<![CDATA[What's Up | padnpod.com]]> Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:19:19 +0000 hourly 1 <![CDATA[Learn & Let Learn - Back2School Raiser!]]> Thu, 27 Sep 2012 13:12:06 +0000 padnpod.com is supporting My School Pulse, a non-for-profit organization whose sole mission is to help sick children in lebanon keep up with school. A worth while initiative that will endure the test of time.

Our event name is Learn & Let Learn Back2School Raiser!... We look forward to students and parents, who are preparing for this new school year 2012/2013, to support children, who cannot make it to school, to keep on learning, while they beat the beast.

Your $1 is worth a thousand smiles!

The organizations that will benefit from your donations are:

1. Oumnia, NGO providing a psychological and medical support to sick children, with a strong presence in the following hospitals:

                        Hôpital Libanais Geitaoui     Hôtel-Dieu de France     Hôpital Rizk

2. Rafik Hariri University Hospital   www.bguh.gov.lb

3. Saint George Hospital University Medical Center  www.stgeorgehospital.org

4. Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon, affiliated to St. Jude www.cccl.org.lb

To donate, please check our page on MySchoolPulseFundraiser.com

All Donations will be processed by MySchoolPulseFundraising.com.

]]> <![CDATA[The Top 3 Educational Systems In The World]]> Sun, 23 Sep 2012 19:08:26 +0000

The Top 3 Educational Systems In The World

When countries across the globe entered into a period of economic recovery during 2010, it became increasingly clear that emerging nations were bouncing back far quicker than their more established Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) counterparts. For example, while the global recession of 2008 and 2009 left more than 15 million American citizens unemployed and home-owners nationwide facing the burden of negative equity, nations such as China, Korea and India found that they were experiencing rapid growth as their respective gross domestic products (GDP) soared.It was generally accepted that this was because these developing nations were less damaged by the original financial crisis, as they were not encumbered with significant debt before the events of 2008. Not only this, but countries such as China and India did not officially enter a period of recession, and instead suffered solely from diminished economic growth. However, nations that experienced a quicker than expected economic recovery also performed outstandingly well in the World Education Rankings released in 2010, which suggests a correlation between prospering economies and financial sectors with strong teaching systems.

Switzerland
Switzerland certainly followed this trend, and recorded a ranking of 14th in these world listings. In terms of mathematics, the country achieved the eighth highest score, and significantly outperformed nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom. The nation's performance is largely the result of a varied and flexible educational system, as both the federal government and a total of 26 regional cantons share responsibility for higher and tertiary learning. Not only this, but the Swiss Financial Institution and Swiss Banking School also provide advanced Ph.D. programs for students, with an emphasis on teaching wealth management and private banking.This educational system is certainly not wasted in Switzerland, as banks and lending institutions play a significant role within the national economy. In 2009, the country's financial sector employed an estimated 195,000 people, which accounted for 5.8% of the entire Swiss workforce. Not only this, but Switzerland is also a world leader when it comes to offshore private banking and wealth management. Given that Swiss based banking organizations UBS and Credit Suisse are both major forces within the global financial market, they are also responsible for job creation on a worldwide scale.

Canada
Canada was another nation to outperform the U.S. in the World Education Rankings of 2010, with an overall placing of 10th and an unusually consistent performance across reading, mathematics and science. In fact, this level of consistency and reliability is also a significant feature of the Canadian economy, and this was most notable during the aftermath of the global recession. While the U.S. economy continued to spiral downwards during the formative months of 2010, the conservatively managed financial services sector within Canada remained stable while offering enormous security to its employees, businesses and citizens.

As a testament to this, the World Economic Forum ranked Canada's banking system as the most reliable for four years running. As prudent lending, in particular, has continued to consolidate a strong financial service sector and create opportunities for growth and overseas investment, 267,000 nationals are employed within the industry, and there has been a 21.5% rise in full time banking employment during the last 10 years.

Finland
Ranking second among OECD registered countries, Finland's students continue to excel as standard bearers for educational excellence. Undoubtedly operating the single most innovative and unique educational system in the world, Finland has turned its back on the centralized and evaluation driven model adopted by the majority of western nations. Although Finland spends an estimated 30% less per student than authorities in the U.S., 66% of all students attend college and enter into higher education. In addition to this, 93% of Finnish students graduate from high school, and this is nearly 18% higher than the overall rate recorded in the U.S.Given this and the fact that a further 43% of Finnish high school students go on to study at vocational schools, there is a huge opportunity for individuals to learn practical financial skills that can be applied to the fiscal sector. There is also ample opportunity for these skills to be utilized, as the financial management sector grew to a total worth of more than 1 billion euros in the decade between 2000 and 2011. As of 2009, Finnish companies within the national financial sector also employed a total of 14,554 staff across more than 5,000 offices, with finance and business services accounting for 14.5% of the country's total workforce.

