Teachers Educated Outside Canada

I was a cum laude graduate in the Philippines and had finished my masters with honors. Since I had an impressive academic standing I was immediately hired as an English teacher in a public school which I consider as a blessing because in the Philippines it is almost impossible for newly graduates to be absorbed in a public school.

The experience was very challenging but after two years I gave up my profession. It was one of the toughest decision I made but when your salary is not even enough for your children to have the life you wanted. As a mother you have to do what you are supposed to do. I was working on my doctorate degree when I decided to quit and work as a caregiver in Canada. When I left I have so much hope in my heart that after two years I can be a teacher again but this time in a country of opportunity, Canada.

Canada has a two year program for live in caregivers that after a caregiver finished the two year contract , he or she will be eligible to apply for permanent residency. So I said to myself for two years I will be working as a live in nanny then I will apply for my permanent residency then I can be a teacher again because as a permanent resident I can work whatever work I want as long as Iam qualified. What a well thought plan I said.

Now that Iam almost done with my two year contact hence in the near future I would be applying for my permanent residency ,the excitement and hope for me were like ice cream that had been melted under the sun when I realized how hard it is to be accredited by the teachers college and that was not the only obstacle I have to face. The unemployment rate for teachers was overwhelming. I had read lots of articles about unemployed teachers especially in Ontario. Now, if teachers that were educated in Canada were having a hard time finding a job, where do teachers educated outside Canada belong? Do we have a chance in this country then? Are teachers like us have a future in Canada?I do not know what the future holds but all I can say is nothing can ever discourage me. I had already been in a long way just to simply give up. Giving up is not an option.

That is something that immigrants like me have, the determination and the courage to believe. I know for sure that it will be a rocky and tough road just to be certified in Canada not to mention how tough it would be to compete with other teachers for employment but all I can say is “once a teacher will always be a teacher“. Hence, I can already picture myself practicing my profession again. Iam born to be a teacher. Iam passionate about it. Iam well equipped and if it will take me changing nights into days I will do it for the glory of my profession.

Just thinking that I would be teaching again, touching student’s life give me strength to keep believing. Wondering whether teachers like me have a future or a chance in Canada does not really matter what matters is believing in myself and I believe I can. Everyone

has a chance. You and I can make it but on how we make it up there is an assignment we both need to do. Meanwhile as I send this article and start preparing dinner for the two kids I’m taking care of, I would like to leave this words to those teachers who are in the same situation, Believe and work hard is the key to success.

About the Author

Lea Joy Somera is A Filipino teacher.

Foreign Language Classes as a Paradigm For Successful Instruction

To put this article in perspective, I should mention that I write a lot of harsh articles about the counter-productive practices used in public education.

A few weeks ago I wondered: well, is there any good news? Let’s approach this thing from the other direction and ask: are there still classrooms that are sensibly conducted; are there still subjects that are taught in an intelligent way?

I thought about French (or other foreign languages). And I was immediately sure that this was the least contaminated area in American education. Here’s why:

I bet that most French classes are still taught today very much as French classes were taught 100 years ago. This is great news. It means there is a laboratory where we can see how it should be done. 

And what are the main components of this successful formula? There are two. First, teachers and students are deeply respectful of the content being taught; everybody loves French and wants to master French. Second, language classes are completely transparent; everybody in and outside the class can view and evaluate the progress made by all the students.

Think of the contrast with a typical public school classroom, where content is disdained, and the proceedings are so murky that almost nobody knows what success looks like or whether anybody is achieving it.

I wrote up these reflections in an article titled “French Class As A Paradigm For The Perfect Way To Teach Everything.” (On AmericanChronicle.com.)

Trying to keep the article short, I left out some interesting points. Run through your own list of the most popular fads in American education. You would probably think of Constructivism, Self-Esteem, Multiculturalism, Cooperative Learning, Portfolios, No Memorization, and many more. Now imagine a good French teacher evaluating these gimmicks (as I think of them) for use in her French class:

Constructivism? This means the kids are going to invent French? Sure they are.

Cooperative Learning? Learning French is like eating lunch at a bistro: you have to do it for yourself. When you interact, you should interact with the whole class or the teacher. Kids shouldn’t be chatting with each other, whether in French or English.

Multiculturalism? That’s why they take French to begin with. They’ll learn the glory of French civilization. Are you saying we have to stir in some stuff from Africa, Asia and South America. Bizarre!

Self-Esteem? Where does this go? Kids will hear records, movies, television news. Can they pronounce it like that? Then they’re good. If they can’t, should the teacher say they’re good. Everyone knows it’s a lie.

Portfolios? Oh yes, students will learn French by cutting out pictures of the Eiffel Tower. Maybe this is a way to learn about France in elementary school. But it is clearly not the way to learn to speak French in middle or high school.

No Memorization? And you want to learn French? Does this actually work in history and science?? Well, it doesn't work in French. The whole point is to memorize French... 

My point here is that thinking about French clarifies how useless all these things are. My thesis is that these gimmicks are harmful in history, biology and all other subjects. You don’t always feel it because the Education Establishment has woven them into the fabric and made you think it’s normal to have contempt for content, and murkiness and ignorance in every direction.

(For more about respect for content, see “47: Teach One Fact Each Day” on Improve-Education.org.)


About the Author

Bruce Deitrick Price is an author, poet, artist and education activist. He founded Improve-Education.org in 2005.

Educational Propaganda

Recently, students across the country took the Advanced Placement English Literature exam. This three hour test, which grants college credit to qualifying students, is the culmination of a year of intense study and preparation in a high level class. On this year’s exam, students were asked to write an essay in response to the following quote: "Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience. It is the unhealable rift forced between a human being and a native place, between the self and its true home: its essential sadness can never be surmounted."

While exile as a theme is a good launching point for an essay, the College Board used the topic to launch an apparent political agenda by identifying the author of the quote as “Palestinian American literary theorist and cultural critic Edward Said.”

Quoting Edward Said, a man who has infamously been photographed throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, isn’t the issue. It isn’t even quoting a Palestinian, per se. What is problematic is the linking of a Palestinian with a quote about “exile.” It creates a sympathetic image of exiled Palestinians without any qualifications. It assumes one side in a longstanding conflict. After spending a year studying the nuances in language and writing, most of my students did not miss this inference.

Many of them had a fundamental problem with the question. As a teacher, I had a serious problem with it.

Political propaganda is something my students will certainly get used to, particularly as they head off to college campuses in the fall. But it has no place on a high-stakes exam that is supposed to be standardized. Not when they’ve worked hard all year studying literature and language.

They were blindsided and left with a choice: agree with the quote about Palestinian exile and write an essay, or disagree with the supposition that the Palestinians were torn from their “true home” and possibly throw their chances at a high score.

There isn’t anything “standardized” about that.

The College Board is particularly sensitive to language. This prompt could not have come out of nowhere. Politically motivated and particularly disturbing in its inclusion on the exam, it is a manipulation of facts and as such, it is a manipulation of education. In essence, this educational measure was a forced indoctrination of the College Board’s political beliefs.

I voiced my concern to the College Board and was told that they had not received any complaints. I called two more times and received the same reply. A Facebook group of close to 700 members has voiced its concerns. An article was written about this issue in a Jewish newspaper, The Forward, but still the College Board claims that they know nothing about the “problem.”

I shouldn’t be surprised. They are simply following the higher academia pied pipers down the path of bias and partiality. Literature and Composition: Reading, Writing, and Thinking, the Bedford St. Martin Press anthology just completed for the AP Literature course, contains two poems by Palestinians. Not one Israeli poet or author is quoted. Not even as an alternate view to Mahmoud Darwish’s “Identity Card”.

The College Board is notoriously politically correct. In fact, their dedication to being PC has gotten them in trouble over the years. But this time, they have chosen sides in a controversy that has offended a large portion of their testing audience. They have drawn lines, not in the sands of higher academia, but in the sandboxes of impressionable high school students.

Many in the academic world have pooh-poohed the controversy and called the protesting students overly sensitive or even racist. Interestingly, the same day as the exam, students in Brandies University were dismayed to learn that Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren was asked to give the commencement address. The student newspaper came out against the choice on the grounds that Oren is “a divisive and inappropriate choice” because “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a hotly contested political issue, one that inspires students with serious positions on the topic to fervently defend and promote their views.”

I find it remarkable that University students cannot handle political controversy, but high school students are expected to “get over it.” Moreover, they are forced to actually agree with a statement they dispute, from a man who is so controversial that even his status as a Palestinian is questionable.

As an AP teacher, I have respectfully told my school that I am not comfortable teaching a course that has a clear political agenda. My students would be better served taking a literature course at their local university and graduating with actual college credit rather than relying on a politically biased exam to test their skills.

And while they will get their fair share of propaganda on campuses, at least the manipulationwill be blatant. There will be opportunity to debate.

I can’t say the same for the College Board.

About the Author

Adina Ciment teaches English in Miami Beach.

