Even if your school doesn’t have a big budget, there are still some small things you can do to make your school more eco-friendly.

Here are 8 simple tips on how to make your school more eco-friendly

1. Replacing old technology with energy efficient ones. Older devices like TVs, VCRs, DVDs, computers, and refrigerators are known to be energy suckers. When they are due for replacement, you should consider purchasing energy efficient products.

2. Use reusable dishes instead of Styrofoam. Styrofoam is not biodegradable. Meaning, when you burn it, harmful toxins are released into the atmosphere.

3. Change light bulbs to CFL bulbs. CFL bulbs use up to 75% less energy and lasts considerably longer than standard light bulbs.

4. Serve locally grown food and vegetables. This will reduce your school’s carbon footprint and make school food tastier and more nutritious!

5. Cut down on idling cars or trucks outside of your school. A volunteer teacher or concerned parent can monitor for idling vehicles.

6. Switch from paper mail to e-mail! Mostly everybody has a computer nowadays and an email address. Encourage parents and teachers to receive forms and notices via e-mail rather than traditional mail. Students can ask teachers if they can email them assignments instead of handing in a paper copy.

7. Incorporate nature into the curriculum. Small things such as a class plant can really spark a child’s interest and make an ever-lasting impression. If your school has spare space outside, consider planting a community garden where students can get involved.

We can all take steps to reduce our environmental impact. No matter if you’re a parent, teacher or a student, EVERYONE can make a difference.

You can go to school meetings, PTA meetings, create an environment club and use social media to help raise awareness and promote more environmentally safe practices at your school. Even something as simple as using reusable containers and utensils in your everyday life can really help the environment.

Michael is an environmental enthusiast and a private tutor in NYC. He is passionate about education, psychology and history.

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According to the International Energy Agency, this technology will provide inexhaustible, clean and affordable energy that will benefit both individuals and nations.

Solar energy helps to:

- reduce pollution.
- minimize expenses required to correct climate change.
- improve sustainability.
- avoid import-dependence.
- lower the price of fossil fuel.

How to Harness Solar Energy

The upper atmosphere receives about 174 petawatts of solar radiation, with 30 percent being reflected to space. The land masses, ocean and clouds absorb about 3,850,000 exajoules of solar energy every year, which is more than the global population needs.
Basically, solar systems convert radiation from the sun into energy, which may be used for either heating or generating electricity. The energy can be harnessed in various levels depending on the part of the world. Depending on their mode of operation, solar technologies are grouped into two broad categories – active and passive.

Active technologies convert solar energy by using pumps, fans and photovoltaic panels. On the other hand, the passive technologies involve the selection of materials with suitable thermal properties, referencing positions of buildings to the sun and design of spaces that circulate air naturally. The passive technologies minimize the need for alternate energy sources while the active ones boost energy supply. The passive and active technologies are known as demand-side and supply-side technologies respectively.
One of the commonest ways of harnessing the sun’s energy is through the use of solar panels. The panels are made of photoVoltaic cells arranged into modules. The modules are in turn arranged into arrays, which are commonly referred to as panels. Each cell generates just a little power.

Solar electricity is divided into three main types – grid-intertied, grid-intertied with backup battery and off-grid systems. Solar panels are also divided into three main types: mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline and amorphous panels.

Why Use Solar Panels?

Installing a solar system requires a one-time investment only. Once the system has been installed, it will keep generating clean and free electricity for many years. Many solar panels come with 25-year warranties and they hardly require any maintenance. Users start saving on their electricity bills as soon as they start using their systems. Many people recover their costs within three to six years.
The government provides rebates to those who install solar panels in their homes as an incentive to encourage the use of alternative energy sources.

Using solar panels also helps in conserving the environment by reducing the demand for resources and pollution.
Home owners will get more return upon selling their homes because energy-efficiency increases value.

Thinking about making the switch to solar power but just not sure yet? Perth solar energy company, Infinite Energy has installed over 3000 solar systems across the state. Call us for a free quote on 1300 074 669 today!

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As a teaching tool this online application has a lot of potential. To start with it can be used as a tool for keeping students up-to-date with science lesson plans. Each day’s lesson plan can be pinned to a board so that students that were absent can get all the information they need to make up the work that they missed, and so that all students can check out supplemental material to help them study for exams or to help them complete assignments.

