Galileo Galilei Biography

One of the most well known and influential individuals in the scientific realm to ever live goes by the name of Galileo Galilei. Many have heard of him, but few actually have a detailed knowledge of his life and accomplishments.

Most consider this man to be one of the most important scientists in history. Many aspects of his life have taken on epic proportions. The contributions he made to the world of science are still revered to this day. He would go on to play a major role in the scientific revolution.

Born in Pisa, Italy on February 15, 1564, he was the son of a famous lutenist and musical theorist. A deeply religious individual, he spent his life as a devout Catholic. After considering a career in the priesthood, he eventually enrolled at the University of Pisa at his father's urging.

Originally enrolling to study medicine Galileo soon decided to pursue mathematics instead. This decision would impact the world of science. Many of the most prominent scientists of our time cite his work involving natural sciences and the scientific method as some of the most important of all time.

Most are familiar with his role involving the Catholic Church. His support of the heliocentric theory that the Earth revolves around the sun was thought to contradict scripture. He was put on trial for his views. Many of his work and teaching were banned and he was put under house arrest. This incident has taken on somewhat legendary proportions, though most are misinformed of the events, as they are surrounded by myth and legend.

5 Useful English Expressions

Idioms refer to phrases where their common meaning cannot be understood simply from the meanings of the individual words. They are cultural elements of speech and can prove a barrier to those who are speaking a non-native language. Five common English idioms are given below, together with their meanings, origins, and examples of their use in everyday use.

1) Step up to the plate
The origin of this phrase was in the American sport of baseball. A batting player must step towards the “home plate” in order to be ready to strike the ball. Its common use is to refer to a) the taking on of responsibility generally and b) acknowledging responsibility that already exists.

Example of a) “Since you have been ill lately I suppose I will step up to the plate and take on tomorrow’s presentation”
Example of b) “Stop being so lazy, you need to step up to the plate and provide for your family!”

2) Doubting Thomas
This phrase is a biblical reference. One of the twelve Apostles of Jesus, Thomas, did not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until Jesus appeared before him. The phrase is commonly used to refer to sceptics and those who make a habit of requiring proof for any statement.
Example: “John is such a doubting Thomas, if you said it was raining outside he would want to see your umbrella and if you said it was cold he would check a thermometer.”

3) A Baker’s Dozen
This phrase comes from the tradition that bakers had of when they were serving a dozen (i.e. twelve) baked goods to a customer, adding in one extra so that there could be no accusations that the goods were underweight. Nowadays it is used simply to refer to any group of thirteen items.
Example: “My parents had many more children than is usual. There is a baker’s dozen of us all together.”

Online Resources For Online Learning Support

With the emergence of the digital age comes expanding opportunities for businesses to offer educational opportunities to their employees that will further their success in their careers. These days, you aren't only limited to relying on textbooks for learning. You are able branch out in different and innovative ways to aid in educational experiences. The prevalence of online education is booming and many individuals and companies are taking notice of the benefits this type of education can bring to their employees and, ultimately, their companies.

Supplying one's employees with the latest skills and knowledge so they are able to perform in their job role confidently and efficiently is a huge benefit for any business, regardless of their demographics or what type of business it is. To earn from online is a great tool to aid in bettering businesses of all kinds and it comes in many forms. With this, there is bound to be a learning strategy that works well for nearly all types of individual learning styles.

Some people may prefer online tutorials, or lectures, led by an instructor while others may prefer a self-study type of experience where they can read content online at their own pace. Some individuals prefer an interactive, hands-on online learning experience and for these people there are tools available including formal learning forums, chat capabilities, live labs and video conferencing. For the on-the-go learner, there are exciting mobile e-learning options as well. Many e-learning providers are now enabling integration of mobile devices such as iPads which makes education resources extremely convenient to access.

Classroom Management Techniques

In addition to being highly knowledgeable in the subject matter, teachers also need to know how to manage classroom dynamics effectively. This entails organizational and disciplinary skills that both help make different types of classroom interactions more systematic and aligned with the learning objectives. Otherwise, classes that are conducted by teachers with very minimal classroom management skills tend to produce less favorable outcomes, such as low student achievements. Some studies, in fact, suggest that when teachers are inefficient at managing disruptive classroom behavior, the average pace of cognitive development among all students suffer greatly.

If you are a native English speaker who intend to teach English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL), it will be well to note that the paired factors of 1) disruptive behavior of students, and 2) inability of teachers to effectively manage classroom behavior, jointly cause an alarming number of new educators to leave the teaching profession. This means that in addition to generating mediocre results in terms of the learning goals for students, ineffective classroom management also cause stress, deep resentment and burnout among many teachers, to the point of compelling some of them to consider another profession. In second or foreign language learning, the cultural and linguistic gaps among students and teachers can also aggravate the learning conditions in many ways.

That said, the underlying principle should be obvious: teachers need to develop classroom management skills in order to attain positive learning outcomes. While it is true that managing student behavior is not an absolute guarantee to success, well-managed classroom behavior is a requirement for establishing an environment that is conducive to learning. After all, learning takes place most positively when students are properly motivated to learn.

Given this teaching scenario, don't lose heart nonetheless. Disruptive behavior is a normal occurrence in the learning process such that veteran educators have established different methodologies and techniques in order to quell learning disruptions. In addition, the demand for English language educators are in the uptrend globally simply because there is a real need to learn the lingua franca of globalization among non-native speakers. Behavior among learners also varies, depending on many factors such as location, economic segmentation, and the motivation to learn. While there is a real linguistic and cultural gap between teachers and students, such differences have been used by enterprising educators as positive inputs for learning.