Why You Should Be Taking Online Security More Seriously

Why You Should Be Taking Online Security More Seriously

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Cyber terrorism and online crime is becoming moreprominent in today’s society.  It’s actually one of the key areas of modern day policing and within the IT sector, security is the fastest growing and most in demand genre of skills employers and business clients are looking for.

We often only tend to hear about major scandals such as when Uber and the NHS were held at ransom last year, though there are smaller crimes committed on the web every minute, many of which are incredibly difficult to trace and cost both businesses and individuals a small fortune.

In the physical world, things are more tangible, for instance, if you had a traditional retail business you could employ a burly security guard to act as a deterrent to thieves.  You could also look for conex containers for sale and store items in a secure steel storage container, whereas on the web, things are so intangible that it feels like we can’t protect things in the same way we can in the offline world.

A shop might set-up a few physical CCTV cameras and protect their stock using electromagnetic security tags or new RFID tags, and in this context, security is a very tangible thing that would-be thieves take a huge risk with, on the basis they have to present themselves and risk being caught in the act.

Today, however, cybercriminals are operating from the comfort of their own home and might not even be in the same country, meaning there’s much lower risk and much higher convenience with online theft than offline theft.

Further to this, thieves can bounce their IP around so many different locations that it would be hard to ever find their true location.

Essentially, cybercrime is growing at an exponential rate so we’re going to look at five principles to keep your business safe.

  1. HAVE SURVEILLANCE IN PLACE

Antivirus software protects your computer and website in a similar way to how security cameras and security guards can act as a deterrent and filter to catch thieves within a physical retail environment.

  1.  DON’T LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN

It’s unlikely that you would leave the door open to your premises or home so that anyone could just come in.  Instead, you lock the door with a unique key. The most important aspect to consider on this front is to make sure you have adequate protection against hackers trying to violate your website, and to use solid passwords.

Indeed, in the online world, your lock and key are your password – so ensure you choose an advanced password that is secure.

  1.  USE A SECURE PAYMENT PROVIDER

You will want to use a reputable payment system such as PayPal or Stripe to process payments in a secure way.  Payment processing is understandably a key target for hackers, so it’s important you ensure your website is using the latest and most advanced payment processors available in order to build trust and credibility but also to reduce your liability should disaster strike.

You Might Not Hate Sports As Much As You Think!

You Might Not Hate Sports As Much As You Think!

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Sports is one of those things that very few people would ever say that they were entirely neutral on. Often you either love them, or you can’t stand them. For those who love them, there is nothing more exhilarating than the rush that comes with playing or watching their favourite sport. However, for people who hate sports, the whole thing just seems bizarre. They wonder why you would want to get together to watch other people kick a ball around, and they can’t understand the fun of running around getting hot and sweaty. Of course, you’re entitled to like and dislike just about anything, but it’s strange that so many people treat sports as this huge monolith when in reality that term encompasses so many different things that almost everyone can find something to enjoy about it. With that in mind, if you’re the kind of person who reflexively recoils at the very idea of sports in any form, here are some reasons why you might actually be able to get more out of it than you think.

Staying active

Being active is one of the most important things in life. If you spend every single day slouching around on the couch, then you’re just going to end up feeling tired and miserable. However, one of the major issues that a lot of people have when it comes to staying fit and healthy is finding the motivation actually to do it. Having a sport that you play is one of the very best ways to find that motivation. You have a reason to get up and do something active and will be able to stay much more mentally engaged than if you were just in the gym spending twenty minutes running in place on a treadmill or lifting weights. There are plenty of sports that are fantastic ways to keep you active, from soccer to basketball, even to things like golf. If you’re looking for a way to motivate yourself to get out and start doing more exercise, then finding a sport that you enjoy is one of the very best ways to do just that.

Being a part of a team

One of the most important and least considered skills that everyone should have is the ability to work within a team. A lot of modern cultures is aggressively individualistic and is based around exclusively trying to get what you want, even if that’s at the expense of other people. However, one thing that sports can teach you is the importance of being a part of a team. If you’re not able to communicate effectively, prioritize what’s best for everyone, and compromise for the sake of the people around you, then you’re never going to be able to succeed. Not just in sports, but in real life as well. This is the kind of skill that employers look for, as well as having an impact on your personal life. Your ability to sustain friendships and romantic relationships often comes down to how well you can function as part of a unit and your ability to think about people other than yourself. These are incredibly important life skills, and you can learn all of them by playing a sport as part of a team on a regular basis.

