With the inclusion of essays on high-stakes tests such as the SAT® and ACT®, as well as many state standards tests and high-school exit exams, the need to improve writing fluency has recently surfaced as a desired goal. Which approaches to writing fluency work best?
1. Teach students to read a variety of writing prompts. Expose students to different content area and writing domain prompts. For example, using social science, literature, and science content with informational, expository, analytical, and persuasive domains. Teach students to read the writing prompt twice—the first time for understanding and the second time to circle the subject and highlight key words.
2. Give students ample practice in turning writing prompts into effective essay topic sentences. “Thesis Turn-Arounds” can be a productive “opener” to any lesson in any subject area. For example, if the prompt reads “Analyze the causes of the Civil War,” students could begin their theses with “Many causes contributed to the Civil War.”
3. Give students practice in developing quick pre-writes to organize a multi-paragraph writing response. Teach a variety of graphic organizers and review how each is appropriate to different writing prompts.
4. Give students practice in writing introductory paragraphs after pre-writing. Give students practice in writing just one timed body paragraph to address one aspect of the essay after pre-writing.
5. Provide immediate individual feedback to students with brief writers conferences.
6. Use the overhead projector to use critique real student samples. Write along with students and have them critique your writing samples.
7. Teach how to pace various allotted essay times. For example, the SAT® essay is only 25 minutes. Most state tests allot 60 minutes. Brainstorm and allocate times before a full essay writing fluency for the following: analysis of the writing prompt, pre-write, draft, revisions, editing.
8. If a brief reading passage is part of the background for the writing task, teach students to annotate the passage with margin notes as they read.
About the Author
Mark Pennington is an educational author, presenter, reading specialist, and middle school teacher. Mark is committed to differentiated instruction for the diverse needs of today's students. Visit Mark’s website at www.penningtonpublishing.com to check out his teacher resources and books: Teaching Reading Strategies, Teaching Essay Strategies, Teaching Grammar and Mechanics, and Teaching Spelling and Vocabulary.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Autism Learning Skills
by Janine Honour
What is meant by autism learning skills?
There are several methods through which we learn: Through seeing (visually) Hearing (auditory), Touching or manipulating an object (kinesthetically or 'hands-on' learning).
An example of these would be, looking at a picture book or reading a textbook, this would be visual learning. Listening to a c.d., or going to a lecture this would be learning through hearing…and pressing buttons to determine how to operate a DVD involves learning kinesthetically, through touch and feel.
Mostly we learn through two or more of these learning skills. How we learn will determine how ell we do at school.
Most mainstream school adopt all of these learning methods, we visually learn through reading books and texts, we learn through listening to out teachers and we practice tasks to learn.
With autistic children they will nearly always be visual learners.
Some autistic children will also be kinesthetic learners and may well benefit form their teacher or helper actually guiding their hand while they undertake tasks.
Therefore, it is important that a teacher assess each autistic child in the class to determine which kind of learning skill they prefer.
The teacher can then adapt the teaching style to suit the autistic child's need's and build on their strengths.
However one very important thing to remember when assessing an autistic child is their need for repetition and sameness. Keeping this in mind when setting lessons will be of benefit.
A visual timetable should always be in place for the autistic student to refer too.
As with a normally developing child autism learning skills, can be enhanced by following these simple rules. Another good idea is to set up autism social skills stories. These help keep the autistic child on task, and work as an excellent tool in helping teachers explain why, what and how to their autistic students.
Using autism social skills stories will benefit the autistic student as they will encompass all autism learning skills, they can be read, auditory, they have appropriate pictures and images plus some text, visual and they can be handles kinesthetic, or used as a visual aid with attachable pictures etc…
…However you decide to use them they will nevertheless prove to be a valuable asset to autism learning skills.
To obtain school related autism social skills stories that can be downloaded quickly and effortlessly and are all in printable format please visit: www.autismsocialstories.com/school For all other autism social stories visit: our other sites
About the Author
autism learning skills and how to cope in the classroom can be obtained at: www.autismsocialstories.com/school visit now and immediately download this collection
What is meant by autism learning skills?
There are several methods through which we learn: Through seeing (visually) Hearing (auditory), Touching or manipulating an object (kinesthetically or 'hands-on' learning).
An example of these would be, looking at a picture book or reading a textbook, this would be visual learning. Listening to a c.d., or going to a lecture this would be learning through hearing…and pressing buttons to determine how to operate a DVD involves learning kinesthetically, through touch and feel.
Mostly we learn through two or more of these learning skills. How we learn will determine how ell we do at school.
Most mainstream school adopt all of these learning methods, we visually learn through reading books and texts, we learn through listening to out teachers and we practice tasks to learn.
With autistic children they will nearly always be visual learners.
Some autistic children will also be kinesthetic learners and may well benefit form their teacher or helper actually guiding their hand while they undertake tasks.
Therefore, it is important that a teacher assess each autistic child in the class to determine which kind of learning skill they prefer.
The teacher can then adapt the teaching style to suit the autistic child's need's and build on their strengths.
However one very important thing to remember when assessing an autistic child is their need for repetition and sameness. Keeping this in mind when setting lessons will be of benefit.
A visual timetable should always be in place for the autistic student to refer too.
As with a normally developing child autism learning skills, can be enhanced by following these simple rules. Another good idea is to set up autism social skills stories. These help keep the autistic child on task, and work as an excellent tool in helping teachers explain why, what and how to their autistic students.
Using autism social skills stories will benefit the autistic student as they will encompass all autism learning skills, they can be read, auditory, they have appropriate pictures and images plus some text, visual and they can be handles kinesthetic, or used as a visual aid with attachable pictures etc…
…However you decide to use them they will nevertheless prove to be a valuable asset to autism learning skills.
To obtain school related autism social skills stories that can be downloaded quickly and effortlessly and are all in printable format please visit: www.autismsocialstories.com/school For all other autism social stories visit: our other sites
About the Author
autism learning skills and how to cope in the classroom can be obtained at: www.autismsocialstories.com/school visit now and immediately download this collection
Saturday, December 19, 2009
School Choice: A Dilema
SCHOOL CHOICE: Public, Private, Charter, Home School Or Vouchers Or Chuck Them All & Start With Early Childhood/Head Start. The dilema
Many scholars and academicians debate what is the best form of education for our kids. Early childhood versus charter schools, private schools versus public schools and so on. Perhaps some definitions would seem appropriate at this point: Public Schools, The national system of formal education in the United States developed in the 19th century. Public schooling is very similar to the auto industry; a dying dinosaur (Americans are fond of the dinosaur word not realizing that America may not make it that far without some major changes along with a desire to improve. Jefferson was the first American leader to suggest creating a public school system. His ideas formed the basis of education systems developed in the 19th century. Until the 1840s the education system was highly localized and available only to wealthy people. As a result of the efforts of free school reformers, free public education at the elementary level was available for all American children by the end of the 19th century A History of Public Education in the United States Deeptha Thattai (deeptha1@yahoo.com). Two schools of thought exist: 1 Schools began to ‘dumb down the kids; others say 2 School quality and the quality of education began to fall. Who knows the answer. We do know, however that the public education system which took so long to hatch has now been reduced to a laughing matter of private or home but not public! This is a shame.
2. Private schools which began as Catholic or Parochial Schools were the first form of private schooling followed by other religious groups and then the elite schools that only some could afford Private education is offered at many American preschools as well as at many colleges, universities, and technical institutes. The amount of private school tuition varies widely according to the type of school and the level of education offered Although the cost of private education is beyond the reach of many American families, most private schools offer some form of financial aid to low-income applicants
The preponderance of poorly funded public schools which lead to inability to learn has some advocates saying students in these non-performing schools should be able to access private schools by attaining vouchers to help defray the cost of tuition. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2005 © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
3. Charter Schools were conceived in the early 90’s as a way to teach kids who don’t do well in the public school environment Odyssey Charter School grades Kindergarten through 7th is a Distance Education program that involves Nevada licensed teachers visiting students' homes for one hour a week with parental supervision.
