tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27067905055457223372024-03-27T16:53:34.320-07:00Excellence in EducationAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17228355922113830116noreply@blogger.comBlogger601125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-84012512594964439932013-04-25T07:06:00.000-07:002013-04-25T07:06:25.940-07:00Rush Essay to Help You with Rushing Essay Assignment<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17228355922113830116noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-8934651560674237052012-11-14T15:56:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.234-08:00Why Students Plagiarize<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Plagiarism_vs_Copyright_Infringement.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="A simple graphic explaining the differences be..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="261" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e5/Plagiarism_vs_Copyright_Infringement.png/300px-Plagiarism_vs_Copyright_Infringement.png" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">A simple graphic explaining the differences between plagiarism and copyright issues (Photo credit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Plagiarism_vs_Copyright_Infringement.png" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"></div>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Geri_Spieler">Geri Spieler</a> <br /><br />Candy (not her real name) needed to get an "A" on her final research paper.<br /><br />An "A" would ensure that her grades for her junior year in high school would help maintain the Grade Point Average (GPA) she was desperate for to qualify for the college of her choice.<br /><br />Candy plagiarized most of the work. In her desperation for the perfect paper, she took whole paragraphs from various Web sites she found online.<br /><br />Unfortunately, plagiarism is not uncommon among high school and college students.<br /><br />When it comes to the Internet, students know how to use social media like a Ninja knows martial arts skills. However, their skills to use the Internet to conduct in depth academic research is seriously lacking so they take the easy way out and use other publish materials. So much so, that plagiarism has become a serious problem among many high school and college students.<br /><br />Because these students lack competent research skills they use sources that lack credibility and accuracy such as Wikipedia and unfounded opinion blogs that compound this problem. They don't know how to evaluate the credibility of the site. <br /><br />Many don't go beyond the first page of Google. This is like using one book for entire research paper. To be fair, many students don't see using previously published materials as wrong. They don't know understand the difference between attribution (ascribing of a work), citation (directly quoting), collaboration (working together) and copyright (legal right granted to an author).<br /><br />In Candy's case, her teacher used one of the many online programs to check the originality of her work. Unfortunately, it didn't pass the test and she failed the class. Samples of these sites are: <br /><br />• Turnitin.com, <br />• Grammarly.com <br />• Scan my Essay<br /><br /><b>How to Avoid Plagiarizing Internet Works</b><br /><br />Copyrighted works on the Net include news stories, software, novels, screenplays, graphics, pictures, Usenet messages and even email. In fact, the frightening reality is that copyright law protects almost everything on the Net. This can pose problems for the hapless surfer.<br /><br /><b>What is protected on the Internet</b><br /><br />- links <br />- original text <br />- graphics <br />- audio <br />- video <br />- html, vrml, other unique markup language sequences <br />- list of Web sites compiled by an individual or organization<br /><br />In addition, all other unique elements that make up the original nature of the material.<br /><br /><b>Instructions on how to legally and safely use material on the Web</b><br /><br />Step 1: Copy the entire source into a word processing document.<br />Step 2: Read the entire source.<br />Step 3: Look for potential quotes and paraphrases in the source.<br />Step 4: Highlight any passage that you think would be a good quote for your essay.<br />Step 5: Paste all of the potential quotes from the source into a new document.<br />Step 6: Copy all the passages you may want to paraphrase into a new document.<br />Step 7: Insert the quotes and paraphrases at appropriate places in your essay .<br />Step 8: Copy the URL into the appropriate "Note" format.<br /><br />Following these simple steps will prevent students to avoid Candy's fate.<br /><br />Geri Spieler teaches Internet Research Classes in person and online. <a href="http://www.gerispieler.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://www.gerispieler.com</a><br />Geri Spieler is a former research director and journalist. She teaches Internet research classes in person and online. <a href="http://www.gerispieler.com/" target="_new">http://www.gerispieler.com</a><br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Geri_Spieler" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Geri_Spieler</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Students-Plagiarize&id=7376615" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Students-Plagiarize&id=7376615</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=80f1fedc-b0ff-444f-99d9-7ae5900002c3" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-56553068319886410042012-11-14T15:47:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.256-08:00Does General Education Matter?by OnlineColleges.net: <a href="http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/11/13/does-general-education-matter/">http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/11/13/does-general-education-matter/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/11/13/does-general-education-matter/"><img alt="Does General Education Matter?" border="0" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/infographics/Does-General-Education-Matter-800.jpg" width="600" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-8915876184019306182012-11-14T15:42:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.261-08:00Learning a Language As Part of an Interdisciplinary Education<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:JHFC_logo_outlines.