Finding a passion

Getting involved with some kind of sport is a fantastic way to give your life that sense of passion and focus that it might previously have lacked. Even if your relationships with sports starts with kicking a ball around with some friends or hitting the green every couple of weeks, over time, you could end up being a part of a regular team that competes in official matches, or spending hours online looking for the best golf wedges 2017. Human beings are designed to become passionate, borderline obsessed, with things. It’s one of the reasons why so many people become so skilled at things. Finding something that you can really embrace is a fantastic way to feel as though you’ve given your life that extra little bit of meaning. Even if you’re not that interested in playing sports, you can always get in involved as an umpire or referee. Having something like a sports scheduler can help with that pretty significantly. The truth is that getting involved in something like sports can always help you find a passion that you might never have considered before.

Hopefully, this list will, at the very least, help you understand exactly why so many people feel so passionate about something you personally don’t’ enjoy. Not only that but it may even give you a better idea of why you love the things that you love so much. So the next time someone asks if you like sports, rather than turning up your knows, you can acknowledge their passion and at least try to find some common ground, instead of dismissing their favorite pastime altogether. At the very least, it might save you from getting in a shouting match with your friend the next time you’re having a drink together.

Why Respectful Ways SEL programs are better

  • We design a custom Social-Emotional Learning program tailored directly to your needs. (We create and bundle different courses to address your school or program’s specific behavioral issues.)
  • We host digital, interactive courses that create a unique experience for every classroom using project-based learning with online modules orchestrating the SEL curriculum.
  • We are a comprehensive curriculum and signage program that both establishes a positive school climate and reinforces the message with Respectful reminder signs.
  • Fulfills hundreds of state and College and Career Readiness Common Core Standards.
  • We are a perfect asset to your cross-curricular plans and instructional needs. We’ve designed our modules to hit standards from science, to social studies, ELA to math. With our on-boarding support, all educators can teach Respectful Ways.
  • Courses are designed to give you the flexibility to teach when you want and how you want — on your schedule.
  • Easy-to-follow lesson plans and turn-key activities. We’ve done the class prep for you!
  • Full on-boarding support and continued training for all faculty.
  • Age-appropriate courses for three grade levels — including high school!
  • Better student engagement. Our fun activities and lessons use pop culture trends. We speak their language!
  • All our 6th through 12th grade modules offer original Rap songs to highlight the respectful messaging! Students read along and sing to the beat of the rap.
  • If your school adopted PBIS, your challenge is finding good SEL curriculum. We are your solution to PBIS curriculum mandates! Our lesson plans integrate with your PBIS matrix.
  • We hear you! Educator surveys are studied and used to make curriculum improvements. If appropriate, your suggestions are updated and digitally uploaded immediately. We also offer Pre- and Post-surveys for the children to fill out so you can monitor the effectiveness before and after each module is taught.
  • Online support community including a student forum, parent and educator discussion groups, educational webinars and Respectful Session Workshopsfor enhanced SEL training.
  • Parent involvement with every module, including “Respectful Ways Home Connects” that detail the lessons and SEL language students learn each week. All our “Home Connects” materials are offered in Spanish as well!

Program overview

We help you teach Emotional Intelligence.

Respectful Ways provides character education through a combination of preproduced online lessons and classroom aids and activities for three age groups: PreK-2nd grade, 3rd-5th grade and 6th-12th grade. There are 18 modules for each age group, for a total of 54 unique courses, comprising a full year of curriculum.

Through a variety of guided activities, students learn the core competencies of Social Emotional Learning: CompassionPerseveranceRespect and Responsibility. We call this CPRR — helping you pump the heart into your students.

Each module comes with detailed, easy-to-follow lesson plans, research-based activities and classroom aids that make teaching a breeze.

We also provide Respectful Signage for your classroom and common areas to supplement the message and reinforce a positive school climate.  Other reinforcement tools include banners, pins and posters for the school, and special awards and rewards for the students.

Our character development program is perfect for schools, camps, after-school programs and community youth groups.

