Monday, 27 July 2015

Get The Most Out Of Your Classroom Time With These Tips To Use Ipads In The Classroom



Research has shown time and again that iPads and other technological aids in the classroom make lectures more interactive and entertaining and they help students learn better.
Here are some tips and tricks that can help you get the most out of iPad based learning in the classroom.
1.       Make Sure The Battery Is Full Before You Bring Them To Class
It can be highly disruptive to bring a device to class and have the battery run out on you at the wrong time. Besides, you can't be sure if any charging outlets will be available and how reliable they are. Make sure the battery on your iPad is full before you bring it in.
2.       Figure Out How To Use It
You don’t want to be seen fumbling with the iPad in the class. Practice beforehand so you can use it. Otherwise you not only risk losing credibility, you also risk compromising on the quality of the lecture.
3.       Protect The Ipads From Theft
The iPad is a very expensive piece of equipment and if you do not own the iPad you intend to bring you will be responsible to replace it. Besides, you don't want to show up to class without the iPad because it went missing right? Lock the classroom cupboard and make sure that no one else can get it. If it is possible take the iPod home with you and bring it back to class on the day you have to use it.
4.       Get Together All The Equipment You Need
What other devices do you need for your lecture? WiFi router? Laptop? Projection screen? Make sure you gather around everything well in advance.
5.       Test All Equipment Before Hand
Make sure the WiFi and other technical considerations are taken care of beforehand and make sure everything is in working order. One day before your big day, do a trial run - connect everything up and see if it is working the way it should. If it's not, you have time to get things fixed.
6.       Minimize Distractions And Delete Inappropriate Content And Apps
There is always the chance that someone will access something they should not be accessing. Delete all content you do not want your class to access, or if you can't do that make sure that it is at least locked so that they cannot access it.
7.       Reduce The Chances Of Damage
When you hand over a device to someone else, there is always the chance of damage. Make sure that you put policies in place, for example preventing your students from eating and drinking around your iPad.
Many teachers have successfully used iPads in their classroom and made a success of their learning sessions. But this does not mean that is the right thing for you too. Many other tools may be used just as successfully, or perhaps more successfully. Carefully evaluate your class learning outcomes and figure out whether or not an iPad will really fit into them or not before you decide to use them.

The Power Of Saying No In Business: Liberate Yourself By Turning Down The Projects Which Aren’t Working



When you first set up a company, funds are tight. You understandably feel the need to accept every project when your bank balance is low, you are trying to build up a client base and a portfolio.
But do not give into temptation. There are times when you have to turn down projects and clients. So when do you need to put your foot down? Look at this checklist:
1.       When The Effort Is Cutting Into Your Profit
Does the client's job requirements cost you more in time and effort than the money you are going to make out it, this is a sure sign that this is a loss-making project. You are well advised to turn it down and concentrate on the more profitable ones instead.
2.       When The Project Goes Against Your Business Vision And Mission
You may accept a project because you are temporarily short of funds, but there are some projects which go against your company’s mission. If you add them to your portfolio, they will only make you come across as a confused company which doesn't know what it's doing, and if you don't add them to your portfolio you will have nothing to show for all the time and effort you spent on it.
3.       When Your Clients Are Demanding The Impossible
You just can’t deliver a working website to a client overnight unless you cut corners. Be upfront with your client and say so. If they still want it done, you need to turn the project down without a second thought. If you take it on, you will never be able to deliver, and you'll risk your credibility.
4.       When The Project Is Taking Your Focus Away From More Important Projects
Do you have other more profitable or more valuable projects in the pipeline that you are unable to focus on? If that’s the case then this client or project is simply not worth it.
5.       When You Think Some Business Relationships Won't Work Out
Sometimes a business relationship isn't worth the headache. Some clients are just so hard to please and so unpleasant in general that going out of your way to complete their projects will not result in a relationship that you can cultivate. It is best to dump such clients and move on.
6.       When The Project Is Sucking Morale
Accepting the wrong projects can slowly but surely kill your as well as your employees' morale. An obvious sign is when you notice your employees feeling confused and overworked, and turnover is high especially among employees who have been working on "that" project.
You’re the best judge of whether or not a particular project will be a good fit for your company. But if you do choose to turn it down, do it in a way that helps you preserve your dignity and will leave a good impression on your client. Remain tactful at all times - who knows your prospective client may come up with another request that is right up your alley.