Students' conduct their studies online with online state approved curriculum programs
Wikipedia on Charter Schools 2009 Evaluation of Charter Schools is difficult because they often cater to 1 type of sudent. The charter school movement has grown tremendously since its beginning in 1992. Charter schools receive the same per pupil funding as traditional schools but have greater freedom in staffing scheduling curriculum and instructional methods. Charter schools are allowed to hire anyone (qualified) to manage the schools
There was much fanfare here in Las Vegas about the “Charter School” phenomenon but some who took part didn’t have the hutztbah to complete or continue the job. I started collecting articles in 2006 The article:” Charters aimed at Minorities” describes how Imagine Schools, which operates over 70 schools in various parts of the USA, has teamed up with 100 Black Men of Las Vegas, a nonprofit, organization, to open a charter school called the 100 Academy of Excellence. The Academy is one of two local charter schools operated by the Image Schools that began operation in 2006. Members of the group serve on the school’s governing board and as mentors to its’ more than 400 students The 100 Black men feel there is a serious need for this type of school based on the amount of mentoring they have been doing in schools in the North & West side of Las Vegas T Pratt, LVSun Aug 06
“Facing charter timeout, school rushing to open in a YMCA”.says Emily Richmond in her article. The State & County School Boards say a lack of resources to review apps and monitor charter schools has made a moratorium necessary. The 100 Academy of Excellence has endured 18 months of high staff turnover, and problems in providing appropriate services to special ed students. When student enrollment dipped the school finished its’ 1st year $285,000 in debt to Imagine Schools, raising red flags with the district and state Education officials. Students are required to adhere to a strict dress code & some Saturday sessions are required. The second school was set to open in Sept. at the YMCA. Emily Richmond LVSun Mar.08.Then in June 2008 Emily Richmond wrote “Charter School on Thin Ice” Imagine Schools spent $9 million building & staffing the school including providing text books. As 100 Academy’s 2nd year comes to a close, enrollment is down 20% & school officials are struggling to keep as many of their 525 students as possible for the 2008-09 academic year. Numerous concerns have been raised one of which is are taxpayers getting their money’s worth out of the $7 million the state has provided 100 Academy, The school Board will asses results in July when standardized tests taken by students throughout the district. The president of Imagine Schools Dennis Bakke notes that Nev is a not for profit charter state setting itself up for “mom-and-pop”: charter schools. No explanation given for this statement. My interpretation is that the Charter Schools in NV cannot be run by for-profit companies (like Imagine). Plans were going forward to open a 2nd school in 2008 in the fall in Durango Hills but citing concerns related to the track record of 100 Academy State officials last month shot down plans to open 2 additional campuses in the Las Vegas Valley applications. Visits to the 100 Academy of Excellence and discussions with parents found the school in somewhat chaos and that mentoring was not being done. Mentoring & volunteering were key factors that persuaded the School Board to sponsor the school in April 2006 . However there has been a sharp drop in involvement by the community group in school activities particularly in the last six months. Several parents, were particularly happy with their child’s progress. Most of the remaining portion of the article is Management VS Board of Education concerns and not germane to our discussion. However, they did add the school tests didn’t show any marked improvement in results over public schools but Imagine Schools say that test results in the 1st year are typically considered a baseline and improvement is expected in July when the latest results are released. Emily Richmond LVSun June 08 Retired Principal of Explore Knowledge Academy, Joan Sando, says charter schools must try harder than public schools to prove themselves. ”Time is on Charter’s Side”. Schools find it can take several years to measure up to Fed Standards. It has taken Ms. Sardo’s school 5 years to pull everything together. Some charter schools are appealing the Clark County : Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) decision on various grounds Emily Richmond LVSun July 08. I seem to recall a blurb on tele @ Xmas 08: It concerned the 100 Academy of Excellence I think in No Las Vegas. The principal was awarding bikes yes bikes to the kids who read the most books in a certain period of time. That’s def. a good thing!
4. Home Schooling grew as a direct result of public schools being thought inferior and therefore, needing of improvement that only a home environment could solve Home schooling provides a child’s main educational programs at home. taking the place of full time school attendance. In the US & Canada it usually meets state & provincial requirements for compulsory ed. Often families of various races, religions educational backgrounds teach their children at home.. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2005 © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Ideally, it is the perfect way to educate a child. Much has been said about the benefits of a 2 parent family where 1 stays home educating the children, or monitoring & taking part in school progress; thus, making for a more stable home life. This, of course, has become a goal feared by some as unattainable. However, I think it could & should be done.
5. Vouchers became an issue along with home schooling as an alternative to Public Schools but financed by certain groups (other than the students) as another means of school choice. A school voucher, also called an education voucher, is a certificate issued by the government by which parents can pay for the education of their children at a school of their choice, rather than the public school to which they are assigned. In many cases, vouchers were only good at privately segregated schools, known as segregation academies. School vouchers were used in the 1960s after school integration by some Southern states in the U.S. as a method of perpetuating segregation. In a few instances, public schools were closed outright and vouchers were issued to parents. The vouchers, in many cases, were only good at privately segregated schools, known as segregation academies.wikipedia: school vouchers Dec. 2008
6. Early Childhood Ed & Head Start . Early Childhood Education, schooling for young children, usually beginning at age three, is intended to prepare them for elementary grades . Head Start, is a federally sponsored preschool program in the United States for children who come from low-income families. Established in 1965 as part of the antipoverty program of President Lyndon B. Johnson, Head Start prepares disadvantaged children for school Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2005 © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Many people donated their time to assist in Head Start Classes. My stepmother, for one, in San Diego, went out at least 3 days per week for a few hours of volunteer work. Then, it started to become popular, many people saw it as a way to make money by caring for pre-k for $. Thus all the Early Childhood Ed. Courses were born and licenses were required. Then it become more of a business than a labor of love to help those who could not help themselves
The Obama-Biden Plan for Early Childhood Education begins with the Zero to Five Plan. The Obama-Biden comprehensive “Zero to Five” plan will provide critical support to young children and their parents. Unlike other early childhood education plans, the Obama-Biden plan places key emphasis at early care and education for infants, which is essential for children to be ready to enter kindergarten. Obama and Biden will create Early Learning Challenge Grants to promote state Zero to Five efforts and help states move toward voluntary, universal pre-school. There will be a new Secretary of Ed, Arne Duncan who has been praised by present Secretary Margaret Spelling. The Obama-Biden plan will expand Early Head Start and Head Start: Obama and Biden will quadruple Early Head Start, increase Head Start funding, and improve quality for both.
The Obama-Biden Plan will also provide affordable, High-Quality Child Care: Obama and Biden will also increase access to affordable and high-quality child care to ease the burden on working families The Obama-Biden plan will restore the promise of America’s public education, and ensure that American children again lead the world in achievement, creativity and success. Change.gov the Obama-Biden website 1/22/09
Magnet School. Almost as an after thought we should touch on one that began in the early 60’s. Magnet Schools were begun as a result of racial desegregation
and failure of bussing as a solution. Magnet schools have three distinguishing characteristics: Distinct curriculum or instructional approach. Attract students from outside an assigned neighborhood attendance zone & 3 have diversity as an explicit purpose. Public School Review 2003/2009. Magnet schools have their own cheerleaders in the Magnet Schools of America. So a lot of people must agree.
It’s hard to end a discussion on school choices without touching on the fact that there are some schools that cater to groups quite unimaginable. i.e. one school here in Las Vegas says the group Outreach Group Communities in Schools, is 100% indigent! And at the same school, 25% of the students are homeless? Three clinics have/or are being established in the No Las Vegas to the Spring Valley Area, by this group, because many students have no access to Medical or Dental care! Laura Carroll, “Organization helps kids stay in school” View August, 2008 Is this mind boggling or what? Many millions of dollars are being spent on various forms of education. Yet, we end up with schools that have to/try to teach indigent & hungry kids. I’m still a believer in one system that can and should strive to improve & deliver what students need. Tough love should become the norm & promises must be kept by all involved. Obama-Biden state in their Preamble to their education platform: Our “vision for a 21st century education begins with demanding more reform and accountability, coupled with the resources needed to carry out that reform; asking parents to take responsibility for their children’s success; and recruiting, retaining, and rewarding an army of new teachers to fill new successful schools that prepare our children for success in college and the workforce.”
Claudia Thomas is a writer, a singer/guitarist/songwriter. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from CalStUnivLA in Music Education for Children Her email address is: cthomas@phonetic-rock.com
Many scholars and academicians debate what is the best form of education for our kids. Early childhood versus charter schools, private schools versus public schools and so on. Perhaps some definitions would seem appropriate at this point: Public Schools, The national system of formal education in the United States developed in the 19th century. Public schooling is very similar to the auto industry; a dying dinosaur (Americans are fond of the dinosaur word not realizing that America may not make it that far without some major changes along with a desire to improve. Jefferson was the first American leader to suggest creating a public school system. His ideas formed the basis of education systems developed in the 19th century. Until the 1840s the education system was highly localized and available only to wealthy people. As a result of the efforts of free school reformers, free public education at the elementary level was available for all American children by the end of the 19th century A History of Public Education in the United States Deeptha Thattai (deeptha1@yahoo.com). Two schools of thought exist: 1 Schools began to ‘dumb down the kids; others say 2 School quality and the quality of education began to fall. Who knows the answer. We do know, however that the public education system which took so long to hatch has now been reduced to a laughing matter of private or home but not public! This is a shame.
2. Private schools which began as Catholic or Parochial Schools were the first form of private schooling followed by other religious groups and then the elite schools that only some could afford Private education is offered at many American preschools as well as at many colleges, universities, and technical institutes. The amount of private school tuition varies widely according to the type of school and the level of education offered Although the cost of private education is beyond the reach of many American families, most private schools offer some form of financial aid to low-income applicants
The preponderance of poorly funded public schools which lead to inability to learn has some advocates saying students in these non-performing schools should be able to access private schools by attaining vouchers to help defray the cost of tuition. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2005 © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
3. Charter Schools were conceived in the early 90’s as a way to teach kids who don’t do well in the public school environment Odyssey Charter School grades Kindergarten through 7th is a Distance Education program that involves Nevada licensed teachers visiting students' homes for one hour a week with parental supervision.
