TO SING OR NOT TO SING, THAT IS THE QUESTION

I must admit that I had been swept in by the latest American Idol craze. Like millions of other Americans, I used to tune in every week to watch the singers vocally slug it out. Again, like millions of other Americans, I am turning in for the chance to see singers fail. It’s sad, but the truth is, I’ve enjoyed the musical stylings of the tone deaf, and vocally challenged, much more than the talented singers who were told, “Welcome to Hollywood.” I think that we are intrigued by the fact that most of the singers who didn’t make it through were in great disbelief and often stunned that the judges didn’t appreciate their “unique” voices. If some of these singers had actually been prepared, they might have had a chance. On the other hand, what were some of these people thinking?

I would never condemn anyone for singing. Singing is a beautiful thing that should be shared by everyone. The point I’m trying to make is; there are two reasons for poor singers. The first is simple. Some singers aren’t prepared for an audition. The second is a little less obvious; at least to the individual singer. Some singers haven’t realized that there is a problem vocally. Everyone can learn to sing; some singers just need direction! In this lesson we’ll discuss the first reason, and explain how to prepare for an audition.

Watching and experiencing the pressure that the singers are under on American Idol, caused me to have a flashback to 1990. I was attending the vocal program at The Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, California. We had several voice coaches, but there were three that I learned a lot from. John Zipperer was my favorite coach. He made you feel like anything was possible. Brian Kelly, was my personal instructor. He reminds me of a voice psychologist. Jami Lula was a very stern coach who believed in perfection.

Once a week we would have a class called Vocal Review. Each week we had to pick a song from a different genre of music to sing for review by one of our vocal instructors. Our performance was extremely important because it affected our overall grade. I was very intimidated by Jami Lula, so I always hated when he conducted the vocal review. At times Jami seemed ruthless; he’d rather pull out his teeth than give a compliment. He made Simon Cowell look like a saint. I was always nervous whenever I had to perform before him.

One particular week, John Zipperer was critiquing the class. I didn’t concern myself with actually learning my song because John was usually easy to please. If you did screw up, he usually sugar coated it and made you feel like you’d do better the next time. Imagine my surprise when I walked into class and discovered my worst nightmare. John couldn’t be there, so Jami Lula was handling the class.

I was singing Aerosmith’s “Dream On”. Totally unprepared and now very intimidated, I completely botched the song. It was awful. I forgot words, messed up the phrasing, and sang some pretty sour notes. I knew I hadn’t prepared for the song, and Jami definitely let me know it. Afterward, one of my friends, Jeff Chase, said; “What happened?” Of course my reply was “I don’t know, he just made me so nervous that I lost my train of thought.” I knew all along that I was in the wrong. After class, Jami pulled me aside and scolded me some more. He told me that the reason I sucked was because I was too lazy to prepare. In that moment, I knew that Jami wasn’t the cold insensitive coach that I had once thought he was. I had discovered a person very compassionate about the art of singing; one who only wanted his students to strive for the best in themselves.

No one is safe from botching an audition. If you aren’t prepared for the song, don’t bother. If you are planning on performing or auditioning, then you must do your homework. The best way to prepare for an audition is to dissect the song.

The first thing you should do is to write down the lyrics. Next, write the pitches above the words. Use a keyboard or guitar to pick out the pitches. After you figure out the pitches, practice singing the song several times until you feel that you are familiar with the tune and can sing it without a lyric sheet. You might discover that you were singing some words on the wrong pitch.

When you are comfortable with the song, study the singer’s vocal techniques; such as vibrato and breathing patterns. There are several different methods for breaking down a singer’s vocal technique. My book Raise Your Voice has a technique called “Song Mapping”, which as the name suggests, is a method to “map out” the song in order to make it easier to sing the song.

Once you have studied the technique of the song, sing it once more, only this time record yourself singing. How did you do? Come on; be honest. Most of the comments on American Idol deal with how unprepared the singer was. Another repetitive comment is the singer’s pitch. I have heard Randy comment several times on how flat the person sang. If they would have prepared for the song and recorded themselves singing it, they might have done a better job. They would have noticed if they were off pitch and could have worked to correct the problem.

In the next lesson we will discuss techniques to help you discover and correct pitch problems. If you want to learn more about The Musician’s Institute, you can visit their website at www.mi.edu.

Jaime Vendera

Author of “Raise Your Voice”, “Mindset: programming Your Mind for Success” and

“Online Teaching Secrets Revealed”

jaimevendera.com

theultimatevocalworkout.com

rocksource360.com

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About Author

Jaime Vendera -
About the Author:

Jaime Vendera is the author of several books in several fields including vocal developments, self-help and self-publishing.

He is also a world renowned vocal coach to pro singers and the first documented singer in world history to shatter a wineglass by voice alone. He has demonstrated his glass shattering vocal power on several nationally televised shows, including Good Morning America and MythBusters as well as performing on shows in Europe and Japan.

INTRODUCTION

Literary devices, such as similes, metaphors, symbols, etc. are found in abundance in the Quran and they are also apparent in the translated versions of the Quran in English although it is realized by all translators, scholars and authors that no one has yet been able to convey or translate the exact meaning of the Quran.

A judgement sample of verses was taken from a few different surah. Two index categorization books were used for this selection: Tafsil Ayat AlQuran AlHakim by Jol Labom (Labom,1963) and AlMustadrak by Edward Montet (Montet,1963). Both these books were translated by Mohamed Fouad Abdul Baqui and have a systematic listing of Quranic verses according to topics (eg. Heaven, Hell, Justice, etc.). Under Heaven, there are altogether 258 verses mentioned in 58 surah. Under Hell, there are altogether 144 verses mentioned in 35 surah.

The verses to be dealt with in this paper are:

XXXVIII Surah Sad, verses 49-52,55-57 from Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s English language translation of the meaning of the Quran. This paper first provides a brief explanation and discussion of each verse to familiarize the reader with the basic meaning of the verse. The technique and the exemplary Quranic images (text) will then be presented in this paper:

Technique: The Senses

Source:The Inward Ear by Alan Duff and Alan Maley (Duff and Maley,1989)

Text:Verses 49-51,55-57 of Surah Sad

Source:The Holy Quran by Abdullah Yusuf Ali (Abdullah,1983)

THE DISCUSSION OF SELECTED QURANIC IMAGES 

In Verses 49-52 of Surah Sad, the righteous will be rewarded indeed and as Verse 49 suggests:

49. This is a message

(Of admonition): and verily,

For the Righteous,

Is a beautiful place

Of (final) Return,

50. Gardens of Eternity,

Whose doors will (ever)

Be open to them;

51. There will they

Recline (at ease)

Therein can they

Call (at pleasure)

For fruit in abundance

And (delicious) drink;

And beside them will be

Chaste women restraining

Their glances, (companions)

Of equal age.

