100 best-paying jobs in Singapore

1. Specialised surgeon – $30,755
2. Managing director – $24,472
3. General surgeon – $17,872
4. Commodities futures broker – $17,464
5. General manager – $16,667
6. Company director – $15,513
7. Creative director (Advertising) – $13,000
8. Legal service manager – $12,318
9. Foreign exchange dealer and broker – $11,095
10. Operations manager (Finance) – $9,808

11. Legal officer – $9,790

12. Risk management manager – $9,600
13. Research and development manager – $9,385
14. Computer operations and network manager – $9,300
15. Training manager – $9,000
16. Computer and information systems manager – $8,930
17. Ship-master – $8,671
18. Technical manager – $8,595
19. Financial futures dealer and broker – $8,447
20. Personnel / Human resource manager – $8,420

21. Business development manager – $8,290
22. Corporate planning manager – $8,290
23. Fund manager – $8,125
24. Treasury manager – $8,079
25. Budgeting and financial accounting manager – $8,000
26. Marketing manager – $8,000
27. Power generation and distribution engineer – $7,848
28. Engineering manager – $7,819
29. Chemical engineer (Petroleum) – $7,678
30. Manufacturing plant and production manager – $7,645

31. Chemical engineer (Petrochemicals) – $7,547
32. Advertising and public relations manager – $7,533
33. Advocate and solicitor – $7,500
34. Operations research analyst – $7,500
35. Business management consultant – $7,437
36. Procurement manager – $7,416
37. Lawyer (except advocate and solicitor) – $7,400
38. Quality assurance manager – $7,263
39. Customer service manager – $7,142
40. Sales manager – $7,100

41. Logistics manager – $7,050
42. Operations manager (Commerce) – $6,862
43. Chemical engineering technician (Petroleum) – $6,696
44. Automation engineer – $6,680
45. Instrumentation engineer – $6,616
46. Book editor – $6,538
47. Surveyor – $6,523
48. Industrial health, safety and environment engineer – $6,503
49. Building architect – $6,500
50. Transport operations manager – $6,400

51. Editor (Newspapers and periodicals) – $6,369
52. Marine superintendent engineer – $6,340
53. Audio and video equipment engineer – $6,307
54. Premises maintenance manager – $6,304
55. Personal banker – $6,250
56. Chemist – $6,241
57. Electrical engineering technician (High voltage) – $6,225
58. Business analyst – $6,205
59. General physician – $6,173
60. Administration manager – $6,150

61. Financial analyst – $6,000
62. Securities dealer and broker – $5,750
63. Shipping manager – $5,721
64. Building and construction project manager – $5,720
65. Property / Estate manager – $5,715
66. Physicist – $5,700
67. Editor (Radio, television and video) – $5,658
68. Information technology security specialist – $5,646
69. Advertising copywriter – $5,600
70. Director (Stage, film, television and radio) – $5,512

71. Automotive engineer – $5,500
72. Naval architect – $5,480
73. Chemical engineering technician (Petrochemicals) – $5,424
74. Chinese physician – $5,316
75. Financial planner – $5,283
76. Aeronautical engineer – $5,242
77. Chemical engineer (General) – $5,187
78. Broadcasting operations technician – $5,178
79. Market research analyst – $5,174
80. Producer / Director of commercials – $5,150


81. Manufacturing engineer – $5,137
82. Systems programmer – $5,111
83. Actuary – $5,100
84. Production engineer – $5,091
85. Sales representative (Technicial) – $5,089
86. Database administrator – $5,080
87. Semi-conductor engineer – $5,035
88. Mechanical engineer – $5,000
89. Ship rigger – $4,933
90. Systems designer and analyst – $4,914

91. Network systems and data communication analyst – $4,894
92. Sales representative (Medical and pharmaceutical products) – $4,857
93. Flight operations officer – $4,801
94. Civil engineer – $4,746
95. Script writer – $4,740
96. Warehousing manager – $4,706
97. Materials engineer – $4,689
98. Electrical engineer – $4,665
99. Credit analyst – $4,631
100. Electronics engineer – $4,615
MOM Release Date: 30 Jun 2008

“Analyzing what you haven't got as well as what you have is a necessary ingredient of a career.” Orison Swett Marden

China's Ivy League Universities

University: China's top varsity and its first national university. Established in 1898, it is noted for producing luminaries such as the writer Lu Xun. It was also at the forefront of student movements, such as the May Fourth Movement and the 1989 Tiananmen protests.