Students' conduct their studies online with online state approved curriculum programs
Wikipedia on Charter Schools 2009 Evaluation of Charter Schools is difficult because they often cater to 1 type of sudent. The charter school movement has grown tremendously since its beginning in 1992. Charter schools receive the same per pupil funding as traditional schools but have greater freedom in staffing scheduling curriculum and instructional methods. Charter schools are allowed to hire anyone (qualified) to manage the schools
There was much fanfare here in Las Vegas about the “Charter School” phenomenon but some who took part didn’t have the hutztbah to complete or continue the job. I started collecting articles in 2006 The article:” Charters aimed at Minorities” describes how Imagine Schools, which operates over 70 schools in various parts of the USA, has teamed up with 100 Black Men of Las Vegas, a nonprofit, organization, to open a charter school called the 100 Academy of Excellence. The Academy is one of two local charter schools operated by the Image Schools that began operation in 2006. Members of the group serve on the school’s governing board and as mentors to its’ more than 400 students The 100 Black men feel there is a serious need for this type of school based on the amount of mentoring they have been doing in schools in the North & West side of Las Vegas T Pratt, LVSun Aug 06
“Facing charter timeout, school rushing to open in a YMCA”.says Emily Richmond in her article. The State & County School Boards say a lack of resources to review apps and monitor charter schools has made a moratorium necessary. The 100 Academy of Excellence has endured 18 months of high staff turnover, and problems in providing appropriate services to special ed students. When student enrollment dipped the school finished its’ 1st year $285,000 in debt to Imagine Schools, raising red flags with the district and state Education officials. Students are required to adhere to a strict dress code & some Saturday sessions are required. The second school was set to open in Sept. at the YMCA. Emily Richmond LVSun Mar.08.Then in June 2008 Emily Richmond wrote “Charter School on Thin Ice” Imagine Schools spent $9 million building & staffing the school including providing text books. As 100 Academy’s 2nd year comes to a close, enrollment is down 20% & school officials are struggling to keep as many of their 525 students as possible for the 2008-09 academic year. Numerous concerns have been raised one of which is are taxpayers getting their money’s worth out of the $7 million the state has provided 100 Academy, The school Board will asses results in July when standardized tests taken by students throughout the district. The president of Imagine Schools Dennis Bakke notes that Nev is a not for profit charter state setting itself up for “mom-and-pop”: charter schools. No explanation given for this statement. My interpretation is that the Charter Schools in NV cannot be run by for-profit companies (like Imagine). Plans were going forward to open a 2nd school in 2008 in the fall in Durango Hills but citing concerns related to the track record of 100 Academy State officials last month shot down plans to open 2 additional campuses in the Las Vegas Valley applications. Visits to the 100 Academy of Excellence and discussions with parents found the school in somewhat chaos and that mentoring was not being done. Mentoring & volunteering were key factors that persuaded the School Board to sponsor the school in April 2006 . However there has been a sharp drop in involvement by the community group in school activities particularly in the last six months. Several parents, were particularly happy with their child’s progress. Most of the remaining portion of the article is Management VS Board of Education concerns and not germane to our discussion. However, they did add the school tests didn’t show any marked improvement in results over public schools but Imagine Schools say that test results in the 1st year are typically considered a baseline and improvement is expected in July when the latest results are released. Emily Richmond LVSun June 08 Retired Principal of Explore Knowledge Academy, Joan Sando, says charter schools must try harder than public schools to prove themselves. ”Time is on Charter’s Side”. Schools find it can take several years to measure up to Fed Standards. It has taken Ms. Sardo’s school 5 years to pull everything together. Some charter schools are appealing the Clark County : Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) decision on various grounds Emily Richmond LVSun July 08. I seem to recall a blurb on tele @ Xmas 08: It concerned the 100 Academy of Excellence I think in No Las Vegas. The principal was awarding bikes yes bikes to the kids who read the most books in a certain period of time. That’s def. a good thing!
4. Home Schooling grew as a direct result of public schools being thought inferior and therefore, needing of improvement that only a home environment could solve Home schooling provides a child’s main educational programs at home. taking the place of full time school attendance. In the US & Canada it usually meets state & provincial requirements for compulsory ed. Often families of various races, religions educational backgrounds teach their children at home.. Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2005 © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Ideally, it is the perfect way to educate a child. Much has been said about the benefits of a 2 parent family where 1 stays home educating the children, or monitoring & taking part in school progress; thus, making for a more stable home life. This, of course, has become a goal feared by some as unattainable. However, I think it could & should be done.
5. Vouchers became an issue along with home schooling as an alternative to Public Schools but financed by certain groups (other than the students) as another means of school choice. A school voucher, also called an education voucher, is a certificate issued by the government by which parents can pay for the education of their children at a school of their choice, rather than the public school to which they are assigned. In many cases, vouchers were only good at privately segregated schools, known as segregation academies. School vouchers were used in the 1960s after school integration by some Southern states in the U.S. as a method of perpetuating segregation. In a few instances, public schools were closed outright and vouchers were issued to parents. The vouchers, in many cases, were only good at privately segregated schools, known as segregation academies.wikipedia: school vouchers Dec. 2008
6. Early Childhood Ed & Head Start . Early Childhood Education, schooling for young children, usually beginning at age three, is intended to prepare them for elementary grades . Head Start, is a federally sponsored preschool program in the United States for children who come from low-income families. Established in 1965 as part of the antipoverty program of President Lyndon B. Johnson, Head Start prepares disadvantaged children for school Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2005 © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Many people donated their time to assist in Head Start Classes. My stepmother, for one, in San Diego, went out at least 3 days per week for a few hours of volunteer work. Then, it started to become popular, many people saw it as a way to make money by caring for pre-k for $. Thus all the Early Childhood Ed. Courses were born and licenses were required. Then it become more of a business than a labor of love to help those who could not help themselves
The Obama-Biden Plan for Early Childhood Education begins with the Zero to Five Plan. The Obama-Biden comprehensive “Zero to Five” plan will provide critical support to young children and their parents. Unlike other early childhood education plans, the Obama-Biden plan places key emphasis at early care and education for infants, which is essential for children to be ready to enter kindergarten. Obama and Biden will create Early Learning Challenge Grants to promote state Zero to Five efforts and help states move toward voluntary, universal pre-school. There will be a new Secretary of Ed, Arne Duncan who has been praised by present Secretary Margaret Spelling. The Obama-Biden plan will expand Early Head Start and Head Start: Obama and Biden will quadruple Early Head Start, increase Head Start funding, and improve quality for both.
The Obama-Biden Plan will also provide affordable, High-Quality Child Care: Obama and Biden will also increase access to affordable and high-quality child care to ease the burden on working families The Obama-Biden plan will restore the promise of America’s public education, and ensure that American children again lead the world in achievement, creativity and success. Change.gov the Obama-Biden website 1/22/09
Magnet School. Almost as an after thought we should touch on one that began in the early 60’s. Magnet Schools were begun as a result of racial desegregation
and failure of bussing as a solution. Magnet schools have three distinguishing characteristics: Distinct curriculum or instructional approach. Attract students from outside an assigned neighborhood attendance zone & 3 have diversity as an explicit purpose. Public School Review 2003/2009. Magnet schools have their own cheerleaders in the Magnet Schools of America. So a lot of people must agree.
It’s hard to end a discussion on school choices without touching on the fact that there are some schools that cater to groups quite unimaginable. i.e. one school here in Las Vegas says the group Outreach Group Communities in Schools, is 100% indigent! And at the same school, 25% of the students are homeless? Three clinics have/or are being established in the No Las Vegas to the Spring Valley Area, by this group, because many students have no access to Medical or Dental care! Laura Carroll, “Organization helps kids stay in school” View August, 2008 Is this mind boggling or what? Many millions of dollars are being spent on various forms of education. Yet, we end up with schools that have to/try to teach indigent & hungry kids. I’m still a believer in one system that can and should strive to improve & deliver what students need. Tough love should become the norm & promises must be kept by all involved. Obama-Biden state in their Preamble to their education platform: Our “vision for a 21st century education begins with demanding more reform and accountability, coupled with the resources needed to carry out that reform; asking parents to take responsibility for their children’s success; and recruiting, retaining, and rewarding an army of new teachers to fill new successful schools that prepare our children for success in college and the workforce.”
Claudia Thomas is a writer, a singer/guitarist/songwriter. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from CalStUnivLA in Music Education for Children Her email address is: cthomas@phonetic-rock.com
Thursday, December 17, 2009
New book explains the crisis in the public schools, and how we fix it
I’ve been writing about education more than 25 years. It’s been a fascinating but puzzling journey.
So much in education is counterintuitive. We would expect that there are quicker, more pleasant ways to do any task; conversely, there must be slow, inefficient and unsuccessful ways to do everything. It’s the second kind that our elite educators (the ones who run the system) gravitate toward. How can we explain this? It’s almost as if our educators merely pretend to believe in universal education. What they seen more deeply committed to is universal mediocrity.
When you consider all the studies, statistics, reports, and books, you realize that they all paint the same bleak and depressing picture. We spend more and more billions every year but SAT scores fall. Our better students do not compete well with the better students from other countries. The general public seems to know barely enough to read a daily newspaper. Can most Americans find Idaho on a map? Never mind Japan? And then there’s the really big mystery: 50 million functional illiterates. How could this happen?