What Parents and Teachers should Know about Suicide in Adolescents (Part 1)

By Dr. Shahul Ameen, M.D.

INTRODUCTION

Suicide is one of the commonest causes of death among young people. The latest mean worldwide annual rates of suicide per 100,000 are 0.5 for females and 0.9 for males among 5-14-year-olds, and 12.0 for females and 14.2 for males among 15-24-year-olds. Suicide is the sixth leading cause of death among children aged 5-14 years, and the third leading cause of death among all those 15-24 years old. In most countries, males outnumber females in youth suicide statistics. There are far more suicidal attempts and gestures than actual completed suicides. One epidemiological study estimated that there were 23 suicidal gestures and attempts for every completed suicide. Though female teens are much more likely to attempt suicide than males, male teens are more likely to actually kill themselves.

The suicide rate among young teens and young adults has increased by more than 300% in the last three decades. Social changes that might be related to the rise in adolescent suicide include an increased incidence of childhood depression and decreased family stability. Some researchers argue that economic and political institutions have penetrated the family unit, reducing it to a consumer unit no longer able to function as a support system, and no longer able to supply family members with a sense of stability and rootedness. Awareness of the existing state of the world, now threatened by sophisticated methods of destruction, can cause depression which contributes to the adolescent's sense of frustration, helplessness, and hopelessness. Faced with these feelings and lacking coping mechanisms, adolescents can become overwhelmed and turn to escapist measures such as drugs, withdrawal, and ultimately suicide.

The rising rate has also been explained as a reaction to the stress inherent in adolescence compounded by increasing stress in the environment. Adolescence is a time when ordinary levels of stress are heightened by physical, psychological, emotional, and social changes. Adolescents suffer a feeling of loss for the childhood they must leave behind, and undergo an arduous period of adjustment to their new adult identity. Yet society alienates adolescents from their new identity by not allowing them the rights and responsibilities of adulthood. They are no longer children, but they are not accorded the adult privileges of expressing their sexuality or holding a place in the work force. Our achievement-oriented, highly competitive society puts pressure on the teens to succeed, often forcing them to set unrealistically high personal expectations. There is increased pressure to stay in school, where success is narrowly defined and difficult to achieve. In an affluent society which emphasizes immediate rewards, adolescents are not taught to be tolerant of frustration.

RISK FACTORS FOR SUICIDE

Contrary to popular belief, suicide is not an impulsive act but the result of a three-step process: a previous history of problems is compounded by problems associated with adolescence; finally, a precipitating event, often a death or the end of a meaningful relationship, triggers the suicide. The major, empirically proven risk actors for suicide among adolescents are detailed below.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Psychopathology: More than 90% of youth suicides and around 60% of younger adolescent suicide victims have had at least one major psychiatric disorder. The most prevalent disorder in adolescent suicide victims is depressive disorders. Depression that seems to quickly disappear for no apparent reason is a cause for concern, and the early stages of recovery from depression can be a high risk period. Substance abuse, conduct disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and panic attacks are the other disorders found to be common in this population.

Previous suicide attempts: A history of prior suicide attempts is one of the strongest predictors of completed suicide, especially in boys. One quarter to one third of teen suicide victims have made a previous suicide attempt.

Cognitive and personality factors: Hopelessness, poor interpersonal problem solving ability and aggressive impulsive behaviour have been linked with suicidality.

Biological factors: Some teens are at greater risk for suicide because of their biochemical makeup. Abnormalities in the function of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, have been associated with suicidal behaviour.

FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS

Family history of suicidal behaviour: Teens who kill themselves have often had a close family member who attempted or committed suicide.

Parental psychopathology: High rates of parental psychopathology, particularly depression and substance abuse, have been found to be associated with completed suicide and suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescents. Moreover, family cohesion has been reported to be a protective factor for suicidal behaviour among adolescents.

ADVERSE LIFE CIRCUMSTANCES

Stressful life events: Life stressors such as interpersonal losses and legal or disciplinary problems are associated with completed suicide and suicide attempts in adolescents. The anniversary of a loss can also evoke a powerful desire to commit suicide.

Common problems preceding suicide attempts:

* School or work problems
* Difficulties with boyfriends or girlfriends
* Physical ill health
* Difficulties or disputes with parents, siblings or peers
* Depression
* Bullying
* Low self esteem
* Sexual problems

Physical abuse: Childhood physical abuse has been found to be associated with increased risk of suicide attempts in late adolescence and early adulthood.

SOCIOECONOMIC AND CONTEXTUAL FACTORS

School and work problems: Difficulties in school, neither working nor being in school, dropping out of high school and not attending college pose significant risks for completed suicide.

Contagion/Imitation: Teens are more likely to kill themselves if they have recently read, seen, or heard about other suicide attempts. Evidence continues to amass from studies of suicide clusters and the impact of the media, supporting the existence of suicide contagion. The impact of suicide stories on subsequent competed suicides appears to be greatest for teenagers.

PREVENTION STRATEGIES

Youth suicide prevention strategies have primarily been implemented within three domains - school, community, and health are systems. This article reviews the school-based programs in detail and briefly describes the community based interventions.

SCHOOL-BASED SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAMS

School based suicide prevention programs include both curricula components to teach students about these warning signs and what to do, as well as non-curricula components such as peer groups, hot lines, intervention services and parent training. Prevention includes education efforts to alert students and the community to the problem of teen suicidal behavior. Intervention with a suicidal student is aimed at protecting and helping the student who is currently in distress. Postvention occurs after there has been a suicide in the school community. It attempts to help those affected by the recent suicide. In all cases it is a good idea to have a clear plan in place in advance. It should involve staff members and administration. There should be clear protocols and clear lines of communication. Careful planning can make interventions more organized, and effective.

The goals of school based suicide prevention programs are to:

* Increase awareness
* Promote identification of students at high risk of suicide and suicide attempts
* Provide knowledge about the behavioral characteristics ("warning signs") of teens at risk for suicide.
* Provide information to students, teachers and parents on the availability of mental health resources
* Enhance the coping abilities of teenagers

Education: Education may be done in a health class, by the school counselor or outside speakers. Education should address the factors that make individuals more vulnerable to suicidal thoughts. Education regarding the ill effects of drug and alcohol abuse would be useful. PTA meetings can be used to educate parents about depression and suicidal behavior. Parents should be educated about the risk of unsecured firearms in the home. Outside mental health professionals can discuss their programs so that students can see that these individuals are approachable. Education on the following topics will be useful:

Warning signs of suicide:

* Preoccupation with death and dying
* Signs of depression
* Taking excessive risks
* Increased drug use
* The verbalizing of suicide threats
* The giving away of prized personal possessions
* The collection and discussion of information on suicide methods
* The expression of hopelessness, helplessness, and anger at oneself or the world
* Themes of death or depression evident in conversation, written expressions, reading selections, or artwork
* The scratching or marking of the body, or other self-destructive acts
* Acute personality changes, unusual withdrawal, aggressiveness, or moodiness
* Sudden dramatic decline or improvement in academic performance, chronic truancy or tardiness, or running away
* Physical symptoms such as eating disturbances, sleeplessness or excessive sleeping, chronic headaches or stomachaches, menstrual irregularities, apathetic appearance

Sudden changes in behavior that are significant, last for a long time, and are apparent in all or most areas of his or her life (pervasive) are more specific than presence of isolated signs. However, it should be noted that many completed suicides had only a few of the conditions listed above, and that all indications of suicidality need to be taken seriously in a one person to another person situation.

Signs of depression in teens:

* Sad, anxious or "empty" mood
* Declining school performance
* Loss of pleasure/interest in social and sports activities
* Sleeping too much or too little
* Changes in weight or appetite

Features of self harm that suggest high suicidal intent:

* Conducted in isolation
* Timed so that intervention is unlikely (for example, after parents have gone to work)
* Precautions to avoid discovery
* Preparations made in anticipation of death (for example, leaving indication of how belongings to be distributed)
* Adolescent told other people beforehand about thoughts of suicide
* The act had been considered for hours or days beforehand
* Suicide note or message
* Adolescent did not alert others during or after the act

(Article continued in Part II)

About the Author

Dr. Shahul Ameen, M.D., is a psychiatrist based in Ranchi, India. He edits http://www.psyplexus.com/ (a portal for mental health professionals) and http://www.mind.in/ (a portal on mental health for the consumers).

Is Your Kid Disorganized? What can you do?

Children with disabilities like ADD, ADHD, Mood Disorders, and Autism have lots of difficulty with organization.  This is because these disorders affect the Executive Functioning part of the brain.  It’s very frustrating for parents and teachers to try to help these kids learn organizational skills.  It’s just as frustrating for kids to always feel like they’re not prepared and not ready for what they need to do.  But there are things that can be done. Children with these types of disabilities can learn strategies and techniques for independent organization.