In Verse 50, we are told that Heaven’s doors will forever be open to the believers. Heaven will be an everlasting destination for them. This image conveys a feeling of security and enables one to be able to visualize this privilege.

Verse 51 allows one to picture and almost taste Heaven’s pleasures. Heaven’s tranquility is heightened with descriptions of fruits, cool drinks, etc., all to satisfy and at the disposal of the believers.

In Verse 52, we learn that these gentle surprises will be enjoyed by and shared with fellow believers and mates, pure-minded and of equal ages. This puts across to the readers feelings of being surrounded and accompanied by people whom they would love to be with; there will be no feeling of estrangement and loneliness. Abdullah Yusuf Ali in describing this verse, he says: “as we conceive happiness in this life, it is not complete if it is only solitary” (1229).

The senses that are affected are visual, tactile and gustatory.

Conversely, as we are told in Verses 55-57 of Surah Sad, for the transgressors, Hell awaits them:

55. Yea, such! But-

For the wrong-doers

Will be an evil place

Of (final) Return!-

56.  Hell!- they will burn

Therein, – an evil bed

(Indeed, to lie on)!-

57. Yea, such! – Then

Shall they taste it,-

A boiling fluid, and a fluid

Dark, murky, intensely cold!-

In Verse 55, we are told that Hell will be a definite and everlasting destination for wrongdoers. It conveys to the readers a feeling of a trapped dead-end. This visualization contrasts with what has just been described about Heaven in Verse 49: “….a beautiful place/Of (final) Return” . Evil is contrasted with beauty for in the Islamic concept of beauty there is implicit good and no room for evil; similarly, where there is evil, there can never be true beauty.

Verse 56 declares that the wrongdoers will burn in their evil bed in Hell. One can imagine feeling the heat and pain of fire tormenting one “in bed”.

In Verse 57, the boiling, dark, murky, intensely cold fluid heightens the terror of Hell. As Abdullah Yusuf Ali explains it, there is discord between extreme opposites- boiling and intensely cold (1229). One can smell, taste and feel the intense cold and heat of this fluid. This makes one further imagine the extreme sufferings of Hell.

The senses that are affected are the visual, tactile, gustatory and olfactory.

THE INTRODUCTORY LESSON ON IMAGERY

There is a need for an introductory lesson on imagery since there are certain aspects of imagery that the students need to know and understand before they can fully participate in class discussions or attempt any of the written assignments. A teacher can devise his/her own introductory lesson on imagery according to the level of language competence of his/her group of students. The next or subsequent lesson will be on Quranic imagery.

Thus, for this case study, it must be kept in mind that the group of participants is of the intermediate English proficiency level. Careful selection of a suitable technique and level of difficulty of the text must be done. Consequently, activities that help to enhance the four language skills are also thought of.

A suggested written assignment after an introductory lesson on imagery is: Make sentences using the three literary devices and explain how and why the simile, metaphor and symbol are used. State the senses that are affected by each image.

The written assignment will be used as basis for gauging whether or not the students have understood the lesson.

LESSON PLAN ON IMAGERY

Technique:The Senses

Text:Verses 49-51,55-57 of Surah Sad

Level: Intermediate (undergraduate)

Duration:One Hour

Objectives:Develop in students the ability to:

1)  Identify and/or locate the images in each verse

2)  Recognize and distinguish between the 2 types of imagery :

             i) Descriptive imagery

            ii) Figurative imagery and the literary devices used

3)  State which senses are affected

4)  Create their own images

5)  Use the four skills:

i) Listening:Done in listening to the teacher reading the verses.    

ii) Speaking:Done in contributing responses to the teacher’s questions.    

iii) Reading one in reading verses and trying to locate and identify the images.

iv) Writing:Done in written assignment.      

The teacher can start the lesson by recapitulating the (previous) introductory lesson on imagery. Allow 15 minutes for this.         

In the technique, The Senses, the students can focus on the different senses that are affected through imagery. This time the students will have a chance to use Quranic imagery and be able to state which senses are affected.

The level of suitability for this technique would be in­termediate English language class level (undergraduate) students at an Islamic institution and/or where the majority of the student population is Muslim.

The original text used for this technique was replaced with Quranic images of Heaven and Hell from Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s English language translation of the meaning of the Quran : Verses 49-51, 55-57 of Surah Sad.

After a brief explanation of the previous lesson, the teacher leads the  students into Quranic imagery. He/she distributes copies of the verses to the students and informs the students that the verses that they are about to study are verses from Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s English language translation of the meaning of the Quran, starting with Verses 49-51 of Surah Sad. He/she tells the students that these verses are about Heaven.Then, the teacher reads the verses twice :

            49.       This is a Message

                        (Of admonition): and verily,

                        For the Righteous,                

                        Is a beautiful place

                        Of (final) Return,

            50.       Gardens of Eternity,

                        Whose doors will (ever)

                        Be open to them;

            51.       Therein will they

                        Recline (at ease)

                        Call (at pleasure)

                        For fruit in abundance,

                        And (delicious) drink;

As the teacher reads these verses, he/she goes through and explains the difficult words.

In Verse 49, line 2 – admonition – warning

In Verse 50, line 1 – Eternity – unchanging and endless time

In Verse 51, line 2 – recline – be in a horizontal position

Verse 51 – abundance – plenty, a quantity that is more than enough

The teacher goes back to the verses and asks students to try to locate and identify the images in the verses. He/she goes through the task with them, helping and guiding.

Verse 50, line 1 : Gardens of Eternity

What type of imagery? Figurative imagery using a literary device: symbol.

“Gardens of Eternity” are the beautiful gardens which will be in unchanging existence forever for the righteous to enjoy in Heav­en. The term also symbolizes the supreme or sublime Beauty of Heaven in a spiritual sense.

Senses : visual.

The image gives one a beautiful (mental) picture of gardens that are always in bloom while symbolizing that timeless heavenly world one can only truly know after life.

Verse 50, lines 2 and 3 :  Whose doors will (ever)

                                        Be open for them

What type of imagery? Figurative imagery using a literary device: metaphor.