Another option that you can use this online application for is to demonstrate specific science concepts. For example, you can set up a pinboard for a science lab. The pin board can include a text block that provides the instructions and background information for the lab, a video that demonstrates the experiment and a comment section where students can post questions and results.

A fun application of Pinterest.com is to use it to collect data for a science fair project. In this application the student will set up the Pinterest board for their project. It will be just like a digital version of their physical display board. The student can pin a text block with questions that they are trying to answer, or they can pin a text block that requests specific type of data such as temperature readings from around the world on a certain date. The student can also include a video message to their classmates or a video of their experiment. They can then include a message box where data can be submitted, questions can be asked and suggestions can be made.

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If you study environmental science, you have the option of applying for grants in the following fields: biology, environmental law geology, chemistry, forestry, and policy, wildlife conservation and natural resource conservation.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the biggest source of funding for environmental science school grants. The EPA is a federal agency that is in charge of preserving natural resources, educating the public and regulating the environmental impact of big businesses. The EPA believes in encouraging students to prepare for a career in environmental policy and environmental management by issuing school grants through its Office of Environmental Education.

Most of the school grants entail field work and research in EPA offices and departments. This is done to encourage students to pursue a career with the EPA upon completion of the grant. In addition to providing its own federal school grants, the EPA keeps a list of the most current environmental science school grant opportunities.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is also a good source of grant money, especially for monitory students. The NOAA awards grant money to minority colleges to help support the education of Environmental Science students from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Eligible candidates must not only be pursuing an Environmental Sciences degree, but also be involved in course work and research that is applicable to the mission and goals of the NOAA.

Explore the school grant and scholarship opportunities that are available through the college that you attend or are interested in attending. Even if they do not have any grants to offer, chances are that the financial aid office can inform you of any outstanding grant or scholarship opportunities. Connecticut College provides many environmental science grants through its environmental studies program while Willamette University maintains an extensive list of environmental science fellowships and grants for undergraduate and graduate students.

Nicholas is a fan of finding answers to “How To” questions and posting them online. His latest project is answering the question how to become an attorney and specifically becoming a lawyer in California. With so many questions to be answered he sure has his work cut out for him.

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Even though the teacher – student relationship is strictly a didactic one, it is influenced by the other interpersonal relationships inside and outside the classroom. That is why the teacher has to be able to get to know the group (the classroom) as dynamic group of interpersonal relationships.

It is known that usually a teacher can not choose his or hers students and vice-versa, but the teacher has the task of building the group or the team if you will, and also integrate himself/herself into that group.

The role of the teacher inside such a complex group occurs on all levels involved by the educational activity:

• Observes the actions and the behavior of the students inside the classroom, but  also during their extracurricular activities. A teacher’s teaching  technique should be aligned with the specific group he/she is addressing, which requires a careful observation of the group as a whole but also of each student inside the group.
• Communicates scientific facts, moral and cultural values and takes notes of the student’s feedback. This communication is based on the curriculum but it can also be adapted to the interests and concerns of the students.
• Conducts, guides, controls and evaluates the activity of the classroom.
• Works on setting the student – science relationship.
• Communicates with the classroom. The teaching activity involves a continuous and varied dialog with the students.
• Cooperates with the students in achieving the tasks that are assigned to the group, such as homework, extracurricular activities or making decisions.
• Stimulates the activity of the students by appreciating their work and efforts and guide them when they are having difficulties completing their tasks.
• Coordinates interpersonal relationships inside the classroom, with the goal of building a strong and united community.
• Guides the actions of each individual with the goal of helping students finding their purpose in life.
• Characterize the classroom as a group, outlining its main characteristics and its development plan.

The teacher has to adapt is pedagogical behavior to the group he/she is addressing to. This behavior should blend nicely with the teaching activity and must make the students feel comfortable but also interested during the classes.

Cristian is a full time Product Manager and owner of Management Salary, a website reporting averages salaries in various management domains such as hotel management, heath information management or human resource management. When he is not busy in the office he likes ridding his mountain bike.