Qinghua University: Alma mater of Chinese President Hu Jintao and Vice-President Xi Jinping. The Beijing-based school is known for its business and engineering studies.

Fudan University: Widely viewed as China's top southern university, the Shanghai-based institution is highly regarded for physical sciences, social sciences and medicine.

Zhejiang University: Seen by Chinese students as the country's No. 4 university, after Beijing, Qinghua and Fudan. The Hangzhou-based college is rated highly in natural sciences and engineering.

Nanjing University: Established in AD258 under the Kingdom of Wu, it is one of the oldest universities in China. It is regarded as a pioneer in many fields, including literature, philosophy and history.

Shanghai Jiaotong University: Known for its engineering strength, the university counts former Chinese president Jiang Zemin and computer giant Lenovo founder Liu Chuanzhi among its alumni.

Harbin Institute of Technology: Famous for its military and space-related research. A key player in China's Shenzhou space project.

Xi'an Jiaotong University: The top university in China's western region. It is well regarded for its science and medicine programmes.

University of Science and Technology of China: The college in northern Anhui province is renowned for its science research. It is well-known, too, for its vice-president, physicist Fang Lizhi, whose liberal ideas inspired pro-democracy student protests in 1986 and 1989.
Source: TST
"疏食飲水，曲肱而枕，樂在其中矣。不義而富貴，于我如浮雲。" - Confucian



"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these." George Washington Carver

老师永远不教的50堂课!

第一课： 你得接受现实，生活本来就是不公平的。

第二课： 现实世界和学校不同，在这儿，没人那么在乎你的自尊。你得先有所成就，才有资格自我感觉良好。
第三课： 抱歉，你不可能中学毕业一年就年薪六万美金，也不可能当上副总经理还配有专车。很可能，你还得穿大路货的制服呢。
第四课： 你没资格……
第五课： 不管你老爸怎么说，你并不是真的公主。
第六课： 你不可能想要什么就有什么。
第七课： 等你有了老板，就知道当年的老师有多和蔼可亲了。
第八课： 别把精力都用于关注自己的小世界。
第九课： 学校里可能已经废除了优胜劣汰，但生活中可没有。
第十课： 生活就像是玩躲避球。

第十一课： 毕业之后，你们的竞争对手可不是那些童年的懦夫。
第十二课： “屈辱”是生活的一部分。你得接受它。
第十三课： 你不会进NBA的，所以别忙着佩戴那些亮闪闪的奢侈品，先努力干活吧！
第十四课： 穿得再辣，也不会让你更强大。
第十五课： 在快餐店里端盘子并不是什么丢人的事。在你爷爷那一辈，把这种工作称为“良机”。
第十六课： 你的父母和弟弟并不会给你丢人。真正丢人的是忘恩和无礼。
第十七课： 你出生前，父母可不像现在那么乏味。都是在为你付帐、来回接送、打扫你的房间、为你存学费、听你倾诉自己是个多么理想主义的人……这些琐事中消磨掉的。
第十八课： 现实生活可不是按学期算的，也根本没有暑假这回事儿。
第十九课： 如果你把事情搞砸了，那就得自己负责，别怨父母。

第二十课A： 抽烟看起来并不酷，反而让你像个白痴。
第二十课B： 即使你妈妈很厉害，校长很懦弱，你也不能想穿鼻环就穿鼻环、想干吗就干吗。
第二十一课： 有人冒犯你了？那又怎样？我是说真的，那又能怎么样？
第二十二课： 你算不上什么受害者，所以别再抱怨了！
第二十三课： 总有一天你必须长大、真正搬出父母的家。
第二十四课： 蝙蝠侠的女朋友说的没错儿：重要的不是你是谁，而是你做了什么。
第二十五课： “π”可不在乎你的想法。
第二十六课： “道德指南针”并不实际存在。
加课：“无用输入导致无用输出”，这句话不仅适用于你吃的东西，也适用于你的所看所听。
第二十七课： 别听下半身指挥。
第二十八课： 慎独。
第二十九课： 学会面对虚伪。