To answer all these puzzles, I researched further and further back in history. I tried to understand how the early educators, a century ago, looked at life, at their country, at children, and at this new field they had created. You want to know what’s really funny? These people in fact were not primarily interested in education as most of us understand that term. They were obsessed with ideology, psychological breakthroughs, and cultural transformations. They saw the school as a tool. Education was the factory in which they intended to build a new society. Note that nobody asked them to do this; they arrogantly appointed themselves our saviors. They didn’t do us any favors.
At this point I have more than 120 articles on the web trying to explain how and why our educators got off track. I’ve been especially fascinated by the reading war, which is far and away our biggest, dumbest scandal and a blazing paradigm for everything else. As I understood the damage caused by bogus reading methods, I began to have a clearer sense of what we need to do across the board: simply enough, get rid of all the failed ideas.
Oddly enough, we are engaged in a war with our own educators. I want to persuade people that this is an intellectual war; and we must fight the bad ideas with good ideas. So I’ve collected my 50 favorite articles in a book titled THE EDUCATION ENIGMA (What Happened To American Education). Partly it’s a history book. It’s also a guidebook to the toxic nonsense in American schools. Most importantly, it’s a map to a better future. It’s also entertaining. What other book talks about Pavlov, Mick Jagger, the Tao, John Dewey and robots?
My thesis is that we have no hope of improvement unless we understand exactly what happened to American education: our schools were made dumb by design. Then we have to identify and deconstruct all the gimmicks that have been smuggled into the system. Throwing more billions of dollars at the problem won’t help. Writing more glowing policy recommendations won’t help. Giving money to so-called best practice won’t help. Our educators are set in their ways; they often seem addicted to worst practice. We need an intervention.
So our first job is simply this: we have to grasp that our house is dirty and then clean it. We have to get rid of the overhyped “progressive” innovations that turn out in practice to be destructive and regressive. For example, Whole Word, Reform Math, Constructivism, Self Esteem, Cooperative Learning, Fuzzy Anything, and much more. We need to restore basics and academics to their proper prominence.
Many people are comforted by the idea that our educators are clumsy, inept, or befuddled by fads. No, I’m afraid you really have a much better sense of what happened to us if you imagine a bunch of guys like John Dewey gathered around a table discussing their philosophical goals, devising strategies, and trying to figure out how to keep the public from interfering. I know people who shy away from the word conspiracy. But let’s be realistic. This track record goes back nearly a century. Let’s show respect for those 50 million functional illiterates who spent their lives in a twilight zone thanks to John Dewey and his pals. You can’t create this kind of disaster in a few years or by accident. No, the perpetrators have to keep plugging away, decade after decade.
I should mention by the way that I never criticize teachers. I’m concerned only with the top educators, people with Ph.D.’s at Teachers College and such. These people are responsible for what happens in American education. Teachers are as much their victims as children are.
----
For a short, hard-hitting but entirely intellectual critique of American education, please check out THE EDUCATION ENIGMA (on Amazon; or any store can order it for you). The ideas in this book can save our public schools. Please also visit Improve-Education.org.
About the Author
Bruce Deitrick Price is a novelist, artist, poet and education activist. He is the founder of Improve-Education.org and the author of THE EDUCATION ENIGMA--What Happened To American Education.
His research focuses on the most destructive ideas introduced by our educators: Whole Word, Constructivism, Reform Math, Cooperative Learning, and many others. All of these are said to improve education but in practice they actually tend to sabotage it. (Order THE EDUCATION ENIGMA on Amazon.)
So much in education is counterintuitive. We would expect that there are quicker, more pleasant ways to do any task; conversely, there must be slow, inefficient and unsuccessful ways to do everything. It’s the second kind that our elite educators (the ones who run the system) gravitate toward. How can we explain this? It’s almost as if our educators merely pretend to believe in universal education. What they seen more deeply committed to is universal mediocrity.
When you consider all the studies, statistics, reports, and books, you realize that they all paint the same bleak and depressing picture. We spend more and more billions every year but SAT scores fall. Our better students do not compete well with the better students from other countries. The general public seems to know barely enough to read a daily newspaper. Can most Americans find Idaho on a map? Never mind Japan? And then there’s the really big mystery: 50 million functional illiterates. How could this happen?
To answer all these puzzles, I researched further and further back in history. I tried to understand how the early educators, a century ago, looked at life, at their country, at children, and at this new field they had created. You want to know what’s really funny? These people in fact were not primarily interested in education as most of us understand that term. They were obsessed with ideology, psychological breakthroughs, and cultural transformations. They saw the school as a tool. Education was the factory in which they intended to build a new society. Note that nobody asked them to do this; they arrogantly appointed themselves our saviors. They didn’t do us any favors.
At this point I have more than 120 articles on the web trying to explain how and why our educators got off track. I’ve been especially fascinated by the reading war, which is far and away our biggest, dumbest scandal and a blazing paradigm for everything else. As I understood the damage caused by bogus reading methods, I began to have a clearer sense of what we need to do across the board: simply enough, get rid of all the failed ideas.
Oddly enough, we are engaged in a war with our own educators. I want to persuade people that this is an intellectual war; and we must fight the bad ideas with good ideas. So I’ve collected my 50 favorite articles in a book titled THE EDUCATION ENIGMA (What Happened To American Education). Partly it’s a history book. It’s also a guidebook to the toxic nonsense in American schools. Most importantly, it’s a map to a better future. It’s also entertaining. What other book talks about Pavlov, Mick Jagger, the Tao, John Dewey and robots?
My thesis is that we have no hope of improvement unless we understand exactly what happened to American education: our schools were made dumb by design. Then we have to identify and deconstruct all the gimmicks that have been smuggled into the system. Throwing more billions of dollars at the problem won’t help. Writing more glowing policy recommendations won’t help. Giving money to so-called best practice won’t help. Our educators are set in their ways; they often seem addicted to worst practice. We need an intervention.
So our first job is simply this: we have to grasp that our house is dirty and then clean it. We have to get rid of the overhyped “progressive” innovations that turn out in practice to be destructive and regressive. For example, Whole Word, Reform Math, Constructivism, Self Esteem, Cooperative Learning, Fuzzy Anything, and much more. We need to restore basics and academics to their proper prominence.
Many people are comforted by the idea that our educators are clumsy, inept, or befuddled by fads. No, I’m afraid you really have a much better sense of what happened to us if you imagine a bunch of guys like John Dewey gathered around a table discussing their philosophical goals, devising strategies, and trying to figure out how to keep the public from interfering. I know people who shy away from the word conspiracy. But let’s be realistic. This track record goes back nearly a century. Let’s show respect for those 50 million functional illiterates who spent their lives in a twilight zone thanks to John Dewey and his pals. You can’t create this kind of disaster in a few years or by accident. No, the perpetrators have to keep plugging away, decade after decade.
I should mention by the way that I never criticize teachers. I’m concerned only with the top educators, people with Ph.D.’s at Teachers College and such. These people are responsible for what happens in American education. Teachers are as much their victims as children are.
----
For a short, hard-hitting but entirely intellectual critique of American education, please check out THE EDUCATION ENIGMA (on Amazon; or any store can order it for you). The ideas in this book can save our public schools. Please also visit Improve-Education.org.
About the Author
Bruce Deitrick Price is a novelist, artist, poet and education activist. He is the founder of Improve-Education.org and the author of THE EDUCATION ENIGMA--What Happened To American Education.
His research focuses on the most destructive ideas introduced by our educators: Whole Word, Constructivism, Reform Math, Cooperative Learning, and many others. All of these are said to improve education but in practice they actually tend to sabotage it. (Order THE EDUCATION ENIGMA on Amazon.)
Monday, December 14, 2009
Help Your Child Get Organized For School!
Disorganization is the greatest complaint made by teachers and ranks as a very close second complaint from parents (rivaling fights and arguments over homework). Every teacher can tell stories about bright and intelligent students who are failing classes because they lack the organizational skills to keep track of their assignments. School counselors and psychologists talk about the huge caseloads of students that are referred to them for suspected learning disabilities, only to discover that a large percentage of these students simply lack organizational skills. It is a growing epidemic.
There are two root causes of disorganization: too much "stuff" and no routine or system for managing the things students really need.
Let's first address the issue of too much "stuff" by considering the number of folders and notebooks that students are required to maintain for school. In most cases, teachers require a student to have one folder and one notebook for each class. Students typically have 6-8 classes at one time; this can mean 12-16 different folders and notebooks to organize, maintain, and juggle around between home, their locker, and class. Not only do they have to carry 12-18 different folders and notebooks at various times throughout the day, they are expected to use, store, and retrieve papers from them regularly.
Let's relate that to our lives, as adults...
Imagine if you had 12-16 different email accounts to maintain. Imagine if you were expected to log into each account several times each day, respond to emails, and retrieve old/sent emails at the snap of a finger. Would you be able to remember which account was housing the information you needed? Would you even be able to keep up with the tasks and correspondence that came into each inbox everyday?
Chances are that the thought of this scenario sounds absolutely absurd, pointless, and counterproductive.
So is the scenario of our students carrying and maintaining 12-16 different folders and notebooks daily, even though it is a practice that is beyond common! No wonder students have a hard time bringing the correct folders, notebooks, and papers home everyday!
The sheer volume of folders and notebooks (not to mention text-books and workbooks) then leads to the next set of problems... a messy book bag and lost assignments.
