I always tell people that there’s nothing like the entertainment business to teach you how to not take things personally!

Really though, there’s opportunity in EVERY business to get this same lesson. It’s all about learning to live as a creator, and not as a reactor.

In my work, both as a coach and as a coachee, one of the common challenges is about not taking things personally. That’s because moving forward, getting bigger, and living your dreams require that you step out of the petty concerns of your small self. You simply can no longer afford to waste that kind of energy and attention.

So, here are the 9 Immutable Laws of Not Taking Things Personally. Let them guide you to bigger places in your world!

1 – SWSWSWSW.

A well-loved acronym, this stands for “Some will. Some won’t. So what? Someone’s waiting!”

It means that some people will love what you do.

Then there will be those who look at your work, read your poems, review your resume, visit your store – and they’ll shrug and say, “Yea, not so much.”

So what?

Somewhere out there someone is waiting for your gift. And if you have to keep working on your craft, or wait a little while, that’s okay!

2 – Know your “Why.”

This is what entrepreneur Sheri McConnell’s upcoming book is all about.

Your WHY is your deeper motivation. Your WHY is your guideline. Your WHY will help you dismiss the minor petty things that try to hold you back. If you don’t know your WHY, it might be time to get clear.

3 – Remember that people are busy.

People are busy.

Don’t sink into resentment when a single email isn’t answered. It’s not personal. Many times, it’s just that people don’t have time to answer every email. We all have a lot on our plates. It’s not personal if you have to try someone twice or three times! (Revisit #1.)

4 – Email is instant. Use accordingly.

The rapid pace of our culture has removed much of the etiquette that some might normally expect. Most people just “fire off” email without thinking.

If you get an email that hurts or feels personal, take some time to chill out. Then re-read the email in a kind voice. Be careful with the temptation to over-dramatize someone else being in a hurry.

5 – Begin each day with presence.

How you begin your day sets the tone for the day.

Learn to start your day by getting centered with creative and proactive activities. Some possibilities: meditation, yoga, going to the gym, writing down goals and intentions, visioning your day in advance. Start with a strong foundation each day.

6 – Eat enough. Sleep enough.

Being tired or hungry will make you more sensitive or irritable. Don’t try to function well in these draining conditions.

7 – The power of lists.

Are you hoping for the ONE BIG THING that will be your “saving grace?” This is a veritable petri dish for taking things personally!

Examples: Applying for a scholarship to one single program. Submitting your article off to one magazine. Waiting to hear back from one single new client.

There’s a better way. Before you send yourself out into the world – be it resume, grant, publication – make a list of many options. Then, move down the list if someone says no. Find the someone who’s waiting.

8 – Shut up and listen.

When you quietly listen, you may actually see humor in how you can take everything so personally.

When you’re in a conversation with someone else, stop and listen. Really deeply listen. Try practicing this first in everyday conversations that aren’t emotional. This will prepare you for more highly charged situations.

9 – Communicate without Emotion.

Do you use phrases like this?

- “Well, you’re the one who…”

- “You took that all wrong!”

- “You ALWAYS do that!”

- “I’ll NEVER make it!”

Notice that this language is laced with drama and blame.

Language is a very powerful tool. Learn to use words that aren’t about the emotions and pointing fingers.

“I didn’t communicate this well so let me try again.”

“I’m not sure I understand you. Can we discuss this on the phone?”

Learn to take a “Here’s the facts ma’am” approach. Write out your desired outcome for the conversation. Get clear inside yourself, and then talk with the other person.

Please do! Just be sure to include this complete blurb with it:

Christine Kane is the Mentor to Women Who are Changing the World. She helps women uplevel their lives, their businesses and their success. Her weekly LiveCreative eZine goes out to over 12,000 subscribers. If you are ready to take your life and your world to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://christinekane.com.

WANT TO SEE HUNDREDS MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?

See Christine’s blog at ChristineKane.com/blog.