第三十课： 零姑息＝毫无常识。
第三十一课： 骨瘦如柴在现实中并不美。
第三十二课： 生活和电视剧是两码事。
第三十三课： 对那些老实的书呆子和气点儿，没准儿最后你得在人家手下打工呢。
第三十四课： 胜利者有一套自己的人生哲学，失败者亦然。
第三十五课： 要是你屁股太肥，麦当劳可没强迫你吃他们的巨无霸汉堡；要是你抽烟，那也不是万宝路的错。
第三十六课： 你不是刀枪不入、永生不死的。
第三十七课： 信息灵通不等于你对一切了如指掌。
第三十八课： 与人交流的时候，要注视对方的眼睛。
第三十九课： 黑白电影里演的很多都是真人真事。世界也不是从你出生那一刻才开始运转的。

第四十课： 那个斥资百万的项目简直是为了把你们变成猪脑子，学着清晰、有条理地思考吧。
第四十一课： 很多人都经历过你那些事，你不是第一个，也不是唯一一个。
第四十二课： 更换机油。
第四十三课： 不要让别人的成功打击自己。
第四十四课： 同事不一定要成为朋友，朋友也不是你的家人。
第四十五课： 大人们可能已经忘了你们这个年纪有多可怕。但你要记住：这都会过去的。
第四十六课： 记得去看看地下室里的豚鼠。
第四十七课： 你不完美，也不必变得完美。
第四十八课： 回顾一下自己的人生，抓住重点。
第四十九课： 别忘了说谢谢。
第五十课： 珍惜并享受现在的时光。

- Internet


"It is easy to sit up and take notice. What is difficult is getting up and taking action." Al Batt

"Passive acceptance of the teacher's wisdom is easy to most boys and girls. It involves no effort of independent thought, and seems rational because the teacher knows more than his pupils; it is moreover the way to win the favour of the teacher unless he is a very exceptional man. Yet the habit of passive acceptance is a disastrous one in later life. It causes man to seek and to accept a leader, and to accept as a leader whoever is established in that position." Bertrand Russell

"Really big people are, above everything else, courteous, considerate and generous - not just to some people in some circumstances - but to everyone all the time." Thomas J. Watson

Which grads earn the most?

By LIEW HANQING

FRESH graduates from the economics degree programme of the Singapore Management University (SMU) are among the best paid in their peer group, with a median starting salary of $3,300.

Those with distinctions fare even better. The corresponding figure for them is $3,750.

SMU's economics programme is among several local undergraduate courses with a 100 per cent overall employment rate for recent graduates.

Prospective students can now have a better idea of which local degree programmes offers the best pay, thanks to data released by the Ministry of Education (MOE) for the first time this year.

Its Graduate Employment Survey is based on responses from recent graduates of the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and SMU.

The survey tracks employment data of graduates six months after graduation. The survey results are available on MOE's website, www.moe.gov.sg, on the 'post-secondary education' page. The information available includes overall employment rates as well as mean and median gross monthly salaries of graduates, organised according to the degree courses offered by each university.

For example, about 90 per cent of mechanical engineering graduates from NUS were employed six months after graduation, with a median gross monthly salary of $2,965.

However, the economy and employment conditions have worsened since these graduates got their jobs. A spokesman for MOE said it would publish the results of the GES annually.

'The data gives prospective students a general indication of the employment conditions of the graduates from the various degree courses offered by our local universities,' he said.

He added that MOE decided to publish the survey results to help students make informed course decisions.

The survey was conducted on graduates who completed their studies between May and June last year and entered the labour market by 1 Nov.

Point of reference
Said the spokesman: 'We understand employment conditions may have changed since, but we hope that the data may still be useful as one point of reference for the students.'

The survey covers most available degree courses, but omits data from law, medicine, pharmacy and architecture, as graduates in these subjects must first undergo professional training.

Most students The New Paper spoke to felt the information was useful for those trying to choose a course of study.

Said Tan Ying Quan, 18, who has applied to both local and overseas universities: 'The information is useful because it allows students to gauge the viability of their studies in the current job market.'

He added that the availability of such employment data would prevent students from having unrealistic expectations of their starting salaries or the likelihood of securing employment upon graduation.

But undergraduate Yvonne Poon, 20, said the starting salary is just one factor that most prospective students look at when selecting a possible future career.

'When it comes to the crunch, surely pay doesn't matter that much - aptitude and passion is more important,' she said.

'You cannot brainwash yourself into developing a liking for, say, the highest- paying job around.'

Undergraduate Joanne Chia, 22, said she felt the information would help job hunters have a good idea of what to expect when they enter the job market.