These doors to the beautiful gardens are forever open to the righteous. Normally, when one thinks of doors, they can either be open or closed. But these doors in Heaven will forever be open. The image metaphorically compares the entrance or passage into Heaven, which we cannot truly visualize, to “doors” in which case Heaven is compared to a gracious house or one’s eternal home. The image of open doors depicts Heaven as an abode that feels familiar, hospitable, welcoming.

Senses : visual.

The image suggests a mental picture.

Verse 50, lines 5 and 6 :  For fruit in abundance,

                                       And (deli­cious) drink.

What type of imagery? Figurative imagery using a literary device: symbol.

These gardens have plenty of fruits and delicious drinks that the righteous can enjoy. These pleasures are symbolic of the types of satisfaction that these gardens can give. The “abundance” symbol­izes the unceasing quantity that is available and thus, the feeling of satisfaction continuously lingers on.

Senses : visual, gustatory.

The image suggests a mental picture and we are made to feel as if the fruits and drinks can be tasted.

Then the teacher distributes copies of verses of images of Hell this time and informs the students that these verses are about Hell and that these verses are specifically  from Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s English language translation of the meaning of the Quran – - Verses 55-57 of Surah Sad.

The teacher reads these verses twice:            

55. Yea, such! But –                    

For the wrong-doers                        

Will be an evil place             

Of (final) Return ! –  

56. Hell! – they will burn                        

Therein, – an evil bed                       

(Indeed, to lie on)! –  

57. Yea, such! – Then                 

Shall they taste it, –               

A boiling fluid, and a fluid              

Dark, murky, intensely cold            

As the teacher reads, he/she goes through and explains difficult words:

In Verse 57, line 4 – murky– gloomy, unappetizing

In Verse 57, line 4 – intensely- – very high degree     

Now the students will be better able to deal with the verses on Hell with less help from the instructor, having previously dealt with the verses on Heaven. The teacher goes back to the verses and asks them to locate and identify the images in the verses. 

Verse 56, line 2 : an evil bed

What type of imagery?  Figurative imagery using a literary device: metaphor.

A bed usually signifies a place on which to rest but this “bed” is a place to be tortured, punished and burned; it is comparable to a torture chamber.

Senses : visual, tactile.

The image suggests a horrifying picture provoking the reader to almost feel the pain of being burned.

Verse 57, line 4 & 5 : A boiling fluid, and a fluid                       

                                 Dark, murky, intensely cold.

What type of imagery? Descriptive imagery.

A vivid description is given about a torturous drink in Hell.

Senses : visual, tactile, gustatory.

One can  picture  tasting this drink and feeling its high degree of heat and coldness alternately burning and freezing one into extreme discomfort.

Then the teacher writes on the board selected words from the verses of Heaven and Hell for the written assignment:

Make sentences with these words, creating your own images and stating which of your senses are affected.

1)                  A beautiful place

2)                  Fruit in abundance

3)                  Delicious drink

4)                  An evil place

5)                  An evil bed

6)                  A boiling fluid

Example:         A Beautiful Place       

A beautiful place is like a painting where flowers always bloom and swans glide about continuously on a pond of clear, blue water.

Senses : visual.           

If the students are able to complete the written assignment within the remainder of the class time, these assignments will be collected at the end of the period. If not, these assignments can be collected at the beginning of the next lesson. The written assignments will be used as the basis for gauging whether or not the students have understood the lesson.

A CASE STUDY

Two lessons were taught to a group of students at the undergraduate level in an Islamic institution. This class is an English language –Intermediate level class. The students were taught for one hour of the introductory lesson on imagery and one hour of the above lesson plan using the technique-The Senses with Quranic images. Observatory comments were taken and reproduced in this paper. The breakdown of the marking scheme for the two written assignments after each lesson was taught, is dealt with.

EVALUATION OF ASSIGNMENTS

The Introductory Lesson on Imagery

Assignment:Write a simile, metaphor and symbol, stating the senses that are affected.

For simile : Total – 5 marks.

4 marks for correct answers   

(-) 1 mark for spelling error

(+) 1 mark for creativity

(-) 1 mark for grammatical error

For metaphor : Total – 5 marks

4 marks for correct answers

(-) 1 mark for spelling error

(+) 1 mark for creativity

(-) 1 mark for grammatical error

For symbol : Total – 5 marks

2 marks for each part of the symbol

(-) 1 mark for spelling error

(+) 1 mark for creativity

(-) 1 mark for grammatical error

Maximum Possible Score:15 marks

1. No. of Participants        Scores

5                                  15

7                                  14

7                                  13

2                                  12

1                                  9

Comments

Generally, the scores show that the lesson was well-understood. The students lost points mainly for grammatical flaws. The stu­dent who scored 9 marks had serious grammatical flaws in all three parts of the question which aggravated the problem of writing his/her own metaphor or symbol effectively.

The Lesson on Imagery using Quranic images and the technique-The Senses.

Assignment: Create your own images from the words selected from the verses.

Total – 30 marks (5 marks each)

3 marks for doing the assignment adequately.

Creativity                                +1

Spelling error                         -1

Grammatical error                  -1

Effective vocabulary               +1

Maximum Possible Score: 30 marks

1. No. of Participants        Scores

1                                  30

1                                  29

5                                  28

2                                  27

8                                  26

1                                  25

1                                  24

1                                  23

 1                                 20

Comments

The majority of the participating students scored 26 marks. Those who scored above 26 marks did so because of more effective vocab­ulary and less grammatical flaws. Those who scored below 26 marks did so because of not attempting all of the six-part question. This technique was found to be suitable for this level–interme­diate– because the students were willing and able to speak up. However, it was difficult for this group of students to guess the meaning of words like admonition when new vocabulary was pointed out. Other­wise, this group of participants was very cooperative.

CONCLUSION

The focus of this technique (The Senses) is of course, the teaching of imagery. At the same time, however, the teacher can point out new vocabulary and correct grammatical mistakes in the English language. For this intermediate group of participants, the classroom activity was task-based, locating and identifying the images in the verses. They are also required to state which senses are affected by each Quranic image.

This technique, The Senses, text of Quranic imagery and the suitable activities carried out in the classroom, each plays its own role in a teacher’s successful teaching session. They are an integrative part of the whole teaching session.

 Basically, the following are the main objectives of a teacher teaching imagery:

Objectives: Develop in students the ability to:

1)  Distinguish the 2 types of imagery :

            i)   Descriptive imagery

            ii)  Figurative imagery

2)  Distinguish the 3 literary devices usually used in figura­tive imagery:

            i)   Simile                       ii)  Metaphor                    iii) Symbol

3)  Recognize and use the literary terms for the five senses that can be affected through imagery:

i)   see–visual                                ii)  hear–auditory            

iii) touch–tactile                            iv) smell–olfactory           

v)  taste–gustatory

4)  Write their own similes, metaphors and symbols, stating the senses that are affected.

