Author: imperial

What is healthcare management? Healthcare management is the administration and organization of all things in a healthcare system. Healthcare managers oversee all the elements of an organization, and may work in a hospital or clinic helping control budgets, staffing, records, etc. These healthcare administration experts aren’t directly involved in patient care, but rather work on the business of healthcare by helping the facility or organization run smoothly. Health care administration involves overseeing all of the important financial and organizational elements of a health care clinic or department, and these administrators have to be prepared to face all different kinds of work every day.

Behind every hospital or medical practice are healthcare managers who keep everything running smoothly. Healthcare managers are responsible for overseeing areas such as quality of care and budgeting in hospitals and nursing homes. Since these institutions provide healthcare to a large number of people, the work done by healthcare managers have a direct impact on the quality of care received by the patients.

There are many benefits to getting a degree in healthcare management and preparing for this kind of career. Learn more about the reasons to get a healthcare management degree and follow this exciting career path in health administration. Healthcare managers help the system to work more efficiently which, in turn, helps patient care. Healthcare administrators have been pioneers in advocating positive and progressive healthcare policy changes. Over the years, they have sought to provide healthcare coverage for the poor, implement wide-ranging preventive care to at-risk populations, and brought about other changes to improve healthcare delivery to broader segments of the community and the population at large.

Future scope of a healthcare management degree: 

Health care managers work in a variety of administration settings and can have a variety of job titles, changing what they do in their day-to-day work. Some of their job titles include: The field of healthcare management requires talented individuals who can assist in introducing and managing the ever-changing developments that are taking place within the healthcare industry. As a healthcare professional, you can make a substantial contribution to improving the health of the residents in the communities you serve.

• Healthcare manager
• Healthcare administrator
• Healthcare supervisor
• Clinical director
• Nursing home facilitator
• Public health educator
• Health coordinator
• Director

Health care managers also have many job settings they work in, including:

• Hospitals
• Clinics
• Departments in hospitals
• Nursing homes
• Private practices
• Public health centers
• Colleges or universities
• Insurance companies
• Pharmaceutical companies

If you’re interested in a profession that has many different and unique options and opportunities, a career in healthcare management could be your ideal choice.

How to Improve Your Memory

Whether you’re looking to sharpen your mind, boost your mental performance, or preserve your memory as you age, these tips can help.

How to boost brain power at any age

A strong memory depends on the health and vitality of your brain. Whether you’re a student studying for final exams, a working professional interested in doing all you can to stay mentally sharp, or a senior looking to preserve and enhance your grey matter as you age, there’s lots you can do to improve your memory and mental performance

They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but when it comes to the, brain scientists have discovered that this old adage simply isn’t true. The human brain has an astonishing ability to adapt and change—even into old age. This ability is known as neuroplasticity. With the right stimulation, your brain can form new neural pathways, alter existing connections, and adapt and react in ever-changing ways.

The brain’s incredible ability to reshape itself holds true when it comes to learning and memory. You can harness the natural power of neuroplasticity to increase  your cognitive abilities, enhance your ability to learn new information, and improve your memory at any age. These 9 tips can show you how.

Tip 1: Give your brain a workout

By the time you’ve reached adulthood, your brain has developed millions of neural pathways that help you process and recall information quickly, solve familiar problems, and execute habitual tasks with a minimum of mental effort. But if you always stick to these well-worn paths, you aren’t giving your brain the stimulation it needs to keep growing and developing. You have to shake things up from time to time!

Memory, like muscular strength, requires you to “use it or lose it.” The more you work out your brain, the better you’ll be able to process and remember information. But not all activities are equal. The best brain exercises break your
routine and challenge you to use and develop new brain pathways.