She said: 'There are still quite a number of undergraduates who don't have an accurate idea of what entry-level pay to expect.

'This information would help moderate their expectations and hopefully help them pick their jobs wisely.'

She added that it would be useful if information such as the names of big-name employers, and the number of graduates they hire from each local university, are published as well.

'That would give us a good idea of our chances of being employed by the more sought-after companies,' she said.

- TNP


"When we hire, we look for people who have the ability to be facile with numbers, but that's not the only thing...The ability to convey your thoughts succinctly and persuasively is extremely important. That's one of the things a liberal education teaches you to do...We also look for well-rounded people. Relationships are very important in our business. As you get more senior in the company you start dealing with CEOs and CFOs from other companies, most of whom tend to be very well educated. When you meet at a conference or in a non-business situation, it helps if you know something about the arts, architecture, music, history. You have to have a good product and be cost-competitive and do good work, but if you have all that and you're also intellectually curious and able to talk intelligently on subjects other than business, you often end up becoming good friends." Chris Malone '81, executive director at Morgan Stanley

"Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will be judged by only one thing, the result." Vince Lombardi

"A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well." Jeff Bezos

Macro-Pessimist; Micro-Optimist

Stairway To Success Extracts
You cannot give that which you do not possess.

Relationships break down when there is a preoccupation with self.

Winners compare their achievements with their goals, while losers compare their achievements with those of other people.

The practical side of dreaming is being willing to pay the price to make those dreams come true.

If you work only on days you feel like working, you'll never amount to much.

Are you a thermometer or a thermostat? A thermometer only reflects the temperature of its environment, adjusting to the situation. But a thermostat initiates action to change the temperature in its environment.

Those with a strong self-image realize that the only way to keep from making mistakes is to do nothing -- and that's the biggest mistake of all.

The process of growing and learning always involves risk. No one ever becomes perfect; but anyone can improve.

Whether you are a success or failure in life has little to do with your circumstances; it has much more to do with your attitude.

If you could view your life as you do a highway from an airliner, many of the detours and curves would make more sense.

The practical dreamers know the harder they work, the luckier they get.

No failure, misfortune, or mistake is ever so great that nothing good can come from it.

Only when your memories are more important to you than your goals are
you old.

Fixing the blame is never important, and fixing the relationship is never unimportant.

You can't think your way into acting positively; but you can act your way into thinking positively.

People who are looking for something to make them happy, somehow never seem to find it. Yet those who find a way to be happy while they are looking for something, typically find what they are looking for.

What matters is not so much how you got to be the way you are now, but what you do with the person you have become.

A strong awareness that you are loved by God provides the most solid foundation for building high self-esteem.

Your best bet for a good job is to do the best you can with the one you have right now.

Those who spend their lives searching for happiness never find it, while those who search for meaning, purpose, and strong personal relationships find that happiness usually comes to them as a by-product of those three things.

13 Things Not to Share


"The prizes go to those who meet emergencies successfully. And the way to meet emergencies is to do each daily task the best we can." William Feather 1889-1981, Publisher and Author.

"The result of our people-judgments is that we often throw away someone's ideas because they are voiced by the wrong person or because we don't agree with all of their ideas." Thayer White

"Real obstacles don't take you in circles. They can be overcome. Invented ones are like a maze." Barbara Sher

Help or Harm

Anyone who attains a minimal level of success or even a degree of enlightenment understands that there is no true and lasting achievement without helping others and making a difference in the world around one.

While most everyone would agree on the fact that they want to help others, the act of helping another person is not as easy to identify as one might think.

Abraham Lincoln said, "The worst thing you can do for anyone you care about is anything that they can do on their own."

People who are given things, opportunities, and solutions without earning or paying for them often are harmed more than they are helped. Wealth without work, position without effort, and remedy without resource is seldom positive in the long run.

The majority of lottery winners are in worse financial condition five years after their winning number is called than they were before playing the lottery. They suffer a much higher divorce rate and instance of drug abuse and alcoholism.

At some point in life, all mature people learn that action shave consequences -- either good or bad. The sooner we can learn this lesson, the more productive and peaceful life we will have.

If you shelter a child from all consequences of their decisions, you may protect them temporarily from a few bumps or scrapes. Unfortunately, you may relegate them to making a poor decision during a life or death situation. We all need to learn that the stove is hot--one time--the hard way. From then on, we are cautious around stoves and begin to consider the consequences of other decisions.