5)  Use the four skills:

i) Listening

ii)  Speaking

iii) Reading

iv)  Writing

With the use of Quranic images, it is possible to generate a discussion on an aspect of Islam. This is an added advantage, especially at Islamic institutions. Both descriptive and figurative imagery, in particular, metaphors, similes, symbols, can be taught through Quranic images.

REFERENCES

Abdullah Yusuf Ali. The Holy Quran.  Brentwood, Maryland:Amana Corp., 1983.

Adeyanju, Thomas K. “Teaching Literature and Human Values in ESL: Objective and Selection”.  English Language Teaching Journal. 32.2 (1978): 113 – 8.

Al Ghazali, Muhammad and Hasanah, Umar Ubayd.  Kayfa Nata’amalu Ma’al Quran : Mudarasah Bayna Alshaykh.  Virginia: International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1991.

Al-Sha’rawi, Syaykh Muhammad Mitwalli. The Miracles of the Quran. Baker Street, London: Dar Al-Taqwa Ltd., 1980.

Asad, Muhammad.  The Message of the Quran.  Gibraltar: Dar al-Andalus Limited, 1980.

Duff, Alan and Alan Maley.  The Inward Ear.  Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1989.

Frye, Northrop, Sheridan Warner Baker and Geroge B. Perkins.  The Harper Handbook to Literature. New York: Harper & Row, 1985.

Khalifa, Mohammad.  The Sublime Qur’an and Orientalism.  Essex, England: Longman Group Ltd., 1983.

Labom, Jol. Tafsil Ayat AlQuran AlHakim.  Lebanon: Dar Alkitab Alarabi, 1963.

Mawdudi, Abul A’la.  Toward Understanding Islam.  Leicester: Islamic Foundations, 1980.

Montet, Edward. AlMustadrak.  Lebanon: Dar Alkitab Alarabi, 1963.

Perrine, Laurence.  Literature – Structure, Sound and Sense – 4th Edition. New York: Hartcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1983.

Pickthall, M. Marmaduke.  The Meaning of the Glorious Koran.  New York: Mentor Books, 1963.

Stevick, Earl W. Images and Options in the Language Classroom. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1986.

Von Denffer, Ahmad.  Ulum Al-Quran, An Introduction to the Sciences of the Quran.  Leicester: The Islamic Foundation, 1985.

Wilkins, D.A. [David Arthur]  Second Language Learning and Teaching.  London: Edward Arnold, 1974.

Wright, Andrew.  Pictures for Language Learning. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1989.

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The Peoples University is an educational program designed to encourage the maximum use of public libraries in underprivileged, African American communities. The program consists of classroom discussions, held during traditional after school hours at various public libraries throughout the United States. The discussions are centered upon a publication, copyrighted in 1987, by a group of notable black scholars, entitled The Baseline Essays. By 1990, The Baseline Essays were thoroughly infused into the Portland Public School District Curriculum. After receiving the 1990 revision of the Baseline Essays, Look It Up Inc. (also known as LIU) staff began to examine the work in July of 2009. In August of 2009, The Peoples University was formed as a study group, aimed at either definitively proving or disproving information found within the Baseline Essays. The mission of LIU is to promote critical and analytical thinking in Black and impoverished communities. By analyzing this work, we believe that we serve our mission as well as multiple purposes related to the recovery of African American communities. We consider the Peoples University to be a community research project, which in itself will force participants to critically and analytically think. The actual content of the Baseline Essays will challenge many notions that African Americans have about their origins and their relation to present day society. Thus, reclaiming the self esteem and self respect needed to become <b>…</b>

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About Author

Dr Lubna Almenoar -
About the Author:

I am, at present, a Lecturer in the English Department at the British University in Egypt — El Shorouk City, Cairo. I am a U.S. citizen with a PhD in English Literature and Applied Linguistics-Stylistics, as well as a master’s degree and a postgraduate teaching diploma in Teaching English as a Second Language. I have taught both in the United States and abroad.
My research is in the field of using English language translations of the Quran as material for the teaching of English language and literature to non-native English speakers. I have done extensive work in this area since 1992, and I have accumulated many case studies and classroom observations. Starting from the experience of substituting sections from the Quran for the standard classroom text, I have employed various pedagogical approaches to teaching the Quran as literature — questionnaires, stylistic analysis, comparative studies of different English language translations, linguistic analysis of verses, and so on. I have also organized a forum on this topic with experts in the field.
In doing all of this, my intention was not to look at the religious value of the verses, but at the literary value that is so abundant in both the English language translations and the original. I have been able to prepare a number of articles based on the data from my classroom experiences. I would like to share my research-based findings internationally.

Reading Buddies: Its Effect on Emotional Intelligence and Reading Comprehension

It is 8:15 on a Friday morning and half of my sixth grade students are preparing materials for their trek to Mrs. Stewart’s third grade classroom, while the other half prepares for their third grade visitors.  Mrs. Stewart and Mr. Alvarado have teamed to provide a little Reading Buddy program for their classes.  Every Friday morning Mr. Alvarado’s 6th grade students take their third grade reading buddy through the lesson plan that was created the day before.  The lesson plan outline consists of 5-10 minutes of phonics review/instruction, 15-20 minutes of basic sight word development, and 30 minutes of shared reading and comprehension strategies.  The hour is intensive with lots of conversation, laughter, and excitement about reading.  Mrs. Stewart and Mr. Alvarado frequently discuss the challenges of such a program, but on a larger scale celebrate the positive activities taking place.  Celebrations included the improvement in sight word development; a similar result was found in a study by Butler (1999), improvement in reading ability and confidence, improved self-confidence and empathy of our students, and an overall student excitement over this activity, to name a few.   In point of fact, research supports the informal observations of Mrs. Stewart and Mr. Alvarado.  For example, Bower (2001) suggests students gravitate towards reading with a buddy as opposed to reading by themselves.

