Preparing a Session Plan

to prepare for and deliver your training session. The session plan is the last instrument in the set of training tools that flow from the Training Needs Analysis - following the learning program and delivery plan.
So what exactly goes in to a good session plan?

1. Details of the learning environment

This information is needed so that the trainer can prepare for the session and take care of any set up requirements such as arranging tables and chairs in a particular way. Any OHS requirements should also be noted here.

2. Resources required

Any resources and/or supporting materials required through the session should be noted and detailed here so that the trainer can get organised. This would include books, handouts, photocopied materials, videos, television, overhead transparencies, materials for activities etc - depending on the requirements of the session.

3. Identified and potential constraints and/or risks

Any risks or constraints that could impact on the session should be identified on the session plan, either as a general comment or in relation to a specific section of the session plan. An example would be if a practical component of the training has some OHS risks - the session plan should include this information so that the trainer is aware of any issues.

4. Special learning needs of learner/s

Any specific learning needs (e.g. literacy issues or a learner with a disability) would be detailed here, as relevant to this particular session.

5. Overview of the assessment methodology for this training

A very brief overview of the assessment methodology (eg; whether it's a formal test or demonstration) can be included, for the trainer's information. If more details are required, the trainer would refer to the assessment plan.

6. Detailed breakdown of time allocated to all activities and delivery for the session

he session plan needs to outline the entire session (eg half-day, full-day, 2-hour workshop etc) in 'chunks' that shows the trainer exactly what he/she is delivering and the timing of all aspects of the session.

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7. Catering requirements

Sometimes the trainer will be organising morning/afternoon tea or lunch for the group - if so, any special dietary needs are noted here as are other relevant details so that you can organise any catering required.

8. Details of competency standards

The session plan will detail the competency standards (and qualification where appropriate) that the trainer is delivering against.

9. Delivery mode for the session

The session plan should clearly nominate the delivery mode (or modes) being used. If a program or course is made up of several sessions, each with a different delivery mode (eg some online, some face-to-face), a separate session plan should be done for each one.
The key to preparing a session plan is to imagine you are doing it for a trainer that has never delivered this training before. The more detail it contains, the better.

Overseas Scholarship - Kyoto University Offers Eight Scholarships

Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University

Kyoto University Scholarship

As for the number of applicants, which will be accepted for this scholarship program is only eight people. Condition, applicants must be eligible or Monbukagakusho Japanese Government scholarships and meet the requirements applying to doctoral programs, from the Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto University.
Other things, the requirements of good English language skills, is essential. For that applicants must have a copy of TOEFL or TOEIC evidence, taken in the last 24 months. Not to worry, the Japanese language proficiency is not necessary to register for this scholarship.
For those interested, registration opened in October 2011 and registration documents, should arrive before 15 November 2010. Application forms, including health certificates, can be downloaded at their site and must be accompanied by official documents verifying citizenship, a certificate with a Bachelor and Master degree (or equivalent).
Detailed information on this scholarship can be seen in http://www.energy.kyoto-u.ac.jp and http://www.energy.kyoto-u.ac.jp.

Some Expressions You Should Know Before Visiting Indonesia

Women Cause Earthquakes!

Yes, folks, you read the title correctly. If you think that is absolute nonsense, well, I certainly agree with you. However, a senior Iranian cleric would beg to differ. According to Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi, women (or, more accurately, promiscuous women or women that wear "revealing" clothing) are to blame for one of humanity's most feared natural occurrences.

The Iranian Press quoted him as saying, "Many women who do not dress modestly ... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which increases earthquakes."

It is not known how the cleric came to this startling conclusion, but he did go on to offer a solution to the earthquake problem. "There is no other solution but to take refuge in religion and to adapt our lives to Islam's moral codes," he said during a prayer sermon.

Well shucks, I guess anyone with a differing set of beliefs is just plain out of luck! As the late and great Billy Mays would say, "But wait! There's more!" Sedighi also went on to say, "A divine authority told me to tell the people to make a general repentance. Why? Because calamities threaten us."

Really?! Calamities threaten us? Darn those calamities! Always picking on us! If only women would cover themselves from head to toe and stop leading us poor men astray, we may never again have to deal with earthquakes! Why stop there? Maybe if we also deny women education the world would no longer have to worry about tsunamis! Perhaps if we encased all women in plastic wrap and locked them away in steel coffins we could do away with every natural disaster mankind has ever faced. If we take it a step further and permanently lock those coffins in a secret underground bunker, perhaps we'd have world peace, cancer would be eradicated, poverty would disappear, and maybe, just maybe, milk would no longer spoil. I would love to hear Sedighi's thoughts on these ideas since it would appear that, in his mind at least, those actions and their potential benefits are certainly within the realm of possibility.