Think about the last time you were in the grocery store and you realize you left the list of groceries on the kitchen table.  You feel unprepared as you go through the store trying to remember what was on the list, hoping you don’t forget something you really need and pretty much just trying to get it done, but knowing you’re not doing a really good job. You feel stressed and anxious because you’re wandering up and down the aisles randomly choosing things from the shelves.  Going back down aisles numerous times because something in another aisle reminds you of something you’ve forgotten.  It takes you twice as long and you spend too much.  Then you get home and look at the list and learn that you did indeed forget things and will have to go back.

This is how our kids feel every day.  They get to school and they’ve forgotten their homework, or their book.  They can’t find their assignment book.  They know they were supposed to have something for their math notebook signed by mom, but can’t remember what.  They start to get stressed knowing they’re going to get in trouble or even worse that they will get to class and not be able to participate because they don’t have their book.  Their brain is thinking that they don’t want to tell the teacher they forgot it again and that causes them to miss out on what the teacher is saying to the class and now they don’t even know what is going on.  It’s a vicious cycle.  How can we help?

We can help by helping our kids to have good habits at home.  After school, unpack the backpack and look at everything that needs to be done.  Review the assignment book. Assignments should be in folders or binders, preferably colored for each subject.  My son used an accordion file with different colored tabs for each subject.  Then he only had to keep track of one item that went everywhere with him.  He would put all papers in it in the proper section.  Find what works for your child and stick with it.  Help your child make a plan for the evening based on what needs to be done.  When finished have him put everything back in the appropriate folder, etc., and then back into the backpack.  Place the backpack in the same spot all the time.  I recommend a hook right near the door.  Do this at night before bed, so everything is away and you’re not scrambling in the morning.

If your child is involved in any activities, have a bag for every activity to keep all of the needed supplies together.  I suggest a soccer bag for soccer stuff, a baseball bag for baseball stuff, etc.  You don’t want to get to the big game and not have cleats.  (This has happened to me. Two hours away from home and we are hunting for a sports store to buy a pair.)  Plus you don’t want to hound your child throughout the day to make sure they have everything.  As I like to remind parents, we won’t be there forever to remind them, let’s help them be independent.  We can’t follow them to college, I’ve tried but for some reason my kids object.

I used to have to remind my son every morning about 30 times to brush his teeth, comb his hair, get his shoes, and get his homework.  I’d send him upstairs to do 3 things and it never failed, he would come down only having done 1 or 2.  So, to help him be more independent, I purchased a write on wipe off board and placed it on his bedroom door.  He wrote on it the things he needed to do in the mornings.  He wrote, ‘Brush Teeth, Comb Hair, Get Shoes, Get Gym Bag, and Feed Fish’. He would then check them off as he had done them.  Erasing the checkmarks at night.  I never had to remind him of what he had to do again.  He is independent.  Our mornings are much nicer and there is much less stress for him when he gets to school.  He can even add things that don’t relate to school that he wants to do, like call his friend to go to a movie or rent a video game.  Of course, he still occasionally forgets something, (the disability never goes away), but it only happens once in a great while and let’s face it we all forget things sometimes.

Not all things work for every child, but keep trying things and you’ll figure out what works for your child.  Give each thing you try at least two weeks before giving up and trying something new, don’t forget, we’re trying to help our child learn a routine which takes time.  I now put my list in my bag as soon as I’ve finished writing it.  I rarely forget it on the table.  And my grocery shopping is much less stressful.  Good luck.

About the Author

Lynne Castino has been advocating for children for over 15 years.  She is a public speaker, trainer, author, and advocate working with families throughout the Southcoast of Massachusetts.  Visit her website at http://www.beyondadvocacy.com or email her at lmccmw@gmail.com

A Checklist Of Ten Education Ideas We Might Want To Reconsider

One fascinating thing about education is that everyone has an analysis or a miracle cure.

Even when correct, however, a lot of these theories seem to me superficial. They don’t deal with the deep-down pathologies.

If we’re seeing really bad results, can’t you usually be pretty sure there’s a really bad idea down there somewhere?

Rushing in where angels might fear to tread, I offer my checklist of bad ideas undermining many American schools:

Self-esteem is pushed

Constructivism is injected into every course

Arithmetic is badly taught

Reading instruction is flawed

Guessing is encouraged

Foundational knowledge is slighted

Group learning is favored

Memorization is dismissed

Handwriting is not taught

Fuzziness is praised

Put aside for the moment whether a school is rich or poor, the teachers good or bad, the students smart or not so smart; put aside all the explanations and alibis typically mentioned. Behind all of that, these bad ideas are humming away 24/7, diminishing educational effectiveness.

Presumably for ideological reasons, our Education Establishment is more focused on social engineering than on intellectual engineering. The result is that they tend to favor inferior pedagogical methods. That’s what I believe this list is: inferior pedagogical methods.

For a little more detail on each item, please see “46: Public Schools Seem To Be Designed To Fail,” the newest article on Improve-Education.org.

(NB: this article is very brief because it was originally written to make a YouTube graphic video (one of 40 at this point). For the 4-minute YouTube version, click here.)

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About the Author

Bruce Price is the author of "THE EDUCATION ENIGMA--What Happened to American Education." He founded improve-Education.org in 2005. It now has 48 original articles. Reading is a focus. Please see "42: Reading Resources."

Join the Educational Revolution!

I consider myself an Education Reformer. Through the years I have tried to reform education from the inside out. It has not worked. What makes me so smart, nothing really? I think every teacher wants to assist students with learning to the best of their ability. At least that is my deepest desire, to assist kids that struggled to overcome their challenges. Which in turn, produces more well-rounded, self-sufficient, educated people as citizens for our county. Does this seem far-fetched?

This is my general premise as per my paper, The Multi-Sensory Classroom (Aug. 2004):
“Each child develops sensory/motor preskills at a very young age (e.g., auditory processing, fine and gross motor skills, visual perception, reflexes, tactile processing, sensory modulation). These bottom levels of sensory/motor development are often taken for granted because they are basic and develop automatically in the typically developing child. When we teach a student at school, the child uses these sensory/motor preskills as a foundation for learning. Children in whom these preskills have not fully developed find learning difficult if not impossible; they become our struggling or special-needs children. Without the appropriate developmental foundation, they cannot build the abstract thinking skills we try to teach them in school. “
Therefore, students may struggle in an educational setting and it may not be obviously apparent why the struggle exists.

So here’s my beef. Many students receive the necessary tools to overcome struggles in public education by the support of parents, teachers and interventions. There are a great number of students who do not receive additional support for whatever reason. This fact needs to change very rapidly.

Case in point, let’s examines the test scores for the high school exit exam for California. According to the California Department of Education website’s data for July of 2008, 13, 237 students took the Math portion of the California Exit Exam and 13, 373 students took the English portion of the exam. 29% of the students passed the Math and 30% passed the English portions of the test for the state. That means that 9,423 students failed the Math and 9,420 failed the English! Holy Smoke!

I cannot be the only one screaming in the wildness. Where are you? Please don’t give me the spill about more qualified teachers and incentives. In today’s, New York Times, Week in Review section on page 5 there is an advertisement from the President of America Federation of Teachers. The name of the article which is really an advertisement is called, “ What Matters Most: Words into Action”. In the ad-like article the president, Randi Weingarten explains this problem in education, “ For too long and too often, teacher evaluation –in both design and implementation – has failed to achieve what must be our goal: continuously improving and informing teaching so as to better education all students”. She goes on to give an example from Colorado of the school board and teacher union working together. Then at the end she says that school board members, teachers, union leaders all feel the same way, they want what’s best for the kids. I felt the article was about working relationships in these difficult financial times. Maybe that needs to be the focus for the advertisement that educational higher ups and teacher unions do not need to eat each other alive so they can eventually help kids. Although our students are failing right now and I don’t want any kid to miss several years of learning because people who make a lot of money can’t get along. We are talking about kid’s futures here. Give me a break!

I’m tired of the Infomercial Education. The kind that keeps promising that magic ellixir yet, the product is just so-so. The real conversation needs to be around the individual differences of students or their learning styles and needs. Administrators, school boards, teachers and all school staff members need to be trained in how to recognize a struggling student’s needs: emotionally, developmentally and physically. They also need to know how to build or recognize curriculum for these needs and drive the curriculum based on assessment data, not a hunch or a feeling. I’m not saying that public education can fix it all and is a one-stop shop. But let’s be honest students come to school with all of these issues and as a whole we cannot ignore the numbers. Our students in this state are not making the cut. Our interventions are not making the cut. Identifying student’s needs are not based on each student’s individual differences or assessments yet blanket interventions are thrown on major problems.