The Bottom Line
The link between countries with outstanding educational systems and strong financial service sectors is becoming increasingly prominent, and the speed with which nations such as Switzerland, Canada and Finland recovered from the effects of the global recession also showcased extraordinary robustness. In terms of defining why the educational systems employed by these nations have proved so consistently successful, it is interesting to note that each is extremely federated and flexible and far removed from the centralized model favored historically by developed nations.

In relation to how these systems have benefited each nation's financial service sector, the global educational rankings reveal that students in Switzerland, Canada and Finland have showcased an exceptional and consistent understanding of core mathematic principles. This outstanding level of numeracy forms the foundation of any financial sector job or service, and when coupled with evolved higher educational programs and diverse vocational courses it helps to develop a wide portfolio of skills to suit private banking and lending organizations. This is certainly something from which nations like the U.S. and the U.K. can learn from as they seek to establish long-term economic growth and stability.

]]> <![CDATA[Welcome Back To School!]]> Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:41:51 +0000

School time is back... We would like to thank all our fans and friends for choosing padnpod.com as their shopping destination for back2school textbooks and supplies. We hope that you enjoyed the Service Express and the direct ordering catalogues. We love to hear your comments on how we could improve your back2school shopping experience.

Please do write us or call us with your suggestions.

        

 

Join our facebook page here

 

 

 

 

]]> <![CDATA[Staedtler - Creative Inspirations!]]> Fri, 31 Aug 2012 09:31:06 +0000 Whether at school, at nursery or at home: children love painting, colouring and crafting, it’s great fun and play a decisive role a child’s development. Staedtler has a wide range of products with accompanies users their entire life from early age on, thereby enabling a visualization of inspirations and ideas over generations.

*** THIS ARTICLE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY 
Staedtler, one of the oldest industrial companies in Germany, takes advantage of the great tradition of Nuremberg pencil-makers. It was founded by Johann Sebastian Staedtler in 1835, but one of his ancestors, Friedrich Staedtler, had already been active as a ‘lead-pencil maker’. Records of him date back as far as 1662.

A-B-S coloured pencils

Children can get very enthusiastic while drawing, coloured pencils invariably have to withstand quite a bit of pressure! That’s why Staedtlerhas come up with the world’s one and only Anti-Break-System (A-B-S for short). Thanks to A-B-S, the white protective coating that surrounds the colour-intensive high-quality lead core like a second skin, the break-resistance of all Staedtler coloured pencils is increased by up to 50%, making the pencils up to 30% stronger.

Staedtler pencils ideal companions whatever the age, whatever the level of development: hexagonal pencils in 6 mm and 4 mm lead diameter for very small children’s hands and perfect ergonomic triangular-shaped coloured and learner’s  pencils   in 4 mm lead diameter.

So easy to make changes and corrections with Staedtler Noris Club erasable colouring pencils. Particularly suitable for school-minor mistakes can be corrected immediately with the pencil’s PVC and latex-free eraser tip.

Noris Club watercolour pencils for a wide range of creative creative possibilities when colouring, drawing or watercolouring with water and brush. Colour-intensive “dry” artworks or atmospheric watercolour paintings, our watercolour pencils offer unlimited creative possibilities.  Whether for making quick sketches when 

out-and-about or for doing more detailed work back home, STAEDTLER ergosoft aquarell watercolour pencils can always be relied upon to transfer your ideas to paper perfectly. Perfect ergonomics thanks to triangular shape. Easy to sharpen with any quality sharpener.

Staedtler pencil sharpeners, erasers, glue sticks, scissors are also available in matching Noris Club design.

New additions to the Noris Club family – painting and modeling in nurseries and schools.

Noris Club is Staedtler’s extensive school range. From 2010 on, a series of creative products for pre-school and nurseries are joining the existing Noris Club range. The products shine in new splendor in the newly designed boxes. Noris Club modeling dough offers a whole variety of options for fun and games. When children feel, cut and shape dough, they are not only having fun modeling, they are fostering their sensory and motor skills at the same time. Its stimulates the imagination and power of invention. Whether a bowl for small treasured items, an elephant seen in the zoo the day before or models of family members – creativity can be endless.