Any study of successful people in our society will reveal a disproportionate number of underprivileged immigrants achieving great success in a relatively short period of time.

There is nothing innate about financial struggles, language barriers and cultural challenges that make people succeed. It is simply that enduring problems and overcoming barriers is a habit that, once learned, carries over into every area of our lives.

That person that turned you down for help may have done you the greatest favor of all. Self-reliance and independence are critical parts of succeeding in life.

All of us have received a hand up at one time or another, and hopefully have offered the same to those coming along behind us; but it is important to be sure that we are helping and not harming those that we care about.

As you go through your day today, look for ways to assist others, and eliminate any harm you're doing by trying to help in ways that people can perform on their own.

- Jim Stovall (adapted)

"Through adversity and life's challenges I am made stronger for having had overcome and worked through each particular hardship. I remind myself that on the other side of every single challenge which stands before me, I have within me, though it may be hidden deep, the necessary ingredients to overcome and thrive." Jim Stovall

"Any rough patch that you're going through right now will smooth out to a tiny wrinkle by the day's end, so you shouldn't waste too much time worrying about things. Turn your thoughts to tomorrow, when all of this will be over and things will be so much better. You can't have a good day every day, but you can certainly choose to focus on positive things instead of negative ones. And if the only positive thing in your life right now is hope, then so be it."

"Only enemies speak the truth; friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty." Stephen King


"The money I have is in direct proportion to the value I've given to others. The more I give of myself, incredibly, the more economic power comes my way." Tod Barnhart

Billionaire wishes to donate wealth

Bias for Targeted Action

What are you doing? What are you studying? What's your objective?

Geoffrey James's business perspectives (adapted).

1) Any business activity that can’t be measured quantitatively and objectively is a waste of resources.
2) The point of commerce is to generate profitable revenue, so all measurements should tie back to sales.
3) Everyone’s compensation should be tied to their ability to help sales generate profitable revenue.
4) Employees who object to being measured quantitatively and objectively are running a scam.
5) Effective marketing are activities that can be objectively and quantitatively measured that make it easier and quicker for sales to take place.


Brand Management
1st - Confidence
2nd – Quality
3rd – Service
4th – Selection
5th – Price

"I will act now. I will act now. I will act now. Henceforth, I will repeat these words again and again, each hour, each day, every day, until the words become a habit as my breathing and the actions which follow become as instinctive as the blinking of my eyelids. With these words I can condition my mind to perform every act necessary for my success. With these words, I can condition my mind to meet every challenge." Og Mandino, author and motivational speaker (1923 - 1996)

"Whatever we learn to do, we learn by actually doing it; men come to be builders, for instance, by building, and harp players by playing the harp. In the same way, by doing just acts we come to be just: By doing self-controlled acts, we come to be self-controlled; and by doing brave acts, we become brave." Aristotle, Greek Philosopher (384 BC – 322 BC)

"All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible." Orison Swett Marden
1850-1924, Author

"Action makes more fortune than caution." Luc DeClapiers

Assessment

"Assessment is often described as having two purposes: one lies in measuring someone's performance to communicate it to the outside world; the other in helping the student to learn. The NUS, and many academics who study assessment, argue that there is currently too much emphasis on the former at the expense of the latter." Rebecca Attwood Adapted


NATIONAL UNION OF STUDENTS' PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE ASSESSMENT, UK.

1. Should be for learning, not simply of learning
This positions assessment at the heart of learning rather than it serving as a simple add-on at the end of the process.

2. Should be reliable, valid, fair and consistent
It is crucial for staff, students and employers to have confidence in the assessment processes and their outcomes.

3. Should consist of effective and constructive feedback
Effective feedback on assessment is a crucial aspect of assessment processes and a key feature of enhancing the learning process.

4. Should be innovative and have the capacity to inspire and motivate
Formative assessment practices have the potential to inspire and motivate, and this aspect can be captured by innovative approaches, including those making use of new technology.

5. Should measure understanding and application, rather than technique and memory
Assessments need to have a holistic approach that transcends the particular method being used; only this will truly test and reflect levels of learning.

6. Should be conducted throughout the course, rather than being positioned as a final event. Positioning assessment as an integral part of the course helps facilitate continuous learning.

7. Should develop key skills such as peer and reflective assessment
Not only do such mechanisms allow students to receive extra feedback on work beyond that of their tutor, they also help develop the key skill of self-reflection.