So, we need an Educational Revolution…

About the Author
Lisa Y. Johnson-Collins, Director of Education Through Engagement, LLC and Learning Through Engagement bring complementary skills in education and child development. Lisa has thirteen years of experience in special education classrooms. Lisa also has worked in the field of social work, assisting children and families. She has a master’s degree in special education, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and is a credentialed teacher in both special and general education, kindergarten through high school. She has taught children with, among other things, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, emotional disturbance, autism, and mental retardation, as well as children in general education classes. Lisa has also studied in the field of child development as it relates to children’s education, having completed the requirements for certification in DIR (Developmental Individual- differences Relationship Model/Floortime) in the area of Special Education from the Interdisciplinary of Council of Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL).

University Ranking - Top Online Universities in the World

Want to study for an online degree program? There are many online universities
and colleges offering high quality education online.

Online Degree Programs:

Online degree programs offer many advantages such as flexibility and cost savings. Learning can take place at anywhere in the world, individual student can choose where, when and how to study.

Online programs are offered at different levels ranging from Certificate program, Diploma program, Associate degree, Bachelor degree, Graduate Certificate
, Graduate Diploma, Master degree to Doctorate degree. Subject areas include business, psychology, nursing, education, sociology, information technology and so on.

Top 10 Online Universities:

According to “The Best and Worst Online Degree Programs” 2007, the top ten online universities in the world are as follows:

(1) The University of London (UoL)

(2) The University of South Africa

(3) The University of Phoenix

(4) The University of Texas

(5) University of South Australia (UniSA)

(6) University of Southern Queensland (USQ)

(7) The University of Maryland University College

(8) Golden Gate University

(9) Ellis College of NYIT

(10) Stanford University

The University of London is ranked number one in the world for its outstanding online degree programs. It offers more than 100 online and distance qualifications through the University of London External Programme. Students studying through the External Programme are examined to the same standard as full-time on-campus students.

The University of South Australia is the leading provider of distance education in Australia. With more than 32000 on campus and offshore students, it is now the largest university in South Australia.

Prospective students are advised to check the accreditation and reputation of online universities and colleges before enrolling into a program of study.

Please refer to the relevant guides for more information on the latest university ranking and world university ranking.

Loke Yuen Wong - About the Author:

The author, Loke Yuen Wong, holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University (UK) and a BCom degree from The University of Adelaide (Australia). Other qualifications include the Postgraduate Diploma in Bus. Administration, Diploma in Instructor Skills, Diploma in Inferential Statistics, Group Diploma in Accounting, Group Diploma in Management Accounting, ACCA CertIFR, Pre-Cert (ES) TESOL, Certificate in Managing Performance, Certificate in Book-keeping & Accounts and English for Commerce.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/online-education-articles/university-ranking-top-online-universities-in-the-world-571792.html#ixzz0oSYefPxu
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

Move to Learn – Unlock the Potential of the Brain

There are about as many nerve cells in the brain as there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy. The unique set of connections between neurons that each of us develops determines how we view the world, shapes our future experiences, and indeed, determines who we are. Successful students have developed rich, connected networks of neurons. Many factors encourage neurons to branch and communicate with each other. In this newsletter, our topic will be the vital role of movement in brain development.

In our quest to fathom intelligent behavior, we have failed to appreciate that learning does not occur strictly in the mind. Learning and creativity are a “whole body” phenomenon and cannot occur independently. We teach “to the head” only, asking students to sit in chairs for long periods of time, listening and looking almost exclusively at abstract symbols, even when they are very young. We don’t fully appreciate that the mind cannot excel without the support of the body. We don’t “get it” that we must move to learn.

What is the role of movement in learning?
Movement stimulates the growth of neural networks upon which learning depends. It affords us the opportunity to explore our world and gather the sensory data that fuels the development of intelligence, in other words, it provokes learning. Movement provides feedback that the brain requires in order to learn. Movement allows us to express knowledge and therefore advance to the next plateau in our understanding.

What can parents do to encourage stronger learning in their children?
Not very many years ago, children played in their yards for hours each day. They ran, climbed trees, built forts, made mud pies and pretended to fly. These experiences developed rich neural networks that supported brain development in these children. Young people today spend far less time moving. They watch considerably more television and play significantly more video games.
We can integrate movement into our children’s daily lives and augment their capacity to succeed. In particular, children who have learning issues benefit from the systematic inclusion of movement into their daily lives.

Each “body” learns in its own unique way. The following activities can be stimulating to the development of strong brain networks. Allow your child to experiment during homework time and find the particular combination of activities that are most effective.

Most students remember new information better when they talk, write or draw. Encourage your child to “teach” new information to others in the household. For those students who anchor information best by writing, provide them with a white board and erasable markers or encourage them to take notes on paper. It isn’t always necessary to keep notes or read them later in order to anchor information in memory. The act of writing down the information promotes the development of connections among concepts. Demonstrating the concepts of the learning is another powerful way to incorporate the new learning into existing neural networks. Allow your child to act out what has been read, build a model, draw a diagram or chart, sing or dance.

Many students attend, concentrate and learn better when engaged in a repetitive, low concentration task such as doodling, folding paper, rocking, or squeezing a ball. Your child can also try walking around the room while reading or studying. Suggest to your child that he or she do this every 15 minutes while completing homework.

Because the mouth is an important site of neural integration and is closely tied to brain development, some students find that chewing can be a highly integrating activity that promotes concentration and understanding. Chewing gum can actually be an effective way to focus! It’s best to keep it simple. Crunchy, spicy, salty or sour foods can be effective concentration boosters. Have your child try carrot sticks, sugar free gum, pretzels or a small sour candy.

Encourage your child to engage in cross lateral physical activity for five minutes every hour. Cross lateral movements engage hand and foot on opposite sides of the body. Most of these movements are more effective when done standing. The addition of rhythmic music provides a boost. Some cross lateral movements students enjoy are:

* Touch hand (or elbow) to opposite knee.

* Lazy 8. Use one hand to trace a large infinity sign in front of the body, following the hand with the eyes. Alternate hands and continue.

* Cross the arms in front of the face in the shape of an “X” tracing a lazy 8. Be sure to watch the path of the 8 while tracing it.

* Karate Cross Crawl: Kick while punching or chopping with alternate hand and foot (right hand chops while left foot kicks).

* Cross Crawl Sit-ups. While lying on the back with hands clasped behind the head for support, sit up and touch the right elbow to the left knee. Alternate touching elbow to opposite knee.

* Double Doodle. Draw a design with both hands simultaneously. Be sure the designs are mirror images of each other, rather than facing the same direction.


About the Author

Dr. Kari Miller is a Board Certified Educational Therapist and Director of Miller Educational Excellence in Los Angeles. She began her career almost twenty-five years ago as a special education resource teacher. She has worked with students in a vast array of capacities, including special education teacher and educational therapist. Dr. Miller has a PhD in Educational Psychology and Mathematical Statistics, a master’s degree in Learning Disabilities, Gifted Education and Educational Diagnosis, and a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Behavior Disorders.

To contact Dr. Miller
Email: klmiller555@sbcglobal.net
Website: www.millereducationalexcellence.com
Phone: 310-280-9813

Times Tables – Causes of Difficulties (1 – 3)

The brief enumeration of main causes of difficulties in mastering the multiplication tables described in my previous article needs to be detailed and motivated. Now I would like to dwell at some length upon the first three causes.

Cause #1. Pupils begin to learn the times tables while many of them have not mastered simple mental addition and subtraction totally.

Only the fact, that multiplication is repeated addition, defaults importance of the addition skills for understanding the multiplication idea. At the first stage of becoming accustomed to the times tables every pupil should obtain himself/herself each multiplication result from 2 x 2 = 2 + 2 = 4 to 9 x 9 = 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 +9 = 81. Undoubtedly, only the pupils, which have mastered the mental addition skills within the limits of 100 totally, can perform such a work successfully. Only in this case the times tables will cease to be a meaningless set of numbers, and, furthermore, the results obtained by a pupil without assistance will become more accessible to be retained in the memory.
If a kid meets significant difficulties in addition, if he/she can not perform mentally, for instance, 7 + 7 + 7 quickly and effortlessly, then the exhausting calculating procedure will hide the importance of the desired goal. Hereupon the final result will lose meaning for the kid, and, as is generally known, it is not easy to memorize any meaningless information.
After the times tables have been shaped by pupils, the work upon learning them by heart begins. The process of the memorizing will require certain quantity of time and some, maybe, considerable efforts. We know that our memory has bad habit to let us down at the very unsuitable moment. So pupils are needed to become acquainted with some tips which can help them to recall the forgotten result. The first of the tips is already mentioned. If a pupil remembers that multiplication is repeated addition, then, when, for instance, the result of 6 x 4 has been forgotten, he/she can get it by adding 6 + 6 + 6 + 6. But there are other tips also. If you remember that 6 x 3 = 18, you can perform the next procedure 6 x 4 = 6 x 3 + 6 = 18 + 6 = 24. Or if you remember that 6 x 5 = 30, you can act so 6 x 4 = 6 x 5 - 6 = 30 - 6 = 24. To use these tips effectively, pupils have to master totally both the addition skills and the subtraction skills within the limits of 100.