As a reading teacher, I could not imagine operating my sixth grade classroom absent a Reading Buddy program for my students and the affect it could have on improving the reading ability of their little buddies.  The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001has the potential to exclude a program, such as reading buddies, from being a component to a rich literature environment.  In a study conducted by Bower (2001), third grade students, the experimental group, were paired and subjected to six weeks of reading buddy comprehension activities.  The control group, an equal number of students, read and completed the comprehension activities independently.  The findings, although not statistically significant, supported the researcher’s hypothesis that the experiment group would outperform the control group in improved comprehension skills.  Equally, Cazden (1988) found reading partners with an emphasis on literature discussions to be an effective component to a reading program.  Because NCLB is supported by the findings of the National Reading Panel (NRP) of which its research methodology is credentialed as Scientifically Based Reading Research (SBBR), the NCLB legislation has the support in place to potentially discourage, if not prohibit, teachers from using Reading Buddies.  Because of its influence on reading instruction, it’s important to understand the mission and the finding of the National Reading Panel.

National Reading Panel

In 1997, the Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) was given the directive by congress to ascertain the state of reading instruction programs in the United States of America.  The request was adhered to, and as a result a National Reading Panel was convened.  The charge of the panel was to:

…assess the status of research-based knowledge, including the effectiveness of various approaches to teaching children to read.” The panel was charged with providing a report that “should present the panel’s conclusions, an indication of the readiness for application in the classroom of the results of this research, and, if

appropriate, a strategy for rapidly disseminating this information to facilitate effective reading instruction in the schools. (NICHD, 2000, p. 1-1)

One of the challenges that faced the NRP was the timeline to meet its directive.  When faced with the 100,000 studies, it devised methods to focus on what it considered to be the best.  Its solution was to establish a set of prerequisites in the form of focus topics and guiding questions to consider when identifying reading research studies that best fit the directive of congress.  The focus topics chosen were Alphabetics, Fluency, Comprehension, Teacher Education and Reading Instruction, and Computer Technology and Reading Instruction.  The guiding questions considered were as follows:

1. 1. Does instruction in phonemic awareness improve reading? If so, how is this         instruction best provided?

2. Does phonics instruction improve reading achievement? If so, how is this instruction best provided?

1. 3. Does guided repeated oral reading instruction improve fluency and reading   comprehension? If so, how is this instruction best provided?
2. 4. Does vocabulary instruction improve reading achievement? If so, how is this   instruction best provided?

5. Does comprehension strategy instruction improve reading? If so, how is this instruction best provided?

6. Do programs that increase the amount of children’s independent reading improve reading achievement and motivation? If so, how is this instruction best

provided?

7. Does teacher education influence how effective teachers are at teaching children to read? If so, how is this instruction best provided?

In addition to the focus topics and guiding questions used to narrow the scope of the research, other characteristics were incorporated in the selecting of the research studies to be analyzed.  A concern that many should have about this process is that many research studies were not considered in the analysis of establishing the report to congress.  As an example, 364 potential studies were available for analysis in oral reading instruction, after inspection through the NRP’s research methodology criteria, only 16 studies were accepted and quantified to be a meta-analysis (NICHD, 2000, p. 12).  This example represents approximately 95% of the non-acceptance rate of the studies available for analysis to the NRP and should have been an indicator to the potential flaw inherent in the process.  Garan (2001) suggests that the NRP conducted a meta-analysis on so few studies because of the narrow model of research they included. 

Another key finding in my research as to the possible inconsistency of the NRP’s research methodology exists within guiding question number six.  This question focuses on whether independent reading improves reading achievement and motivation.  However, Yatvin (2003) reports that the NRP did not have enough time to follow through and research certain focus topics including motivational factors in learning to read.  Additionally, one of the more important focus topics considered in selecting the reading research studies to be analyzed was comprehension.  However, Garan (2001) stated “the panel did not include reading comprehension or the application of phonics skills in authentic literacy events as necessary criteria in establishing what it termed a “general literacy” outcome.” (p. 6).  These examples need to be considered as it establishes a question as to the accuracy of the report generated by the NRP and significantly draws the validity of the report into question.

NRP and Sound Research

A consideration that I wish to instill in this position paper is that a Reading Buddy program can improve Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and reading comprehension.  This position paper is given strength in that the NRP report did not specifically dismiss these concepts, but rather it is my contention that because the NRP failed to follow through with the original outline of areas to research, opportunities for activities that promote EQ and reading comprehension should be considered.  In addition, the many questions that challenge the consistency and integrity of the NRP are validated again when consideration of the response to the NRP’s lack of time to research areas of motivation and comprehension are weighed.  The NRP (Garan, 2001) acknowledged the studies that it used in its research to determine a general literacy outcome did not include reading comprehension.  In its investigation of key questions to consider in choosing research studies, the NRP identified the following as guiding question number six:  Do programs that increase the amount of children’s independent reading improve reading achievement and motivation? If so, how is this instruction best provided?

            According to the National Reading Panel summary (NRP, 2000, p. 19) a time limitation resulted in evaluating the research for purposes of meeting the congressional report deadline date.  As a result the NRP was unable to follow through with its commitment of researching topics that fell within the parameters of the guiding question regarding reading achievement and motivation.  This omission of this criterion does one of two things; first it has the potential of insinuating that motivation is not an important element of a sound reading program, or second, it can leave open an opportunity for research on this particular element.  The position of this paper will focus on the latter and provide research on the area of Reading Buddies. 

Reading Buddies

1. Understanding the success that reading buddies can bring to a school makes it vitally important to understand how to incorporate such a program.

Incorporating a successful Reading Buddy Program

1. In addition, lesson design instruction, in reference to amount of time available for the reading activity, was important to meeting the goal of the reading assignment (Friedland & Truesdell, 2004). 

The coaching big buddy’s to read to and with their little buddy is an important element of the Reading Buddy Program.  Big buddy’s were responsible to model and solicit responsible reading strategies of fluency and expression.  Others strategies required during this reading buddy program were prediction, discussion, and comprehension (Block & Dellamura, 2000/2001).   An important consideration to analyze here is that many different strategies are employed to the teaching of reading with comprehension being the winner.  As Garan and DeVoogd (2008) notes in their Sustained Silent Reading paper, the NRP had trouble finding research on SSR largely in part because it focused on research that relied on component-skills model of reading as well as its focus on fluency and not comprehension as an outcome (Paris, 2005).  The NRP specifically states that it ran out of time in identifying studies that researched comprehension.  It is my contention, based on the facts, the NRP was destined in finding inaccurate results in the role comprehension plays in reading instruction.

To further increase the opportunities of comprehension, the big buddy was provided with a list of guided questions that would act as a catalyst for comprehension strategies (Block & Dellamura, 2000/2001).  Theurer and Schmidt (2008) cite the following guided questions:

“Does this book remind you of another book you have read?

Who was your favorite character? Why?

What is the message in this book?

What was your favorite part of this story?

How would you change the ending of this story?

What character would you like to be? Why?

What is the problem in this story? How was it resolved?

