Google Knol

It's been almost a week since Knol was officially launched by Google in answer to wikipedia. Or call it, a Knol is a new Squidoo. Google knol encourages people to contribute knowledge. Like Problogger refers, is this a wikipedia killer or blog killer?, it remains to be seen how Google uplifts the project in time to come. At knol, people can just write about their expertise and as Google Engineer Udi Manber, the soul behind Googlepedia Knol says:

Writes Google's Udi Manber:"The goal is for knols to cover all topics, from scientific concepts, to medical information, from geographical and historical, to entertainment, from product information, to how-to-fix-it instructions. Google will not serve as an editor in any way, and will not bless any content. All editorial responsibilities and control will rest with the authors. We hope that knols will include the opinions and points of view of the authors who will put their reputation on the line. Anyone will be free to write. For many topics, there will likely be competing knols on the same subject. Competition of ideas is a good thing. Knols will include strong community tools. People will be able to submit comments, questions, edits, additional content, and so on. Anyone will be able to rate a knol or write a review of it. Knols will also include references and links to additional information."

Well, Knol is still just open to U.S. people and worldwide everyone is trying to make pages as they've not been specific on Knol. The name verification is only for people from United states and the credit card information is also with just the US info.

I tried to make a Knol here and spent time, writing and posting with errors when finally I found my mistakes as well as Knol's confusing and erroneous website layout that misguide a user. When my post was not visible, I sorted for a help file and realized that it called for verification and Knol is meant currently only for US users!

Anyways, this info will keep you updated. You can keep an eye on the upcoming wiki-cum-squidoo - a Googlepedia 'Knol' and take you to knowledge base platform to get yourself and your children more tech savvy as Knol will be carrying Knols from many wise experts. You can find more in Google Search on Knols here. An example is on Dyslexia by Sally. Another is, Understanding your kid's Text messages by Sara. A text lingo and chat lingo that parents aren't familiar.

- ilaxi patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids

Facebook Scrabble

Apps are so tempting and we apt to make our choice with instincts. Especially, if you are at Facebook or my space, you have a host to select and it sure reflects your characteristics as per your choice.

Well, there goes my favorite time passer game at Facebook and I picked on the Scrabble as well as Scrabulous applications to add to my pages. Though these games are well designed and quite attractive, I admit that I won't be wasting my precious moments online to play with a friend. Simply because when I can play Scrabble in real time, it's undecided on which version of Scrabble or Scrabulous is superior online and they won't be any fun unless my virtual Facebook friends are playing with it too.

The Scrabble - All a game of fun and learn. I remember the word trivia games we played at the Talkcity chatrooms and still the game is great going all the time pick. Scrabble was introduced in 1948. These days it is produced in 27 languages, according to Mattel Inc., which owns the non-American rights to the game. Scrabble ranks # on Top 10 games in Kidsfreesouls List of games. Rest follows Monopoly, cake mania and all leading to X Box games like the Halo 3 - The Master Chief who makes it Big.

Teaching Board games to kids is just challenging and fun learning. The spelling rules as well as building a vocabulary is all in process as kids engage to a word building play activity. With Hangman and other spelling activities, encouraging a child is quick and easier while sparing a few moments for play. With a scrabble, an age appropriate spell fun works best as you begin to play with the letters, keeping in mind, the vowels and consonants which are verbally formed. Kids can have a Family Game Night, ready with the word list so as to be easy with the game. When I play the game of scrabble or rather allow the class kids to engage into a Scrabble game activity, the first thing I noticed is the enthusiasm as they can make their own words. Of course, we do have cheaters who spell wrong and yet, make it appear correct. This is when we find children disappointed and embarrassed when we can emphasize on what it is to learn or what means 'winning'.

Well, for the online free plays, here's Scrabble and AOL games for the game lovers. And here's on Honing Sports Spirit - an article in my book - Grab a copy NOW for the read.

-ilaxi patel
Editor, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/

Newspaper for kids

Tom & Jerry - Should we limit TV viewing time for kids?

Tom and Jerry has ever been my favorite Cartoon and I am sure many children love to watch this show. Cartoon Network has been telecasting amazing shows and I just glue to watch Tom & Jerry as I roll over my remote. Here's the Game you will like to play - Be a Tom or a Jerry - Both make a perfect Team! And here's the Cartoon Network India site and you can log in to start Blogging on your favorite characters of Just Toons.