Cause #2. Pupils learn the times tables without simultaneous learning the corresponding to them division facts.

If you need to memorize new information quickly and firmly, the best way is to form many connections between the new facts and any other facts in your brain. As for the multiplication tables, the first connection is the close relation between multiplication and addition. The second one is symmetrical multiplication results, and then the connections between the multiplication facts and division facts must be mentioned. My experience show that the simultaneous learning interconnected results (3 x 6 = 18, 6 x 3 = 18, 18 : 3 = 6, 18 : 6 = 3, for example) helps to memorize each of them better. Some my pupils had memorized well the division facts first, and only then they achieved success in the memorizing the multiplication results. Evidently, remembering that 18 : 6 = 3 helps to recall that 3 x 6 = 18.

Cause #3. To memorize the multiplication facts, many pupils use the learning by rote only, and the knowledge which has been crammed is forgotten very soon.

If a pupil is weak in mental addition and subtraction, he/she has the only way to recall a forgotten result – looking at the multiplication charts, and the only way to memorize the times tables – learning them by rote. Sometimes even teachers encourage children to do so by asking them to recite the times tables over and over again. As a result, many of pupils do not understand what have been crammed in their heads, and if they are asked for the answer to 7 x 8 they can give it only by reciting from 1 x 8.
It is doubtful whether we can manage without learning some math facts by rote at all, but it is evident that the learning by rote can not be the single or main way of learning math. In all events children must at first understand well the information which then they will try to memorize by heart, and, secondly, they must constantly use this information. We know well, that the phone number used often is memorized easier than the phone number which we use once in a while.

About the Author

Victor Guskov, a teacher of mathematics, PhD, Pedagogical Sciences.

http://www.simplar.narod.ru/index1.html

Online Education: Make the Healthcare Shortage Work for You

By now, most Americans have heard about the growing healthcare shortage. As Baby Boomers start to retire, the demand for healthcare services is increasing at the exact time that the number of healthcare workers is decreasing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the healthcare industry is the fastest-growing in the country. Right now the biggest shortfall is in the number of nurses; there are currently 200,000 unfilled registered nurse positions and by 2020 this gap is expected to reach one million. However, virtually all healthcare occupations have begun to experience shortages.

What most media reports don't mention, however, is that this shortfall represents a huge opportunity for people looking for a great career. In desperate bids to attract and retain healthcare employees, employers are offering much larger salaries than in the past, along with hiring bonuses, perks, benefits, and flexible schedules. The well-qualified healthcare job seeker has a serious advantage in this market. The opportunities are endless. You can pursue a rewarding career helping others and making the world a better place - and be sought after by great employers offering rising salaries and excellent job security at the same time.

Right now, one of the top priorities for hospitals, clinics, and the government is to increase the number of healthcare students. The federal government has even passed an initiative designed to help students get nursing degrees - check out the Nursing Reinvestment Act. However, there are a number of barriers that potential students confront . One is a shortage of nurse educators, which leads many qualified candidates to be turned down. Many potential healthcare students are also unable, for one reason or another, to attend traditional schools. Maybe you are already employed and looking for a career change. Maybe you are staying home with your kids and planning on entering a healthcare career when they go to school. Perhaps you live in a rural area, or an area that doesn't have very many educational options - these areas are often even more in need of healthcare professionals. Maybe you already work in healthcare and you know that continuing education will get you to a higher level.

One solution is to pursue healthcare education online. You can take courses to give yourself a competitive edge for entering a traditional program, or you can take the entire degree online. This allows busy adults to prepare for their career (or career change) according to their own schedules, at their own pace, and from wherever they happen to be. In addition, many online students use supervised internships in order to get the hands-on training they need. Learn about the options, learn about the careers, and get ready for those healthcare opportunities.
About the Author

Breanna Hite is an editor for the Guide To Healthcare Schools, a resource guide and directory of schools with online course offerings. The website provides advice and information about online degree programs.

Considering Single Sex Education ?

Considering Single Sex Education?

            The current educational literature is replete with assertions of the benefits of single sex schooling.  Medical doctors, psychologists and educational theorists have come to the conclusion, based on brain research, anecdotal evidence, and limited educational research, that single sex schooling has the potential to offer an optimal educational environment for both sexes.  Among the proposed benefits are:  increased student achievement, improved self-esteem, a reduction in discipline referrals, an increase in student attendance, an increase in the diversity of selection of courses in high school and in college, and an increase in the diversity of selection of non-traditional gender specific career choices.

            Single sex education is not a new concept.  The first schools in this country were single sex educational environments.  Males and females were educated separately based on traditional gender specific career paths common to American society.  Males were usually educated privately and/or worked as apprentices in their future careers.  Females were educated at home, learning the skills necessary for life as a successful wife.  Eventually, schools became coed to keep up with the changing needs of society and, it was thought, that the female presence in the classroom might aid in calming the rowdy boys.

            The emergence of secondary education developed as a result of the need for specialized professional training for males (doctors, lawyers, etc.).    In the United States, Harvard was established in 1636, William and Mary in1693, Yale College in 1716, and the College of New Jersey at Princeton in 1746.  Virginia Military Institute, the oldest military college in the United States was established in 1839, and the Citadel, the oldest South Carolina military college was established in 1842.  All of these institutions were all-male educational institutions and all highly regarded today, though they have not remained single sex environments.  

            Secondary education for females was unheard of until the early 1800s, but spread rapidly once the concept began. Wesleyan College in Georgia, the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women opened its doors in 1836.  Mary Sharp College (1853) in Tennessee and Elmira Female College (1855) in New York added to the developing list of all-female institutions of high learning.

            Until recently single sex education has been an international, private or parochial educational endeavor.  Public school single sex education was, in effect, outlawed by the implementation of title IX in 1972.  This law made it illegal for individuals to be denied participation or benefits from any institution receiving federal financial assistance.   Hence, single sex schools were given the choice of closing their doors or admitting both sexes.

            In October 2006, President Bush signed legislation that made single sex education not only legal, but endorsed by the United States Department of Education as a potential strategy in increasing student achievement.  Since that time educational theorists, researchers and educators have been investigating the claims associated with single sex education.  Research from international, private and parochial arenas, research from medical experts on gender differences and anecdotal research has provided a knowledge base for the investigation.  However, research within a public sector in this country is necessary and is currently underway to substantiate the beneficial claims associated with single sex education.

            Dr. Leonard Sax, author of several books on single sex schooling and the president of the National Association for Single Sex Public Education (www.singlesexeducation.org) is spearheading a drive toward the implementation of single sex schooling across the United States.    Dr. Sax, along with other prominent experts on the topic of single sex education has provided a substantial research knowledge base for the understanding of single sex schooling.

            The state of South Carolina is leading the nation in the implementation of single sex schooling as a viable and effective teaching strategy to increase student achievement.  David Chadwell, the head of the South Carolina State Department of Education Single Sex Education implementation effort, has provided resources, professional development and school based guidance for educators and administrator involved in the implementation of single sex schooling.

            My research on single sex schooling is on going as I am working on my dissertation on single sex schooling and its impact on student achievement, attendance and discipline referrals.  However, my personal experience in single sex education lends support to the theory that single sex schooling can be more beneficial than coeducational schooling to some individuals.  I attended a single sex high school in Georgia just prior to the implementation of Title IX.  Also, I am a 5th generation graduate of Wesleyan College, the first college established in this country to grant degrees to women.

            I can think of no better environment for education than one in which individuals are not distracted by or concerned with the opposite sex, where individuals are encouraged to see no boundaries to what they can accomplish, and are valued equally by peers.  Consider all research available—including anecdotal research, read articles available online or in text, visit single sex classes and then decide.  Don’t simply dismiss single sex education as discriminatory or old-fashioned.  You won’t believe what you’re missing.

About the Author

Katherine Bradley, A. B.--Wesleyan College, M.ED--University of Georgia, ED.S--Lincoln Memorial University, currently working on a Ph.D. in educational leadership at Mercer University

Who Owns the Public Schools?

By Ned Vare
Part of the series: School Is Hell

Who Owns the Public Schools?

“Without a real private competitive market for education in America, all that is available is what the state education central planners choose to provide.”

-- Richard M. Ebeling, President, The Future of Freedom Foundation

The so-called "public” school system does not belong to the public; it is owned and run by the government. Therefore, the public schools serve government needs, not the public's needs. In contrast, private schools are owned and run (and are paid for directly) by members of the public, and are accountable to their patrons.

We must not make the mistake of believing that “We, the people,” are our government. While politicians and other officials claim to represent us, they are an elite class who pay little attention to their constituents. Further, the school system is a world of its own that has virtually no responsibility to the public it pretends to serve. Its superintendents actually work for the state department of education. Their only connection with the town is that local residents are forced to pay their salaries.