A messy book bag is the culprit behind many problems, but especially missing assignments. I cannot tell you how many times I have completely exasperated parents complain that they saw -or even helped- their child do an assignment, only to learn that the assignment was never turned in. Every single time I hear this complaint, I peek into the child's book bag and wouldn't you know... it looks like a dumpster. Their problem is that they cannot find their completed assignments in the depths of their book bag.
The first step in any organizing process is to eliminate the unnecessary items filling the book bag, including old papers, crusty lunches from two weeks ago, and anything else that is not strictly needed for school. Next, eliminate the volume of folders and notebooks. Yes, it is possible to condense students' supplies... significantly! Try condensing folders and notebooks into one streamlined binder.
Then, develop a routine for maintaining order in the book bag. Consider offering a small incentive to your child for cleaning it out daily. Following this routine will help your child retain the organization skills that he needs to be a success in school and in life.
(c) 2009, Susan Kruger, All rights reserved. You are free to reprint/republish this article as long as the article and byline are kept intact and all links are made live.
About the Author
Susan Kruger of SOAR(r) Study Skills is a Certified Teacher with a Master's Degree and the author of the book SOAR(r) Study Skills. Her exclusive Homework Rx(r) Toolkit at http://www.soarstudyskills.com/freestuff.htm includes "25 Ways to Make Homework Easier...Tonight!", Homework Scorecard, Homework Inventory for Parents and a free subscription to the Homework Rx(r) eNewsletter to help you and your child get started on the path to success.
There are two root causes of disorganization: too much "stuff" and no routine or system for managing the things students really need.
Let's first address the issue of too much "stuff" by considering the number of folders and notebooks that students are required to maintain for school. In most cases, teachers require a student to have one folder and one notebook for each class. Students typically have 6-8 classes at one time; this can mean 12-16 different folders and notebooks to organize, maintain, and juggle around between home, their locker, and class. Not only do they have to carry 12-18 different folders and notebooks at various times throughout the day, they are expected to use, store, and retrieve papers from them regularly.
Let's relate that to our lives, as adults...
Imagine if you had 12-16 different email accounts to maintain. Imagine if you were expected to log into each account several times each day, respond to emails, and retrieve old/sent emails at the snap of a finger. Would you be able to remember which account was housing the information you needed? Would you even be able to keep up with the tasks and correspondence that came into each inbox everyday?
Chances are that the thought of this scenario sounds absolutely absurd, pointless, and counterproductive.
So is the scenario of our students carrying and maintaining 12-16 different folders and notebooks daily, even though it is a practice that is beyond common! No wonder students have a hard time bringing the correct folders, notebooks, and papers home everyday!
The sheer volume of folders and notebooks (not to mention text-books and workbooks) then leads to the next set of problems... a messy book bag and lost assignments.
A messy book bag is the culprit behind many problems, but especially missing assignments. I cannot tell you how many times I have completely exasperated parents complain that they saw -or even helped- their child do an assignment, only to learn that the assignment was never turned in. Every single time I hear this complaint, I peek into the child's book bag and wouldn't you know... it looks like a dumpster. Their problem is that they cannot find their completed assignments in the depths of their book bag.
The first step in any organizing process is to eliminate the unnecessary items filling the book bag, including old papers, crusty lunches from two weeks ago, and anything else that is not strictly needed for school. Next, eliminate the volume of folders and notebooks. Yes, it is possible to condense students' supplies... significantly! Try condensing folders and notebooks into one streamlined binder.
Then, develop a routine for maintaining order in the book bag. Consider offering a small incentive to your child for cleaning it out daily. Following this routine will help your child retain the organization skills that he needs to be a success in school and in life.
(c) 2009, Susan Kruger, All rights reserved. You are free to reprint/republish this article as long as the article and byline are kept intact and all links are made live.
About the Author
Susan Kruger of SOAR(r) Study Skills is a Certified Teacher with a Master's Degree and the author of the book SOAR(r) Study Skills. Her exclusive Homework Rx(r) Toolkit at http://www.soarstudyskills.com/freestuff.htm includes "25 Ways to Make Homework Easier...Tonight!", Homework Scorecard, Homework Inventory for Parents and a free subscription to the Homework Rx(r) eNewsletter to help you and your child get started on the path to success.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Exam Hints
EXPERIENCE has shown that not all students are good at exams. Some don't take advantage of the opportunity to gain credit for what they know or can do. Some simple techniques that can improve your exam result.
Exam philosophy: The aim in marking exams is to find out what you know, what you can express, what you understand and what you can do. You can only get credit if show evidence of your abilities. A skeleton answer might get some credit for a correct conclusion, or the right jargon, but it does not constitute evidence that you actually know what you are doing!
In particular:
o If a question asks you to "explain", "describe", etc something, then write in proper English sentences - don't just jot down buzz-words. Usually notes do not provide convincing evidence, because they are indistinguishable from vaguely remembered phrases.
o If you are asked to work something out, or "to show that ...", then include your working out (neatly) as part of your answer - then you may be able to get some credit for your method, even if you make a mistake or get the wrong answer.
* Read the exam paper carefully: The "rubric" at the start provides important information: e.g. make sure that you know how long the exam is, how many questions you have to do, and check whether there are special directions given.
You may wish to read the whole paper thoroughly before selecting the questions that you wish to answer, but, even if you don't, do read carefully each of the questions that you do answer.
In particular, read the whole of a question before attempting to answer it: Often exam questions to be informative and direct, but sometimes it is not possible and the tail end of question (or part thereof) may contain a qualification, hint or additional instruction that must be taken into account.
Candidates sometimes forget to answer parts of questions, for no apparent reason, and lose credit that otherwise would have easily been gained. Make sure that you have dealt with everything that has been asked.
* Read the instructions on the cover of the exam answer booklets: In particular the statement about writing clearly.
* Keep to a rigid timetable: Usually each question on the exam paper is worth the same amount (check this). Divide the time available equally among the questions that you have to do (you might even consider dividing the time up between the individual parts of a question). It is usually not worth struggling on with a question that is proving too difficult: if you have reached the end of the question's time slot then you should definitely go on to a fresh question (the early parts of the next question are almost certainly more easily won credit than the struggle you are currently having); if the time slot is not up, then either attempt other parts of the current question if there are any, or go on to a fresh question and come back to the current one if you have time left at the end (and you should have if you stick to the timetable
* Count the questions that you do carefully: On the one hand make sure that you do enough - if you are required to do four, and you only attempt three, then your maximum possible total mark is reduced by 25%! On the other hand make sure that you don't do too many (unless the rubric makes it clear that you simply have to as much as you can). If we ask you to do four questions and you do five, then we will simply not count one of your answers: so you might as well have spent the time checking and polishing just four answers (it may sound ridiculous, but students actually do make this mistake every year).
* About crossing out: Examiners have no time to read any more than they have to. Therefore anything which is crossed out they tend to simply ignore (whatever stupidities it may contain). So feel free to put jottings in your exam book and then cross them out. Equally, if you have done something wrong then simply cross it out and carry on. This applies to a reasonable amount of correction within written text - but if there are too many crossings out and rearrangements then it is probably better to put a line through the whole paragraph and re-write it. Here are some criteria to apply: neat and fast. One or two diagonal lines through a paragraph are enough to remove it from our view - no need to frantically scrub the paper with your pen (that takes a long time too!). You should be very wary of using Snowpake or Tipp-Ex to make corrections: they take so long to use for little or no benefit over a simply horizontal or diagonal stroke of the pen. Admittedly, there are occasions on which Tipp-Ex is probably useful (for example, to correct mistakes in diagrams), so I will just caution care.
Long questions vs. short questions: Questions which occupy a lot of space on the exam paper look intimidating, but this may be an illusion. Often, long questions consist of many small, well defined parts which can be answered independently: so you can probably gain straightforward marks from any part that you answer. In contrast, questions which appear to be short often consist of just a few parts, each of which requires sustained creative and compositional effort - and, although the marks are certainly available, it can be far from obvious how to guarantee that you win them!
About the Author
educational consultant.
www.american-schools.net
Exam philosophy: The aim in marking exams is to find out what you know, what you can express, what you understand and what you can do. You can only get credit if show evidence of your abilities. A skeleton answer might get some credit for a correct conclusion, or the right jargon, but it does not constitute evidence that you actually know what you are doing!
In particular:
o If a question asks you to "explain", "describe", etc something, then write in proper English sentences - don't just jot down buzz-words. Usually notes do not provide convincing evidence, because they are indistinguishable from vaguely remembered phrases.
o If you are asked to work something out, or "to show that ...", then include your working out (neatly) as part of your answer - then you may be able to get some credit for your method, even if you make a mistake or get the wrong answer.
* Read the exam paper carefully: The "rubric" at the start provides important information: e.g. make sure that you know how long the exam is, how many questions you have to do, and check whether there are special directions given.
You may wish to read the whole paper thoroughly before selecting the questions that you wish to answer, but, even if you don't, do read carefully each of the questions that you do answer.
In particular, read the whole of a question before attempting to answer it: Often exam questions to be informative and direct, but sometimes it is not possible and the tail end of question (or part thereof) may contain a qualification, hint or additional instruction that must be taken into account.