Did you like this book? Why? Give two good reasons!” (p. 26)

Reading buddy programs have been shown to improve the reading ability of students with disabilities.  Garan (2001) cited findings from the Reports of the Subgroup, (pp. 2-96, 2-135) stating, “…effectiveness of systematic phonics instruction were derived from studies conducted in many classrooms with typical classroom teachers and typical American or English-speaking students from a variety of backgrounds. . .  Thus the results of the analysis are indicative of what can be accomplished when systematic phonics programs are implemented in today’s classrooms.”  This statement and the NRP’s research failed to demonstrate how students with disabilities would benefit from such programs.  Buter (1999) reported successful results on her Class-Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) program.  The program called for tutoring buddies to be paired with students of disabilities.   Findings included a one year growth in sight word development and academic and social growth as well.  Butler indicated that peer tutoring programs can be structured to benefit all students with additional successful components in the areas of academic and social development.  Butler’s findings, one research study that took me about  1 hour to locate, add value to the possibility of reading buddy programs and what they add to improving academic and social intelligences. 

The big buddy reading program’s goal of improving the reading potential of their little reading buddy was not the lone result that the director’s had in mind when venturing into this arena.  An additional element that reading buddies has the potential of improving is one’s emotional intelligence.  Goleman qualifies to be emotional intelligence: getting along with others, self-motivation, persistence, controlling impulses, empathizing, and regulating one’s moods (Goleman, 1996).  Theurer and Schmidt (2008) share an important focus of the training is the interacting with their buddy.  Big buddies were mentored in the importance of greeting their little buddy with a smile and to say goodbye when they left.  The big buddies also practiced encouragements that complimented their buddy as well as strategies on what to do when their buddy was not listening, cooperating, or behaving inappropriately. 

1. Following are some of the flaws to the brain research used to posture the establishment of the NCLB act.

Flawed  Brain Research

The Reading First Program, a derivative of the NRP findings, was an initiative set forth by President George W. Bush based on scientific brain research. This research has some flaws in that its findings were, largely in part, due to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmri), a process to measure differences in the brain activity (Willis, 2007).  . 

The issue with this fmri process is that the researcher only considered one portion of the brain’s complex reading network.  The study, favoring the NRP’s position, was that the study was conducted in a region of the brain that is known to be more active during phonics processing (Willis, 2007).  They say that when something looks and smells like a rat, it probably is a rat.  Well, an interesting fact is that this portion of the brain became more active when the students tested on phonics processing activities.  Again, if the goal is to learn constrained skills then fine, but reading involves comprehension and comprehension involves the development of unconstrained skills.  Willis (2007) suggests that, “we cannot generalization from these findings that all reading improves when the so-called phonics center becomes more active.” (p. 3).

Willis (2007) reports that the brain glitch theory treatment of reading as an isolated and independent cognitive process is counterproductive to the complex process connecting multiple learning and association centers in the brain.  Reading, at the minimum involves the limbic system, occipital cortex, associational subcortical frontal lobe centers, and medial temporal lobe and should really be aligned to instructional practices that stimulate multiple brain areas.

In addition, Willis (2007) cites (Brembs, Lorenzetti, Reyes, Baxter, & Byrne, 2002) having found interesting research on dopamine, brain proteins that are released and carry information throughout the brain.  Dopamine release has been found to increase during pleasurable and positive experiences.  Willis (2007) suggests that early studies show the amount of dopamine released by the brain increases during activities that involve playing, exercising, laughing, being read to, and recognizing personal achievements.  It is my contention, based on the reading buddy research, that opportunities like these are abundant.

The education literature has included theories about the effects of emotion on language acquisition for decades. Dulay and Burt (1977) and Krashen (1982) proposed that strong positive emotion reinforces learning, whereas excessive levels of stress and anxiety interfere with learning.

1. Many are feeling that equally important is the educating of the “whole” child. (Rattigan, 2007).    

As an example of benefits in educating the whole child, Rattigan (2007) shares that educating the “whole” child includes social and emotional aspects of learning which are strengthened in resilience skills.  Henderson & Milstein (1996) define resilience to be “the capacity to spring back, rebound, successfully adapt in the face of adversity, and develop social, academic, and vocational competence despite exposure to severe stress or simply stress that is inherent in today’s world” (p.7).  This idea of resiliency is one that can be taught and learned via the building of one’s emotional intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence

In addition to successes noted in academics, reading buddy programs demonstrated equal amounts of success in the areas of emotional Intelligence.  Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is a term coined by Yale psychologist Peter Salovey and University of New Hampshire’s John Mayer.  They describe EQ as the qualities one possesses to control one’s own emotions, empathize with the emotions of others, and regulate one’s feeling in times of crisis to improve the quality of life one lives (Gibbs,1995).  Goleman offers that all students need to be made aware of emotional intelligence characteristics within the educational environment (Pool, 1997).

Conventional wisdom asserts that IQ is the best predictor of future success. Current research is suggesting that IQ may only be responsible for 20% of a person’s success, leaving 80% to other forces.  Those forces are what Goleman suggests to be emotional intelligence: getting along with others, self-motivation, persistence, controlling impulses, empathizing, and regulating one’s moods (Goleman, 1996).  The challenge then becomes for school staffs to not only increase test scores, but also assist in increasing student’s emotional intelligence. 

            The dilemma many educators confront when wanting to incorporate social-emotional curricula into the school day is that it challenges the traditional core curriculums (Harrington-Lueker, 1995).  However, Goleman’s theory of emotional intelligence has not come without criticism from his colleagues.  Margarita Muniz, principal at Raphael Hernandez school in Boston, feels that there is not enough evidence of what constitutes a sound emotional-development program or how to even measure emotional aptitude.  Other researchers argue that it is premature to insist that emotional intelligence can be

taught like polynomials or that these skills will help improve academic achievement.  Linda Baker, guidance counselor at West Mills Middle School, New Haven Connecticut, says, “Finding time to teach EQ in an already packed school schedule is tough.  It is equally difficult to find teachers who are adept at emotional skill building” (Harrington-

1. It is not either-or, it is both” (Harrington-Lueker, 1995, p. 3).  

When considering what types of learning should be taking place inside of an educational institution, all stakeholders to the future leaders of our society should contemplate the function of the brain.  The brain is composed of three main parts; the neo-cortex, limbic system, and brain stem.  It is in the limbic system that all of our emotions are controlled.  Within the limbic system are found two amygdala’s, which are responsible for receiving and sending all emotional messages.  The amygdala’s are always communicating with the neo-cortex, which is responsible for analytical and verbal tasks.  Our analytical thinking is always controlled by our emotions (Pool, 1997).  Individuals who are mature and healthy have better connections with their amygdala’s, or emotional responses, therefore allowing the neo-cortex to make better decisions.  Children who are constantly angry, frustrated, or subjected to bad environments experience interference by the amygdala, therefore making it hard for them to concentrate and thus learn.  Because the amygdala doesn’t mature until a child is 15 or 16, we have

many opportunities to teach children how to handle their feelings (Pool, 1997).