Four key elements of a good brain-boosting activity

1.  It teaches you something new. No matter how intellectually demanding the activity, if it’s something you’re already good at, it’s not a good brain exercise. The activity needs to be something that’s unfamiliar and out of   your comfort zone. To strengthen the brain, you need to keep learning and developing new skills.
2. It’s challenging. The best brain-boosting activities demand your full and close attention. It’s not enough that you found the activity challenging at one point. It must still be something that requires mental effort. For
   example, learning to play a challenging new piece of music counts. Playing a difficult piece you’ve already memorized does not.
3. It’s a skill you can build on. Look for activities that allow you to start at an easy level and work your way up as your skills improve —always pushing the envelope so you continue to stretch your capabilities. When a previously difficult level starts to feel comfortable, that means it’s time to tackle the next level of performance.
4. It’s rewarding. Rewards support the brain’s learning process. The more interested and engaged you are in the activity, the more likely you’ll continue doing it and the greater the benefits you’ll experience. So choose activities that, while challenging, are still enjoyable and satisfying.

Think of something new you’ve always wanted to try, like learning how to play the guitar, make pottery, juggle, play chess, speak French, dance the tango, or master your golf swing. Any of these activities can help you improve your memory, so long as they keep you challenged and engaged.

What about brain-training programs?

There are countless brain-training apps and online programs that promise to boost memory, problem-solving skills, attention, and even IQ with daily practice. But do they really work? Increasingly, the evidence says no. While these brain-training programs may lead to short-term improvements in whatever task or specific game you’ve been practicing, they don’t appear to strengthen or improve overall intelligence, memory, or other cognitive abilities.

Tip 2: Don’t skip the physical exercise

While mental exercise is important for brain health, that doesn’t mean you never need to break a sweat. Physical exercise helps your brain stay sharp. It increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Exercise also enhances the effects of helpful brain chemicals and reduces stress hormones. Perhaps most importantly, exercise plays an important role in neuroplasticity by boosting growth factors and stimulating new neuronal connections.

Brain-boosting exercise tips

• Aerobic exercise is particularly good for the brain, so choose activities that keep your blood pumping. In general, anything that is good for your heart is great for your brain.

• Does it take you long time to clear out the sleep fog when you wake up? If so, you may find that exercising in the morning before you start your
  day makes a big difference. In addition to clearing out the cobwebs, it also primes you for learning throughout the day.

• Physical activities that require hand-eye coordination or complex motor skills are particularly beneficial for brain building.

• Exercise breaks can help you get past mental fatigue and afternoon slumps. Even a short walk or a few jumping jacks can be enough to reboot your brain.

Tip 3: Get your Zs

There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get by on and the amount you need to function at your best. The truth is that over 95% of adults need between 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep every night in order to avoid sleep
deprivation. Even skimping on a few hours makes a difference! Memory, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking skills are all compromised.

But sleep is critical to learning and memory in an even more fundamental way. Research shows that sleep is necessary for memory consolidation, with the key memory-enhancing activity occurring during the deepest stages of sleep.

Get on a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time each morning. Try not to break your routine, even on weekends and holidays.

Avoid all screens for at least an hour before bed. The blue light emitted by TVs, tablets, phones, and computers trigger wakefulness and suppress hormones such as melatonin that make you sleepy.

Cut back on caffeine. Caffeine affects people differently. Some people are highly sensitive, and even morning coffee may interfere with sleep at night. Try reducing your intake or cutting it out entirely if you suspect it’s keeping you up.

Tip 4: Make time for friends

When you think of ways to improve memory, do you think of “serious” activities such as  wrestlingw the New York Times crossword puzzle or mastering chess strategy, or is it more lighthearted pastimes—hanging out with friends or enjoying a funny movie—that come to mind? If you’re like most of us, it’s probably the former. But countless studies show that a life full of friends and fun comes with cognitive benefits.

Healthy relationships: the ultimate brain booster

Humans are highly social animals. We’re not meant to survive, let alone thrive, in isolation. Relationships stimulate our brains—in fact, interacting with others may provide the best kind of brain exercise.

Research shows that having meaningful friendships and a strong support system are vital not only to emotional health, but also to brain health. In one recent study from the Harvard School of Public Health, for example, researchers found that people with the most active social lives had the slowest rate of memory decline.