Candidates sometimes forget to answer parts of questions, for no apparent reason, and lose credit that otherwise would have easily been gained. Make sure that you have dealt with everything that has been asked.
* Read the instructions on the cover of the exam answer booklets: In particular the statement about writing clearly.
* Keep to a rigid timetable: Usually each question on the exam paper is worth the same amount (check this). Divide the time available equally among the questions that you have to do (you might even consider dividing the time up between the individual parts of a question). It is usually not worth struggling on with a question that is proving too difficult: if you have reached the end of the question's time slot then you should definitely go on to a fresh question (the early parts of the next question are almost certainly more easily won credit than the struggle you are currently having); if the time slot is not up, then either attempt other parts of the current question if there are any, or go on to a fresh question and come back to the current one if you have time left at the end (and you should have if you stick to the timetable
* Count the questions that you do carefully: On the one hand make sure that you do enough - if you are required to do four, and you only attempt three, then your maximum possible total mark is reduced by 25%! On the other hand make sure that you don't do too many (unless the rubric makes it clear that you simply have to as much as you can). If we ask you to do four questions and you do five, then we will simply not count one of your answers: so you might as well have spent the time checking and polishing just four answers (it may sound ridiculous, but students actually do make this mistake every year).
* About crossing out: Examiners have no time to read any more than they have to. Therefore anything which is crossed out they tend to simply ignore (whatever stupidities it may contain). So feel free to put jottings in your exam book and then cross them out. Equally, if you have done something wrong then simply cross it out and carry on. This applies to a reasonable amount of correction within written text - but if there are too many crossings out and rearrangements then it is probably better to put a line through the whole paragraph and re-write it. Here are some criteria to apply: neat and fast. One or two diagonal lines through a paragraph are enough to remove it from our view - no need to frantically scrub the paper with your pen (that takes a long time too!). You should be very wary of using Snowpake or Tipp-Ex to make corrections: they take so long to use for little or no benefit over a simply horizontal or diagonal stroke of the pen. Admittedly, there are occasions on which Tipp-Ex is probably useful (for example, to correct mistakes in diagrams), so I will just caution care.
Long questions vs. short questions: Questions which occupy a lot of space on the exam paper look intimidating, but this may be an illusion. Often, long questions consist of many small, well defined parts which can be answered independently: so you can probably gain straightforward marks from any part that you answer. In contrast, questions which appear to be short often consist of just a few parts, each of which requires sustained creative and compositional effort - and, although the marks are certainly available, it can be far from obvious how to guarantee that you win them!
About the Author
educational consultant.
www.american-schools.net
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
It's About the Quality, not Grades!
The purpose of schooling is to teach our children to learn and produce quality work. In order to accomplish this goal, our schools must re-think the ways in which they view the educational process. Such changes do not necessarily cost more money (although increased funding for education is important), but rather requires a radical shift in how we set out to support our students in achieving quality in their school experience.
Although many students are currently experiencing success in our schools, we have too many young people who are branded as failures as a result of the inadequacies of our present academic system. The premature use of competition, the introduction of compulsory homework, and an obsessive emphasis on grading (which often overshadows the primary purpose of education – learning), all serve to detract from promoting quality education.
In his classic work, Schools without Failure, psychiatrist William Glasser focuses on the components of successful schooling. In his opinion, teachers must develop a positive involvement with students, re-think the relevance of their curriculum and consider the student evaluation process as a byproduct of a successful, quality learning experience.
Within most schools, grading takes on a life of its own. I call it the “wad-ya-get” phenomenon. I find it interesting that when I talk with students and parents about their schooling, the topic promptly turns to the issue of grades. Grades have become the “be-all” and “end-all” of education. Rarely, when students or parents talk about school, do they discuss the content or quality of what kids are learning. They invariably turn their attention to grades. Parents typically ask their children “how” they do in school rather than “what” they accomplish in school. Power struggles between parents, their children or teachers rarely involve the nature or quality of the work students accomplish, but generally pertain to the unsatisfactory grades received.
When teachers are asked about grades, they insist that grades are positive motivators. My educational experience has shown that good grades (A’s and B’s) are positive motivators for excellent students, but poor grades (C’s, D’s, and F’s) actually reinforce failure-oriented school behavior among those students who chronically fail.
When I taught elementary school students, I would say, “I want all of you to succeed in my class; let’s talk about some meaningful objectives for getting A’s and B’s in my class and how you can achieve that goal.” My students were puzzled. They were used to being told, “If you don’t get your work done and turn it in on time, you will have trouble making it in this class; there are specific standards you must meet in my class or you will fail.” When the attitude implies “the glass is half full,” students are more likely to buy in to a teacher’s expectations and fulfill them. Students are eager to accommodate teachers who believe that all of their children have the potential to succeed no matter what happened in their prior school experience.
The primary purpose of grading/evaluation is to provide students with a yardstick for progress being made. Grades should never be used as an arbitrary measure reflecting a teacher’s standards. When we are evaluated on our job, the process is hopefully designed to motivate us and improve our performance. Many teachers mistakenly believe that they can coerce students who are not doing quality work by using grades as a motivational tool. However, it is naïve to assume that a student who has chronically failed school will improve his performance by being labeled a failure through the grading system. Dr. Edward W. Deming, noted management theorist and consultant, believes that managers (i.e. teachers) who attempt to coerce employees (i.e. students) will get workers who do just enough to get by. The use of coercive, punitive management techniques is not good enough for our students and our educational system.
Here are some principles of grading that will enhance a student’s chances of learning and experiencing school success:
· Accentuate the positive with one’s grading policy. “All students can achieve in my class.”
· Allow students who do not turn in quality work to re-do work until it is quality. This should include re-takes of tests, re-working in-class material, and fine-tuning non-compulsory homework. Remember, the goal is not some arbitrary school standard, but having your students ultimately learn the material no matter how long it takes.
· Homework should be removed from the grading process. Many students do not have an appropriate environment at home or the support from parents to make it a priority. Make homework non-compulsory and meaningful and you will get better buy-in from students.
· Teacher involvement with students is critical in order to get students to embrace the concept of quality work. Students should be able to say, “My teacher is fair, reasonable and pleasant to be around.”
· Work tasks should be meaningful rather than focused on memorizing information for the purposes of the teacher. Students should be taught how to learn. This process should include critical thinking, learning how to find information, creative activities, problem-solving, cooperative learning strategies, and class meetings.
· Teachers should look for fresh ways to motivate students without the use of coercion. Excuses such as this kid is too lazy, un-teachable, or from a troubled home are not helpful.
· Grades are a reflection of the quality of the learning experience. If many students are doing poorly, it is the responsibility of the school to correct the problem. Dr. Deming never blamed the workers for management’s failure to lead and motivate.
· If the school system is organized upon a healthy, need-satisfying leadership style among its teachers and administrators, most students will succeed and receive good grades.
· Positive evaluation is a byproduct of the quality of a school program. If students are not succeeding, the program is faulty.
Some in the educational establishment may say that the ideas articulated in this article call for a lowering of academic standards and a “dumbing-down” of the curriculum. On the contrary, I am suggesting that school systems need to honestly grade themselves and see where improvement may be needed. Without a lead-management style of relating from administrators and teachers, and a curriculum based upon critical thinking, problem-solving, and meaningful work experiences, schools will fail along with their students. We cannot afford for that to happen if we are to promote quality schooling.
About the Author
James P. Krehbiel, Ed.S., LPC is an author, freelance writer and nationally certified cognitive-behavioral therapist practicing in Scottsdale, Arizona. James is the featured Shrink Rap columnist for TheImproper.com, an upscale arts, entertainment and lifestyle web magazine. He has contracted with New Horizon Press to publish his latest work entitled, The Search for Adulthood: Saying Goodbye to the Magical Illusions of Childhood. James can be reached at www.krehbielcounseling.com.
Although many students are currently experiencing success in our schools, we have too many young people who are branded as failures as a result of the inadequacies of our present academic system. The premature use of competition, the introduction of compulsory homework, and an obsessive emphasis on grading (which often overshadows the primary purpose of education – learning), all serve to detract from promoting quality education.
In his classic work, Schools without Failure, psychiatrist William Glasser focuses on the components of successful schooling. In his opinion, teachers must develop a positive involvement with students, re-think the relevance of their curriculum and consider the student evaluation process as a byproduct of a successful, quality learning experience.
Within most schools, grading takes on a life of its own. I call it the “wad-ya-get” phenomenon. I find it interesting that when I talk with students and parents about their schooling, the topic promptly turns to the issue of grades. Grades have become the “be-all” and “end-all” of education. Rarely, when students or parents talk about school, do they discuss the content or quality of what kids are learning. They invariably turn their attention to grades. Parents typically ask their children “how” they do in school rather than “what” they accomplish in school. Power struggles between parents, their children or teachers rarely involve the nature or quality of the work students accomplish, but generally pertain to the unsatisfactory grades received.
When teachers are asked about grades, they insist that grades are positive motivators. My educational experience has shown that good grades (A’s and B’s) are positive motivators for excellent students, but poor grades (C’s, D’s, and F’s) actually reinforce failure-oriented school behavior among those students who chronically fail.