If your school has adopted PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports), Respectful Ways works hand-in-hand with your PBIS behavioral matrix.

Ready to see a Demo?

About the courses

There are 5 interactive activities per module, each designed to be taught in 30-minute sessions over a two-week period.

Since every child learns differently, our activities are varied to ensure that each individual student feels involved and engaged. The project-based learning includes discussion, crafts, games, group activities, performances, writing, personal reflection and more.

The first activity in every course is the “Lets Chat Conversation Cards” which breaks the ice and allows kids to explore their feelings on the day’s topic. Next up is the “Time to Rhyme” activity, where students recite, analyze and expound upon original poetry. The following 3 activities are research-based and unique to each course. Each reinforces the message in varied, creative ways to ensure that every student is engaged.

Each course is guided by the character Riley Ways, the students’ ambassador who learns and grows with the students.

Check out an online course.

 

 

Contact us for a free consultation.

Let’s discuss your students’ needs to see if Respectful Ways is right for your school or youth group. Call Pam McNall at 678.464.0962.

 

Already have a Character Education program?

Respectfully, ours is better: We offer complete lesson plans for all ages, in a modern, online format that kids can relate to. Our turnkey lesson plans are more convenient and easier to teach. Plus, our online platform allows us to be more agile — we update content regularly, and even customize it to your school!

But if you already have a program in place, Respectful Ways courses can augment your existing SEL solution. You can access individual modules a la carte to directly address your school’s specific behavioral issues. You can assemble your own curriculum, or simply purchase classroom signs and awards!

We encourage you to adopt our risk-free trial program so you can experience the advantages firsthand.

 


Compete Lesson Plans by Age Group

We’ve done the work for you. Our research suggests a lesson plan comprised of specific modules for these three specific age groups. There are 18 modules for each level, to be taught every two weeks over the 36-week school year. If you want additional ideas, see the full list of available modules.

 


Choose Your Own Curriculum

We offer 54 different subjects for character education. Explore the available modules under each of the Four Pillars. Each module was initially designed for the appropriate age group, but all modules can be adapted to other age groups, or customized to your school’s needs.

Our research recommends rotating between the Four Pillars (Compassion, Perseverance, Respect, Responsibility) and that a new module be taught to students every two weeks.

For the 36-week school year, choose 18 Guides — 4 or 5 module lessons from each of the categories to build a well-rounded curriculum.

 


 

Here’s what you get.

Below is our Full Service Respectful Ways Program, but your program can be customized to fit your individual schools needs.

STUDENTS
  • 270 Research-Based, Diverse Activities to Fully Explore the Lessons
  • Original Poems, Lyrics, Songs and “Promise” Pledges
  • Physical Respectful Signs for the Classrooms and Common Areas
  • 3 Grade Tiers: Pre-K to 2nd, 3rd to 5th and 6th Grade +
  • 4 Expertly Crafted Umbrella Curriculum Modules
  • 54 Total Exploratory Guides
  • 162 Exploratory “Let’s Chat!” Questions to Spur Deeper Guide Understanding
SCHOOL WIDE
  • Customized After School Program
  • Customized Banners and Respectful Signage to establish a Positive School Culture
  • Parent Involvement with Every Module, Including “Respectful Ways Parent Page” PDFs Detailing the Lessons and SEL Language Students Learned
  • Parent Discussion Groups
  • School Rallies with Custom Banner
  • Customized Program Planning with CEO
  • School Counselor Support
  • Fundraising Opportunities With An Emphasis On Community Engagement
TEACHERS
  • An Online Portal hosting all your modules with Added Comprehensive Teaching Tools
  • Full On-Board Training by Trained RW Staff
  • Online Teacher Community and Educator Discussion Forum
  • Educational Webinars and Respectful Session Workshops
  • Integrative App Support
  • Access to CEO for Onsite Teacher Training and Support
  • Companion Teacher Guide Supplements
  • Live and Recorded Webinars with Award Winning Educators, Best-Selling Authors and Child Psychologists
4 Things You Need To Do To Turn Your Blog Into A Money Making Enterprise