There are many ways to start taking advantage of the brain and memory-boosting benefits of socializing. Volunteer, join a club, make it a point to see friends more often, or reach out over the phone. And if a human isn’t handy, don’t overlook the value of a pet—especially the highly-social dog.

Tip 5: Keep stress in check

Stress is one of the brain’s worst enemies. Over time, chronic stress destroys brain cells and damages the hippocampus, the region of the brain involved in the formation of new memories and the retrieval of old ones. Studies have also linked stress to memory loss.

Tips for managing stress

• Set realistic expectations (and be willing to say no!)

• Take breaks throughout the day

• Express your feelings instead of bottling them up

• Set a healthy balance between work and leisure time

• Focus on one task at a time, rather than trying to multi-task

Tip 6: Have a laugh

You’ve heard that laughter is the best medicine, and that holds true for the brain and the memory, as well as the body. Unlike emotional responses, which are limited to specific areas of the brain, laughter engages multiple regions across the whole brain.

Furthermore, listening to jokes and working out punch lines activates areas of the brain vital to learning and creativity. As psychologist Daniel Goleman notes in his book Emotional Intelligence, “laughter seems to help people think more broadly and associate more freely.”

Looking for ways to bring more laughter in your life? Start with these basics:

Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take ourselves less seriously is to talk about the times when we took ourselves too seriously.

When you hear laughter, move toward it. Most of the time, people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and try to join in.

Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh easily—both at themselves and at life’s absurdities—and who routinely find the humor in everyday events. Their playful point of view and laughter are contagious.

Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh. Frame photos of you and your loved ones having fun.

Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing.

Tip 7: Eat a brain-boosting diet

Just as the body needs fuel, so does the brain. You probably already know that a diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, “healthy” fats (such as olive oil, nuts, fish) and lean protein will provide lots of health benefits, but such a diet can also improve memory. For brain health, though, it’s not just what you eat—it’s also what you don‘t eat. The following nutritional tips will help boost your brainpower and reduce your risk of dementia:

Get your omega-3s. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids are particularly beneficial for brain health. Fish is a particularly rich source of omega-3, especially cold water “fatty fish” such as salmon, tuna, halibut, trout, mackerel, sardines, and herring.

If you’re not a fan of seafood, consider non-fish sources of omega-3s such as seaweed, walnuts, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, winter squash, kidney and pinto beans, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and soybeans.

Limit calories and saturated fat. Research shows that diets high in saturated fat (from sources such as red meat, whole milk, butter, cheese, cream, and ice cream) increase your risk of dementia and impair concentration and memory.

Eat more fruit and vegetables. Produce is packed with antioxidants, substances that protect your brain cells from damage. Colorful fruits and vegetables are particularly good antioxidant “superfood” sources.

Drink green tea. Green tea contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that protect against free radicals that can damage brain cells. Among many other benefits, regular consumption of green tea may enhance memory and mental alertness and slow brain aging.

Drink wine (or grape juice) in moderation. Keeping your alcohol consumption in check is key, since alcohol kills brain cells. But in moderation (around 1 glass a day for women; 2 for men), alcohol may actually improve memory and cognition. Red wine appears to be the best option, as it is rich in resveratrol, a flavonoid that boosts blood flow in the brain and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Other resveratrol-packed options include grape juice, cranberry juice, fresh grapes and berries, and peanuts.

Tip 8: Identify and treat health problems

Do you feel that your memory has taken an unexplainable dip? If so, there may be a health or lifestyle problem to blame.

It’s not just dementia or Alzheimer’s disease that causes memory loss. There are many diseases, mental health disorders, and medications that can interfere with memory:

Heart disease and its risk factors. Cardiovascular disease and its risk factors, including high cholesterol and high blood pressure, have been linked to mild cognitive impairment.

Diabetes. Studies show that people with diabetes experience far greater cognitive decline than those who don’t suffer from the disease.