8. Should be central to staff development and teaching strategies, and frequently reviewed
Assessment processes must be innovative and responsive to learners' needs, and as such they need to be central to staff development and teaching strategies.

9. Should be of a manageable amount for both tutors and students
While assessment should be placed in a central role in learning, for it to be effective neither tutor nor student should be overburdened.

10. Should encourage dialogue between students and their tutors and students and their peers (Mutual Goals)
It is important that students and staff share the same definitions and ideas around standards. This can be fostered by increased dialogue and engagement.

"'Fitness for purpose' - To give them the maximum opportunity to perform you want to provide a wide variety of opportunities. Somebody who is not terribly good at writing essays may be very good at presenting a paper or doing a project. The more kinds of assessment you use, the more you get a proper picture of what the student can really do." Patricia Broadfoot

They say that we live in an A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) society and that we are bombarded with: ==> so much advertising ==> so many refined foods ==> and literally thousands TV channels, it is not surprising that more and more people are turning out to have ADD than ever before...

"The difference between great people and everyone else is that great people create their lives actively, while everyone else is created by their lives, passively waiting to see where life takes them next. The difference between the two is the difference between living fully and just existing." Michael E. Gerber

Being Happy

The path to happiness
No money? No marry

Count your blessings
With the economy in bad shape, it may be time to take stock of the other things in your life that you can be happy about, like having friends, family and being in good health.

'Reflect on what really matters and re-chart your course to one that will bring joy, meaning and fulfilment to your life,' said life coach Kenny Toh.

Money can't buy happiness
Material ambitions can sometimes be our downfall in building a happy life, as a bigger income can often lead to more desires and expectations.

Thus, our overall happiness may not increase by much even as we get richer, said psychotherapist Stephen Lew.

His advice: Engage in more meaningful activities like bonding with family and friends, or pursuing charity work.

Avoid 'toxic' people
Ms Zaibun Siraj, author of the book, Zany, Zeal, Zest And Zing: The Z Way To Happiness, said that it is best to avoid those who may bring you down with their persistently negative attitudes.

Conversely, happiness is infectious so one can find joy in both spreading and receiving it.

Show gratitude and appreciation
Mr Lew also advised people to keep a diary consisting purely of the happy events in their lives.

This may seem hard at first but it can bring about reflection and acknowledgement of the good things in one's life.

Another easy way to feel happy, he added, is to write a letter of appreciation to someone close to you, to thank them for who they are and what they have done for your life.

Keep things in perspective
The key to happiness, said psychiatrist Adrian Wang, is balancing your expectations with the reality of your situation and your own perception of things.

Keeping things in perspective, in this sense, is essential to maintaining high spirits.

For instance, losing your job does not mean that you are a total failure, as your career is only one part of your whole life, said Dr Wang.

- ST


"It boils down to thinking and coping strategies. Happy people are able to problem-solve instead of dwelling on the negatives." Dr Adrian Wang

Measures

MEASURES keys to success in place-based learning by James Lewicki (Adapted)

Measurable lifelong-learning skills are embedded in an academic core. These include the skills to:

- follow an interest with a passion
- be able to precisely observe, record, and analyze data
- be a tenacious learner
- demonstrate effective collaborative skills
- recognize and utilize dynamic systems
- develop an intellectual balance of skepticism and openness
- use the power of intuition along with the discipline of deduction
- be able to cooperate through a shared dilemma
- draw conclusions independent of authority
- tolerate ambiguity
- select problem-solving strategies appropriate to a complex task

Effort is obvious and public.
"Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example." Mark Twain

Aligned with clear academic standards.
Open inquiry is active learning, and clear academic standards can keep a student focused.

Student opportunity for initiative, simply put, is endless.
"Practice precedes the possibility of observation and formulation; the results of practice must accumulate before mind has anything to observe." John Dewey

Understood by parents and the community.
Constantly bridging the gaps between school, home, and community is an active ingredient of a worthy place-based project. Parents, besides wanting to know what is learned, will often contribute to the learning itself.

Reflection time for establishment of meaning is built-in; preparatory project understanding is critical. Hands-on learning is only as powerful as the meaningfulness derived from all that activity. To be able to step back and ask, "What worked?" and "What didn't work?" can make all the difference.