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Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States. He served from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln successfully led the United States through its darkest hour … the American Civil War. In the end, Lincoln was able to preserve the Union and end slavery.

Prior to his election in 1860, as the first U.S. Republican president, Lincoln was a country lawyer, an Illinois state legislator, a member of the United States House of Representatives, and an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate twice.

Concerning slavery, Lincoln was forthright and open in his opposition to the expansion of slavery. This attitude earned him the Republican nomination in 1860; later that year he was elected president.

During his time in office he introduced measures that resulted in the abolition of slavery, including the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the passing of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Just six days after a large-scale surrender of the Confederate forces (under General Robert E. Lee), Lincoln became the first American president to be assassinated.

Lincoln is considered by scholars to be one of the greatest U.S. presidents to ever take office.

7 Must-Read Life Lessons from Abraham Lincoln:

Prepare for Success
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.”

Before you can succeed, you must prepare. When Lincoln was an unknown attorney in the backwoods of Illinois he was preparing for success, when Lincoln became an Illinois State Senator, he was preparing for success, and even when he lost the election for the U.S. senate twice, he was preparing for success. What are you doing in preparation for success? Lincoln said, “I will prepare and some day my chance will come.”
Hustle
“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”
You can’t stroll to a goal, you must hustle; you must move quickly in order to gain the momentum necessary to break free from the gravitational pull of the commonplace. The best things in life come to those who hustle. Are you hustling?
Remember That Greatness is Possible
“That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.”
If someone else can succeed in the business that you’re in, that is proof that you can succeed as well. If someone else can become rich in the state that you’re in, that is proof that you become rich as well. You have all that the greatest of men have had: a mind, and a will. Don’t make excuses, if someone else can do it, so can you… And who knows? You may be able to do it faster and better; never underestimate you abilities.
Become Worthy of a Good Reputation
“Reputation is like fine china, once broken it’s very hard to repair.”
Work to be, the way you want to be perceived. Don’t try to look good, be good. A good name is more valuable than fine gold and “choice” rubies.

Practice becoming honorable.

You can be just as honest, have just as much integrity, walk in just as much humility, and possess just as much discipline as the greatest men who have ever lived.
Make the Years Count
“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
Lincoln didn’t live to a very old age, but the “life in his years” made a profound impact on the world. Are you making your years count? Are you changing the world? You’re capable of it; if you’re able to read and understand these words, then you have the ability to make a profound impact, and that’s not just meaningless rhetoric, it’s a very real reality, but will you grasp it, will you believe it and make it “your” reality.
See the Brighter Side of Things
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
If you look for something to complain about, you will certainly find it! There’s “always” an opportunity to be “offended!” Don’t take these opportunities; they “never” lead to anything positive. Learn to see the roses in life; life is filled with roses, if you’ll take the time to see them.
Constantly Improve
“The way for a young man to rise is to improve himself in every way he can…”
If you improve everyday, imagine the improvements you could make over the course of 20 years. You could become successful “in-just-about” any field in 20 years. You can make a significant impact on the world in 20 years! Remember, slow and steady wins the race; Rome was not built in a day. Work to get a little better everyday, and it time, you will accomplish your dreams.

Thank you for reading and be sure to pass this article along!
Written on 5/24/2010 by Mr. Self Development who is a motivational author that offers a practical guide to success and wealth; support him by visiting his blog at mrselfdevelopment.com or by subscribing to his feed.

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Emerging Models in Education

EDU 6054 – Final Project – Jennie Bourgeois

 ________________________________________

                        (click red title below for presentation)

                           Online High Schools 

                (Download the  above .mov file to view the presentation)

________________________________________________

Note from Jennie –

Welcome to my blog!  I decided to utilize my blog to post my presentation for

this class as well as add some additional information and resources.  The

YouTube videos below are contain additional information and examples

about Online High Schools if you should be interested. In addition, please feel

free to browse through my blog.  Different components of my professional

and personal life are integrated into my this site.

