Methods used by business helping Welsh pupils to think on their feet

Rhydypenau Primary and Christ the King Catholic Primary in Cardiff are the first schools in Wales to officially become Thinking Schools. They have been accredited as one of only a handful of centres of excellence in the UK.

The scheme run by the University of Exeter's Cognitive Education Centre (CEC) encourages schools to incorporate the use of thinking tools from mind maps to thinking hats into all aspects of the curriculum to help pupils become independent learners, promote a love of learning and help lay the foundations for every pupil to become lifelong learners.

The tools have until recently been more commonly used by businesses but headteachers say they are having a positive impact on the way children learn and interact with each other. Being a Thinking School is defined by CEC as "an educational community in which all members share a common commitment to giving regular careful thought to everything that takes place." On a practical level for schools it means that pupils continually develop and demonstrate independent and co-operative learning skills using the skills and strategies they have been taught.



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Hippo continues to expand under a positive kind of hex

One of the equipment makers that generally flies under the big-name radar, but a company that is technologically advanced with value-priced products, is Hippo Golf.

The Hippo name dates back to 1989 and equipment manufacturer Howson Sports in the U.K. It has since grown to become one of the largest European lines in golf. In the U.S., Hippo is based in Carlsbad, Calif.

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Living the Thinking Life

That book was so readable, even for a mere kid, and the logic was so pristine that it transformed my thinking at all levels. I grew up in a rural farming community, so many of the examples that Darwin used to illustrate his points were familiar. Through his words, his logic, his cautious and carefully-worded arguments, the world was revealed as a vibrant and mysterious place, but despite its seeming chaos, the world was still logical and understandable: it was governed by rules, even though those rules might not be obvious to humans. Inspired, I began asking questions, lots of questions, of the adults around me. Of course, I was ignored, but it wasn't long before I asked the preacher what was the purpose of god since we evolved. Woops.

After being told that I was a stupid little girl who should remain silent until I "knew something" (the precise word used was "shaddup"), I realized that I would never be taken seriously until I had a serious education.



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5 positive ways to

With the mortgage meltdown, floods in the Midwest, $4 a gallon for gas, food prices, the economy, the war in Iraq, thinking positive is hard to do. Yet, Jon Gordon, author of the No Complaining Rule, says despite the negative circumstances in life, you really can be positive. Here are five positive ways to quit your complaining and change your dark cloud perspective.

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Miss Africa 2008: Contestant Mariamma Brown from Senegal

Most of all she possesses a spirituality and faith that enables her to conquer and survive anything from the Atlantic Slave Trade to modern day battles in life.

Mariamma Brown.

Mariamma Brown

What is your beauty secret?

I use Witch Hazel and water on a cotton ball as a toner. Its a low costing, natural, and effective toner.

What do you think is the best solution for the current crisis in the oil markets and why?

Well many things have become dependent on oil. The solution to the current oil crisis is not something that can be solved overnight. Big companies have been so extremely occupied with oil and its great revenue, that they avoid developing sources such as solar energy, wind mill energy, and other alternatives that would prevent such a massive scale of oil use.



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Edner Cherry: "I would love to fight Manny Pacquiao and Nate

BC: I spoke earlier in the article about your spirituality. How big a part of your life does spirituality play?

EC: I always put God first in everything I do. He is the one who provides everything I need. Everywhere I go and everything I do, God is there for me. I make mistakes but I ask god for his guidance to help me correct the mistakes. People do not want to be around negative people. I want to show people love and respect everywhere I go so that they will look at Edner Cherry and say that I’m a nice guy. I want to continue to give God praise for everything he has provided for me. I will continue to praise God, win or lose, after a fight. He has given me the opportunity to be a boxer, and he needs thanks for giving me that gift.

BC: Do you find yourself ever asking the Lord for guidance before or during a fight?

EC: Yes, absolutely.



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The Power of Self Improvement

"People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after." Goldsmith

The subject of my note today is Self Improvement. In discussing this subject I'd love to look at the word KAIZEN. Kaizen is a Japanese management term referring to constant, continuous and never-ending improvement. Anthony Robbins calls the notion CANI that stands for: "Constant And Never Ending Improvement." Kaizen is a way of life. It is constant improvement in every aspect of your life. You have a built-in mechanism to substantiate and to improve. Therefore, ascertaining how to improve your relationship, your knowledge, your attitude, your goals and goal-setting strategies, leadership skills and time management should be your daily responsibility. Experts in the field of human development say overly everything can be improved on by at least ten per cent.

There is no pursuit a good deal more venerable than the pursuit of self-improvement. Self-improvement as aforementioned, begins amongst your born once again spirit, your mind, as you consistently renew it with God's word. Everything is capable of being improved, even if only incrementally. The concept of continuous improvement can literally be applied to every aspect of your customized and professional life. Consistent and constant pursuit of improvement in all cities of your life is indispensable in the attainment of your real potential. Hence improving daily, whether by spending some time exercising, reading, visualizing or forging better relationships, you are making common deposits and evolving toward a desired attainable end.

The personal mark of all but every high achiever and successful people is a daily dedication to improvement in both personal and qualified lives. To be effective, you own to do Times daily and consistently and not haphazardly to advance congruently in the direction of your goals, final purpose and destiny.

It is fundamental to apply the Kaizen or CANI principle on a continuing basis to every component of your life from spiritual to physical, business to family to attain peak performance as you migrate toward your desired end.