Also, we should not expect public schools to offer real education. They are intended to provide schooling only – basic concepts of literacy and numeracy, with a shallow smattering of other knowledge. However, even those basic skills are sorely neglected in today’s schools. They are crowded out by political mandates, social engineering and other concerns. The result is a confusing hodgepodge of opinions, attitudes and values (often contrary to family and religious traditions) with no cohesion, no consistency and no real point other than to turn out docile group-thinkers who will be dependent on the government.

“Local control” of public education simply does not exist. Local school boards do not represent the people who elect them. In my state, CT, state law says, "School boards are not agents of their towns, but are creatures of the state." In other words, the school boards are puppets of the state education bureaucracy, which also controls the state legislature on schooling issues. School board members are also members of political parties and are responsive to their pressures. They simply pretend to control the schools when in fact they decide only trivial details. More and more, what we have is a national school system controlled from distant offices by non-elected bureaucrats with unknown agendas. Even state control is giving way to a virtual federal takeover, through such bad laws as No Child Left Behind and Goals 2000.

The school wars rage on because the system's goals for children are virtually the opposite of the goals that parents have for them. The government uses its schools in order to turn out masses of obedient controllable employees and soldiers; therefore, it offers an experience that conditions our children for low level jobs and/or the military. That should explain why the state-run schools offer a routine that says to children, "Sit down, be quiet, don't ask questions, we'll tell you what to think and do." To parents, it says, “We don’t care what you want.”

Meanwhile, parents are consistently disappointed by what the government schools offer their kids, but are helpless to change them. School board meetings are charades arranged by the employees in order to prevent input from parents and the public. The entire show is controlled by state and local administrators and the employee unions in order to benefit themselves, not the public or the children.

Parents should not expect the public schools to offer real education, and yet many still do. The government school system has never had the intention to offer what most parents want. Public school is a union-controlled program of coercion paid for by the force of taxation. The employees’ qualifications are questionable, their "certifications" are bogus, “tenure” is a sham, and their union constantly seeks maximum pay for minimum work. It is designed to provide political and social indoctrination, with only a minimum of skills and knowledge, but not education. The result is mediocrity, secrecy, and deception with accountability to no one. Fewer and fewer people believe that government is an appropriate agency to offer "public education."
About the Author

Ned Vare is co-author, with his wife, Luz Shosie, of the book, SMARTING US UP; the undumbing of America ($18 to Wildrose Press, 22 Wildrose Ave., Guilford, CT 06437) He is author of many articles (see http://www.borntoexplore.org/unschool and two other books. Vare may be reached at TheSchoolWars@mac.com.

Learn to Read #1: Facts and Myths for Parents

by Janet Twyman Ph.D

Learn to Read #1: Facts and Myths for Parents

Part One: Read to Succeed Series. What Parents Need to Know to help their kids learn to read.

We all agree that "Read to Succeed" is more than a marketing slogan. It is truth in today's globally competitive world for our children. Yet we as parents still suffer from learning to read myths, perhaps passed on from our parents, perhaps propagated by society. If we as parents truly want our children to "read to succeed", we need to overcome these myths and help our kids by supporting what really is proven to work for reading success.

A child's (and a person's for that matter) ability to read sets the tone for life success. There is no controversy over this statement. We have all seen the literacy rate studies where the US falls behind many other countries. We have all heard about the "No Child Left Behind" push from the US government and the increased pressure on our school systems to deliver measurable test improvement scores on basic literacy. We all agree that "Read to Succeed" is more than a marketing slogan. It is truth in today's globally competitive world for our children. Yet we as parents still suffer from learning to read myths, perhaps passed on from our parents, perhaps propagated by society. If we as parents truly want our children to "read to succeed", we need to overcome these myths and help our kids by supporting what really is proven to work for reading success.

Hard-to-Believe Learning-to-Read Facts:

If we want to make a difference for our children, we need to know and accept the learning-to-read facts without hiding our head's in the sand:

The following facts give you an idea of the severity of our nation's reading problem:

Nearly 40% of Fourth Graders have not mastered basic reading skills. It's nearly 60% in California, and almost half of these children live with college-educated parents. Source: -- Council for Basic Education If a child is a poor reader at the end of First Grade there is a nearly 90% probability that the child will remain a poor reader at the end of Fourth Grade. Source: -- The Public Library Association Experts say about 5% of the nation's children learn to read with ease, almost intuitively. An additional 20% to 30% learn to read with relative ease once they enter school and begin formal instruction. However, the bulk of children (about 60%) have difficulty. Source: -- Council for Basic Education Hard-to-Believe Learning-to-Read Myths:

Now, consider the following myths that we as parents accept without thinking as true, but are in fact not true at all. These Learning-To-Read Myths help perpetuate poor reading skills and prevent us from taking action to make a change: MYTH: Kids learn to read by being read to.

FACT: Reading to young children will help develop their interest in reading. Many children learn bits and pieces this way; however, "being read to" does not equal "learning to read." And only 5% of children actually learn to read by being immersed in reading. Learning to read is not like learning to speak, where children literally "soak up" a spoken language. Children must learn the skills necessary for reading, and for all but a few, this requires explicit instruction.

MYTH: Reading is a natural process that will happen on its own when a child is ready.

FACT: There must be a certain level of reading readiness, and most two-year-olds, for example, are not ready to read. At one time, reading was thought to develop naturally, when a child was "mature" enough, but this is no longer the belief. Research now indicates that the 4- to 6-year-old range is the sweet spot for teaching reading. Beyond the age of 6 or 7, teaching a child to read is simply a game of catch up. Most children do not learn to read "on their own" - and if a child is struggling to read at age nine, the Council for Basic Education maintains there's a 75% chance he or she will have difficulties with reading throughout high school.

MYTH: All kids will learn to read in school.

FACT: Not necessarily. The range of entering skills among young children - regardless of their background - varies widely, and is extremely challenging to manage even for our best teachers. Providing individual attention and interaction based on each child's unique capabilities, and managing an entire class at the same time, is a daunting challenge. Yet reading experts say that children need lots of practice with reading fundamentals (phonics, sounding out, blending, etc.). Given the "facts of life" in a classroom - overall student/teacher ratios and general work overload - most teachers do the best job they can. However, too many children are being left behind. One thing is clear: Too many of our children cannot read or have difficulty reading. And, if they don't read fluently, the chances for a fulfilling life - in terms of job skills, financial stability, or academic achievement - are greatly diminished.

What Parents Can Do With Your School:

As in all problems parents have to solve, understanding and distinguishing between the true facts and the "conventional wisdom" myths is the key to making improvements. This first step is education. Take these facts and myths to your kid's teacher, your kids school administrators, your school district and your friends. Ask them what they think. Ask them to dispute these facts and myths. Challenge them to face the truth about what it takes to teach a child to read, and to explain to you how they are addressing these issues. Ask them if they are focused on improving their reading programs? Ask them if they have a plan... are they embracing technology; do they have individualized reading programs? What are they going to do?

Get active. Get loud. Email this article, or better yet, print it out and take if to you kid's educators in person. Make a difference for your children with your school system. Quite literally, your child's future, and the future of our great nation depends on it.

What Parents Can Do On Your Own:

In part II of this article, we will offer help and suggestions as to what you as an individual parent can do on your own to help your young child to "Read to Succeed". Stay tuned. The future of your children, and our nation is in your hands.
About the Author

Janet Twyman is the Vice President of Instructional Development at Headsprout, (http://www.headsprout.com) Dr. Twyman developed the research methods and systems that led to Headsprout's ground-breaking scientific formative evaluation model of reading development. Additional parent resources can be seen at: http://www.headsprout.com/home/parentResources.cfm http://www.headsprout.com/home/research.cfm  email:  info@headsprout.com.

GMAT - Top ten best methods to improve your mathematical skills

A high score in the GMAT exam is essential to get admission in top business schools. The GMAT exam is made of three parts: GMAT Verbal, GMAT Math and Analytical Writing. Usually GMAT Exam takers have years of training and practice in the verbal and writing part. However, the same is not true for GMAT Math. A high GMAT score, therefore, is largely dependent on high GMAT Math score. What can students do to get a high score in GMAT Math? What are the best methods and strategies that are taught in effective GMAT Courses? The top 10 strategies on GMAT math preparation are listed below. Said differently, the following is a list of “Do and Don’ts” in obtaining a high GMAT score.

1. High School Math: The areas in math tested in the GMAT exam are not different from what one has learned in the high school. In fact, the syllabus of GMAT Math is shorter than what one may have studied many years ago in the school. The problem is that one may not easily remember or recall what one has seen several years ago. A good GMAT course, either self-made or through review classroom, should therefore, first emphasize and help recall what one already knows. Therefore, to get started, GMAT aspirants should simply pull out old high school books and familiarize themselves with formulas and concepts described there.