I look forward to your thoughts and comments in the discussion board

Thanks! 

Jen

 _________________________________________

“The question is no longer IF the internet can transform

learning in powerful ways.”

- The Web-Based Education Commission

_________________________________________________________

Example of How an Online High School Works

__________________________________________________________

“Within five years, there will be lots of blended models

such as students going to school two days a week, and

working at home three days a week.”

- Julie Young, the founder and president of the Florida

Virtual School, speaking about K-12 schools

_______________________________________

Example of Online Algebra Course

___________________________________

“Online learning can be a lifeline to those who have

obstacles, such as geographical distances or physical

disabilities.”

- Paul Levinson, author, “The Soft Edge”                                                      ___________________________________

Hear from Students Attending Online High Schools

________________________________________________________

“The data collected in this current study supports that

prediction and it is conceivable that by 2016 online

enrollments could reach between 5 and 6 million

K-12 (mostly high school) students.”

- From Sloan Consortium Report “K-12 Online

Learning – A 2008 Follow-up of the Survey

of U.S. School District Administrators”

_____________________________________

Virtual Schools on the  Rise

________________________________________________________

“Almost all types and sizes of institutions show a steady

increase in the importance of online education in their

long-term strategy.”

- Sloan Consortium Study “Online Education in the

United States, 2006

______________________________________

News Story About Students Attending  Online High School

_________________________________________________________

“…by the year 2016 about one-quarter of all high school

courses will be online and that by the year 2019 about

one-half of all high school courses will be online.”

- Attributed to Clayton Christensen, Michael Horn, and

Curtis Johnson, writers of “Disrupting Class: How

Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns”

______________________________________

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___________________________________________________________

If you’re a consummate procrastinator–despite your best efforts to be otherwise–then you’ve undoubtedly waited until the last minute to start that research paper or read that book more than once. Here you’ll find a collection of resources that can help you cram for tests, understand the main ideas of a work of literature, do your math homework and a whole lot more so your procrastination won’t send your college career down the tubes.

Study Guides

These study guides can help you understand literary metaphors, summarize readings and give you the tools necessary to muddle through the densest of texts.

1. SparkNotes: Whether you’re reading Shakespeare or something a little more modern, you’ll find helpful study guides and notes on this site.
2. PinkMonkey: Here you’ll find over 460 study guides you can use for free to better understand just about any work of classic literature.
3. BookRags: This site is home to study guides and summaries aplenty, as well as information for research topics.
4. Bibliomania: Search through study guides on this site by title or author.
5. Study Guides and Strategies: Try out this site for some ideas on how to study better as well as some more specifically designed study guides for reading and math.
6. CollegeCram: This site is a great place to find social learning resources from study guides to shared notes.
7. Bartleby.com: Lose your book? On this site you’ll find a collection of many works of literature as well as helpful study resources as well.
8. Free Book Notes: This site is essentially a free online version of CliffsNotes.
9. Shmoop: There are loads of literature guides available on this site as well as other teaching materials you can use for learning.
10. LitSum: If you didn’t bother to do your reading, you can find basic summaries of well-known books on this site.
11. GradeSaver: On this site you’ll find a great number of study guides as well as example essays and other learning tools.

Study Tools

Use these study tools to quiz yourself, solve math problems and cram at the last minute.

1. QuickMath: Use this site to get answers to math problems quickly and easily over the Internet.
2. Cramster.com: Join study groups, get answers to your questions and find help with textbooks on this study site.
3. TutorLinker: If you are struggling to work on your own, use this site to find a tutor to help.
4. FlashcardExchange: Create, study, print and share flashcards of all kinds on this site.
5. PocketMod: Make your class notes small so you can take them with you and study them anywhere you go.
6. StudyStack: On this site you can use flashcards made by others or create your own to use.
7. Quizlet: This tool can help you study more effectively for just about any subject out there.
8. Flashcard Machine: Use this tool to build helpful flashcards so you can study better.
9. StudyRails: Try out a free trials of this tool designed to help keep you organized, help you study and eliminate those pesky distractions available when you do work online.
10. Mathway: Use this tool to get easy answers to your math homework or to double check your work.