Hormone imbalance. Women going through menopause often experience memory problems when their estrogen dips. In men, low testosterone can cause issues. Thyroid imbalances can also cause forgetfulness, sluggish thinking, or confusion.

Medications. Many prescription and over-the-counter medications can get in the way of memory and clear thinking. Common culprits include cold and allergy medications, sleep aids, and antidepressants. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about possible side effects.

Is it depression?

Emotional difficulties can take just as heavy a toll on the brain as physical problems. In fact, mental sluggishness, difficulty concentrating, and forgetfulness are common symptoms of depression. The memory issues can be particularly bad in older people who are depressed-so much so that it is sometimes mistaken for dementia. The good news is that when the depression is treated, memory should return to normal.

Tip 9: Take practical steps to support learning and memory

Pay attention. You can’t remember something if you never learned it, and you can’t learn something—that is, encode it into your brain—if you don’t pay enough attention to it. It takes about eight seconds of intense focus to process a piece of information into your memory. If you’re easily distracted, pick a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted.

Involve as many senses as possible. Try to relate information to colors, textures, smells, and tastes. The physical act of rewriting information can help imprint it onto your brain. Even if you’re a visual learner, read out loud what you want to remember. If you can recite it rhythmically, even better.

Relate information to what you already know. Connect new data to information you already remember, whether it’s new material that builds on previous knowledge, or something as simple as an address of someone who lives on a street where you already know someone.

For more complex material, focus on understanding basic ideas rather than memorizing isolated details. Practice explaining the ideas to someone else in your own words.

Rehearse information you’ve already learned. Review what you’ve learned the same day you learn it, and at intervals thereafter. This “spaced rehearsal” is more effective than cramming, especially for retaining what you’ve learned.

Use mnemonic devices to make memorization easier. Mnemonics (the initial “m” is silent) are clues of any kind that help us remember something, usually by helping us associate the information we want to remember with a visual image, a sentence, or a word.

6 types of mnemonic device

1. Visual image – Associate a visual image with a word or name to help you remember them better. Positive, pleasant images that are vivid, colorful, and three-dimensional will be easier to remember. Example: To remember the name Rosa Parks and what she’s known for, picture a woman sitting on a park bench surrounded by roses, waiting as her bus pulls up.
2. Acrosticc (or sentence) – Make up a sentence in which the first letter of each word is part of or represents the initial of what you want to remember. Example: The sentence “Every good boy does fine” to memorize the lines of the treble clef, representing the notes E, G, B, D, and F.
3. Acronym – An acronym is a word that is made up by taking the first letters of all the key words or ideas you need to remember and creating a new word out of them. Example: The word “HOMES” to remember the names of the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
4. Rhymes and alliteration – Rhymes, alliteration (a repeating sound or syllable), and even jokes are memorable way to remember more mundane facts and figures. Example: The rhyme “Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November” to remember the months of the year with only 30 days in them.
5. Chunking – Chunking breaks a long list of numbers or other types of information into smaller, more manageable chunks. Example: Remembering a 10-digit phone number by breaking it down into three sets of numbers: 555-867-5309 (as opposed to 5558675309).
6. Method of loci – Imagine placing the items you want to remember along a route you know well, or in specific locations in a familiar room or building. Example: For a shopping list, imagine bananas in the entryway to your home, a puddle of milk in the middle of the sofa, eggs going up the stairs, and bread on your bed.

About CMAT

The full form of CMAT is the Central Management Admission Test. It is conducted once every year for getting admission into BBA and BHCM program at our college internally. We allow our students to participate in CMAT exam both virtually and physically.

Contents of CMAT Exam

CMAT exam contains four different sections having equal weights.

CMAT Syllabus Each section contains 25 questions each. Therefore, there are a total of 100 questions in the CMAT exam. For every right answer, one mark is awarded. Therefore, the CMAT exam is of 100 marks in total. There is no negative marking in wrong answer. Scoring more than 40 marks in this exam will fetch you a passing percentile and getting a call from admission.