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="John Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinar..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1b/JHFC_logo_outlines.png/300px-JHFC_logo_outlines.png" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">John Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary and International Studies (Photo credit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:JHFC_logo_outlines.png" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Michael_Zunenshine">Michael Zunenshine</a> <br /><br />Interdisciplinary studies are increasingly becoming one of the most popular ways to design one's education in order to plan for a successful career.<br /><br />Perhaps this is because there is a strong emphasis on a student's independent capacity to shape their own academic focus.<br /><br />Another reason might be that today, people do not want to lock themselves into a single area of interest but are leaning towards a more rounded education that lets them learn and experiment new subjects.<br /><br />A final reason I would offer is that some careers do not have one focused subject that leads to getting a job, like medical school leads to being a doctor, but rather modern professionals need to have a diversified background and an ability to think outside their professional box. All of these reasons for choosing interdisciplinary studies are connected.<br /><br />If there is one subject that is arguably an excellent slice of a larger interdisciplinary pie, it is learning a language. The English language is especially useful in today's world, whether it is international business or just surfing the internet.<br /><br />Language learning consists of four major skill sets, all of which have uses in connection with other areas of education, and more importantly, with potential career paths. These four skills are: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. How can these four skills help one in interdisciplinary studies or <a href="http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/community-urban-studies-programs.html" rel="nofollow" target="_new">community courses</a>?<br /><br /><b>Reading</b><br /><br />Reading is the foundation of studying for any subject. Reading isn't only about getting through a text. There are many other skills related to reading, like close-reading, skimming, summarizing, and using indexes. One also learns how to understand new vocabulary from context.<br /><br /><b>Writing</b><br /><br />While most people can transcribe what they want to say onto paper, this is not always the same as academic and professional writing. One learns the difference between casual speech and formal grammar and punctuation, which is important in most professions. Writing courses also help with things like planning, outlining, and editing.<br /><br /><b>Speaking</b><br /><br />Learn about the many ways one can modify their speech depending on context and listeners is very practical. It is important to know the difference between speaking in front of groups for presentations, and practicing small talk with people one on one.<br /><br />Speaking is also about finding a good balance between fluency - the ability to speak your mind at a regular pace, and accuracy - the ability to speak correctly, minimize grammatical errors, and use the most appropriate word for your intended meaning.<br /><br /><b>Listening</b><br /><br />We hear all the time, but learning to listen better has many advantages. Whether attending meetings or lectures, listening to the radio or other pre-recorded material, or meeting new people, there are many ways we tune our ears when want to learn something or make new connections with people.<br /><br />It doesn't matter if English is your first, second, or third language. Taking English language classes as part of a larger program of interdisciplinary courses can give you training that is applicable in all walks of life.<br /><br />Visit Mohawk College for information on <a href="http://www.mohawkcollege.ca/" target="_new">interdisciplinary studies</a> and community courses.<br />Michael Zunenshine is a Copywriter at Higher Education Marketing, a leading Web marketing firm specializing in Google Analytics, Education Lead Generation, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Mobile SMS Alerts, Social Media Marketing and Pay Per Click Marketing, among other Web marketing services and tools.<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Michael_Zunenshine" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Zunenshine</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Learning-a-Language-As-Part-of-an-Interdisciplinary-Education&id=7377835" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?Learning-a-Language-As-Part-of-an-Interdisciplinary-Education&id=7377835</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=27b64009-bb68-4970-9087-269edba9b884" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-20751249000398035452012-11-14T15:38:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.333-08:00Why Study In The UK?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16663749@N00/2906711923" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="University" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="180" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/2906711923_850b48f09c_m.