Sharing Notes

On these sites you’ll be able to share your notes and get notes from others from classes you might have missed.

1. Notely: On Notely you can store and share your notes as well as keep track of your assignments and schedule.
2. MyNoteit: Use this tool to take, store and share your notes in an online format.
3. NoteCentric: Get notes from others and share your own on this site.
4. Stu.dicio.us: This site acts as a social note-taking forum so you don’t have to work alone.
5. NoteMesh: Fill in any gaps there may be in your notes with help from this site and your classmates.
6. ShareNotes: With this site you can look through class notes for free and also make a profit selling your own notes.
7. GradeGuru: Share and search for notes from your courses on this site.
8. StudyBlue: This tool makes it simple to keep track of your notes and connect with others who have taken or are taking your courses.
9. ShareCourseware.org: Find free lecture notes on this site.
10. FruitNotes: This site acts as an online notebook, making it simple to share work with friends, make voice recordings and even add photos.
11. Helipad: Sick of searching through your notes for important facts? This tool makes it easy to store and search through all your notes.

Reference

If you need to look up any kind of basic information from word translations to a more intelligent sounding word, these tools will help.

1. Dictionary.com: Look up just about any word you could need the definition for on this site.
2. Wikipedia: While it won’t hold up as a citation on a research paper, it can give you a great starting point for your real research.
3. RhymeZone: Writing a poem or a song? This site will help you come up with great rhymes when you’re at a loss.
4. ArtLex: Look up art terms you don’t understand in this free online dictionary.
5. Webopedia: Don’t understand all those techie terms? This dictionary is here to help.
6. Dictionary of Algorithms: On this site you’ll find a collection of algorithms and other data structures.
7. Biographical Dictionary: Check out this resource for information on the lives of tens of thousands of people.
8. Roget’s Thesaurus: Make your writing sound fancier by finding synonyms in this free thesaurus.
9. BabelFish: Translate basic phrases and webpages from another language into your own with this tool.
10. WordReference: Look up words in English, Spanish, French, Italian and more on this site.
11. Visual Dictionary: If you’re more of a visually oriented person, this dictionary can help you understand a myriad of concepts.

Research

Augment and speed up your research with these helpful tools.

1. Ottobib: Simply enter in the reference information into this tool and you’ll get an instantly rendered citation in MLA, APA, and Chicago style.
2. Zotero: This Firefox extension can help you organize and track your research from beginning to end.
3. WizFolio: Manage your references and cite them when you’re done with this tool.
4. EasyBib: Use this tool to ensure that you’re citing your sources correctly when you turn in your paper.
5. Bibme: Add your reference material to this site and it will generate a bibliography for you.
6. CiteULike: This tool allows you to search for and manage a wealth of scholarly resources.
7. Delicious: Bookmark sites that look promising for research on this site.
8. Backpack: While designed with business in mind, this tool can be an excellent way to manage your research projects as well.
9. WorldCat: Find just about any book you could need using this site that searches the world’s libraries, letting you know where you can find it nearest to you.
10. Google Scholar: Use this search engine to scan through loads of helpful scholarly articles.
11. High Beam Research: Search through thousands of reputable sources for research materials using this site.
12. Diana Hacker: This site will help you to double check your citations to make sure they’re done correctly.
13. GoogleBooks: You can often find some extremely useful books you can look through for free on this site.

Writing

Improve your writing and get a little help in the process from these tools.