The major topics covered are as follows:

Section I: Verbal Ability

Reading Comprehension, Word Meanings, Grammar, Sentence Completion, Para jumbles, etc.

Section II: Quantitative ability

Simple Arithmetic, Equations, Simple Interest, Compound Interest, Permutations, Combinations, Probability, Ratio and Percentage, Logarithms, Time & Work, Time & Distance, Number Systems, Series, Graphs and charts etc.

Section III: Logical Reasoning

Odd man out, relationship, figure reasoning, arrangements and directions etc.

Section IV: General Awareness

General Knowledge Questions related to Awards, Books, Literature, Recent Happenings, Science, Films, Current Affairs, Banking, Economics, History, Geography etc.

 CMAT Eligibility

A candidate is eligible for the exam if he / she has secured at least 45% marks or minimum 2 CGPA in his / her plus two level examination or equivalent from a reputed or recognized college or university. Moreover, candidates in their final year of graduation can also take the exam. There is no particular age limit for appearing for CMAT exam.

 How to prepare for CMAT?

Following are the CMAT Preparation tips which will help you in scoring well in the CMAT exam:

1. Focus equally on all sections 

There are four sections in the CMAT exam. Since you need to score quite a lot, it is advisable to give equal importance to all the sections. Moreover, the level of questions in the CMAT exam is easy to moderate. Therefore, you need to maximize your attempts as much as you can. The more questions you attempt correctly, the more marks you will fetch.

2. Clear your basics of all topics

It is better to clear your basics of all the topics in each of the sections. This is because you need to maximize your attempts to fetch a good percentile. Scoring more than 40 marks in total cannot be done by focusing on one topic alone. For example, in general awareness section, it is better to be well acquainted with all topics prescribed in syllabus above, so that you will be able to solve questions related to these topics. Focusing on one topic, like current affairs, will not help in maximizing your marks.

3. Improve your speed and accuracy

Candidates need to attempt 100 questions in 90 minutes or one and half hours. You need good speed to attempt maximum number of questions in the CMAT exam. Also, do keep in mind that while improving your speed, you don’t compromise on your accuracy. You need to be careful and attempt the questions correctly.

4. Take Mocks and solve sample questions at home

Taking mocks is a good way to boost your CMAT Preparation. It helps you gain speed and analyze your performance in the real exam like environment. Moreover, you will get to know about your accuracy level. If it is low, then you need to improve it. Also, solving sample papers or past years’ papers will help you to analyze the actual level and type of questions asked in the CMAT exam.

How to Answer the Questions?

Example 1:

Direction: Fill in the blanks with the word which best fit in with the meaning of the following sentences.

Questions: The chair is to be put in the ……

a.  Middle                                                 b.  Centre

c.  Central                                                 d.  mid

Answer: Indicate your answer on the answer sheet by darkening the correct option. Suppose the correct answer choice is “center” and that option is given in (b). So, you must darken that option like given below:

In case of wrong marking you may cross (•) the wrongly marked box and darken another box. If you fell that the answer options provided are wrong you should mention at the bottom of the answer sheet.

Other important instructions in physical CMAT Exam

1. Please detach the answer sheet from the question paper
2. Write your name and contact number on the answer sheet.
3. Do not write anything else on the Answer sheet. If you need to do rough work use any space available on the question paper or use another blank paper.
4. Time yourself as you work on each section so that you complete the test within 90 minutes.
5. Each set of question contains Directions. Read those directions carefully before answering the questions.
6. Try answering all questions. There is no negative marking for wrong answer.

Download CMAT Model Question

The Best Chrome Extensions and Apps for College Professors

Here is a list of the best Chrome extensions and apps for teachers and professors in 2019. Take your teaching to the next level with these popular apps and extensions

With more than two-thirds of all desktop computers using Google Chrome, the world’s most popular browser in some ways has become the Internet, mediating everything we do online. But that doesn’t mean your version of Chrome is the same as anyone else’s. Chrome has nearly 200,000 extensions and apps—software that adds new functionality to the browser—and there are effectively infinite ways to personalize it: with apps, and with Google Chrome extensions for teachers.