Evidence is clear, credible, and compelling, leading to future endeavors. How can you prove to me that you know something? Show me, demonstrate, explain so that I can learn, and -- above all -- convince me that what you accomplished with that place-based project moved you forward in your understanding of the world. Finally, a completed project, in the end, will bring up more questions than it answers.

Sustainable learning beyond the expectations of adults, for learning's sake itself.
Sandi's poem ->
Have You Ever . . . ?
Have you ever stopped to look
to see what you could see?
Have you ever really wondered,
what maybe could be?
Have you ever sneaked a glance,
at wild birds in the sky?
Have you ever seen a stand of oaks
and stopped to wonder why?
Have you ever seen a river,
a-winding off afar?
Have you ever walked upon a ridge,
and wondered where you are?
Have you ever counted colors,
as you strolled along the way?
Have you ever witnessed fall,
and its colorful array?
Have you ever stopped to look,
to see what you could see?
Have you ever really wondered,
how it changes you and me?

"Desire is creation, is the magical element in that process. If there were an instrument by which to measure desire, one could foretell achievement." Willa Cather

Naughtiness at school; failure in life

They are likelier to end up with dud jobs and poor health. - AFP

PARIS - CHILDREN who badly misbehave in school are likelier to end up with a dud job, poor mental health, teen pregnancy or divorce, according to a British study published on Friday.

The paper, published online by the British Medical Journal (BMJ), provides statistical backing for teachers who sound warnings about anti-social behaviour, its authors say.

It draws on an exceptionally long-term investigation, launched among 3,652 Britons who were born in 1946. With their consent, these volunteers have been monitored at occasional intervals since their birth, filling in questionnaires about their health, family and professional life.

At the ages of 13 and 15, this group was assessed by their teachers, who were asked to grade their behaviour as having severe, mild or no conduct problems.

A total of 9.5 per cent of the teenagers were identified as having severe problems; 28.8 per cent had mild problems; and 61.7 per cent no problems.

Forty years later, the follow up inquiry found a clear link between misbehaviour at school and difficulties in adult life.

"Adolescent misconduct might adversely affect developing social behaviours and result in pervasive social and mental health difficulties throughout adult life." the paper suggests.

"青年期不端行将会有威力不利地影响在成人生活中弥漫的社会行为和精神健康困难结果。"

"Thanh niên vi sai trái có thể ảnh hưởng bất lợi đến phát triển xã hội và hành vi kết quả pervasive trong xã hội và sức khỏe tâm thần dành cho người lớn những khó khăn trong suốt cuộc đời."

Compared with those with no conduct problems at school, those who severely misbehaved were twice as likely to become a parent before the age of 20; likelier to get divorced or have relationship problems with spouses, children or friends; four times likelier to leave school with no qualifications, and twice as likely to be in a manual job or unemployed.

Problems in life also extended, but to a lesser degree, to those with milder forms of misbehaviour.

Males accounted for 62.6 per cent of those with severe behavioural problems at school and 54.8 per cent of those with mild problems. If the father had a manual job, this too was a major factor among teenagers in these categories.

The study is led by Ian Colman, an assistant professor of public health at the University of Alberta, Canada.

Prof Colman says the study provides a useful guide for focusing resources to help teenagers whose behaviour could prove costly both to themselves in adulthood, and to society.

He admits that the study has some limitations - there are no data to explain why children misbehaved, for instance.

On the other hand, the teachers' assessment was a good indicator of a child's risk of delinquency, and a better guide than the parents' own assessment, he argues.


FIVE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: Dolores Mirabella (Adapted)
1. Communication:
a) Read and listen actively to learn and communicate.
b) Speak and write effectively for personal, academic and workplace purposes.
2) Human Relations:
a) Use social interactive skills to work in groups effectively.
3) Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving:
a) Think critically in evaluating information, solving problems, and making decisions.
4) Technology:
a) Select the appropriate use of technological tools for personal, academic, and career tasks.
5) Personal Responsibility:
a) Be motivated and able to continue learning and adapt to change.
b) Value one's own skills, abilities, ideas, and art.
c) Take pride in one's work.
d) Manage personal health and safety.


"I tend to be attracted to characters who are up against a wall with very few alternatives. And the film then becomes an examination of how they cope with very few options. And that's, I guess, what interests me in terms of human behavior." William Friedkin

10, 000 hours

There are several myths about success:

1. Hard working entrepreneur pulls himself up by his bootstraps, works hard at an original idea for a few years, and becomes a hugely successful businessman. But there are many hard working entrepreneurs who never make it.