1. Viper Plagiarism Checker: Ensure that your work is free from any plagiarism by using this tool. With its help, you can make sure you’ve cited any resources.
2. Etherpad: Those who have to rush to turn in a group project can use this tool to work together at once online.
3. GoogleDocs: Take your writing with you whether you are at home or at the library with this online word processor.
4. Eduify: This site knows that writing isn’t always easy and offers tutorials, writing samples, help with citations and even stores your writing online.
5. Elements of Style: Check through this classic book to make sure you’re sticking to correct grammar and style.
6. Ultimate Style: Here is a more updated version of the Elements of Style you can look to for help.
7. Technical Writing: Those who work with more technical subjects should consult this guide.
8. WordCounter: This tool will tell you what words you’ve used most frequently in your text so you can make sure you’re not repeating the same things over and over.
9. Verbix: Use this tool to conjugate any English verb correctly.
10. Advanced Text Analyzer: Create a profile on this site and you’ll be able to use the text tools to analyze your work, determining a wealth of information that can help you improve your writing.
11. yWriter: Try out this word processor that’s designed just for writing stories and novels.
12. Scholar’s Aid Lite: The free version of this tool will give you a place to write your paper, organize your notes, cite sources and more.

Presentation

Use these tools to put together a last minute presentation.

1. Sliderocket: This online tool uses drag and drop functionality to make it simple to create great presentations.
2. Slideshare: Whether you’re working together or by yourself this tool will make creating presentations a cinch.
3. ZohoShow: Use this open source tool to build presentations, if you don’t have another program to do so.
4. Prezi: Create great presentations on the web using this impressive tool.
5. Jing: Use the free version of this tool to easy snap pictures of your screen and create great presentations.
6. 280Slides: Try out this presentation tool to make sure you’re prepared for your class.

Productivity

Remind yourself of your important tasks with these tools.

1. Ta-Da Lists: Create an easy-to-use to-do list using this free tool, a big help in keeping your work on track.
2. Toodledoo: Organize your tasks and improve your productivity using this tool.
3. 30 Boxes: This online calendar can help make sure you don’t forget upcoming due dates.
4. Stickies: As you’re doing your research, use these stickies to make notes to yourself for later.
5. Remember the Milk: Whether you want to track your social schedule or make sure you get all of your homework done, this tool can help.
6. HassleMe: This tool will incessantly remind you of tasks you need to get done so you have no excuses about forgetting.
7. Bla-Bla List: You can use this list-making tool to create your own to-dos or create a set for your group.
8. Diigo: This tool will help you organize all of your important research and keep everything easy to find.
9. WebNotes: Manage and make notations on your research using this time-saving tool.
10. A.nnotate: Try out this tool to make searching for and storing information on the Internet easy and more productive.

Brainstorming and Organizing

Pull your ideas together and get your information organized using these tools.

1. Thinkature: This site allows users to create mindmaps of their ideas and easily share them with others.
2. FreeMind: Check out this free mind mapping software to better organize your ideas.
3. Bubble.us: Keep all of your material and ideas for projects in order with this tool.
4. WiseMapping: This open source tool makes it simple to lay out outlines and organize information for a paper.
5. Mapul: This tool takes a different approach to mind mapping, creating outlines that are much more organic in nature.
6. View Your Mind: Insert pictures, links and other information into your mindmap using this tool.
7. Gliffy: If a flow chart is more akin to what you need, then try out this free tool.
8. Mindomo: With this tool you’ll be able to organize, get productive, define goals and track what you need to get done.
9. Manage My Ideas: Try out this demo to get a leg up in organizing any project you’re working on.
10. DeepaMehta: Keep all of the information and ideas you’ve complied for your paper organized using this software.
11. The Brain: Pick your own brain using this mind mapping software that’s incredibly fully-featured.

Miscellaneous

From writing help to printable graph paper, these tools offer a range of assistance in finishing homework and projects.

1. ProBoards: Use these forums to post your homework and project questions.
2. Spreeder: Learn how to speed read using this site.
3. Printable Paper: Need specialized graph or printed paper but don’t have any lying around? It’s no problem with this site.
4. PDF Creator: This tool will help you to turn any kind of document into a PDF.
5. Box.net: Need to store some data online? This tool will make it easy to store and access the important things you need.