The best Google extensions for teachers can streamline research, improve course-planning and even engage students in new ways. As professors are stretched ever thinner, and students more comfortable with technology than ever before, anything that saves time and bridges the tech divide with students can be well worth getting a handle on.

Not every extension has scholarly value (it’s hard to imagine a good use for nCage, which replaces every image on the web with a different headshot of actor Nicholas Cage). But these research, reading and teaching apps for college professors can help make the most of your always scarce time.

Best Apps for Teachers: Smarter Research

1. Liner (extension)Liner allows you to highlight text on webpages, add comments and notes, and organize it all by subject matter. Every time you return to a page, all your notes and highlights will be there, turning the Internet into your own personal library—except one where you can write in the books.
2. Reeder, Feedly (apps)RSS stands for “really simple syndication.” Most online news sources and many academic journals provide RSS feeds dedicated to specific topics—just download an RSS reader, subscribe to some feeds and you have a clean and easy platform for reading and managing them. Reeder (iOS) and Feedly (iOS/Android) are two of the best.
3. StayFocusd (extension)The best thing about the Internet? Everything is at your fingertips. The worst part? Same thing. StayFocusd is like a parental control that the distraction-prone can use on themselves, restricting time on any website, page, game, article, video, etc. In other words, no more dipping into Instagram for five minutes and coming up for air half an hour later.
4. Mercury Reader (extension)After you’ve loaded an article, click the Mercury button and you’ll see ads, related articles, comments and almost everything else vanish, leaving only the article’s text and images. You can print, adjust typography for easier on-screen readability and share via social media, but that’s it for bells and whistles. It’s perfect for distraction-free reading.
5. Adblock Plus (extension)Adblock creates a simpler, cleaner web-browsing experience by eliminating ads, pop-ups, auto-playing video and other intrusions. (Bonus: If you’ve got a slower or older machine, this can really help keep it from getting bogged down if you tend to keep a lot of tabs open at once.)
6. Pocket, Instapaper (apps)Both Pocket and Instapaper do more or less the same thing: save articles for offline reading, on desktop or mobile devices. They also go one step further, creating attractively formatted and clutter-free layouts to read in, with adjustable typography and font size. Perfect when you need to take your reading on the road.

Best Apps for Teachers: Time Management

1. Office Editing for Docs (extension)This extension allows you to open, edit and save Microsoft Office documents directly in your browser, even if you don’t have Office software installed on your device. It’s not fully featured, so don’t go thinking it will replace your Office suite altogether, but it does the trick in a pinch.
2. Zotero, Mendeley, Refworks, EndNote (apps/extensions)Each of these popular reference management tools include browser integration, allowing users to retrieve a properly formatted reference for journal articles viewed online. If you use any of them, there’s no reason not to install an extension.
3. Extensity (extensions)Adding an extension to simplify your extensions might seem counterintuitive. But Extensity keeps apps and extensions off your toolbar, placing them instead in a drop-down menu. Here, you can group apps and extensions by type, and switch off those you use less frequently—they’re still visible, but your standbys are  highlighted for quicker navigation.
4. LastPass (app)A password manager will remember all your passwords—all you need to remember is one master password, and the manager handles the rest. LastPass is a simple and effective option, generating complex, highly secure passwords for different sites and applications, and auto-filling them as you browse. No more clicking the “forgot password?” button.
5. Grammarly (extension) Grammarly has come in for criticism for flattening out authorial voice, but for quick and professional emails, slide decks, presentation materials and the like, it can be tremendously valuable. It checks spelling and grammar, of course, but also scans for tone, clarity and succinctness. And let’s be honest, some people can use help with being succinct.
6. Evernote Clipper (extension)Clipper corrals all your bookmarks, screenshots and other web-based research into a one-stop repository where you can categorize, annotate and sync them across devices. If you’ve got a desktop folder full of screenshots, or an over-cluttered bookmark tab, this one’s for you.
7. Wunderlist (app)A simple task-management tool that allows you to create cloud-based to-do lists, accessible on any of your devices. You can categorize lists, create reminders, schedule deadlines and add attachments. And you can share lists with others for easy collaboration—from dividing up a research project to delegating a grocery run.