2. Born into the right family with the right connections and a fancy college education, an heir or heiress parlays their grandfather’s business into a huge multi-billion dollar company. But there are many people born into money that lose or squander it all.

3. Lucky all her life, she got all the right breaks, and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. But not everyone is lucky 100 percent of the time.

"To truly master any skill, he suggests, leaning on various pieces of research, requires about 10,000 concentrated hours. If you can get those hours in early, and be in a position to exploit them, then you are an outlier." Malcolm Gladwell, best-selling author of The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, has a new book coming out called Outliers: The Story of Success.

"If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut." Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

"My mother drew a distinction between achievement and success. She said that 'achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others, and that's nice, too, but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success.'" Helen Hayes (1900 - 1993)

"People can be divided into two classes: those who go ahead and do something, and those who sit still and inquire, 'Why wasn't it done the other way?'" Oliver Wendell Holmes

真正爱你的男人

1. 真正爱你的男人，一下子说不出真正爱你的理由，只知道自己顾不上注意别人。　
　　
2. 真正爱你的男人，其实总惹你生气，你却发觉不了他到底做错了什么。
　　
3. 真正爱你的男人，很少当面赞美你，可是心里肯定你是他最棒的。
　　
4. 真正爱你的男人，会在你忘记回复他短信时狠狠地说你一顿。
　　
5. 真正爱你的男人，只可能在你一个人的面前流眼泪，当你触摸到他时，也触摸到了那颗只为你跳动的心。
　　
6. 真正爱你的男人，会默默地记住你不经意说过的话，在某时某刻重复它们。
　　
7. 真正爱你的男人，不会轻易做出承诺，因为他想让自己成为你心中说话最算话的男子汉，只想给你最可靠最安全的幸福。
　　
8. 真正爱你的男人，总告诉你不要胡思乱想，因为其实他在为你们谋划着最美丽真实的未来。同时让你无忧无虑地等待他要给你的惊喜。
　　
9. 真正爱你的男人，可能不像你一样清楚地记得某些纪念日，他觉得爱你是每时每刻的，并不是靠这几天简单的日子。
　　
10.真正爱你的男人，不会轻易对你当面说“我爱你”，因为他为你做过的每件事都已经这么说了。除非在非常时刻，为了不让你无端地误解他。
　　
11.真正爱你的男人，总觉得有些话只说一遍就够了，因为你已经了解他的心。说得多了，他会觉得不珍贵。
　　
12.真正爱你的男人，如果他去机场接你，不会像你期望的那样捧着玫瑰大声叫“亲爱的”，只是自然地提过你的行李，然后想用眼睛抱紧你似的心疼地说，怎么瘦得像豆芽菜了？
　　
13.真正爱你的男人，当你发脾气时，只会不做声地听你把火发完，然后慢慢地说，你明天有课吗？早点睡吧。
　　
14.真正爱你的男人，不懂当你生气挂掉电话后应该立即打来，过了若干小时后会发条短信问你消气了没有？如果你质问他为何这么久才打来，他会理直气壮的说，你生气时我的解释一定没有用，等你的火消了，我的解释才有效果。
　　
15.真正爱你的男人，总是叫你小姑娘，可是每次他做什么重大的决定，却总想先听听你的建议。
　　
16.真正爱你的男人，不喜欢玩具小毛熊，却一直把你送他的小熊放在床头。　
　　
17.真正爱你的男人，当和你发生争执时，总是控制不了地先妥协，先承认“我错了”，过后发来短信以“神经病”开头，以“宝贝”结尾。事实上你也清楚，这次是你有点无理取闹。　
　　
18.真正爱你的男人，很想很想你时，也会买玫瑰送你，傻傻地等着你，却不知道自己捧的是月季。没关系，他的心里送的是玫瑰。
　　
19.真正爱你的男人，都不甜，但是他的吻能传递他嘴巴所有的热情。
　　
20.真正爱你的男人，当听到你对他讲很“酸”的话时，他反而会装得很正经，其实心里很甜很甜。
　　
21.真正爱你的男人，如果不能经常见到你，他会让自己忙碌起来，为了不去想你，因为他知道一想你将会一发不可收拾．．.

"The well-dressed woman draws her husband away from another woman's door." Spanish Proverb.

"Women shouldn't be too smart, and try not to pick at details in a marriage." Quan Yifeng