301 Top Tips for Design Engineers

This book is aimed at new mechanical design engineers – to improve your employability and to help you ‘hit the ground running’.

It also contains useful information and checklists for more experienced designers.

It’s a quick read, listing real-world, non-academic, practical experiences which you won’t find in an engineer’s technical reference book.

It includes design and drafting guides, good advice for everyday design and general office life, advice on job interviews, how to handle meetings, insights into other departments, looking after yourself in a work environment and more.

A Broad View of Educational Perspectives

A Broad View of Educational Perspectives is for teachers and school leaders working in English as a Second Language. It is a comprehensive textbook written by Nicola Walsh, an experienced educator from Yorkshire, England. With a hands-on approach to education and a focus on what truly makes a difference in the lives of children and their families, this book is designed for teachers and school leaders working in English as a Second Language. It covers a wide range of topics, from language acquisition to classroom management, and assessment strategies to cultural considerations. The book is organized in chapters that are easy to read and understand, making it an ideal resource for educators at all levels. It offers a great way to explore and gain an understanding of the latest thinking in the field of English as a Second Language education, by choosing a topic and diving in. It is written in a simple and engaging style, with practical examples and case studies, making it an essential guide for any teacher or school leader working in this field. 

An Idiot's Love of Idioms

Ever wondered where the sayings we commonly use originate from?

Sometimes the things we say, if we really think about it, make absolutely no logical sense.

Why on earth has a cat got my tongue? Why does a wall have ears? And why the heck are my ears burning? Why would I possibly want to break a leg?

If you think you know the answers, you might be close but have no cigar and if you don’t want to wake up on the wrong side of the bed or even worse, wait until you kick the bucket then you may want to step up to the plate and read on.

Now I certainly don’t want to read the Riot Act on you and I think by hook or by crook if you read this book you’ll be happy as Larry and as pleased as Punch.

I don’t want to be a clever clogs but by and large I think you’ll have a field day with what you’ll discover, if you catch my drift?

Basic Italian for English Speakers

The aim of the book is to teach basic Italian in fifteen lessons. Readers will learn the language by building sentences and phrases as they proceed through the lessons. Italian grammar is quite complicated so grammar rules have been simplified where possible and are used in exercises, comprehension and even games so that the reader can practice immediately and in a fun way.

Explanations begin in English, but as the book progresses, the English language is gradually phased out and Italian is used primarily to explain and elaborate.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive Italian grammar book. Its objective is to present basic Italian in an easily understandable way for English-speaking people who may want to holiday, spend longer periods, or even decide to set up home in this truly beautiful country.

Child Centered Education

Children are the harbingers of the propositions advanced in Child Centered Education with a primordial-connection to the world, with an urge to belong, explore and experiment. Primed to learn, from their first moments, the ensuing adventures could be what will set your child on the road to discovery, happiness and personal well-being. Whether grappling with the mysteries of Language or Mathematics; transfixed at the awesomeness of life; singing to his heart’s content; or immersed in nature, every opportunity must be wholeheartedly embraced. Copper-fastened by a discipline, redolent of expectation, challenge and surprise, teaching, is as variegated, as the imagination is creative. Acquiring those fundamental skills of engagement, in the process, may be what will ultimately enable them to navigate their way between the cognitively demanding, the spiritually uplifting and the social, seamlessly and effortlessly.

How to Lead a School

Targeted primarily at those running a school, or contemplating doing so, this book talks frankly about the pleasures and pitfalls of the job, common to all schools across the world. Each chapter considers in detail the different constituencies a Principal or Head will encounter.

The book endorses good practice, highlights some tricks of the trade, asks questions to provoke thinking, and includes imaginary case studies.

Covid-19 may have disrupted conventional ways of education but has not significantly re-defined school leadership. Rather, it has put even greater pressure on school leaders to meet the demands of their existing constituencies. So this is a handy ‘go-to’ guide, written from experience of over 20 years in senior leadership, as a school inspector and as a member of several school boards.

It’s not another manual on leadership theory because it concentrates on immediate practical responses to the landscape a school leader will face, including a final chapter on personal well-being and how to survive the unexpected.

It's All An Act

From trainee teachers to veteran, battle-hardened staff, the recurring nightmare is of a class of teenagers who simply will not do as they are told. The stomach-clenching, hand-trembling, knee-jittering question we ask ourselves at the start of each new year is, ‘What if the pupils walk all over me?’ No matter how confident we are in our own abilities, regardless of our position in the school, irrespective of the reputation we have built for ourselves, if we do not ask ourselves that question, then sooner or later we are in for a nasty shock. When it comes to classroom management, we are all in the same boat. We all experience classroom management challenges.

It’s All An Act offers a range of practical, no-nonsense, pragmatic strategies and techniques to try out, practise, adapt or abandon. It works on the premise that, to a great extent, classroom management is something we can do with pupils rather than to them. In response to the cry of, ‘What’s the point? That would never work!’ the reply is, ‘Give it a go. What have you got to lose?’ For colleagues under the cosh of lesson preparation, marking, administration, meetings and deadlines, it’s an easy read. What have you got to lose?