2. Different Format: While the GMAT course content is limited and based on high school math, what makes the GMAT exam difficult in the way questions are asked. How often is an individual required to resolve a ‘data-sufficiency’ question, either during high school days or now? Never! Similarly, the word problems in the GMAT Exam require a good understanding of the way the question is being asked. Needless to say, a majority of high GMAT scorers do familiarize and train themselves in understanding the format of GMAT exam and practice working within the framework of the GMAT format.

3. Computer-adaptive Test: The GMAT Math is not only different in the way questions are asked, but the order and difficulty of GMAT math is also very unique. Experts contend that a high GMAT score is dependent on the ability to tackle the adaptive style of the GMAT exam. Since the level of difficulty of a regular question is dependent on correctness of the previous response, all test-takers feel challenged when taking the GMAT exam in the computer adaptive environment. Thus, learning how to face difficult testing conditions may have many advantages. In short, students may want to build stamina to deal with hard GMAT Math questions without feeling stressed out.

4. Word Problems: Studies have shown that students, who get high GMAT score, are extremely good at solving the word problems. There are two reasons for that: (1) about one-third of all GMAT math questions are word-problems and (2) cracking word-problems does not require learning a new math topic. Experts conclude that high scorers have one thing in common – they have mastered the art of translating the given GMAT Math problem from English statements (word and sentences) to arithmetic / algebra forms thus making it mathematically solvable. The rule of thumb is simple: translate word problems verbatim in the same order. Upon correct translation, one could see how difficult looking problems become simple and solvable. All good GMAT course train GMAT exam takers in the word problem transformation process.

5. Practice, Practice and Practice: It may sound like a cliché, but the truth remains that practicing is the key to get a high GMAT score. Popular GMAT courses can only offer a limited number of contact hours. The number of hours spent in the review classroom or with the instructor / tutor can never be adequate. While most GMAT courses are helpful in exposing you with basics of the GMAT exam, no GMAT course can guarantee you a high GMAT score unless you spend dozens of hours every week practicing new tips & tactics in GMAT Math. On the conservative side, one may require over 2 months to practice and over 3 practice tests to fully realize one’s potential and score high in the GMAT Exam.

6. Study Aid: Students (and in some cases, new instructors) often search for the “best” book on GMAT math. Nowadays, with so many other medium to learn from, for example GMAT CD / DVD, GMAT exam toolkit, Flashcard, Audio-book etc. the search for the one “best” study aid has become even more challenging and confusing. It is, however ironical that despite differences of opinion on the “best” source, most of the study aids are very good and no single tool may be “best” or “perfect” or “complete”. Students interested in obtaining a high GMAT score, therefore, are recommended to: (1) choose a GMAT course that provides maximum number of contact hours, (2) purchase a book or CD or DVD toolkit which is popular and readily available, (3) use 1 and 2 from different sources i.e., book or CD from company A and classroom review course from company B.

7. GMAT Math preparation time: No matter how dedicated and hard working one may be, a high GMAT math score cannot be earned overnight. One may need over 2 hours of GMAT math practice for over 2 months. For those who feel that their preparedness for GMAT exam is weak, or those who really require a very high GMAT score for top business schools, it is recommended that they study for about 3 hours or more everyday for 3 months or more. It is better to spread one’s study hours and days over a long period of time. For example 2 hours of study over a 5-day period is more beneficial than studying for 10 hours in a single day. Human mind, can best learn and apply those learning, if it is trained slowly. Without doubt, the GMAT Exam requires a lot of learning and training of mind.

8. Day before the GMAT Exam: All the stories about overnight miracle are untrue and therefore it is not helpful to study for long hours on the day of the exam or on the previous day of the exam. In fact, the counter-intuitive prescription is truer. In order to get a high GMAT score with one’s level of knowledge and preparedness, one should STOP studying for GMAT math 2 days before the actual GMAT exam. By studying close to the actual exam or attending crash sessions of GMAT course, one may be doing more harm than benefit from it. Scholars in educational psychology have maintained this premise for years. Test-takers must follow it in order to get a high GMAT score in the GMAT exam.

9. Take practice tests: All students want to get a high GMAT score and most of them prepare in that direction (for example by taking an expensive GMAT course) but not all of them do well in the GMAT math. The GMAT exam is as much about the substance as it is about style. Theoretical knowledge of the format, and familiarity with topics and types of questions asked in the exam is necessary, but not sufficient. What is really needed is actual practice with real GMAT like tests. The more practice tests one takes, the more comfortable one becomes with the pressure, stress, format, timing, one’s strength and weaknesses. This in turn may help the said student align his/her energies in the right direction and secure a high GMAT score.

10. Don’t kill over the GMAT exam: Without dispute, a high GMAT score may bring a clear advantage over other candidates who have similar credentials but a lower score. And a high score in GMAT math is critical for high score in the overall exam. However, having said that, one is not required to kill oneself for not being able to do so. There are other factors that go in the GMAT exam, in the admission to business school, and in life in general. The factor of fate and luck may also play a big role. One has to remember that one is lucky (or unlucky) only half the time. One should work smart, and work hard, but not at the cost of other good things in life. Good luck!

About the Author

A Senior Associate (Development & Quality) at Win Education Service India, Sudeshna Sonal Kumari has tutored GMAT for over 7 years. Rewarded with the ‘Most popular instructor’ title by students in 2005 and 2006, she has lead a 5-member business development team in developing gmat course material and marketing plan for the WinGMAT education services. Under her leadership, WinGMAT has seen an increase in enrollment by 15% on an annualized basis.

Role Of Short Online Quizzes In Exam Preparation

We’ve heard a lot about the conventional methods - classroom learning, practice exams, simulation-based testing - that have been employed to assist students in preparing for these key exams. Long tests and practice exams are often appropriate preparation methods however sometimes they may be too broad-based or inflexible to fit a student’s need to work on specific weak areas. Short, material-targeted practice quizzes have proven to be effective in helping students strengthen specific weak areas. Students who have used short quizzes in conjunction with traditional, practice exam preparation methods have reported strikingly positive results.

What makes short quizzes so effective in preparing for exams? A major factor is the ability of a short quiz to test a specific area of knowledge rather than all of the required material. For example, the SAT Critical Reading test contains two major sections of questions "reading comprehension" and "vocabulary in context" and even within these questions, different types appear. For example, a student may be very bad at summarizing a passage’s main focus, which in turn results in him getting a lower score every time on a major practice test. With shorter quizzes on only the main focus questions, the student will be able to quickly see how much room he has for improvement.

Pinpointing weaknesses, however, is only one part of the equation. With shorter quizzes, students can also receive customized feedback. Online practice quizzes in particular offer students the chance to receive instant feedback, which can be very helpful if a student is trying to "cram" for a big exam. Most students who take online practice quizzes agree that instant feedback is a major reason why they take the quizzes instead of simply reading preparation material or “cram sheets.” Candidates for IT certification, for example, will often need to read explanations for the answers to questions as many of the questions will test each candidate’s ability to analyze rather than to simply recall knowledge.

Online quizzes also offer the ability to include special media in questions that may appear on actual exams. For example, GED exams sometimes feature specialized images or pictures in order to assist the test-taker on a particular problem. Some IT or professional certification exams may even require a video demonstration of a particular problem to troubleshoot. All of this media and more can be included on an online practice quiz, which can significantly improve the testing experience and offer a great deal of realism to the test-taker.

The shorter length of the online quizzes combined with the customized feedback makes for an incredibly personalized and flexible exam preparation experience. Students note that while these large exams are useful to take as gauges or diagnostics, short quizzes are useful to improve on a specific weakness. In response, these same students have turned to a preparation regimen that includes both full-length exams and frequent quizzing.

It’s not by chance that so many students are using short, targeted online quizzes to quickly enhance their exam scores. The flexibility of these quizzes, coupled with their customizable feedback, offers to the test-taker the chance to improve on the areas that they need the most help with. In conjunction with classroom learning, everyday studying, and practice examinations, short quizzes can offer students the ability to significantly improve their performance on even the toughest exams.

About the Author

ProProfs Quiz School is a free web based tool that enables educators to create online quizzes and practice tests for their students. It also offers a large collection of quizzes over a range of topics from SAT preparation to technical certification, and even general trivia. To create a free quiz on any topic, visit ProProfs Quiz School at: www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/

If you can't handle being threatened by a child, maybe you shouldn't be a teacher.

The sad fact is this has become the norm for many parents who would rather criticize their child's teacher than admit that their own child is in anyway wrong.

Mr. Kaye looked at the computer screen. The time read 10:25. If this class was going to be dismissed on time, he was going to have to get moving and minimize the distractions. The class had over ten pages scheduled to read aloud, as part of the curriculum for today. Still the class continued to yammer, as though it were lunch or maybe a crowded rock concert. Mr. Kaye raised his hand and roughly five to six of thirty in the class raised their hands. Most of the class was ignoring him, laughing, being social and exercising their freedom of ignorance. This was pretty much an everyday occurrence in Mr. Kaye's class. He had complained to many facets at the school that were supposed to support him, but in the end nothing ever seemed to be done.