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As the home of thousands of teachers across both the private and public sector, the UK has a large and thriving educational sector. With a large number of children to support through their learning, teachers rely on curriculum resources and other vital supplies to help them.

Here are five benefits of these resources and ideas on how they can be used to the best of your ability within the classroom:

1. Easier lesson planning
One of the first benefits of using resources is that it makes planning lessons easier. Teachers can build their lessons around the resources which they have at hand, helping to give it direction and focus.

For example, deciding to use flash cards as a starter activity within a lesson can enable teachers to build the rest of their lesson plan quickly. The use of this resource, which can help children to pick up skills nearly 50% faster than without them, will make the initial part of the lesson shorter – giving teacher more time for follow up activities, independent or group work and even a small test or review of progress.

2. More enjoyable for children
The use of teaching resources doesn’t just benefit teachers but they also have advantages for children too. Educational toys, games and materials will all help to keep children engaged by making the lesson more enjoyable. This will encourage subsequent learning and lead to greater levels of progression within the class.

3. Gives teachers greater freedom
The use of resources also gives teachers more freedom and options when it comes to their lessons. With such a wide range of items being available there is plenty of scope for teachers to develop innovative lesson plans, allowing them to provide unique and captivating lessons. Again, this will help to promote learning as a positive and enjoyable experience, something which children will be more likely to respond to.

4. Help to develop multiple skills at once
Resources can also help to prompt the development of numerous skills at once by combining different aspects of learning. For example, using computer games or programmes to teach logic or numeracy skills will see children gain this knowledge whilst also learning how to operate computers and other items of technology, thus developing numerous skills.

5. Cements understanding and supports education
Lastly, resources can also be used to cement a child’s understanding, helping the knowledge they have gained to be retained more permanently. Even items such as school stationery supplies can have this effect, with coloured display and visual aids being a common stimulus for learning as pictures as said to help children make connections quicker.

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With children spending such a large proportion of their time in classrooms it is therefore vital that the classroom environment offers an atmosphere which is conducive to work. Lessons can become tiresome and the right conditions will help to maintain class interest, making learning quicker and more enjoyable.

With so much choice available for school equipment and education supplies, it can be difficult for schools to know exactly what it is they need.
The following checklist is designed to help teachers and schools evaluate their classrooms and determine whether there are any crucial supplies which they are missing:

1. Desks
This is an integral item of school furniture. Corners and edges of these should be rounded to prevent injuries and should be laid out in a logical and easy to navigate manner. Pupil desks may come with drawers underneath, providing convenient storage facilities, and can be grouped together to create larger seating areas.

2. Seating
Chairs should be comfortable and supportive for children, with hard plastic varieties being the most common. It may also be worthwhile investing in alternative seating, such as softer chairs or beanbags, for group reading activities and other such lessons.

3. White board
This is the best way for teachers to provide children with a visual stimulus for the learning and it is important that the relevant pens and cleaning materials are also invested in.

4. Storage
With so much to fit in one classroom it is important that storage facilities are invested in. Always make sure these are safe for an environment involving children and place them in an area of the room which you will be able to supervise at all times.

5. Displays
Bare walls are not conducive to the working environment and therefore displays should be an integral part of any classroom. Investing in plastic fronted wall cabinets can provide a dedicated space for displays and pupils’ work to be displayed whilst also ensuring they are protected from damage.

6. Lighting
It is important that this is neither too bright or too dim in a room, so always evaluate what lighting you have fitted and whether it is sufficient for the size and shape of the classroom.

7. Warmth
Heating is another important consideration so pay attention to how temperature is controlled and what methods of heat distribution are in place.

8. Books
Another vital resource, all classrooms should have a well stocked bookcase. Fictional works should be provided alongside non-fictional books and resources such as dictionaries and thesauruses. Consider rating fictional books by difficulty to help develop children’s reading skills.

9. Stationary
School stationary supplies are another important resource and cover a broad range of products. Pens, pencils, rulers, paper, scissors, calculators and other items are all essential for a classroom so make sure you have a good supply of these at all times.

10. Resources and materials
Art supplies, magnets and sports equipment will also be needed in every classroom and should be stored safely.

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