Best Apps for Teachers: Creative Classroom Collaboration

1. Loom (extension)Loom lets you record either your entire screen, or one specific app/tab, while using your computer’s built-in microphone to narrate what you’re doing. Save, edit and share the recordings to create messages for colleagues and students, or practise lessons and tutorials for in-class use.
2. Google Hangouts (extension)There are plenty of video-conferencing and chat tools out there, but since most of us spend so much of our online lives in a Google environment already, Hangouts is an easy choice to bring everyone under one umbrella for group chats (up to 150 participants) and video calls (up to 30 participants). You can also live-stream presentations and conferences.
3. Hypothesis (extension)Like Liner, Hypothesis can be used to highlight and annotate web pages and PDFs, but focuses on collaboration and discussion, permitting groups of researchers to turn any website into a collaborative workspace. And it makes studying and teaching online texts a communal experience, allowing professors to interact remotely with individual students or groups within a page or site.

Team building isn’t just for the corporate workplace — it can also be used in the classroom to encourage collaboration, problem-solving and decision-making. And it doesn’t have to involve awkward activities such as a ‘trust fall.’ Engaging, relevant team building activities for students can energize your classroom and take learning to a new level.

By accomplishing group tasks, students learn to listen, trust and support each other, while developing life skills such as communication and collaboration — skills that can’t be learned from a textbook, interactive or not. Learning to get along with peers, for example, isn’t something you can pick up through memorization.

Sara Keinath, Youth Leadership Educator at Michigan State University explains the value of team building activities for students: “Guiding group members through intentional games can help them improve their communication skills with each other, which will transfer to their work or club projects later. Many team building activities incorporate such skills as active listening, questioning assumptions, giving clear directions, problem solving or learning how to ask effective questions.”

Facilitate your team building games and activities for students over the course of a semester (rather than a one-off event). Here are ten examples of fun team building activities for students you can use in the classroom that won’t make everyone cringe.

1. Spaghetti tower

Divide students into teams and provide them with ‘building’ materials, such as dry spaghetti, marshmallows, string and tape. Set a time limit for designing and building a spaghetti tower (one that’s structurally sound, of course). When their time is up, the tallest freestanding tower wins. There are several variations on this, such as building a pyramid with paper cups, but the idea is to promote communication and collaboration.

2. Scavenger hunt

Scavenger hunts aren’t just for kids. While this team building game requires some preparation, it encourages students to work together: planning a strategy, divvying up tasks and communicating progress. Divide the students into teams and set a time limit in which they have to find as many items as possible on a list you’ve provided. You can make this more challenging by providing clues or riddles rather than the names of items.

3. Pub quiz

You don’t need to hang out in an actual pub for this team building activity; the idea is to mimic a trivia pub night, fostering teamwork in a fun environment. The ‘host’ asks a multiple-choice trivia question, and teams are given 60 seconds to discuss and agree upon an answer. You can use generic quiz questions (from the board game “Trivial Pursuit,” for example), but you could also relate questions back to course material. The team with the most points wins.

4. Idea building blocks

Divide the class into teams and present them with a problem (again, this can be related to course material). One team member writes down a solution and passes the piece of paper along to the next team member, who builds upon that idea. The paper is passed around until each team member has added onto the original solution. When their time is up, a spokesperson can present their final solution to the rest of the group or to the class.

5. Newspaper fashion show

While this team building game is ideal for art and design students, it can be used in any classroom; in fact, these kinds of games are good examples of how team building activities for students get them out of their comfort zone to exercise their creativity. Divide students into teams of six to eight, and supply them with newspaper, tape and scissors. Participants are given a time limit to design and create an item of clothing out of newspaper, which requires group brainstorming and delegation of tasks. One person in the group could ‘model’ the finished product when their time is up.