Well, The gadget that children use earliest is the television. They start flipping channels at an average of 3.8 years old. Than, Personal computers and video games are next, at 5.5 and 6.1 years old and finally, Portable media players and cell phones come before age 10.

Parents are always concerned as Kids keep glued to their cartoon network channels and often complain of their disobedience. In countless homes and classrooms, we see children with more impulsive behaviors, less willing and able to persevere through challenging mental tasks, hyperactive, reactive, with little or no impulse control. Research confirms that children who watch TV or play video games for more than two hours daily will most likely exhibit one or more of these characteristics. What can we do? Limit viewing hours? Temptation to fill leisure hours with TV viewing be avoided? Don't occupy child's mind with lot of education stuff that leads to boredom? Think! There must be sure fire way to lessen the TV viewing hours! E-mail me your views!

Meanwhile, here's Kids News column and the good news for parents is that two major TV channels will encourage children for Outdoor Playing and 'Talk Aloud' about their favorite characters. Now, this is a nice initiative, isn't it? Enjoy!

- ilaxi patel
Editor, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/
Newspaper for kids

Cartoon of the Month & NIE Tips

Cartoon of the Month is just updated with a new add on How to make Cartoons in classrooms. Teachers can use the download sheets for use in classrooms and guide students to add their Cartoons to the Cartoon templates. Enjoy.


Well, Swami Vivekanand said, "As you have come into this world, leave some marks behind. Otherwise, there is no difference between you and the stones and the trees" It is said that a human need to engage in self conscious activity. Teach self, train the self. Call upon a sleeping soul and see how it awakens. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come and everything that is excellent will come. When excellence comes, this is the time to carefully climb the ladders of success as one has to leave footsteps on the sands of life.

Kidsfreesouls follow the path of righteousness and here we move ahead inspiring children and teachers to use Kidsfreesouls content in a creative manner. You may follow the Kidsfreesouls simple NIE tips here and the Projects can help children to fair better in classrooms.

- ilaxi patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids

My Book Guardian of Angels@Amazon

Here's a link to my Amazon Profile and Reviews page. You can read a chapter on my Book Page and even find my Author Blog.



Well, this reminds me of a review I earlier written on : Peaceful Parents, Peaceful Kids: Practical ways to create calm and happy homes by Naomi Drew MA. She has served as a Parenting Expert and her work has been featured in Newspaper and Magazine like the New York Times, NBC, Time Magazine, Parents Magazine and Child Magazine. A dynamic speaker and an Educationist, she has served as a Consultant to various schools too.

Review of Peaceful Parents, Peaceful Kids by Ilaxi Patel :

Peaceful Parents, Peaceful Kids is one of the "number of points" self-help books that are so popular these days. The opening message that peace in the family begins with peace in the parent clearly moves us in the right direction. Author Naomi Drew has already had a hit along the lines with Learning the Skills of Peacemaking, also aiming Public schools. We can't just place the blame on television, school, other kids, or lack of time, not if we want to actually address the problem. Drew's some of her imagined resolutions are a little too elaborate, she uses concrete, realistic examples. It's important to aim high when you're planning a successful family. Even if you only manage half the book's aims, you'll be much better off. The author breaks the big job of bringing peace to the family down to seventeen points. Parental actions should be guided by love, compassion, fairness, respect, and integrity and nurture these attributes in children. Indeed! Peace is at every doorstep!

Btw, you can find my Amazon reviews and this is a mix of Books, music (kids, parenting, management, war, etc)

Well, You can read the Readers Reviews of GUARDIAN OF ANGELS: A practical guide to Joyful Parenting on my Book Page here at Kidsfreesouls. The pages are not yet designed to perfection, however, you can expect a better presentation in time to come. Enjoy!

-ilaxi patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids

Can you buy Intelligence for your Children?

Can you buy Intelligence for your Children? 50% of parents in Hong Kong believe they can. "IQ Enhancement" is relatively more important when choosing food, books, education materials and education institutes for their kids. Check out the AC Nielsen report (April 2005) In this survey conducted for adults with primary school children, it revealed that IQ enhancement label for these products were: Foodstuff (58%) and toys (52%) carrying an IQ enhancement label were the most popular. But in terms of importance of these products to their children, more than 42% of parents believe educational institutes offering IQ enhancement programmes are important, followed by 45% Extra-curricular activities.

Parents may not be spending more on themselves but for children, they make their choice but more, they even try to provide what kids want. Early childhood is influential time and child's physical and mental health is crucial to happy childhood, says Helen Lok, the Executive Director of AC Nielsen Customized Research, Hongkong.

