Monday, April 29, 2013

Online Tutorials

With the rapid growth of technology it is impossible for kids and teenagers to keep up and focus with their studies, especially with the new video games that are coming out of the market frequently.

Computers made it impossible to force children and teenagers alike to pick up a book especially when they can always Google all the information they need, but although it is good that information is just within reach, there is still a negative side to it.

The down side of this is that children and teenagers would lack the real skill they need with their studies such as social interaction and being inquisitive. They might even fail to develop enough learning skills if they just depend on searching for quick answers.

Another is that not everything we find on the internet is credible enough to be a source of valid information as anyone can post anything online these days.

So is there a solution to this?

Solution is probably a big word for this type of problem, but remedy is just the right one.

If the children cannot be easily taken away from the computer why not install educational softwares that they may find fun and interesting. This is very helpful for children whose age ranges from 4 to 10 years old and although this is just a temporary remedy, (as children would later on find it boring as they age) parents might be able to help their children develop some of their basic skills in reading and solving minor math problems.

Another remedy is that giving children 2 to 3 hours of computer usage per day. In this way, children will be disciplined enough to manage their time well between their chores, homework and leisure time. Doing this might also help your children to go out more and interact with other children to develop their interpersonal skill.

But if a child or a teenager is really finding it hard to cope with his or her studies due to excessive usage of the computer or other distractions he or she might have, it might be best to hire a tutor for the child as to have someone to guide them with their academics and also to have someone to constantly remind them about their schoolwork. Doing so might also develop the child’s skill in communication and expand his or her knowledge by having someone to ask information from.

It is best to hire a professional teacher for the job. When in doubt, ask for a resume and contact the character references the applicant listed. Parents may also want to consider hiring an online tutor for their children who can work with their children after school and even during the weekends as to not bother with having someone coming over and covering extra expenses such as transportation and food allowance.

This is also an ideal way to help children cope with their academics when their own parents are busy enough with work and house chores while still using the computer. This unconventional way of learning is in no way promoting excessive usage of the computer for children, but it is just simply to help children learn while being able to do what they like to do and that is be in front of the computer.

If you can't break them, join them!

Online learning is also a good way to help a child develop his or her's inquisitive skill as the child may have someone to ask and clarify details and information from. It also adds extra interaction with another person to develop their communication skills well.

Although it is still strongly encouraged that parents give their children limit in using the computer and let them play outside and interact with other children, still it wouldn't hurt to let the children learn while doing what they like to do.

If you are considering online tutorials and don't know where to start, send me an e-mail at miavenus[AT]hellokitty[DOT]com. I'd be very glad to send you my resume. :)

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Book Review: Omerta

What is there left for me to say for such a capturing, entertaining, and page-turning, magnificent piece of literature? I don't mean to sound overrated here, but this book is just as magnificent as The Godfather itself.
Here's the summary from GoodReads.com:
To Don Raymonde Aprile's children he was a loyal family member, their father's adopted "nephew." To the FBI he was a man who would rather ride his horses than do Mob business. No one knew why Aprile, the last great American Don, had adopted Astorre Viola many years before in Sicily; no one suspected how he had carefully trained him ... and how, while the Don's children claimed respectable careers in America, Astorre Viola waited for his time to come.
Now his time has arrived. The Don is dead, his murder one bloody act in a drama of ambition and deceit --- from the deadly compromises made by an FBI agent to the greed of two crooked NYPD detectives and the frightening plans of a South American Mob kingpin. In a collision of enemies and lovers, betrayers and loyal soldiers, Astorre Viola will claim his destiny. Because after all these years, this moment is in his blood ...
Mario Puzo truly is a great author of mafia stories; with his knowledge of mafia stories, federal strategies and his creativity, he was able to make his readers crave for more of each of his works. I honestly find Omerta very compelling, and although I felt that there should still be more to it, I find its ending satisfying.
Each page is like a movie scene, reeling before your very eyes. This book made me want to make a movie out of it. Five cookies!