6. “Shark Tank”

Similar to the popular TV show where entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a panel of investors, this team building activity can be used in the classroom to encourage creative thinking and develop time management, presentation and public speaking skills. Each team of students comes up with a product, brand name, logo and marketing strategy, which is then presented to the ‘panel.’ Encourage feedback from the ‘sharks,’ or other students, in the class.

7. Pipeline

Teams are given the task of rolling a marble or ball from a start line to a finish line, without it ever touching the floor — or students’ hands. Each team member is given a PVC pipe (though they could also use paper and tape, or paper towel rolls). Allow five minutes of planning time, so teams can strategize how they will transport the marble as a group; if it falls to the floor, they must start over. This helps to promote problem-solving, communication and cooperation.

8. Classify this

Arrange random objects on your desk — anything from paper clips to an umbrella to jewelry (aim for about 25 objects in total). Teams of students must then categorize these objects on a piece of paper, even when no obvious connections exist. You can decide on the number of categories or let each team decide. When their time is up, a participant from each group presents their list and explains the logic behind it. This team building exercise helps students think outside of the box.

9. Goodie bag skits

This might take some students out of their comfort zone, but encourages teamwork and collaboration. Divide the class into teams of up to eight people and provide each team with a ‘goodie bag’ filled with random items. Set a time limit (five to 10 minutes) for each group to create a short skit, based on the items in the bag. Teams then present their skits, and a group vote can be held to declare the winner.

10. Deserted island

In this team building game, students imagine they’re stranded on a deserted island. After dividing students into teams, provide them with a list of items for survival. Participants must prioritize and rank those items — first on their own, and then as a group. Not only does this test their problem-solving skills, it helps them differentiate between the needs of the individual and the needs of the collective.

There are literally dozens of team building activities for students that can be used in the classroom — you can even ask students to create their own. By incorporating group activities into your teaching, you’re providing students with an opportunity to learn essential life skills they’ll carry with them long after they graduate.

The following are simple strategies that anyone can use to improve the amount of information that they take in and remember:

1.Unusual Gets Noticed

If you see something weird, unusual or different from others, your subconscious mind captures it and registers it. Like, a baby of a monkey playing with a tiger cub or a car moving in a river.

This creates an image in your subconscious mind, later; your conscious mind can easily derive the information from it.So, if you want to learn something and remember it for a long time, then give it a different name something very unusual or picture it in an old fashion.

2. Involve as many senses as possible

 For example, if you are sitting in a lecture, you will remember more of what is being said if you listen and scribble down a few notes. Or if you are reading a letter or an article, you will remember more of what is written if you read it aloud to yourself.

3.Extreme Emotion, Good or Bad

People tend to remember something that is related to their extreme emotion be it good or bad.People remember the extreme cold, extreme summer, extreme happiness, and extreme sorrow. Something that is very good or bad will also be remembered for a long time.
There is a cycle that is created from this picture which results in action and action again sows the seed of a new picture.

4.Passionate Conscious Goal Statement

A powerful goal statement is key to improve memory and concentration.
Whenever something new goes inside your mind, it registers and stores only what is fruitful to you.
If the data does not help the mind in achieving any goal, then it will leave the data. The conscious mind will take its own decision when you hold the goal statement.
For ExampleIf you as a student want to learn a subject and you have an interest in it, then you can easily learn it.On the other hand, if you read something that is uninteresting, then you will have to learn it forcefully.

There are two patterns of thinking – Structured Pattern and Accidental Pattern.In accidental pattern of thinking, your data is not structured and your mind faces a lot of problems while taking a decision.
In structured pattern of thinking, all your data is in a well-structured form and the mind does not have any problem in registering things and then finding it.
If you will use any of the above three tips to improve concentration rigorously then you will certainly be able to achieve your goals successfully.