Make Your Content Writing A Piece Of Cake With These Tools For Content Marketers



You cannot deny that content marketing is key to moving your business forward, but at the same time you know it is time-consuming. Therefore the right tools should be key to your content marketing plan and will make a big difference to your strategy.
Here are some tools you should consider:
1.       BuzzSumo
Through BuzzSumo you can enter a website’s address and find out what kind of content is shared the most. You can even enter keywords and find the kind of content revolving around those keywords which are being shared the most.
2.       SEMRush
Enter your competitor’s website address in SEMRush to find out the keywords that are driving visitors there. You can then use this information to optimize your own website around those keywords to redirect traffic towards your own website.
3.       Canva
Content marketing can be made much more powerful with the use of the right images, and this is where Canva comes in handy. This tool can be used to create graphics without any complicated graphic designing tools.
4.       Edit Flow
An editorial calendar is critical to content marketing, and you can use Edit Flow to help you design calendars to determine the content you will be producing and the dates on which you will be producing it. It even includes project management capabilities, and allows you to assign tasks to each team member and get a very clear picture of who is doing what.
5.       Quill Engage
You cannot tell how successful your content marketing campaign has been unless and until you monitor the results and we all know that Google Analytics can be quite intimidating. With Quill Engage on the other hand, you get a weekly email with all the stats you need to know, in a very easy to understand way.
6.       Zapier
This app links to over 300 different apps in order to help you automate your task flows. For example, you can easily schedule Facebook sharing, Tweeting, syncing with Evernote and much more more.
7.       Grammarly
This grammar checker app is absolutely essential if you are responsible for text based content. This is simply an add on onto the Chrome browser that goes over the text you have written and determines any grammar mistakes you may have made. The best part is that it integrates with any website where you write content as well as your email client so that you can produce error free content every time.
8.       PiktoChart
Long columns of text can become overwhelming for your reader, resulting in the need for infographics. PiktoChart is especially designed to help those who struggle with graphic design software product impeccable graphics.
But remember that no tool can be a substitute for quality content. You may use all the tools in the world but it is only interesting content that will actually lure your client. These tools are only designed to make your job easier, not to actually do your job for you. So use them as an aid, not a replacement.

Wednesday, 8 July 2015

SAMPLE ARTICLE --- Blurry and Unclear Image of Moto X (2015) goes viral on Social Media



An alleged blurry and unclear image of successor of Motor X (2014) has just gone viral on social media networks.
The above picture is of the latest Moto X 2015 leak, came right from the tweet of infamous Upleaks leakster. Unlike most of Upleaks’ incredible leaks, this is smaller and unclear.
The device can be expected to arrive worldwide anytime during the summers. At first glimpse, it seems to be nothing more than press render of Moto X (2015) which is why has failed to impress in terms of its quality. However, it is rumored that new Moto X features a totally different and better LED flash arrangement on the back. By taking a keen look, you will see signature dimple on its back, while the front of the upcoming 3rd gen device is featured with two speaker grills.
Hopefully the device has packed stereo speakers for better experience. I am also expecting that the glance notifications of Motorola will be on-board.
Moto X (2015) has long been rumored about with the model named XT1542. According to sources, the best specifications of this device are 16MP main camera, and 5MP front-facing unit, as well as Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 SoC with 4GB of RAM & 5.2” QHD display.
According to TK’s leaks, there are two variants of this particular device, so the excitement of people has been doubled. TK has unofficially confirmed that this device will be shipped in the 5.7-inch range, but there no official information so far. So, let us wait and watch what happens!