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 240px;">University (Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16663749@N00/2906711923" target="_blank">Odd Bod</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Joseph_Smith">Christopher Joseph Smith</a> <br /><br />Taking the decision to study abroad is a huge one.<br /><br />Not only does it mean that you are moving away from your family to study - which is the case with most students going to college or university - but it also means leaving your home nation; no quick journeys home to see mom and dad if something goes wrong, no visits to your friends back home.<br /><br />Instead, you're stuck in a different country for most of the year.<br /><br />All of which means that choosing the right country to study in internationally is vitally important. A great deal of this choice will come down to the languages you understand; you wouldn't go and study in Italy if you didn't speak Italian for example, unless you went with the express intention of studying the Italian language.<br /><br />However, that doesn't necessarily narrow down your options that much. With so many countries offering international study schemes, how do you decide which to go for?<br /><br />In this article, we're going to be discussing the merits of studying in the United Kingdom. With millions of overseas students flocking to England, Scotland and Wales every year, what is it about Great Britain that makes it so appealing as a place of international study?<br /><br />A core part of the UK's appeal to international students is it's worldwide reputation as a location of quality education. With internationally renowned institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge, the UK really is a studying hotspot.<br /><br />It's not just these big names that the UK boasts, however; there are thousands of educational institutions offering an excellent degree of education across a broad range of topics.<br /><br />This broad range of topics is also key to the appeal of the UK as a place of study. Across it's many institutions, the British higher education system offers degrees in everything from Art History to Journalism.<br /><br />Most universities will boast an internationally renowned specialist in at least one field and the competition between courses can get fierce. The upside of this is that the quality of the courses is ever-increasing.<br /><br />Of course, it's not just specialist topics that the English education system is good at. Students <br />wishing to learn English as a language could do no better than learning it in the birthplace of the English language.<br /><br />With programmes ranging from intensive courses designed to give you a grasp of the 3rd widest spoken language in the world quickly to longer courses aimed at establishing a fluency in English, the UK should be considered the #1 location of study for those wanting to learn English as a second language.<br /><br />Beyond education, the UK is also a culturally diverse nation which makes it an attractive prospect to overseas students. If you're from an English-speaking country, the chances are you won't the UK that different to your own country so you should feel right at home.<br /><br />Even if you don't speak English, there should be plenty of fellow compatriots for you to make friends with - often cities will have dedicated centres or areas for people of a particular culture. Of course, the British people are also very welcoming so you should find you make friends with the natives pretty quickly too!<br /><br />Christopher Joseph Smith is writing on behalf of <a href="http://www.newcollegemanchester.com/" target="_new">New College Manchester</a>, a college specialising in English language courses<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Joseph_Smith" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Joseph_Smith</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Study-In-The-UK?&id=7377223" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?Why-Study-In-The-UK?&id=7377223</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=a39d0558-124b-47bc-b978-2e9b8255e119" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-51242300389757916912012-11-14T15:33:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.338-08:00What to Look for In Colleges<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="zemanta-img"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Homerton_College_and_the_Education_Faculty_-_geograph.org.uk_-_46937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="English: Homerton College and the Education Fa..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="225" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Homerton_College_and_the_Education_Faculty_-_geograph.org.uk_-_46937.jpg/300px-Homerton_College_and_the_Education_Faculty_-_geograph.org.uk_-_46937.jpg" style="border: medium none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></div></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">Homerton College and the Education Faculty. Homerton was founded as a teacher training college, but is now a constituent college of Cambridge University and offers most subjects. Most of its students still study Education, though, hence the presence of the Education Faculty alongside (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Homerton_College_and_the_Education_Faculty_-_geograph.org.uk_-_46937.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton">Andrew Stratton</a> <br /><br />Colleges are all so different, and kids who want to pursue higher education might have a difficult time choosing the one that they want to attend.<br /><br />Of course, there are certain factors and courses that will prompt a person to choose a particular college.<br /><br />A high school graduate will need to think a long time before choosing a course of study and the right school that they want to attend.