On a serious note, who's to say that earthquakes and other natural disasters aren't a form of punishment from God. I am but a single, flawed human being among billions and I do not pretend to know all the answers to every problem that humanity has, is, or will experience. I do have to say, though, that I think any divine being would have far greater things to worry about in this world than a young Iranian woman that decides to ignore Iranian law and show her hair in public. I think that if God felt that an appropriate punishment for showing hair, cleavage, or even ankle skin was a devastating earthquake, we'd all have been wiped out long ago. Surely, the first time Paris Hilton or Lady Gaga stepped onto the red carpet, the sun would have exploded and reduced the Earth to cosmic dust, if that were the case! Forget about every theft, murder, or rape that has ever occurred throughout human history. Now, if God decided to curdle my milk and deny me my morning bowl of cereal because I dropped the "f-bomb" after stubbing my toe... well, that might be fair.

I believe that every country and every nation on this planet has the right to determine their own beliefs, laws, and social norms, without interference from others, unless they directly pose a threat to another country or nation. On its own, I believe Iran has that same right. However, also take into account the fact that Iranian religious and government leaders and institutions actively suppress and harm their own citizens and make wild claims about women (promiscuous or not) causing earthquakes. Add to that the fact that the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, denies that widely documented and factual atrocities like the Holocaust or the September 11th World Trade Center attacks ever happened. These things make me wonder what Iran can be trusted with. These are the same people that want to develop nuclear weapons!

How to screen a nanny professionally on your own?

Choosing a nanny or au pair for your children is a process that should be organized and performed carefully, to ensure you find someone who can be trusted, will contribute significantly to the development of your child and integrate well into your family.
The step-by-step process described below will help you make an informed decision and choose the best possible nanny for your kids, ensuring their well being and safety.

Step 1 Define requirements and expectations

The first part of the hiring process is to define your exact requirements and expectations. Ask yourself questions and build a list of all requirements, then narrow it down to the most important ones. Are you looking for a nanny in a full-time or part-time position? Does she need to be flexible with over-time? Are you looking for a young, outgoing and energetic nanny or do your kids require an older and more authoritative person? How important to you are tidiness and cleanliness? Is the nanny expected to cook for your kids? Is she expected to drive them around? Are there any additional duties she is expected to perform?

Step 2 Interview

Once you know what you expect, you can start interviewing the nannies. The interviews should be structured with a standard set of questions that are asked of all candidates. This makes it easier to evaluate and compare the candidates and to ensure that all critical topics are indeed covered.
The phone interview

In order to save time and effort, it is recommended to start with a phone interview. First explain the requirements of the job and the duties it includes. Ask about past experience with similar age groups, the motivation for choosing this sort of profession, the reasons for leaving the previous place of employment, future plans, other responsibilities which may affect the job and any other questions you consider important at this stage. Also ask for names and phone numbers of references. If satisfied with the responses, invite the nanny for a face-to-face interview at your home.
The Face-to-Face interview

In the face-to-face interview, it is time to find as much as possible about the nanny as well as provide her with all necessary information to allow her to decide whether she indeed wants the job. Discuss your child’s personality and routines, review the various duties and explain also the house rules concerning issues such as smoking, visitors, phone use, etc. Inquire on details about the nanny’s views and attitudes on handling crying babies, disciplining a child, toilet-training children, ideas for activities and any other topics of importance to you. Describe certain scenarios and ask the nanny to explain how she would act in such situations.

At some stage of the interview let your children meet the nanny and allow time to observe the interaction between them. Children make it clear when they don’t like someone. Trust your instincts and those of your child.

Step 3 Perform a Personality and risk assessment

Once you are satisfied with the interview results, continue and perform a personality and risk assessment of the potential nanny. A personality and risk assessment is a psychological test that will help you assess potential caregivers by providing a better insight into their personality and traits, as well as an assessment of possible risk factors. Such tests are now available online (search the web for "nanny personality and risk assessments").

Step 4 Check references

Checking references with previous employers and acquaintances is a sort of interview as well. Expect the previous employer to give you a good reference, but try to read between the lines and ask questions that require a detailed answer and may reveal underlining issues. Such questions may be about what has the previous employer liked and disliked about the nanny, why has she left her position, and whether would she be rehired by the same employer. Pay attention also to the tone of the responses. Is the previous employer excited about the nanny? Is he just being polite or does he really care about helping the nanny to get a new job?
Any red flags or problematic issues identified during steps 2 and 3 should be used to focus your inquiries and be validated or clarified during the reference check stage.