4 Things You Need To Do To Turn Your Blog Into A Money Making Enterprise

Blogging is a great way of writing about something that you’re passionate about and also connecting yourself with likeminded people. For some, it’s simply a hobby that they do as and when they feel like it and for others, it’s a means of making money. Many people don’t realize how much money there is to be made in blogging and some don’t even realize that you can make money at all from it. Are you interested in monetizing your blog so that eventually you can consider becoming a full-time blogger? Take a look at these 4 things you need to do to turn your blog into a money-making enterprise.

https://pixabay.com/en/wordpress-blogging-blogger-editor-265132/

Reach out to companies

One of the things that you’ll be doing when you’re making money through your blog is working with companies. Businesses that are trying to promote their products seek out bloggers to review their products and post it on their blog. When you’re just starting out, it’s likely that you will only get a keep and review opportunity. However, as your DA rises, you will find that companies are more than willing to pay for reviews from a sought-after blogger. The sooner you begin reaching out to companies, the sooner they will be willing to pay you.

Define your look

The one thing that you will need to do as soon as possible is to define yourself as a blogger. While you’ve already got your blog set up, do you have a particular phrase or word that you use regularly? You will also need to create a logo for your blog and for any social media posts that you comment on too. Use a logo creator online to experiment with different looks for your blog. Once you’ve created one that you like, stick with it so that your logo becomes recognized by your fans and companies alike.

Concentrate on SEO

SEO (search engine optimisation) is one of the most important things that you need to concentrate on with your blog. It basically helps you gain more traffic and exposure. This happens because of search engines picking out keywords within your posts. Think about when you want to find something out, you head to a search engine right? Try and use keywords that are relevant to what you’re writing about so that you’ve got a greater chance of appearing higher in search engine results.

Grow your social media following

Finally, your social media accounts will be where you’re sharing your blog and the posts you’ve written, so it’s important to grow your social media following further than just your friends and family on Facebook. Use apps like Crowdfire, Tailwind and Buffer to help you reach further with your content. The use of hashtags whenever appropriate is also a fantastic way of gaining followers and sparking interest.

Use these four pieces of advice when it comes to your blog and you will be well on your way to making a decent wage from your blog alone! Check out how you can quit your job and become a full time blogger and apply those techniques to your blog so that you can take your blog even further. Good luck with your money making enterprise.

Five Fun Things You Can Learn Online in Weeks

Five Fun Things You Can Learn Online in Weeks

If you would like to increase your chances of career progress and financial freedom, or simply want to live a healthier and more balanced life, you don’t necessarily need to go back to college. Thanks to the improvement made in information technology, you will never have to leave your house, and still learn new tricks, even if you are an old dog. Find a list of a couple of fun courses you should take now.

Image via Grand Forks Air Force Base

Persuasive Speaking

Communication is essential for every job. No matter if you work in retail or are a stock broker, you will need to be able to persuade your potential clients, buyers, and colleagues. There are several great persuasive speaking classes available online, even free ones. You can learn to be a better communicator in just a course of a few weeks, and improve your career as well as your professional relationships.

Investments

If you are looking to achieve financial freedom, you sometimes need to take matters into your own hands. If you have no idea what is futures trading and would like to find out whether or not you have what it takes to make it in the world of investment, you can get some taster sessions that will introduce you to the main concepts and methods in less than a couple of months. It is always a good idea to seek ways to manage your finances better.

Yoga

If you are busy building your business or your career, it is important that you find an effective way to take a break, relax, and practice mindfulness. There are thousands of online yoga courses found on DailyOM that will not only teach you the basic yoga moves, but also help you get over some of the frustrations in your life, such as relationship troubles and unhealthy habits.  

Creative Writing

If you have always thought about yourself as someone who has loads to say and teach other people, you can make your childhood dreams come true and learn creative writing. While you are not likely to earn a great deal of money off creative writing, you can express yourself and release stress through creating entertaining and educational stories and poems that will help others deal with their own problems.

WordPress Programming

Image via Jisc

No matter if you are a blogger, or simply want to edit your company website on the go, you can learn WordPress programming in just a few weeks. While you might want to outsource some of the tasks, you can save time and money if you know how to install an SEO plugin or change the template of your site. You can also learn some basic programming language skills that will make it easier to create your own codes for your site.

It is never too late to learn, and with the development of online training, it is easier to develop your skills and knowledge than ever before. Look for skills that you can benefit from for a long time, and set yourself a learning target for each month.

 

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