When I taught elementary school students, I would say, “I want all of you to succeed in my class; let’s talk about some meaningful objectives for getting A’s and B’s in my class and how you can achieve that goal.” My students were puzzled. They were used to being told, “If you don’t get your work done and turn it in on time, you will have trouble making it in this class; there are specific standards you must meet in my class or you will fail.” When the attitude implies “the glass is half full,” students are more likely to buy in to a teacher’s expectations and fulfill them. Students are eager to accommodate teachers who believe that all of their children have the potential to succeed no matter what happened in their prior school experience.
The primary purpose of grading/evaluation is to provide students with a yardstick for progress being made. Grades should never be used as an arbitrary measure reflecting a teacher’s standards. When we are evaluated on our job, the process is hopefully designed to motivate us and improve our performance. Many teachers mistakenly believe that they can coerce students who are not doing quality work by using grades as a motivational tool. However, it is naïve to assume that a student who has chronically failed school will improve his performance by being labeled a failure through the grading system. Dr. Edward W. Deming, noted management theorist and consultant, believes that managers (i.e. teachers) who attempt to coerce employees (i.e. students) will get workers who do just enough to get by. The use of coercive, punitive management techniques is not good enough for our students and our educational system.
Here are some principles of grading that will enhance a student’s chances of learning and experiencing school success:
· Accentuate the positive with one’s grading policy. “All students can achieve in my class.”
· Allow students who do not turn in quality work to re-do work until it is quality. This should include re-takes of tests, re-working in-class material, and fine-tuning non-compulsory homework. Remember, the goal is not some arbitrary school standard, but having your students ultimately learn the material no matter how long it takes.
· Homework should be removed from the grading process. Many students do not have an appropriate environment at home or the support from parents to make it a priority. Make homework non-compulsory and meaningful and you will get better buy-in from students.
· Teacher involvement with students is critical in order to get students to embrace the concept of quality work. Students should be able to say, “My teacher is fair, reasonable and pleasant to be around.”
· Work tasks should be meaningful rather than focused on memorizing information for the purposes of the teacher. Students should be taught how to learn. This process should include critical thinking, learning how to find information, creative activities, problem-solving, cooperative learning strategies, and class meetings.
· Teachers should look for fresh ways to motivate students without the use of coercion. Excuses such as this kid is too lazy, un-teachable, or from a troubled home are not helpful.
· Grades are a reflection of the quality of the learning experience. If many students are doing poorly, it is the responsibility of the school to correct the problem. Dr. Deming never blamed the workers for management’s failure to lead and motivate.
· If the school system is organized upon a healthy, need-satisfying leadership style among its teachers and administrators, most students will succeed and receive good grades.
· Positive evaluation is a byproduct of the quality of a school program. If students are not succeeding, the program is faulty.
Some in the educational establishment may say that the ideas articulated in this article call for a lowering of academic standards and a “dumbing-down” of the curriculum. On the contrary, I am suggesting that school systems need to honestly grade themselves and see where improvement may be needed. Without a lead-management style of relating from administrators and teachers, and a curriculum based upon critical thinking, problem-solving, and meaningful work experiences, schools will fail along with their students. We cannot afford for that to happen if we are to promote quality schooling.
About the Author
James P. Krehbiel, Ed.S., LPC is an author, freelance writer and nationally certified cognitive-behavioral therapist practicing in Scottsdale, Arizona. James is the featured Shrink Rap columnist for TheImproper.com, an upscale arts, entertainment and lifestyle web magazine. He has contracted with New Horizon Press to publish his latest work entitled, The Search for Adulthood: Saying Goodbye to the Magical Illusions of Childhood. James can be reached at www.krehbielcounseling.com.
Monday, December 7, 2009
How Fast the Child can optimize the Mental Potential – SIP AMAL
Brain Diet
Global thinking is the vital area of improvement for our children to emerge as winners in this age of globalization. Many children use only a tiny fraction of their brain’s capacity. This is not because they do not have intelligence. But because they were not taught to access and develop their innate abilities; they did not know that they could create intelligence in themselves. We all know that a balanced food diet is the right measure of proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and fibres. Do you know what a balanced brain diet for young minds is during the crucial years of growth? Here is the brain diet for your child.
The Super Skills
This diet is a blend of 2 super skills – fast learning and clear thinking. Together these skills produce self-reliance and help children to cope with changes and are the nucleus of emotional intelligence. Confidence, curiosity, relatedness, capacity to communicate and co-operate result from emotional intelligence. The importance of the super skills rises higher since these skills can be acquired easily during the early years.
Accelerated Mental Learning (AMAL)
The process of learning is common & key to learn any new skill or language. Understanding the process will make learning simpler, easier and faster.AMAL is all about how fast the child can optimize the mental potential. It balances the mental, physical, social, and emotional development. It builds the child’s personality and self-confidence and enhances the thinking ability.
The Ingredients
SIP Academy brings to your 4 ½ to 6 year old children SIP AMAL; a programme to reach his/ her full mental potential through fun learning and avoid brain drain. Twice a week classes running for about an hour comprises of
Ingredient - Result
Brain Gym - Whole brain development
Abacus - Removes numeric phobia
Colour Games - Improves creativity, imagination, and calms the mind
Creative Games - Creates analytical and imaginative approach
Thinking skill - Enhances IQ
Visual Reminder - Generates curiosity and thinking ability
Flash cards - Develops holistic approach
Accelerated Music - Reduces stress and increases focus
Benefits of SIP AMAL
1. Removes numeric phobia
2. Develops the left & right brain of the child
3. Builds psychomotor skills
4. Gives deeper understanding of group activity and socialization
5. Introduces and develops concrete way of learning numbers
6. Develops self confidence and self esteem
7. Enhances memory, thinking, creative and imaginative skills
8. Instills a positive & fun learning environment
9. Strengthens the concentration power
10. Helps release mental stress and blocks.
About the Author
Bharathi
SIP Academy India Pvt. Ltd
G3, Temple View No.31 & 32
Thyagaraya Street, Off North Usman Road
T.Nagar
Chennai
600017
044-4202 3330
Global thinking is the vital area of improvement for our children to emerge as winners in this age of globalization. Many children use only a tiny fraction of their brain’s capacity. This is not because they do not have intelligence. But because they were not taught to access and develop their innate abilities; they did not know that they could create intelligence in themselves. We all know that a balanced food diet is the right measure of proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and fibres. Do you know what a balanced brain diet for young minds is during the crucial years of growth? Here is the brain diet for your child.
The Super Skills
This diet is a blend of 2 super skills – fast learning and clear thinking. Together these skills produce self-reliance and help children to cope with changes and are the nucleus of emotional intelligence. Confidence, curiosity, relatedness, capacity to communicate and co-operate result from emotional intelligence. The importance of the super skills rises higher since these skills can be acquired easily during the early years.
Accelerated Mental Learning (AMAL)
The process of learning is common & key to learn any new skill or language. Understanding the process will make learning simpler, easier and faster.AMAL is all about how fast the child can optimize the mental potential. It balances the mental, physical, social, and emotional development. It builds the child’s personality and self-confidence and enhances the thinking ability.
The Ingredients
SIP Academy brings to your 4 ½ to 6 year old children SIP AMAL; a programme to reach his/ her full mental potential through fun learning and avoid brain drain. Twice a week classes running for about an hour comprises of
Ingredient - Result
Brain Gym - Whole brain development
Abacus - Removes numeric phobia
Colour Games - Improves creativity, imagination, and calms the mind
Creative Games - Creates analytical and imaginative approach
Thinking skill - Enhances IQ
Visual Reminder - Generates curiosity and thinking ability
Flash cards - Develops holistic approach
Accelerated Music - Reduces stress and increases focus
Benefits of SIP AMAL
1. Removes numeric phobia
2. Develops the left & right brain of the child
3. Builds psychomotor skills
4. Gives deeper understanding of group activity and socialization
5. Introduces and develops concrete way of learning numbers
6. Develops self confidence and self esteem
7. Enhances memory, thinking, creative and imaginative skills
8. Instills a positive & fun learning environment
9. Strengthens the concentration power
10. Helps release mental stress and blocks.
About the Author
Bharathi
SIP Academy India Pvt. Ltd
G3, Temple View No.31 & 32
Thyagaraya Street, Off North Usman Road
T.Nagar
Chennai
600017
044-4202 3330
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Adult Education and e-Learning: Why 2009 should result in fewer prefixes and more knowledge
Adult Education and e-Learning: Why 2009 should result in fewer prefixes and more knowledge
At a time when UK university places are seeing record demand and applications submitted by older students are increasing, it seems likely that over the next few years a typical campus will be made up of an even more diverse mix of ages than it has seen in the past. Recent UCAS data highlights just how many older people are applying, with an 18 percent rise of applicants aged 25 and over - this has bumped the overall number of extra students competing to get into UK institutions by another 50,000 compared to last year.
Although this sudden influx of students is no doubt set to strain our recession-hit universities even further, as well as making the application process even tougher for those who a few years ago would haves secured a place with ease, I see this as a very good thing for education as a whole - and a good opportunity for the UK's HE institutions to adapt to the needs of a wider variety of students and developing technologies.