Leak Testing Made Easy

Leak testing has become a major aspect of many processes in a wide range of industries, from castings to crisp packets. But it seems it is often shrouded in “secret formulas” and specialist knowledge, known only to the leak test manufacturers.

Have you ever asked:

· What is my leak specification?

· Can I set up my air pressure tester myself?

· How do I check/calibrate my leak test machine?

· Would a helium test be better?

· Why is my leak test failing good parts?

· What are the problems I need to be aware of?

· Who can I ask for honest help and advice?

Many of you will already know the wealth of knowledge the author brings to this subject, and how he makes even the complicated easy to understand. Now retired from industry, Barry wanted to share his knowledge with anyone who wants to be an expert in this field or simply has an interest and wants to know more.

With this easy-to-follow guide, you can call on all of Barry’s vast experience in all aspects of leak testing, including air under water, pressure decay, flow measurement, helium leak testing, gas sniffers and many more.

The book guides you through all you need to know, from the basic mathematics, through developing your leak specifications, selection and setting up your leak test, right through to fault diagnosis and effective maintenance.

Leak Testing Made Easy does exactly what it says, taking the mystery of the subject, and making it simple and practical to understand, with many pictorial examples, along with lots of practical analogies to common-day things that you already know about.

Packed with look-up tables and charts, this book is a must for any specifiers and users of leaks and leak testing equipment, or simply for those who would like to know more.

Parenting is (Not) Child's Play

Most parents would say that they love their children, passionately. They might also admit that at times they experience frustration, anger and even disappointment because of disobedience and a lack of cooperation from their children.

Parenting is (Not) Child’s Play deals with the ‘Special Play Time’ method, a revolutionary and proven tool that empowers both parents and children. During a 40-minute weekly play session, parents learn, not only clear and practical skills in setting boundaries, they also gain a deeper understanding of the emotions and worries of their children. They discover how to encourage positive behaviour, too and thus increase the self-esteem of their children.

Within a short time, parents notice positive changes in the home. While enjoying mutual fun and play, they regain their parental authority and notice an increase in the emotional and social abilities of their children.

Orit Josefi Wiseman is a non-directive play therapist with an M.A. from the University of York in the United Kingdom. She has a clinic in Israel and has rich and extensive experience with parents and children using this method. She has also established trainings for families and professionals in the field of education in order for them to improve their communication with and empower the psychological robustness of children.

During her work, Orit has met many parents who have learnt parental skills but could not implement them in real time. Her book is written for all those parents. Having a deep faith in the efficacy of the method, Orit wishes to share her knowledge and make it accessible to every household with children.

Practice Makes Improvement

Teaching is an amazing career and if done properly can change lives forever.

Everyone remembers that one teacher who inspired them and made them believe in themselves and their particular talents.

This book examines all the theories and popular approaches to teaching. It breaks down all the theory into actual approaches to be used at the classroom level.

Teacher-pupil interaction is the crucial element to a child developing in all aspects of their life.

All children are born with wings and a good teacher helps them to fly!

The End of Schooling

How much the prosperity of both individuals and nations would burgeon if only more funding could be provided for education is a popular contemporary view. Class sizes made smaller, curricula more expertly designed, teachers more wide-ranging in their interests and competence. This mechanistic outlook is challenged. Education, like pure art, seeks to fathom the world's depths without ever totally reaching its bedrock. Participants need to be ready for surprise. To be left feeling mystified, wondering, overwhelmed. In a Nature never still, each generation has to face environments in novel ways. Education's incomparable brief, then, is to deal with the real demands made on humanity. Definite answers are unavailable. Invitations are to share interminable journeying. To find delight in evanescent experiences. Not to seek arrival at supposedly perfect destinations.

The Future Knowledge Compendium

Thriving in the 21^st Century

Humans have a unique capability to both understand their situation in the world and to envision and act to realise their aspirations in the emerging world. And most of us would welcome knowing how we can become ever more skilful at both understanding, and shaping the future of, our emerging world, so that we can thrive in it. The 21^st century is very different from the 20^th century. Globalisation, the greatest economic prosperity uplifting machine humanity has ever invented, and mass education, are combining to sweep humanity into an emerging interdependent global village. It is creating a global educated middle class that will number 5 billion in 2030.

In this emerging world, a world where our future prosperity will be increasingly based on metaphysical wealth, on what we know, 20^th century nation-first, competitive, win/lose, mindsets and agendas can no longer work. These now yesteryear mindsets will instead undermine our best endeavours, including making our future ever more climate and pandemic safe.

Humanity is now beginning to learn that it now has no option but to adopt planet-first, collaborative, win/win values and mindsets, if it wishes to shape our emerging global village so that it can become liveable for all: ever more prosperous, harmonious, inclusive, sustainable, healthy, and secure. Meeting these challenges successfully will require that humanity innovates for itself a new future knowledge curriculum so that it can economically thrive in a sustainable and humane manner.

Peter Ellyard has asked the question: what would be the contents of such a curriculum? In The Future Knowledge Compendium: A Curriculum for Thriving in the 21^st Century, he has sought to answer this question.