France During World War 2 and What Americans May Not Know

When the war in Iraq began, I was made painfully aware of the lack of knowledge and understanding many Americans had about France's circumstances as it entered the Second World War. My native country was trashed in the press, French wine was thrown down into ditches, and the French were painted as cowards who wouldn't fight. I feel compelled to offer some information that, hopefully, will dispel some of these impressions.

Born in France at the beginning of World War II, I am a product of both wars. My grandfather was commandant of a large French Air Base, and I sat on his laps for hours as he told me great stories about the Great War. I also have a very personal experience of the Second World War and vividly recall bombs falling around me, the terrible years of German occupation, and our deliverance by America. (I was among the hundreds of little children being tossed rations and candy bars from passing U.S. tanks.)

Many Americans are not aware of France's circumstances as it entered the Second World War: The fact is that the First World War left France's infrastructure in shambles; railroads, airports, bridges, naval ports, hospitals, schools and thousands homes and municipal buildings were obliterated. Her army, once considered the best in Europe, was decimated. One million three hundred thousand men died, and France lost the best of its youth.Thousand men returned from prison camps so weak they were never able to work again.

When the armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, America made generous loans to both France and Germany. France used the funds to rebuild the country, and by the time the Second War started, only 20 years after the First World War and in the midst of the Great Depression, France had achieved its goal. The country was almost back to normal. There were no funds left, however, to rebuild the army, and air force, or train new troops.

Germany, on the other hand, suffered little damage to its country's infrastructure in the First World War and used the American funds to rebuild its war arsenal. When World War II began in September 1939, Germany possessed five times the number of planes, tanks, trucks and weapons than did France and its allies, and a large, well trained force. Additionally, other than Poland, none of the Allies who initially joined France in 1914 agreed to join her in 1939. It must also be said that France's government was in constant political turmoil during most of those twenty years. So, France entered the Second World War in a weaken state and without enthusiasm.

I hope this will make you look at France in a different way and with a little more compassion and understanding. My next articles will take you into France's occupation by Germany and the years afterward. Hope to see you then.

Francine Fuqua - author, artist and lover of life. Born in war-torn France at the beginning of World War II, I have experienced and I remember the horrors of that war. Having witnessed the pain and suffering of so many, I have a true love of life and appreciate the freedom I now have living in the United States of America. Join me in a celebration of art, french cooking, my family's rich history and my native country at http://francinefuqua.com/

To learn more about my first novel, "In Pursuit of Abraham" which takes place in 1943 occupied France, the Middle East and in the land of the Patriarchs 4000 years ago, Click Here

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3D Portable Projectors - To Explore The World of Education

Nowadays, the first priority of any educationalist, teacher or lecturer is to look out for Digital Projectors which carry remarkable image clarity and immense portability. Certainly, they look out for technologically advance projectors that can capture pupil's attention using latest technology.

Truly, nothing can capture the attention of pupils like a 3D projector. It is a wondrous resource which can plunge the pupils in the world of interest grabbing 3D curriculum. The best part is that with 3D projectors; pupils tend to remember more and learn more. Perhaps, Portable Projectors help a great deal in remembering lessons full of graphics, images, animations, sound and text for a lifetime.

Some of the advantages of using a 3D projector in a School or College are as follows:-

Offers Incredible Image Quality
3D Projectors offer extra fine image quality. Their remarkably vivid image quality can turn ordinary lessons into 3D lessons in order to bring new wonders in the classroom.

Captures Students attention
Just imagine; the level of ecstasy; students will feel; when such helpful gadget will be installed into their classrooms. With the help of 3D ready portable projectors, even the most complex and difficult to understand lessons can be made easy and interesting to learn.

Promotes Active learning and participation
3D projectors help a lot in eradicating communication gap between pupils and teachers. Moreover, they encourage classroom participation and improve knowledge retention up to a great extend. Students can indulge themselves in real-time interactive problem solving activities and enhance their critical thinking skills.

Bringing lessons to Life
The biggest benefit of using 3D Projectors is that they can add a 'wow' factor into the existing curriculum as well. 3D projectors are unique and yet appealing in their approach. Teachers can use 3D projectors to perform virtual dissections of frog in the science class or explore virtual topography to bring geography lessons to life and make them all the more interesting for the students. Right from the live world of the internet to PowerPoint presentations, from music videos to historical movies, from science lab experiments to mathematics tutorials, everything is possible with 3D projectors.

Compact and Portable Solution
Portability of 3D projectors is the biggest advantage. Schools and institutes which can't afford individual projectors to be installed in each and every classroom can prefer 3D ready portable projectors. Such projectors are easy to carry from one classroom to another classroom and that too single-handedly.

To know more about Portable Projectors and their commendable contribution in making teaching and presentation more effective, kindly visit http://www.interactive-education.co.uk/Projectors.php

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Learning Disabilities Can Offer College Admission Edge (U.S. News & World Report)

Can having a learning disability be an advantage when applying to college?

This probably sounds like a strange question, since most families no doubt assume that a learning disability is a negative when it comes to getting into colleges.

But that assumption is wrong, insists David Montesano, a college admission strategist at College Match Educational Consultants, which has offices on the East and West coasts. The clientele at his college admission practice includes learning disabled students and he has seen how learning challenges can actually benefit students during the application process.

[Read more about applying to college.]

Colleges are looking for diversity, Montesano explains, and having a learning disability represents a form of diversity. Colleges will often look at an applicant's grades and test scores in a new light if presented with evidence of a learning disability. A learning disability may help put lower grades, class rankings, or standardized test scores in context.

Here's an example: A student ranked in the top half of his high school class is up against an applicant pool with a majority of students from the top 25 percent of their classes. Showcasing a learning disability can help bridge this significant gap in grades. A learning disabled student with an average GPA of 3.4 may be competitive against an applicant pool that mostly includes students with a 3.7 GPA.

Many families try to hide learning disabilities from admission offices. Montesano, however, says teens should highlight their disabilities in college applications, which can increase their chances of admission and money.

In college applications, students should give details of their learning disabilities under the "additional information" section. Specify the name of the learning disability and its effects on learning and grades and/or standardized testing.

Also in this section of the application, teenagers should discuss grades and test scores and their impact from this disability. Applicants should share ways that they have compensated for this disability and give examples. In addition, students should also discuss all the accommodations that they received in high school.

Students should also mention how their grades and test scores have risen based on the accommodations they have received as well as their extra efforts to compensate for their disability.

Before applying to colleges, parents should make sure schools can accommodate to their children's disability. To help determine this, parents should contact a learning disability specialist at each college and ask these sorts of questions:

1. Does the school have experience working with students having similar disabilities and if so how many?

2. What are the usual accommodations given these students including software tools or processes that are used.

3. What is the retention rate of LD students?

4. How long does it take LD students to complete their required courses?

5. How involved is the LD resource staff in helping each student?

6. What is the ratio of students with disabilities to LD specialists?

7. What types of support does the institution offer faculty in terms of training in accommodating students with special needs?

8. Is support in the program offered by interns, graduate students, peer tutors or trained professionals?

[Get more tips on how to find the right school.]

During a conversation with the learning specialist, review what kind of expected LD accommodations your child might experience and gauge the staffer's level of enthusiasm and/or helpfulness.

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