Alphabet and number learning through play

School-beginners can let their imagination run wild with this Noris Club modeling dough set and, thanks to the 40 different shaped cutters enclosed, can practice their letters and numbers at the same time. Learning becomes a fun.

The popular finger paints

Painting with hands strongly stimulates children imagination to create their first work of art – and have fun at the same time. The paints are light fast, can be diluted with water , blend well, wash out easily ans are, naturally, ‘Made in Germany’.


Cute rubber stamps

These cute Staedtler Noris Club rubber stamps ensure that every painting is a success. They are suitable for a variety of stamping techniques and can be used by even small children hands. They very easy to clean and motifs can be used again and again.

New Noris Club Wax Crayons

Wax crayons are made of natural beeswax. This compact and waterproof crayons offer a wonderfully soft performance and, thanks to the high wax content, are ideal for a variety of techniques. The wax crayons triangles with recessed grip ensure colouring fun galore for youngest children.

Simply twist and colour – with the new Staedtler Gel Crayons

Thanks to the gel-like wax lead, colouring with these new gel crayons is an extremely smooth experience. The lead is particularly soft and glides across paper as if by magic. An extra-soft and break-resistant gel crayons are available in 6 colours – both with or without glitter. Suitable for use on windows.

Noris Club Oil Pastels

Brilliant and colour-intensive oil pastels are great for colouring larger areas. The crayons are so very soft to apply and they easily adhere to all smooth surfaces as well as to cardboard or wood. The STAEDTLER Noris Club oil pastels offer a standard-sized, round crayon diameter of 8 mm. Colours blend beautifully, they are ideal for layering, scraping and smudging techniques. Opaque – even on dark paper.

Staedtler’s Fibre-Tip pens

Drawing can be a fun with this fibre-tip pens. They have sturdy, pressure-resistant tip. Ergonomic, triangular barrel for effortless, fatigue-free writing and colouring – easy to grip and hold for smaller hand. DRY SAFE: can be left uncapped for days without drying up (test ISO 554). Pens stains can be washed out of most textile. Environmentally friendly water-based ink. Staedtler fibre-tips pens are equipped with ventilated caps (there is a little hole in the top of the cap) to reduce choking hazard if a cap is swallowed by children. Pens made in triangular and short round shapes. But great fun is a Magic Box.

New – Paint house – paint, colour and play

Younger artists can create a home of their own with the Staedtler paint house. It promotes creativity and stimulates imagination and is ideal for use in nurseries, at birthday parties or simply at home. The outline motifs on the house tell stories of their own and inspire both young and old alike to get creative. The sturdy house is quick to assemble and, when required, to dismantle too.

Summary

Staedtler not only offer a wide range of innovative new products for children but has a great support too. There is no need to buy ‘Colour Me’ books, you can download, print and colour free STAEDTLER seasonal colouring pictures! And even more, just visit a brand-new Noris Club website.

Nori will show you how pencils are made and of course, there are games to be played as well. Nori offers different puzzles, treasure hunts and pictures to colour in and also provides access to useful downloads, such as timetables. And, for important messages and special occasions, you can find funny e-cards.

So, by now you should be very excited to trying new stuff, and may be you have a story to tell about Staedtler products? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Please write to us at school@padnpod.com, quoting the reference ‘Inspirations from Staedtler’. You should enclose any relevant pictures you may have and, we will add it to our blog and Facebook to ‘inspire’ others to use Staedtler products from Noris Club ‘Magic Tree’.

]]> <![CDATA[Staedtler Tub Pencil double-hole sharpener]]> Fri, 31 Aug 2012 09:29:53 +0000
Product Description
Manual, handheld sharpener with one small hole to produce precision tip pencils and one large hole to accommodate oversize pencils and crayons. Hinged cover on sharpener helps keep blades clean, while the pushbutton locking lid on the shavings container prevents spilling. Manual, handheld sharpener with one small hole to produce precision tip pencils and one large hole to accommodate oversize pencils and crayons. 
*** BROUGHT TO YOU BY 
Hinged cover on sharpener helps keep blades clean, while the pushbutton locking lid on the shavings container prevents spilling. Global Product Type: Pencil & Crayon Sharpeners-Handheld; Sharpener Type: Handheld; Power Type: Manual; Cutter Material(s): Metal.Product Features
Catalog Publishing Type - Pencil & Crayon Sharpeners-Standard
Color(s) - Blue/Silver
Cutter Material(s) - Metal
Depth - 1 5/8 inCustomer Reviews
Best sharper I have ever bought
I use pencils of various sizes when I do sketches in my art book. And I always do the sketches with with this handy pencil sharpener at the ready. I am pretty fixated about always having a sharp edge when I draw or write with a pencil. So naturally, this is the perfect companion to have for someone like me.

