Junior Mobile Wizard program. It is a six-week summer program offered to Globe employees' high school children. It gives the teens a chance to learn outside a campus setting and become a part of a real company setting as they interact with customers.

They are tasked to demonstrate and discuss the latest gadgets and mobile data services, as well as other Globe offers and services, providing them the opportunity to assist customers who may wish to apply for the latest postpaid and broadband plans or avail of other Globe promos.

This year, a total of 32 qualified for the program, with 25 coming from Metro Manila, 5 from Cebu and 2 from Davao. The students, aged 15 to 17, are in second to fourth year high school level.

It began with a 2-day training at the telecommunication’s headquarters in Bonifacio Global City. The students were then assigned in 7 Globe stores located in several areas in the Philippines.

Truly a great way to spend their summer right? Not only that they were able to learn about Globe products but it also develops their social, business and entrepreneurial skills.

Signing the Memorandum of Agreement for Phase 4 of the Text2Teach program are (from L-R):  Nokia Corporation Directorfor Community Involvement Gregory Ephinston, Ayala Foundation Co-Vice Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, DepEd Undersecretary Yolanda Quijano, and Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu

Innovative mobile teaching program Text2Teach is set to go nationwide as it targets 850 new public elementary schools in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao for English, Math, and Science lessons beginning this year.

The plan was announced during the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for Phase 4 of the program. Signatories are Department of Education Undersecretary Yolanda Quijano, Ayala Foundation Co-Vice Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Nokia Director for Community Involvement Gregory Elphinston, and Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu.

The fourth phase, to be implemented starting July, will finally make the program available not only in Luzon but across the country as the proponents work to bring Text2Teach to Visayas and Mindanao and to upgrade the 205 satellite schools from the earlier phases. By the end of Phase 3 in August, the total number of Text2Teach-enabled schools will have reached 555, benefiting about 40,000 pupils, and almost 1,800 school heads, teachers and DepEd officials.

Text2Teach Phase 4 also marks the beginning of a stronger partnership with the local government units. DepEd regional offices will play a vital role in teachers training while LGUs will provide bigger counterpart funding for the program. Phase 4 also sees Pearson Foundation returning to the program as a key component in developing new downloadable educational materials for English, Science and Mathematics.

Since its Philippine launch in 2004, Text2Teachhas been aiding in improving the performance of students all over the country, particularly in the three basic subjects through downloadable educational videos using Nokia mobile phones and Globe internet connection.

Using the power of mobile technology, Grades 5 and 6 students can watch any of the almost 400 educational audio and video materials loaded in the Nokia N86 8MP phones and equipped with the Nokia Education Delivery (NED) application. NED allows teachers to download and easily access educational audios and videos on Math, Science and English specifically designed for the project, providing a highly effective visual aid for teachers. It also creates an interactive, student-focused learning environment in the classroom which makes the students eager to go to school.

Aside from the Nokia N86 8MP phone and educational videos, Text2Teach recipient schools also get a Globe SIM card provided with P150 worth of free pre-paid load monthly for one year, a 29-inch colored TV, 3-day teacher training and teachers guides.

Alma Abalos Fernandez, a teacher at Carael Elementary School in Dagupan City, pointed out that the effectiveness of the program is evident in helping students appreciate a complex subject like science.

“Before we had Text2Teach, I had to rely on my imagination. I gave a lot of examples and used a lot of visual aids to make sure they understand the subject. But with Text2Teach, there is a better appreciation of what is being discussed. You can also see that the students learn faster. Just show them the video and you capture their attention. The students also retain the lessons better because they can see actual images on the video. And we don’t have to spend much on visual aids anymore,” Fernandez related in the vernacular.

Aside from improved performance, Text2Teach also helps minimize student absenteeism since they are now excited to go to class and watch the videos.

I'm feeling nostalgic. After 12 years, I'm back in Cebu and have finally visited my dearest high school Alma Mater - the Sisters of Mary School Girlstown School.

With my short vacation trip (May 13-16), I get to see my high school bestfriend (Nanette), my other high school classmates (Celeste - who also served as our tourist guide and Ann - she is from Davao too) and of course roamed around the different areas of the school as I reminisce the memories I've spent studying at the Sisters of Mary. Jaaaahhh... Nothing just beats the high school life!

With my high-school bestfriend, Ma. Nanette Reposar.

With Celeste (high school classmate - wearing black), Leizl and Rose (college classmates)

At the gate area. "Serve the Lord with Joy" - this is the Sisters of Mary motto (taken from Psalms)

St. Therese building - this serves as our dormitories and classrooms when we were still first year students. I cannot forget the incident when all the 6th batch shouted. Hehehhee...