Kids' "Health" is perceived by parents to be more important than IQ, followed by "stable emotion" and "hard working in study".

Kids Survey :
Health
67%
Stable emotion
19%
Hard working in study
15%
Politeness
10%
Character
10%
Happiness
8%
Relationship with others
4%

The performance of new brands now solely depend on the consumer choice and here's parents and children opting for a choice which can give a clear idea to advertisers to plan their strategies as far as kids related products are concerned. As such, foodstuff, toys, books and Educational Institutes are a major choice followed in parallel to health and making children emotionally stable. The figures for 2008 are not known. However, looking to the trends, the concerns are more the same and we can clearly see - Parent Stress, Kid Stress - a concern with the economic downturns. Every parent need to make a choice but at the same time, it's the need of the hour to make children involve in making a choice - quite practically!

- ilaxi patel
Editor, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/
Newspaper for Kids

World Population Day: Plan for better lives

World Population Day, 11th July 2008 - The theme this year goes "Right to Plan your Families." In 1968, world leaders proclaimed that individuals have a basic human right to determine freely and responsibly the number and timing of their children. If people have right to plan their families, they can plan their lives! Plan to beat poverty, plan a right for equality and mothers and children can live a healthier life. Nationals can progress while providing better food, better education, better living standards. The importance of World Population Day this year is to advance women's empowerment and particularly to ensure universal access to reproductive health.

A survey earlier appeared in a leading newspaper speaks that around 2050, it will be Grey India. By 2051, only 19% of the country's population would be up to the age of 14 years. In 2000, this group constituted almost 38% of the population. The median age to rise by 17 years from 21 years now to 38 years in 2051. Couples are opting for one child, or at the most two - and with advancement in health services, will experience an increased life expectancy. According to the Population Foundation of India, a voluntary organization working in association with the Union government, about 15% of the population will be over the age of 65 by 2051. By then, India will have an evened out sex ratio, which was 108 males per 100 females in 1991. The total fertility rate - number of children per woman) in India would is expected to come down to 2.52 between 2011 and 2016, and is expected to reach 2.1 in 2026. You can find more on World Population Awareness here. It's now the Time to Observe World Population Day and think of the grave dangers of Eco-system.

Btw, a research on 750 women in Britain revealed 56% in the group with the highest energy intake had son compared with 45% in the lowest group. As well as consuming more calories, women who had son were morely likely to have eaten a higher quantity and wider range of nutrients, including potassium, calcium and vitamins C, E, B12. Also, a strong correlation between women eating breakfast cereals and producing son was found. In, Britain, US and Canada, there has been a strong decline of boys being born in industrialized countries over the last 40 years. Interesting! You can find more on Health Blog - coming soon on more topics of concerns.

ilaxi patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids with resources for parents and teachers

Create a 'Genius in your Child' with Toys

Create a 'Genius in your Child' with Toys. Parents often cannot spend quality time with children as they are busy with their work lifestyles. The use of tech has made it more complicated situations when children are deprived of vital stimulation. The high tech living and lifestyles make parents more busier as ever and as such, smart use of tech gadgets has hooked children to be savvy kids.

Some time ago, a child got a Kid Laptop (GeoSafari Laptop below) in the classroom. She showed me how she can be a genius with lessons on wildlife, animals, science, history, maps, language and math. Her uncle who had just come from US had gifted her this lovely piece, she said.

Children just love to do what their parents are doing and are quite inquisitive as they see the new gadgets. They want to use these tech gadgets - use the laptop and computer to connect to the world, use the mobile and pretend talking or actually do. Younger children respond to educational toys that include rattles and musical toys. Toys come in great deal of variety and it's an endless buy and who else can know well than me? I've almost picked up all kinds of Educational toys and fun games and the lovely dinky cars - a host of collection to adorn the shelf in my son's room who is now grown up! Today, the Toy selection is endless picks.

As said by Maria Montessori, "The more the capacity to concentrate is developed, the more often the profound tranquility in work is achieved, then the clearer will be the manifestation of discipline within the child." And so very true, I think, school age kids can benefit from Educationals Toys if the selection is a right choice pick. The first essential for the child's development is concentration as the child who concentrates is immensely happy. Education is a natural process which develops spontaneously.