The bottom case holds a good amount of pencil shavings. This beats any electric sharpeners I have used over the years and it is portable so you can take it anywhere. Plus it is very durable. I have not noticed any dullness in the blades even after using it for about a year.

Excellent product
Great sharpener. Unlike the cheapo ones you can get from staples, this sharpener really gets the pencils to a razor sharp point. Almost too sharp because then the tip can easily break. That's ok. All staedtler products I have purchased have been excellent.

Works great
This sharpener is very well constructed and sharpens a nice point,it also has a good feel to it.I think it will last. I bought this to replace several sorry electric and manual pencil sharpeners around the house.There are alot of poorly designed products out there.You would think it ain't rocket science.Most of them do not work well out of the box.

Heavy Duty Sharpener
I purchased this sharpener about 9 months ago. I am a math teacher and my students use it constantly in my classroom. The only thing I do not know yet is if I can replace the blade when it finally dulls or if I will have to purchase a new sharpener.

The Best
I am a college student and take notes in pencil. (See link below for the best pencil out there.) The Staedtler sharpener is easy to use, easy to dump shavings, doesn't mess up my backpack with shavings or bits of pencil lead, and has never accidentally opened in my backpack. The price is right and it's durable. To the extent that you can love a pencil sharpener, I love this one.

Best Sharpener
This really is the best sharpener I've ever used. It's quite sturdy and I love that it has a plastic flap to cover up the holes to keep shaving dust from spilling out. The shavings receptacle doesn't come off easily like the cheaper ones I've bought at local stores. Definitely a new fan of the Staedtler brand name.

I absolutely LOVE this
I always keep 2 sharpeners: one for my drawing pencils and another for the colored ones. Recently, the colored pencil sharpener hasn't been doing its job and ruined a few of my pencils (sad face). I saw this one and figured, heck, why not? I'm so glad i did! The first pencil i sharpened (and the many that followed :] ) had that "brand new" look. It didn't chip or break any either. I just hope this sharpener lasts me a good while because this really is a great price for the quality.

Art Teacher
I am a traveling art teacher and I needed a compact, good working sharpener for prismacolor pencils. This is by far the best hand sharpener for the price. I have been using this for about 8 months and it is still working. It is starting to get a bit dull, but I really used the crap out of this thing (and I'm surprised it's still going) so I will buy another one for next school year.

]]> <![CDATA[Eid Mubarak - كل عام و انتم بخير - Bonne fête]]> Sat, 18 Aug 2012 14:54:30 +0000 padnpod.com wish you a happy Eid vacation. Just Enjoy!

Nous vous souhaitons une bonne fête de l' Aid Fitr.

كل عام و انتم بخير

 

 

]]> <![CDATA[Raising Successful Children]]> Thu, 09 Aug 2012 14:43:46 +0000
Lizzy Stewart
By MADELINE LEVINE
Published: August 4, 2012

PHRASES like “tiger mom” and “helicopter parent” have made their way into everyday language. But does overparenting hurt, or help?

While parents who are clearly and embarrassingly inappropriate come in for ridicule, many of us find ourselves drawn to the idea that with just a bit more parental elbow grease, we might turn out children with great talents and assured futures. Is there really anything wrong with a kind of “overparenting lite”?

** BROUGHT TO YOU BY 

Parental involvement has a long and rich history of being studied. Decades of studies, many of them by Diana Baumrind, a clinical and developmental psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, have found that the optimal parent is one who is involved and responsive, who sets high expectations but respects her child’s autonomy. These “authoritative parents” appear to hit the sweet spot of parental involvement and generally raise children who do better academically, psychologically and socially than children whose parents are either permissive and less involved, or controlling and more involved. Why is this particular parenting style so successful, and what does it tell us about overparenting?

For one thing, authoritative parents actually help cultivate motivation in their children. Carol Dweck, a social and developmental psychologist at Stanford University, has done research that indicates why authoritative parents raise more motivated, and thus more successful, children.