Finally after Mr. Kaye started calling out, "A minutes and twenty seconds...A minute and twenty-one second," holding up a stopwatch, most of the class quieted down. There were still a few whispers toward the back, but Mr. Kaye recognized (for his class) this was as good as gets.

Mr. Kaye told the students to open their books on their desks to page 36. Then, he walked around the room, forcing many students to flip the books on their desks open to, because quiet frankly most of these children didn't care, obeying a direct order from a teacher was second nature to them.

Mr. Kaye started to read from the book, but a kid yelled out, "Kawika...Kawika...Kawika!"He was yelling across the classroom with a weird sort of quiet whisper. When Mr. Kaye looked at him, he gave his teacher a look like, "WHAT!!!"

Mr. Kaye started to read again, but he had to stop almost immediately because a girl was playing with her cell phone. He approached the girl, and she quickly shoved the cell phone between her legs, denying that she was even playing with it. Mr. Kaye continued reading, but had to stop five to ten more times for various interruptions. The time was now 10:35, and in ten minutes the class had progressed about two sentences. Mr. Kaye tried reading again, but was interrupted by spitballs and girls writing notes. Mr. Kaye called out, "Ashley put that note away."Ashley replied, "It's not a note."

Mr. Kaye warned the class one last time, "We can do this the easy way, or the HARD WAY." The class acknowledged they were going to do better, but the words were only hollow sounds coming out of their mouths. At 10:40 the class had still not even finished the first paragraph that was when Mr. Kaye put the book down. Mr. Kaye told the whole class to take out a sheet of paper, and with approximately twenty minutes left, he gave the class an assignment. He wrote it on the board.

THE HARD WAY!

READ Chapter 3

Write a full-page summary

During the next ten to fifteen minutes, many students fooled around and talked. A few were writing vigorously, but most wasted the entire time talking and laughing. AT 10:55 Mr. Kaye called the counselor, and asked her, if she could notify the cafeteria some students would be going a little late and to hold the door. Before the bell was going to ring many students began to get angry. There was swearing, some even looked as though they were going to throw temper tantrums. Mr. Kaye calmly assured the students they needed to finish the assignment before they went to lunch. Many students began to complain. Mr. Kaye told all of them the same thing. You need to finish your assignment before you go to lunch.

One student wrote Mr. Kaye a letter in which he blatantly told him he was not going to do the assignment and threatening the security of his job, saying he was going to call his Mom, and perhaps he would have Mr. Kaye fired.

After reading the letter, Mr. Kaye sprang to the telephone, "Let's call your Mom."

"Go ahead," the boy forewarned him, "She's going to be pissed you called her at work."

Mr. Kaye dialed the phone number, and after two to three minutes of waiting, got the Mom on the phone. He calmly explained the scenario, exactly as it happened.

After a long pause, the Mom asked plainly, "How did he threaten you?"

"Did he say he was going to hurt you?"

"No," Mr. Kaye replied.

"How's that a threat?" the Mom asked.

Mr. Kaye explained, how he perceived the child was trying to threaten the security of his job. The Mom replied, "That's not a threat!"

Mr. Kaye replied, "I felt threatened."

The Mom could only say, "She had to hear her son's side of the story."

Mr. Kaye assured her the story he told her was completely unbiased. The Mom continued to stick to her guns, saying she wanted to hear her son's side of the story. When Mr. Kaye realized nothing was going to be done, he asked if the Mom could come in for a parent conference immediately. The Mom told him she would come in two weeks.

Although this seems like a fictional, over-exaggerated story, this is a reality in many classrooms. This happened in my classroom. The day of the parent conference, the Mom told me in so many words, "I don't understand why you became a teacher, if you can't handle getting threatened by a child." That was it. No apology. No alibi. Apparently, I'm supposed to suck it up, because parents are going to keep allowing their children to act however they want to act. I wasn't really sure what to do about it, I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. I felt weak and angry about the whole experience. Was I over-reacting? I didn't think so, but if I challenged this mother on her questionable parenting skills, I could be fired, or put on probation. I don't understand when it became acceptable for children to bully adults or when teachers lost all their civil rights in the classroom, but this is one teacher who is seriously considering changing careers.
About the Author

Joseph DeMarco was born in New York City; he lived most of his life in Buffalo, NY. He now teaches seventh grade on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. He is the author of the novels Plague of the Invigilare, The 4 Hundred and 20 Assassins of Emir Abdullah-Harazins, and At Play in the Killing Fields. He is currently working on several new projects.

Eye Movement and Speed Reading

Eye movements in reading should have the same kind of automatic response as driving a car or word processing an e-mail. Training students to read faster helps build this automaticity by reducing line fixations and the amount of time spent on each fixation.

So, how do our eye movements affect our reading ability?  Most people would probably say that their eyes follow the print, left to right, at a consistent rate across the page.  However, this is far from the truth.  Using sophisticated cameras and computer analysis, scientists have found that our eyes fixate on several places in the line in a rather herky-jerky motion.

In fact, when our eyes move, they aren’t even looking at the words, but are just moving from one fixation to the next.  Eye movement accounts for only about one-tenth of the time spent on each line of reading text.  In other words, reading consists of a series of individual glances at each line of text and the corresponding meaning-making of each glance.

The greater the number of fixations per line and the more time it takes to make sense of each fixation, the slower the meaning-making will be.  Better readers have less fixations per line and rapid processing of each word.  This is what Marilyn Adams (1995) refers to as “automaticity” and is the necessary prerequisite for reading well.  This automatic processing develops as the reader becomes able to quickly and effectively apply the semantic, graphophonic, and syntactic cueing systems to the text.
  
Of course, the number of fixations per line and the duration of each fixation should depend on the degree of reading difficulty.  Reading unfamiliar material or subject-specific vocabulary requires slower processing.  Also, the purpose of the reader should determine reading speed.  Reading a biology text for a test is quite different from reading a Goosebumps mystery for fun.  The problem is that poor readers tend to read everything in the same way, that is with too many fixations and taking too much time to process the words.

Specific speed reading techniques have been developed to vary the reading rate according to the degree of text difficulty.  Speed reading will also help call attention to, and even break, many poor reading habits.  Effective speed reading will also maintain or improve reading comprehension as students increase their silent fluency rates.

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 http://www.penningtonpublishing.com to check out his speed reading teacher resources and books: Teaching Reading Strategies, Teaching Essay Strategies, Teaching Grammar and Mechanics, and Teaching Spelling and Vocabulary.

Parents, Are You Listening or Lecturing to Your Kids? Five Tips to Help You Listen

Seattle, WA – The knowledge that our children are safe, happy and emotionally sound is one of our greatest concerns. If they were being traumatized by something at school or, even worse, the attentions of a predator, we would want to be the first to know.

The only way we can truly be sure that they are all right, or if something is troubling them, is if they feel they can confide in us on a person-to-person basis. But are we actually listening to them as equals, or are we listening to them with condescending ears and, in the process, inadvertently breaking these lines of communication between parent and child – leaving them unwilling to come to us for help?

“Children don’t seem to get as much respect as other members of society,” says Julie Scandora, teacher and author of the book ‘Rules Are Rules.’ “They experience the same emotional obstacles as adults, but this is often overlooked by grown-ups. Parents need to treat children with respect and ensure a trusting relationship.”

Here are five of Julie’s tips to help you communicate more effectively with your children:

1. Listen. It sounds obvious, but if your children don’t think they will be heard, they won’t go to you with the hard questions or problems.

2. Create opportunities for interaction with your kids. Families spend so much time apart these days. Use ‘car time’ – such as the 20-minute drive to school – as a time to communicate with your children.

3. Lead by example. Far too many parents opt for the ‘do as I say not as I do’ method. But this sends mixed messages to children regarding important situations.

4. Respect the child’s intuition. We all have ‘gut feelings,’ and if kids are encouraged to trust theirs, they will be able to heed their intuition in dicey situations when we aren’t around to help.

5. Don’t confuse ‘respect’ with ‘giving in.’ It is important that the parental role is not usurped. Don’t give in to kids just to diffuse a problematic situation. Instead communicate with them and let them know why rules are rules.

By showing our children that we are receptive to what they have to say and that we are willing to talk with them, not just at them, we can help them gain confidence and maturity, but we need to make sure we are practicing what we preach.

“Perhaps we need to start with ourselves, don’t we!” laughs Julie, “But if we give our children the respect we give our peers, they will be better prepared to deal with whatever life throws at them. And when they encounter something for which they are still too young to deal with by themselves, they’ll naturally come to us for advice.”

About the Author

Julie Scandora is a teacher, editor, author and mother of three. She holds a BA from Smith and an MBA from the University of Washington and has taught children in schools and delivered lectures and workshops to adults. Julie has been an editor and assistant publisher for numerous publications. She is also a professional artist specializing in watercolors and is represented in several distinguished galleries. Julie lives in Seattle.