Today’s children have created a new perspective for schools to consider when approaching the curricular and teaching strategies.  In addition to teaching reading, writing, and math curriculum, schools are now becoming a center for social learning as well.  Because children appear to be receiving less and less guidance and direction from their homes and communities, schools are having to commit themselves to creating an infrastructure that can address the student’s social and emotional deficiencies (Lantieri & Patti, 1996).  As educators begin to brainstorm how to handle this decline of social adeptness, they along with parents and administrators worry about tradition.  They are concerned that devoting class time to addressing this deficit will hurt traditional academics and ultimately create a decline in test scores (Elias & Butler, 1997).

There is still much to learn on how the brain learns and therefore, it is irresponsible to assume that any instructional strategy is best for learning to read.  For the present moment teachers of reading must be guided by their professional knowledge base and their never-ending study of scientific evidence on how the brain responds to stimuli.  There exists promising areas of research and practice.

Putting It All Together

I have often wondered what it would be like to not have been able to take my sixth grade students through our Little Buddy Reading Program.  I was witness to my students benefitting in both Emotional Intelligence and Academic Intelligence.  For several, the academic success came as a result of strengthening their emotional intelligence.  My third grade colleague would also share, and had data to support her findings, that her third grade students grew in reading levels which required comprehension to increase. 

The National Reading Panel having conducted its research with its interpretation of what constitutes sound SBBR, had a huge fan base in former President George W. Bush in creating reading instruction policy.  This support system, in all honesty, should have prevented me from practicing the reading buddy program, but I felt it important for reading improvement and emotional intelligence growth. 

In hindsight to the many flaws that have been discovered regarding the NRP, I find myself dancing in the rain, if you will, as to my decision in finding the time to make the reading buddy program work.  First, the NRP established, in its own definition, a meta-analysis of the reading research.  Its error was that it failed to recall that a meta-analysis is a comparison of results that encompass many and varied research studies; varied in the sense that it used relatively obscure methods in its study selection. In this weeding out process or selective process of research topics, the NRP failed to find research studies regarding comprehension.  This omission established a hole in its committed research of comprehension and thus could have possibly omitted the benefits of a reading buddy program.  One of the biggest blunders, if I may be so frank, of the NRP is its admission of running out of time to research studies on motivation and comprehension.  Reading Buddy programs have shown to strengthen motivation and comprehension skills.

A sound reading buddy program has been shown to include activities that involve peer to peer support in the area of reading.  The goal of my sixth grade reading buddy program was for the big buddy to assist his little buddy in reading and comprehending the story through strategies that support reading and comprehension.  Some of these activities involved spelling practice, phonemic awareness strategies, fluency practice, and reading comprehension strategies.  Many of these activities offer both constrained and unconstrained skill practice and development.  The NRP’s research was based on constrained skill research, which offers another reason as to why many research studies were omitted.  In addition to omitting research on comprehension, the NRP was selective in its brain research to support their findings on reading achievement.

A main poster child of the NRP findings was the establishment of The Reading First Program, an initiative enacted by former President George W. Bush.  I recall being a reading first school and many times was questioned about my reading buddy program and how it was not an approved NCLB practice that improved reading achievement.  This research was based on flawed scientific brain research that only considered one portion of the brain’s complex reading network.  In addition, this research favored the NRP’s purpose of finding research that showed reading achievement occurring in the brain region that is most active during phonics processing.  Again, we are reminded that The Reading First Program was a phonics based curriculum, and from first-hand experience it was a “sleeper,” but, it did however fit the NRP’s bill of identifying research that focused on constrained skills.   The NRP’s failure in this thought process is that comprehension is a crucial criterion for reading achievement.  The Reading Buddy Program has proven to be positive for comprehension and as an additional component has been positive for improving emotional intelligence.

            Reading Buddy Programs involve students working together for a common purpose of reading development.  Evidences have demonstrated that brain activity is intensified during this process that involves laughter, being read to, and receiving confirmation of good work.  All of these attributes of what a Reading Buddy Program has to offer is associated with Emotional Intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence, as defined by Goleman, is the ability to get along with others, be self-motivated, empathize with others, control impulses, and regulate one’s moods.  A need for emotional intelligence to be taught in school is found in research that demonstrates the success of person amounts to 20% of academic intelligence and 80% to emotional intelligence.  Understanding this relationship of intelligences to success would prompt educators to planning their teaching on lessons that espouse these two types of intelligences.  Reading buddy programs can be a way to compliment the two intelligences.

Bibliography

Block, C.C., & Dellamura, R.J. (2000/2001). Better book buddies.

The Reading Teacher, 54(4), 364–370.

Bower, N.L. (2001).  The Effects of Reading with a Partner and Participating in a

            Literature Discussion on Reading Comprehension.  Dissertation p.5.

Butler,F.M. (1999).  Reading Partners: Students can Help Each Other Learn to Read! 

Education and Treatment of Children Vol. 22, No. 4, 1-12

Cazden, C.B., (1988).  Classroom Discourse: The Language Of Teaching and Learning.

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Dulay, H., & Burt, M. (1977). Remarks on creativity in language acquisition.

In M. Burt, H. Dulay, & M. Finocchiaro (Eds.), Viewpoints on English as

a Second Language (pp. 74–83). New York: Regents.

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 launch a social and emotional learning program. Educational Leadership,

 15-19.

Friedland, E.S. & Truesdell, K.S. (2004). Kids reading together: Ensuring the success of

 a buddy reading program. The Reading Teacher, 58(1), 76–79.

doi:10.1598/RT.58.1.7

Garan, E. (2001). Beyond the smoke and mirrors: A critique of the

            National Reading Panel report on phonics. Phi Delta Kappan,

           82(7), 500–506.

Garan, E., DeVoogd, G.  (2008). The Benefits of Sustained Silent Reading: Scientific

Research and Common Sense Converge.  The Reading Teacher, 62(4), pp. 336-344.

Gibbs, N. (1995, October). The EQ Factor. Time, 60-68.