In a typical experiment, Dr. Dweck takes young children into a room and asks them to solve a simple puzzle. Most do so with little difficulty. But then Dr. Dweck tells some, but not all, of the kids how very bright and capable they are. As it turns out, the children who are not told they’re smart are more motivated to tackle increasingly difficult puzzles. They also exhibit higher levels of confidence and show greater overall progress in puzzle-solving.

This may seem counterintuitive, but praising children’s talents and abilities seems to rattle their confidence. Tackling more difficult puzzles carries the risk of losing one’s status as “smart” and deprives kids of the thrill of choosing to work simply for its own sake, regardless of outcomes. Dr. Dweck’s work aligns nicely with that of Dr. Baumrind, who also found that reasonably supporting a child’s autonomy and limiting interference results in better academic and emotional outcomes.

Their research confirms what I’ve seen in more than 25 years of clinical work, treating children in Marin County, an affluent suburb of San Francisco. The happiest, most successful children have parents who do not do for them what they are capable of doing, or almost capable of doing; and their parents do not do things for them that satisfy their own needs rather than the needs of the child.

The central task of growing up is to develop a sense of self that is autonomous, confident and generally in accord with reality. If you treat your walking toddler as if she can’t walk, you diminish her confidence and distort reality. Ditto nightly “reviews” of homework, repetitive phone calls to “just check if you’re O.K.” and “editing” (read: writing) your child’s college application essay.

Once your child is capable of doing something, congratulate yourself on a job well done and move on. Continued, unnecessary intervention makes your child feel bad about himself (if he’s young) or angry at you (if he’s a teenager).

But isn’t it a parent’s job to help with those things that are just beyond your child’s reach? Why is it overparenting to do for your child what he or she is almost capable of?

Think back to when your toddler learned to walk. She would take a weaving step or two, collapse and immediately look to you for your reaction. You were in thrall to those early attempts and would do everything possible to encourage her to get up again. You certainly didn’t chastise her for failing or utter dire predictions about flipping burgers for the rest of her life if she fell again. You were present, alert and available to guide if necessary. But you didn’t pick her up every time.

You knew she had to get it wrong many times before she could get it right.

HANGING back and allowing children to make mistakes is one of the greatest challenges of parenting. It’s easier when they’re young — tolerating a stumbling toddler is far different from allowing a preteenager to meet her friends at the mall. The potential mistakes carry greater risks, and part of being a parent is minimizing risk for our children.

What kinds of risks should we tolerate? If there’s a predator loose in the neighborhood, your daughter doesn’t get to go to the mall. But under normal circumstances an 11-year-old girl is quite capable of taking care of herself for a few hours in the company of her friends. She may forget a package, overpay for an item or forget that she was supposed to call home at noon. Mastery of the world is an expanding geography for our kids, for toddlers, it’s the backyard; for preteens, the neighborhood, for teens the wider world. But it is in the small daily risks — the taller slide, the bike ride around the block, the invitation extended to a new classmate — that growth takes place. In this gray area of just beyond the comfortable is where resilience is born.

So if children are able to live with mistakes and even failing, why does it drive us crazy? So many parents have said to me, “I can’t stand to see my child unhappy.” If you can’t stand to see your child unhappy, you are in the wrong business. The small challenges that start in infancy (the first whimper that doesn’t bring you running) present the opportunity for “successful failures,” that is, failures your child can live with and grow from. To rush in too quickly, to shield them, to deprive them of those challenges is to deprive them of the tools they will need to handle the inevitable, difficult, challenging and sometimes devastating demands of life.

While doing things for your child unnecessarily or prematurely can reduce motivation and increase dependency, it is the inability to maintain parental boundaries that most damages child development. When we do things for our children out of our own needs rather than theirs, it forces them to circumvent the most critical task of childhood: to develop a robust sense of self.

There is an important distinction between good and bad parental involvement. For example, a young child doesn’t want to sit and do his math homework. Good parents insist on compliance, not because they need their child to be a perfect student but because the child needs to learn the fundamentals of math and develop a good work ethic. Compare this with the parent who spends weeks “helping” his or her child fill out college applications with the clear expectation that if they both work hard enough, a “gotta get into” school is a certainty. (While most of my parent patients have graduated from college, it is always a telltale sign of overparenting when they talk about how “we’re applying to Columbia.”)

In both situations parents are using control, in the first case behavioral (sit down, do your math) and in the second psychological (“we’re applying.”) It is psychological control that carries with it a textbook’s worth of damage to a child’s developing identity. If pushing, direction, motivation and reward always come from the outside, the child never has the opportunity to craft an inside. Having tutors prep your anxious 3-year-old for a preschool interview because all your friends’ children are going to this particular school or pushing your exhausted child to take one more advanced-placement course because it will ensure her spot as class valedictorian is not involved parenting but toxic overparenting aimed at meeting the parents’ need for status or affirmation and not the child’s needs.