Btw, Check in for Games for Kids widget on Kidsfreesouls and here's Google Search where you can find Educational Toys links. Enjoy.

ilaxi patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids with resources for parents and teachers

Chocolicious 'Hi'

Click a chocolicious 'hi' to your friend or a sweet wish to your Teachers/parents/grandparents and make them feel extra special! Chocolate is one of the life's great pleasures and was first brought to the western world some 400 years ago, when Spanish explorers came across it in South America. At first it was used only as a drink, but in the 19th century, the familiar chocolate bar was invented in Switzerland and quickly became the world's most popular confection. The tree that yields chocolate is aptly named Theobroma, which means food of the gods. The tree has been cultivated for so many centuries that there are probably no wild trees left. It is from the pale purple-pink beans within the pulp of the hanging fruit that chocolate is made.

7th July is Chocolate day but how it started celebrating, I am not sure. Well, here's a Candy Addict Blog and I am sure, you will have fun exploring the site and celebrate Chocolate day. It sure is an Excuse to eat Chocolates! You can find my Chocolate Recipe page here on Kidsfreesouls and even wish Chocolate day to someone you love dearly and send cart load of chocolates. Enjoy.

- ilaxi patel
Editor, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/
Newspaper for kids with resources for parents and teachers

Ice Road Trucker worksheet for kids

Do you watch History Channel? Well, I do. Recently, they have aired 'Road to Season 2' on 1st June 2008 with the amazing highlights on Ice Road Truckers on Season 1 and a preview of show of Season 2. The adrenaline packed series which is shot in high definition with 50+ cameras in the most brutal conditions in zero degrees in Artic, gives a glimpse of the most dangerous occupation in the world.

Ice Road Truckers is a American documentary style Reality show telecasted on Sundays. The Season 1 led to Yellow Knife to the Diamond mines and the Season 2 towards Inuvik, which is at the top of the world where the ice roads run up a river and across Arctic ocean to natural gas drilling sites.

It is amazing to know that 70% people on web searching for Ice Road Truckers are looking for 'How much money does an Ice Road Trucker make?' For every load they haul, they could make up to 2000$ but I did read here that they can make upto $15-30000 in 60 days!
You can find more on this on the History Channel or find Blogs with Kidsfreesouls Search. Anyways, here's the recent Kidsfreesouls You Tube that gives you a glimpse on the amazing Ice Road Trucker video.

Here's the recently added Comprehension on Ice Road Trucker in Grammar fun section. You can print the sheet and use for classroom activity. Also download the Ice Road Truck wallpaper and create your own wall papers too. The worksheet also has online view on Ice Road Truck video apart from video on Kidsfreesouls You Tube . I will be adding more worksheets in Grammar fun section, so keep visiting and keep the faith.

- ilaxi patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for kids with resources for parents and teachers

July Calendar, Projects for kids

July Calendar, Project Ideas for kids are already posted on Kidsfreesouls.com in case you missed. July is Independence but more, it's a National Ice Cream month in US. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan declared July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice-cream Day(July 20). Most of the people enjoy Ice-cream as fun and nutritious food. The history of ice cream can be traced to the Roman Empire, China, and India.It was introduced to England in the 17th century reached America in the 18th. It was a London caterer named Philip Lenzi who first announced in a New York newspaper that he would be offering for sale various confections, including ice cream. Dolly Madison served it in 1812. However, The first ice cream parlor in America opened in 1776.

You can find more on Google Search here on history of the Ice-cream. If you want to try my Ice-cream recipes, here's my winning Recipes that got me win Ice-cream Making Machine in Times of India Ice-cream Recipe contest earlier.

- ilaxi patel
Editor, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/

Newspaper for Kids with Resources for parents and teachers

Lyrics 'I'm Proud to be an American

If you've missed the 4th July on Kidsfreesouls, here's the Happy Birthday USA and the song on Kidsfreesouls You Tube. Here's the lyrics you can sign along with:

I'm Proud to be an American (Lee Greenwood)video on Kidsfreesouls You Tube

If tomorrow all the things were gone I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars to be living here today,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom And they can't take that away.

I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A. From the lakes of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas from sea to shining sea.

From Detroit down to Houston and New York to L.A.,
There's pride in every American heart And it's time we stand and say: I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land God Bless the U.S.A.

Btw, Is US Independence Day celebrated on the Wrong Day? Read More on NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC! And, here's the History and what the Flag means, Presidents of US and the US National Anthem.

- ilaxi patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with Resources for Parents and Teachers