Goleman, D. (1996, May). Emotional intelligence. Why it can matter more than

IQ. Learning, 24, (6), 49-50.

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development through coordinated social, emotional, and academic learning. 

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Harrington-Lueker, D. (1997, September). Students need emotional intelligence.

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 students and educators.  Thousand Oaks, Ca: Corwin Press, Inc.

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 Blair (Ed.), Innovative Approaches to Language Teaching (p. 25).

Rowley, MA: Newbury House.

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Reading Teacher Vol. 52, No. 4, 410-414

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My name is Johnny Alvarado and I am a middle school principal. I am currently working on my doctorate degree and have an assingment of attempting to public an article. This my first article in attempting to publish, so I am awaiting any first attempt comments you may have to share.

Teaching English is not an easy vocation, but it has seen a huge surge in popularity over the last decade as it becomes increasingly important in the international business sector. Since English is the language of international commerce, many countries want their children to learn the language at an early age. This need for English instruction has led to a huge search for native English speakers in foreign schools. Teachers can now find jobs in South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. There are excellent opportunities for good money in Asia and the Middle East, and it has become very popular during the financial crisis as a convenient way to pay back debts such as school loans and consumer credit cards.

Most foreign schools require that their English teachers have some form of certification, usually in the form of a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) or Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification. Courses for both certifications use a combination of in-class instruction and online resources, and some TEFL classes can be taken entirely online. The cost of classes varies by company, but most that combine in-class and online portions range from $1000-1200 USD. These certifications are accepted worldwide, and in some cases demand is so high only being a native English speaker is required.

In most countries instructors have a lot of choice as to what level they will be teaching to, be it kindergarten all the way to working professionals. As mentioned above, the best-paid areas for English instructors are the Middle East and parts of Asia. Benefits in these areas usually include free housing, reimbursed round-trip airfare, covered or 50% of medical insurance, and salaries ranging from $24,000 to $36,000.

It is important to keep in mind that these jobs are difficult and can burn some teachers out very quickly. Language barriers and lack of teaching materials are common complaints, and disinterested students can ruin teaching younger classes. Lesson planning and office hours can add work time past just being in the classroom, so it is vital to take the drawbacks into consideration before deciding to teach in a foreign country, because contracts are often ironclad for one year. I am not discouraging potential teachers from trying their hand at it, just laying out the facts so that informed decisions can be made.

To get a feel for what teaching in a foreign country is like, Daves ESL Café is the best website on the Internet. Built by a lifelong ESL teacher, its forums are full of teachers from all over the world, and they can tell you exactly how things really are where you are considering teaching. Recruiters and schools can sometimes paint an unrealistic picture of the teaching situation, so it is good to have an objective view from the ground.

Teaching English continues to be an excellent choice for those looking to travel and live in foreign countries while making competitive wages, and while it can be challenging the rewards are significant.

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Visit for more useful information Study abroad, Career In Philosphy and Teaching as a Career Option

If we ask a person about importance of education nowadays, while a layman may not be quick to come up with a satisfactory answer, a learned person will surely be quick to opine, without ponderance, ‘Education is an important component of life because it is a self-enlightening process’. Obviously it is always better and desirable to know more about the importance of both education and the places where education is effectively and systematically imparted.

When I started thinking about ‘why education is so important’ I remembered my school years, the grounding years of anyone’s education. I went down memory lane to remember all my teachers, my school subjects, the study and the play. I never really hated school. But I have seen many who initially hated going schools and kept on repenting later on. I have had some friends who did not like the idea of studying in classrooms. Many of us must have unwillingly entered our school gates. But all of us know that this dislike never lasts long. We soon start loving school and it is when it is time to leave school that we are in tears.

One may enquire ‘What is school life all about’? It is all about laying the foundation of our education. School is a place to understand why education is so important and how important a school is! It is an institution, where we learn to read and write. School transforms kids into literate individuals. It is where we get our basics introduced and at the point of leaving school, we are all set to soar high in life, enter the new world in pursuit of our dreams.

The first thing that strikes me about education is knowledge gain. Education gives us the knowledge of the world around us. It develops in us a perspective of looking at life. It helps us build opinions and have points of view on everything in life. People debate over the subject of whether education is the only thing that gives knowledge. Some say, education is the process of gaining information about the surrounding world while knowledge is something very different. They are partly right. But the conversion of information to knowledge is possible because of education. Education makes us capable of interpreting rightly the things perceived. Education is not about lessons and poems in textbooks. It is about the lessons of life.

The words ‘cultivate’ and ‘civilize’ are almost synonymous to the word ‘educate’.  Education is important as it teaches us the right behavior, the good manners thus making us civilized. It teaches us how to lead our lives. Education is the basis of culture and civilization. It is instrumental in the development of our values and virtues. Education cultivates us into mature individuals, individuals capable of planning for our future and taking the right decisions. Education arms us with an insight to look at our lives and learn from every experience. It has rightly been said that the future of a nation is safe in the hands of its educated individuals. Education is not only important for the economic growth of a nation but also it fosters principles of equality and socialism. Education forms a support system for talents to excel in life. In reality it is the backbone of the society.

Education is important because it equips us with all that is needed to make our dreams come true. Education opens doors of brilliant career opportunities. It fetches better prospects in career and growth. Every employer of today requires his/her prospective employees to be well educated. He/she requires expertise. So, education becomes an eligibility criterion for employment into any sector of the industry. We are rewarded for exercising the expertise required for the field we venture. We are weighed in the market on the basis of our educational skills and how well we can apply them.

Education is essential as it paves the path leading to disillusionment. It wipes out all the wrong beliefs in our minds. It helps create a clear picture of everything around us and we no more remain in confusion about the things we learn. Education brings up questions and also devises ways to find satisfactory answers to them. Education is about knowing that everything has a science to it, it is about learning to reason everything till every question meets its answer. Education can lead us to enlightenment. It is education that builds in every individual, a confidence to take decisions, to face life and to accept successes and failures. It instills a sense of pride about the knowledge one has and prepares him/her for life.

Schools and colleges define the basic framework of education. Schooling gives us the fundamentals whereas we specialize in fields of our interest, during the degree courses. But education does not end here. It is a lifelong process. Self-learning begins at the point that marks the end of institutional education. The process of self-learning continues.

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Principals, teachers and sponsors can’t say enough good things about our climate change play “Keep Cool!”, now in its second year of touring. Testimonials about how engaging & effective DreamRider’s work is for kids.

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Dr.Badruddin Khan -
About the Author:

Dr. Badruddin Khan teaches Chemistry in the University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India.