So how do parents find the courage to discard the malpractice of overparenting? It’s hard to swim upstream, to resist peer pressure. But we must remember that children thrive best in an environment that is reliable, available, consistent and non-interfering.

A loving parent is warm, willing to set limits and unwilling to breach a child’s psychological boundaries by invoking shame or guilt. Parents must acknowledge their own anxiety. Your job is to know your child well enough to make a good call about whether he can manage a particular situation. Will you stay up worrying? Probably, but the child’s job is to grow, yours is to control your anxiety so it doesn’t get in the way of his reasonable moves toward autonomy.

Parents also have to be clear about their own values. Children watch us closely. If you want your children to be able to stand up for their values, you have to do the same. If you believe that a summer spent reading, taking creek walks and playing is better than a specialized camp, then stick to your guns. Parents also have to make sure their own lives are fulfilling. There is no parent more vulnerable to the excesses of overparenting than an unhappy parent. One of the most important things we do for our children is to present them with a version of adult life that is appealing and worth striving for.

New York Times

]]> <![CDATA[Who Invented the Pencil?]]> Wed, 08 Aug 2012 16:02:39 +0000 Some kids would say in jest that Mr. Pencil invented the pencil. However, to correctly answer inquisitive young minds who keep wondering who invented the pencil, here are some facts.

The First Pencil Was a Failure

The first attempt to invent a pencil was not successful. It was made of powdered or pulverized graphite. The result was a poor quality pencil that easily broke. Graphite and clay should be mixed well to produce a proper kind of pencil. This was done by the man who invented the pencil properly. All quality pencil makers today, owe it to the first pencil maker who perfected the right formula for it.

*** BROUGHT TO YOU BY 

A French Army Officer Invented it

In 1795, a French officer belonging to the army of Napoleon invented and patented the first quality pencil on earth. Nicholas Jacques Conte or simply NJ Conte discovered that ground graphite, when mixed with the right kinds of clay, produced the best lead for pencils. Pencils do not really contain lead. The black thin material in pencils is a mix of graphite, carbon, and clay. NJ Conte, the first pencil maker, turned graphite into powder. Then he mixed it with moist doughs of clay and pressed the thing to make thin sticks. He then cooked it in a kiln. This man who invented the pencil, outdid his German counterparts.

Faber Pencils

Later, the Faber family took it from there and produced quality pencils using the Conte formula. The same formula is used worldwide today. The writing implement was not named after NJ Conte. It was taken from the Latin word, “pencillus”. It means “little tail”, probably referring to the pointed lead tip. In those times, pencillus was used to refer to fine, pointed brushes before the man who invented the pencil came up with the idea.

Wood Casing

The black lead itself is not enough to make for effective and convenient writing. It has to be encased in wood. So, pencil makers produced thin, wooden rods from pine trees or cedar. They cut it into halves and carved out a thin, longitudinal groove where the lead was to be inserted. After the lead was placed in the groove, the two half rods were glued together. The rods were then fed into a shaping and polishing machine.

To date, there are 350 different types of pencils. Each type is used for different drawing or writing purposes. They are used from pre-school up to college and they are even used at the professional levels. In fact, people from all walks of life have a need for this indispensable writing material. Some famous pencil users include John Steinbeck, Vladimir Nabokov, Van Gogh and Thomas Edison.

]]> <![CDATA[Staedtler Tub Pencil double-hole sharpener]]> Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:19:15 +0000
Product Description
Manual, handheld sharpener with one small hole to produce precision tip pencils and one large hole to accommodate oversize pencils and crayons. Hinged cover on sharpener helps keep blades clean, while the pushbutton locking lid on the shavings container prevents spilling. Manual, handheld sharpener with one small hole to produce precision tip pencils and one large hole to accommodate oversize pencils and crayons. 
*** BROUGHT TO YOU BY 
Hinged cover on sharpener helps keep blades clean, while the pushbutton locking lid on the shavings container prevents spilling. Global Product Type: Pencil & Crayon Sharpeners-Handheld; Sharpener Type: Handheld; Power Type: Manual; Cutter Material(s): Metal.Product Features
Catalog Publishing Type - Pencil & Crayon Sharpeners-Standard
Color(s) - Blue/Silver
Cutter Material(s) - Metal
Depth - 1 5/8 in

Customer Reviews
Best sharper I have ever bought
I use pencils of various sizes when I do sketches in my art book. And I always do the sketches with with this handy pencil sharpener at the ready. I am pretty fixated about always having a sharp edge when I draw or write with a pencil. So naturally, this is the perfect companion to have for someone like me.