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from Lifehacker by Adam Pash

Photo by JasonRogersFooDogGiraffeBee.

If your note-taking skills are suffering from summertime rigor mortis, now’s as good a time as any to throw a new technique into the mix. Let’s take a look at some new and old tools for improving your ballpoint repertoire.

The Cornell method

This oldie is a highly-regarded, very common system that makes it especially easier to retain information. By reviewing things as you go, you might even get away with less studying.

Divide your page into two columns. The left one (which could also just be the back of the previous page in your notebook) is narrower. You’re going to jot larger ideas in this column: the 5-dollar-words and big bullet points. In the right column, you’re going to take down as much information as possible. The right column is allowed to be messy, have pictures and tables—it’s not necessarily organized. To some students, it’s just regular notes. But as you go, record the main corresponding idea in the left column.

Every so often, cover the detailed notes on the right and just examine the main points and new vocab. See how much you can recite and explain in your own words. Then remove your hand and see how you did. Depending on the teacher, you might do this during lulls in the discussion or after class.

Some versions of the Cornell system leave the last few lines on each page for summarizing the whole page. Since what’s on a given page doesn’t necessarily group together nicely, I don’t recommend doing it. But summarizing can help you with wading through piles of pages when studying time comes.

For a more in-depth look at the Cornell method, take a look at our previous guide to taking study-worthy lecture notes.

Go visual

It’s tough to enter a classroom with colored pencils and still expect your fellow students to take you seriously. But unless you try it, you’ll never know if it works better for you. Forget the status-quo and try something visual. Color-code with different pens, pencils, and highlighters. You might not have seen a web-style map of ideas since elementary school, but mind-mapping is hailed as quite an efficient way to group data. It needn’t even be a rigid classification system—anything is better than doodling in the margins.

Switch mediums

For how tech-savvy our generation is, I still see surprisingly few laptops in classrooms. Try it out a few times and see if you like it. Particularly, if you’re the type who outlines, computers let you go back and organize information on-the-fly. Laptops also let you and your classmates AIM with real-time questions about the opposite sex the lecture. There are also programs made just for taking notes, sharing them, organizing them, etc. Wikipedia has a great table that compares them all, or you can take a look at Lifehacker reader’s favorite note-taking tools.

On the other hand, if you already use a laptop, try the pen-and-paper route again. Let loose a bit and see how that goes. Try scribbling out mistakes and drawing arrows everywhere. Or try one of the visual techniques above, most of which are difficult on a computer.

Shorthand

Notes are probably the only place in the classroom where internet slang is commendable. Trying some new shorthand is a really geeky way to slightly tweak your engravings and get you amped about taking notes again. Here are a few resources to get you started:

A Guide to Alternative Handwriting and Shorthand Systems
Shorthand Shorthand Shorthand

My favorite method is called Teeline—anyone can look at this one and learn a few things. It’s mostly based around removing unimportant letters and making complex letters easier to write quickly.

Instead of converting entirely to shorthand, you might try translating just some of your most-frequently used words into a shorthand “language” that takes less time to write.

If you’re taking notes on the computer, supercharge your repetitive typing with tools like our very own text-replacement application Texter (Windows) or TextExpander (Mac).

Don’t

Oh goodness! Don’t take notes? How controversial!

Well, it couldn’t hurt to relax every once in a while. Especially in small classes and seminar situations, staying engaged through discussion and questions might do you better than scribbling every word.

Here’s another way to avoid taking notes: Record your lectures. Digital recorders can capture hours of audio. Sit back and just listen. After class, you can play it back at double-speed and take notes in half the time. Take that, engineers!

The school-bound productivity nuts at weblog HackCollege will be joining us all week to offer their perspective on making the most of your Back to School regimen.

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