Step 5 Follow-up interview

If needed, interview the nanny again, either face-to-face or over the phone, to discuss and clarify any concerns you have following steps 3 and 4.

Step 6 Run a background check

The next step in the process is running a background check on the nanny. Use a reputable background screening agency to verify identity, past employment and education and search for criminal records, driving records and more.

Step 7 Spend time with the nanny on a trial period

Before making a final decision, ask the nanny to spend a day or two with you and your kids, on a paid trail period. This period shouldn’t be too long to avoid confusing the kids but it will allow you to see how the nanny interacts with the kids and performs her various tasks.

Tips

• Never choose the first candidate you like and interview several potential nannies. To make an informed decision you need several points of comparison.
• Remember that a great personality does not necessarily translate into a good childcare professional. You aren’t just getting a playmate for your child, but also someone who will safeguard their well-being.
• 80% of the US Fortune 500 companies and 75% of the UK Times 100 companies use psychological tests to choose their employees. If companies do it, parents definitely should do it when choosing the most important employee of all, the one taking care of their kids.
• To make the most-informed decision use all available screening tools: interviews, references, personality assessments and background screening. Yet, trust also your (and your kid's) intuition, which is as important and useful as any other tool. If you feel something isn't right with a potential nanny, just move to the next one.

Education of Nepal

Education in Nepal has only recently been developing and continues to improve. Several international organizations are involved in assisting Nepal with its education system and in educating children in rural areas of the country. Educational development in Nepal is vital to cut-down the poverty rate as well as promoting community development. With this in mind Nepal's government continues to undo the damage the previous governmental regime inflicted on Nepal's education system.

For many years, during the rule of Nepal by the Rana family, education was suppressed. The Rana regime feared a public that was educated. Prior to World War Two however English middle and high schools were established in several villages along with an all-girl's high school in Kathmandu. As Gurkha soldiers returned to the villages having learned to read and write, education became more important to local people. Soon high-caste families would send their children to university who in turn began the anti-Rana sentiment ending the oppressive regime in 1951. Despite the establishment of an education system in Nepal, poorer families could not afford to send their children to school and also wanted their children to work on the farms. Primary education was offered for free by the government as of 1975. Sadly, however, caste separation has denied many access to an education. Another factor holding some back from an education is that facilities are only in urban areas and it is expensive to send children to live in the towns. Illiteracy in Nepal sits at about 58%, 72% of which are women. However, that statistic is a great advancement for Nepal.

Nepal's education system has been largely based on that of the United States and has received much assistance in forming a curriculum from various NGO's. Primary education runs from grade 1 through 5. Secondary education consists of lower secondary (grade 6 to 8), upper secondary (grade 9 to 10) and higher secondary (grade 11 to 12). Students will receive a School Leaving Certificate after completing grade 10. The streams for higher secondary education are education, science, commerce and humanities after which they receive a Higher Secondary Certificate. Students have the option of attending Basic Technical Schools after grade 5 to be awarded a Training Level Certificate.

Nepal's education system can look forward to continued improvements in the future all aimed at promoting an educated and well-functioning nation.

The Three R's and Beyond – Education in Nepal

When my daughter was four I decided to put her in a school. Galaxy Public School had just been established near my place in the Gyaneswar area so I enrolled her there in the nursery class. But even as I was putting her in Galaxy, my mind was already thinking of ways to get her admitted into the more renowned St. Mary's High School in Jawalakhel. Two years later, we did just that. I remember waiting on the school's grounds as the entrance exams were being conducted in a hall at St. Mary's. My daughter was the first to come out and I asked her as to how she had done. "It was easy Papa," she said. "Only how do you spell ‘musa' (mouse in Nepali)?" When I told her, her response was, "I think I got it wrong."
The question on my mind was how the students would be selected since I couldn't fathom what difference in intelligence there would be among six-year-old children sitting for an entrance exam in which the questions could not be but simple. The school authorities no doubt had a huge task on their hands as typically, more than 2000 apply every year for 200 seats in this premier school. Anyway, the long and the short of it was that my daughter gained the coveted admission to the prestigious school and 11 years later passed out from Class 12. The fact that she is a St. Mary's alumni will undoubtedly be one of her greatest assets in life just as my being a St. Joseph's (Darjeeling) alumni is a big asset for me. I confess that when I went for my first job interview, this fact alone gave me quite an unfair advantage over the other candidates. A good basic school background is certainly as important as is a good college degree.