The bottom case holds a good amount of pencil shavings. This beats any electric sharpeners I have used over the years and it is portable so you can take it anywhere. Plus it is very durable. I have not noticed any dullness in the blades even after using it for about a year.

Excellent product
Great sharpener. Unlike the cheapo ones you can get from staples, this sharpener really gets the pencils to a razor sharp point. Almost too sharp because then the tip can easily break. That's ok. All staedtler products I have purchased have been excellent.

Works great
This sharpener is very well constructed and sharpens a nice point,it also has a good feel to it.I think it will last. I bought this to replace several sorry electric and manual pencil sharpeners around the house.There are alot of poorly designed products out there.You would think it ain't rocket science.Most of them do not work well out of the box.

Heavy Duty Sharpener
I purchased this sharpener about 9 months ago. I am a math teacher and my students use it constantly in my classroom. The only thing I do not know yet is if I can replace the blade when it finally dulls or if I will have to purchase a new sharpener.

The Best
I am a college student and take notes in pencil. (See link below for the best pencil out there.) The Staedtler sharpener is easy to use, easy to dump shavings, doesn't mess up my backpack with shavings or bits of pencil lead, and has never accidentally opened in my backpack. The price is right and it's durable. To the extent that you can love a pencil sharpener, I love this one.

Best Sharpener
This really is the best sharpener I've ever used. It's quite sturdy and I love that it has a plastic flap to cover up the holes to keep shaving dust from spilling out. The shavings receptacle doesn't come off easily like the cheaper ones I've bought at local stores. Definitely a new fan of the Staedtler brand name.

I absolutely LOVE this
I always keep 2 sharpeners: one for my drawing pencils and another for the colored ones. Recently, the colored pencil sharpener hasn't been doing its job and ruined a few of my pencils (sad face). I saw this one and figured, heck, why not? I'm so glad i did! The first pencil i sharpened (and the many that followed :] ) had that "brand new" look. It didn't chip or break any either. I just hope this sharpener lasts me a good while because this really is a great price for the quality.

Art Teacher
I am a traveling art teacher and I needed a compact, good working sharpener for prismacolor pencils. This is by far the best hand sharpener for the price. I have been using this for about 8 months and it is still working. It is starting to get a bit dull, but I really used the crap out of this thing (and I'm surprised it's still going) so I will buy another one for next school year.

]]> <![CDATA[Staedtler – Your Creative Inspiration!]]> Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:14:13 +0000 Whether at school, at nursery or at home: children love painting, colouring and crafting, it’s great fun and play a decisive role a child’s development. Staedtler has a wide range of products with accompanies users their entire life from early age on, thereby enabling a visualization of inspirations and ideas over generations.

*** THIS ARTICLE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY 
Staedtler, one of the oldest industrial companies in Germany, takes advantage of the great tradition of Nuremberg pencil-makers. It was founded by Johann Sebastian Staedtler in 1835, but one of his ancestors, Friedrich Staedtler, had already been active as a ‘lead-pencil maker’. Records of him date back as far as 1662.

A-B-S coloured pencils

Children can get very enthusiastic while drawing, coloured pencils invariably have to withstand quite a bit of pressure! That’s why Staedtlerhas come up with the world’s one and only Anti-Break-System (A-B-S for short). Thanks to A-B-S, the white protective coating that surrounds the colour-intensive high-quality lead core like a second skin, the break-resistance of all Staedtler coloured pencils is increased by up to 50%, making the pencils up to 30% stronger.

Staedtler pencils ideal companions whatever the age, whatever the level of development: hexagonal pencils in 6 mm and 4 mm lead diameter for very small children’s hands and perfect ergonomic triangular-shaped coloured and learner’s  pencils   in 4 mm lead diameter.

So easy to make changes and corrections with Staedtler Noris Club erasable colouring pencils. Particularly suitable for school-minor mistakes can be corrected immediately with the pencil’s PVC and latex-free eraser tip.