When we discuss e-Learning, adult education or distance courses - if we are not describing its successes we are usually talking about issues that people come across when embarking on such an endeavour. Steve Wheeler (from his blog: steve-wheeler.blogspot.com) is aware of this and decided to ask his Twitter followers what they thought the primary issues with, specifically, e-Learning were. What inspired this particular article is the response from one follower in Liverpool who argued ‘that integrating e-learning into the mainstream (and perhaps losing the 'e' that distinguishes it)' was important. A notion that got me thinking.
Surely then, 2009 and 2010 may well be the year that we really begin to see this happen. E-Learning is ear-marked for further funding in light of the 40th anniversary of the Open University, and additionally, the greater reach of online lessons where physical class space and accommodation doesn't have to be considered will no doubt become more important for institutions and students alike.
At the same time, I can't help but imagine that the notion of ‘adult education' as opposed to just ‘education' is on its way out also - and it is e-Learning technology which is having a hand in that too. Online education is changing the way in which the individual student interacts with the college in two ways, the first: by offering a flexible, individually fitted, means to accessing information and the second: by providing open content (i.e. texts created by institutions but that are available to all). Consequently, once e-Learning does become "mainstream" I envisage a learning environment that has absolutely nothing to do with the age of the student, and everything to do with that innocuous vowel - though I'm sure we will have forgotten all about it.
About the Author
Sarah Maple is writing for Kaplan about degree courses.
At a time when UK university places are seeing record demand and applications submitted by older students are increasing, it seems likely that over the next few years a typical campus will be made up of an even more diverse mix of ages than it has seen in the past. Recent UCAS data highlights just how many older people are applying, with an 18 percent rise of applicants aged 25 and over - this has bumped the overall number of extra students competing to get into UK institutions by another 50,000 compared to last year.
Although this sudden influx of students is no doubt set to strain our recession-hit universities even further, as well as making the application process even tougher for those who a few years ago would haves secured a place with ease, I see this as a very good thing for education as a whole - and a good opportunity for the UK's HE institutions to adapt to the needs of a wider variety of students and developing technologies.
When we discuss e-Learning, adult education or distance courses - if we are not describing its successes we are usually talking about issues that people come across when embarking on such an endeavour. Steve Wheeler (from his blog: steve-wheeler.blogspot.com) is aware of this and decided to ask his Twitter followers what they thought the primary issues with, specifically, e-Learning were. What inspired this particular article is the response from one follower in Liverpool who argued ‘that integrating e-learning into the mainstream (and perhaps losing the 'e' that distinguishes it)' was important. A notion that got me thinking.
Surely then, 2009 and 2010 may well be the year that we really begin to see this happen. E-Learning is ear-marked for further funding in light of the 40th anniversary of the Open University, and additionally, the greater reach of online lessons where physical class space and accommodation doesn't have to be considered will no doubt become more important for institutions and students alike.
At the same time, I can't help but imagine that the notion of ‘adult education' as opposed to just ‘education' is on its way out also - and it is e-Learning technology which is having a hand in that too. Online education is changing the way in which the individual student interacts with the college in two ways, the first: by offering a flexible, individually fitted, means to accessing information and the second: by providing open content (i.e. texts created by institutions but that are available to all). Consequently, once e-Learning does become "mainstream" I envisage a learning environment that has absolutely nothing to do with the age of the student, and everything to do with that innocuous vowel - though I'm sure we will have forgotten all about it.
About the Author
Sarah Maple is writing for Kaplan about degree courses.
Parent Guide: What do Catholic Schools Have to Offer?
Traditional in structure and strengthened by their ethos, Catholic Schools are known worldwide for their commitment to deliver top quality education to all their students, regardless of what type of community they come from. Comprehensive Catholic education will take into account all intellectual, moral, religious, spiritual, physical and social capabilities of each individual student and develop each aspect to the fullest.
Despite what some educators think, finding an excellent educational facility involves more than driving down the road and signing up at the first school that comes along. Parents and caregivers know that choosing the perfect school takes time and reflection. Many imperative questions need to be answered before a final decision can be made and the child can finally be enrolled.
During your query you may wonder: "What do Catholic Schools have to offer that other schools don't?" It is a legitimate question and, hopefully, the following summary will shed some light on the many characteristics that make the Catholic educational school system stand out from the crowd.
Top Quality Education
The strong and determined leaders of catholic school are committed to bring the highest quality of educational values to their students. Their high expectations foster a positive, supportive environment which will help each student to attain their full potential on all levels. Therefore, high achievement rates and success are within every student's reach.
Religious Surroundings
Catholic schools offer families the opportunity to educate their children in a nurturing and faith filled environment. Every student is invited to find value and spiritual meaning in life through prayer, liturgy and sacramental celebration. To extend religious teachings, many religious schools will also partner with parishes to be the first educators in faith.
Teachers and Support Staff
As part of the Catholic school community, teachers and support staff are committed and dedicated to the vocation of their employer. Teachers have a thorough and advanced knowledge of child psychology and are masters in their individual fields. They pay attention to detail and to the background, interests and motivation that drives their students. Through a comprehensive understanding of their students, and state-of the art facilities which include data technology as well as sporting amenities, the staff is able to guide their scholars towards a successful future.
Safe Environment
No child should fear mental or physical abuse. This includes neglect, bullying and harassment. At Catholic schools all children feel they belong. They can study in a child-safe environment, where a protective code of conduct is valued above all. No Catholic school employee or volunteer will enter the school system before being screened thoroughly and will be monitored throughout their entire school career. Nurturing young minds and their safety are matters the Catholic schools take deeply to heart.
Continuity
Changing schools is a disruption most children, their parents, caregivers or advocates can live without. An unhappy child equals a family in distress. To avoid such an unpleasant situation, parents can opt to enroll their offspring in a Catholic school where they can start at an early age and remain until the senior years of secondary schooling.
Diversity
Based on Christian principle, Catholic schools will welcome students of all cultures. They truly believe that celebrating the diversity of God's gifts will help shape and open up the mind of many young boys and girls.
Parental Involvement
Catholic schools encourage parental involvement. They will offer many opportunities, which may vary from assisting in the day-to-day activities, to representing the school on community committees. The more staff and parents work together, the higher the academic grade of the students will be.
Fortified with all this valuable information, it should be an easy choice to find your child's next school. If still in doubt, check out the many great and detailed websites that Catholic schools have to offer. You are bound to find at least one or two in your own neighbourhood.
About the Author
School Select is Australia's premier school directory. School Select specialises in all types of schools in including catholic school's, primary schools, private schools and even driving and music schools. Article distributed by SHOUT SEO: www.shoutwebstrategy.com.au
Despite what some educators think, finding an excellent educational facility involves more than driving down the road and signing up at the first school that comes along. Parents and caregivers know that choosing the perfect school takes time and reflection. Many imperative questions need to be answered before a final decision can be made and the child can finally be enrolled.
During your query you may wonder: "What do Catholic Schools have to offer that other schools don't?" It is a legitimate question and, hopefully, the following summary will shed some light on the many characteristics that make the Catholic educational school system stand out from the crowd.
Top Quality Education
The strong and determined leaders of catholic school are committed to bring the highest quality of educational values to their students. Their high expectations foster a positive, supportive environment which will help each student to attain their full potential on all levels. Therefore, high achievement rates and success are within every student's reach.
Religious Surroundings
Catholic schools offer families the opportunity to educate their children in a nurturing and faith filled environment. Every student is invited to find value and spiritual meaning in life through prayer, liturgy and sacramental celebration. To extend religious teachings, many religious schools will also partner with parishes to be the first educators in faith.
Teachers and Support Staff
As part of the Catholic school community, teachers and support staff are committed and dedicated to the vocation of their employer. Teachers have a thorough and advanced knowledge of child psychology and are masters in their individual fields. They pay attention to detail and to the background, interests and motivation that drives their students. Through a comprehensive understanding of their students, and state-of the art facilities which include data technology as well as sporting amenities, the staff is able to guide their scholars towards a successful future.
Safe Environment
No child should fear mental or physical abuse. This includes neglect, bullying and harassment. At Catholic schools all children feel they belong. They can study in a child-safe environment, where a protective code of conduct is valued above all. No Catholic school employee or volunteer will enter the school system before being screened thoroughly and will be monitored throughout their entire school career. Nurturing young minds and their safety are matters the Catholic schools take deeply to heart.
Continuity
Changing schools is a disruption most children, their parents, caregivers or advocates can live without. An unhappy child equals a family in distress. To avoid such an unpleasant situation, parents can opt to enroll their offspring in a Catholic school where they can start at an early age and remain until the senior years of secondary schooling.
Diversity
Based on Christian principle, Catholic schools will welcome students of all cultures. They truly believe that celebrating the diversity of God's gifts will help shape and open up the mind of many young boys and girls.
Parental Involvement
Catholic schools encourage parental involvement. They will offer many opportunities, which may vary from assisting in the day-to-day activities, to representing the school on community committees. The more staff and parents work together, the higher the academic grade of the students will be.
Fortified with all this valuable information, it should be an easy choice to find your child's next school. If still in doubt, check out the many great and detailed websites that Catholic schools have to offer. You are bound to find at least one or two in your own neighbourhood.
About the Author
School Select is Australia's premier school directory. School Select specialises in all types of schools in including catholic school's, primary schools, private schools and even driving and music schools. Article distributed by SHOUT SEO: www.shoutwebstrategy.com.au
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)