Noris Club watercolour pencils for a wide range of creative creative possibilities when colouring, drawing or watercolouring with water and brush. Colour-intensive “dry” artworks or atmospheric watercolour paintings, our watercolour pencils offer unlimited creative possibilities.  Whether for making quick sketches when 

out-and-about or for doing more detailed work back home, STAEDTLER ergosoft aquarell watercolour pencils can always be relied upon to transfer your ideas to paper perfectly. Perfect ergonomics thanks to triangular shape. Easy to sharpen with any quality sharpener.

Staedtler pencil sharpeners, erasers, glue sticks, scissors are also available in matching Noris Club design.

New additions to the Noris Club family – painting and modeling in nurseries and schools.

Noris Club is Staedtler’s extensive school range. From 2010 on, a series of creative products for pre-school and nurseries are joining the existing Noris Club range. The products shine in new splendor in the newly designed boxes. Noris Club modeling dough offers a whole variety of options for fun and games. When children feel, cut and shape dough, they are not only having fun modeling, they are fostering their sensory and motor skills at the same time. Its stimulates the imagination and power of invention. Whether a bowl for small treasured items, an elephant seen in the zoo the day before or models of family members – creativity can be endless.

Alphabet and number learning through play

School-beginners can let their imagination run wild with this Noris Club modeling dough set and, thanks to the 40 different shaped cutters enclosed, can practice their letters and numbers at the same time. Learning becomes a fun.

The popular finger paints

Painting with hands strongly stimulates children imagination to create their first work of art – and have fun at the same time. The paints are light fast, can be diluted with water , blend well, wash out easily ans are, naturally, ‘Made in Germany’.


Cute rubber stamps

These cute Staedtler Noris Club rubber stamps ensure that every painting is a success. They are suitable for a variety of stamping techniques and can be used by even small children hands. They very easy to clean and motifs can be used again and again.

New Noris Club Wax Crayons

Wax crayons are made of natural beeswax. This compact and waterproof crayons offer a wonderfully soft performance and, thanks to the high wax content, are ideal for a variety of techniques. The wax crayons triangles with recessed grip ensure colouring fun galore for youngest children.

Simply twist and colour – with the new Staedtler Gel Crayons

Thanks to the gel-like wax lead, colouring with these new gel crayons is an extremely smooth experience. The lead is particularly soft and glides across paper as if by magic. An extra-soft and break-resistant gel crayons are available in 6 colours – both with or without glitter. Suitable for use on windows.

Noris Club Oil Pastels

Brilliant and colour-intensive oil pastels are great for colouring larger areas. The crayons are so very soft to apply and they easily adhere to all smooth surfaces as well as to cardboard or wood. The STAEDTLER Noris Club oil pastels offer a standard-sized, round crayon diameter of 8 mm. Colours blend beautifully, they are ideal for layering, scraping and smudging techniques. Opaque – even on dark paper.

Staedtler’s Fibre-Tip pens

Drawing can be a fun with this fibre-tip pens. They have sturdy, pressure-resistant tip. Ergonomic, triangular barrel for effortless, fatigue-free writing and colouring – easy to grip and hold for smaller hand. DRY SAFE: can be left uncapped for days without drying up (test ISO 554). Pens stains can be washed out of most textile. Environmentally friendly water-based ink. Staedtler fibre-tips pens are equipped with ventilated caps (there is a little hole in the top of the cap) to reduce choking hazard if a cap is swallowed by children. Pens made in triangular and short round shapes. But great fun is a Magic Box.

New – Paint house – paint, colour and play

Younger artists can create a home of their own with the Staedtler paint house. It promotes creativity and stimulates imagination and is ideal for use in nurseries, at birthday parties or simply at home. The outline motifs on the house tell stories of their own and inspire both young and old alike to get creative. The sturdy house is quick to assemble and, when required, to dismantle too.

Summary

Staedtler not only offer a wide range of innovative new products for children but has a great support too. There is no need to buy ‘Colour Me’ books, you can download, print and colour free STAEDTLER seasonal colouring pictures! And even more, just visit a brand-new Noris Club website.

Nori will show you how pencils are made and of course, there are games to be played as well. Nori offers different puzzles, treasure hunts and pictures to colour in and also provides access to useful downloads, such as timetables. And, for important messages and special occasions, you can find funny e-cards.

So, by now you should be very excited to trying new stuff, and may be you have a story to tell about Staedtler products? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Please write to us at school@padnpod.com, quoting the reference ‘Inspirations from Staedtler’. You should enclose any relevant pictures you may have and, we will add it to our blog and Facebook to ‘inspire’ others to use Staedtler products from Noris Club ‘Magic Tree’.

]]>