<br /><br />There are several factors that will affect the choice that an individual will make when choosing a college.<br /><br />One of the very first things that will affect the choice is the funding available for that person to devote to the price of college. Higher education costs a lot of money. Not everyone can afford it.<br /><br />Budget restrictions must be considered, because many of the degree programs that are offered in higher education can take up to four to six years to complete. Scholarships can be attained if certain grade requirements are met or if there is enough of a financial hardship displayed to warrant scholarship assistance. Not all potential students can qualify for scholarships.<br /><br />Another consideration to higher education is what course of study should be pursued. Not all colleges offer the same courses or degree specializations. There are some schools with very specific courses to offer.<br /><br />Apart from the restrictions of courses, each degree program often has limits as to the number of students that they accept per school year. This means that applications need to be forwarded as early as possible before the semester deadline.<br /><br />There are also a lot of requirements that each school or course may have for the students that they are willing to accept. Some students might be forced to take a related prerequisite course instead of going straight for their first option.<br /><br />Some courses of study may have been closed out for that particular semester or the applicant's initial school year. They can apply again when there are openings for this particular program.<br /><br />In relation to this concern, the number of students per class for each program can factor into the choice of school that he or she might attend. Some have a small number of admissions, and other schools or specific programs can accommodate larger numbers. It may be a wise choice to apply to a college that accept more new students, because this means one has a better chance of being accepted.<br /><br />Schools that offer financial aid to their students are also desirable for many students. The aid can help ease the financial burden on the student for the many years of higher education that are ahead.<br /><br />If you are weighing your choice of <a href="http://www.swmich.edu/applynow" target="_new">colleges in Michigan</a>, consider the following article for more information: <a href="https://www.swmich.edu/" target="_new">https://www.swmich.edu</a>.<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?What-to-Look-for-In-Colleges&id=7373404" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?What-to-Look-for-In-Colleges&id=7373404</a> <br /><br /><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=fa6599cc-683b-45f9-9e07-23366562f924" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-55601716304867406442012-11-13T19:23:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.344-08:00ACT Test Tips: How to Study for the ACT Test<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8166472@N03/8090720591" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="New Arrivals October 2012: ACT Assessment Plu..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="180" src="http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8187/8090720591_5103da488d_m.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 240px;">New Arrivals October 2012: ACT Assessment Plus Writing Test (Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8166472@N03/8090720591" target="_blank">theunquietlibrary</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mike_Bius">Mike Bius</a> <br /><br />Sometimes the most valuable ACT test tips are the ones that are the most simple.<br /><br />While many students knock themselves out studying for the ACT test, the ones who get the best scores are the ones who work smart instead of just working hard.<br /><br />So here are three tips to study for the ACT test:<br /><br /><b>1)</b> Don't study for longer than 30 minutes at a time. Marathon study sessions just burn you out and are NOT an effective way to retain information. Study for a half hour and then take a 20 minute break. You'll retain just as much as if you studied for the whole 50 minutes, AND you'll be fresh to study another cycle right away.<br /><br /><b>2)</b> Don't just keep taking practice tests over and over. Take one practice test and analyze what TYPE of questions you got wrong and then practice answering that type of question until you are able to get them right quickly.<br /><br /><b>3)</b> Figure out if you are a verbal, visual or kinesthetic learner. Do you remember things best by hearing them (verbal) or seeing them (visual). Or do you fidget a lot and need examples and stories to make things stick in your brain?<br /><br />Whichever of these applies to you, change your study habits, locations and even study partners to fit them. Don't try to force yourself to study in a way that is not effective for you.<br /><br />So remember the most important ACT test tip of all. Work hard, but don't JUST work hard; work smart as well!<br /><br />By the way, if you are a parent or a student and want to see a brief video telling you more about the best way to prepare for the ACT test, you can watch the <a href="http://www.collegeexamtutor.com/parentsmessage.aspx" target="_new">PARENT Video</a> or go here to watch the <a href="http://www.collegeexamtutor.com/studentmessage.aspx" target="_new">STUDENT Video</a>.<br /><br />From Mike Bius, College Exam Tutor's ACT and College Success Coach.<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mike_Bius" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Bius</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?ACT-Test-Tips:-How-to-Study-for-the-ACT-Test&id=7376861" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?ACT-Test-Tips:-How-to-Study-for-the-ACT-Test&id=7376861</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=dd86f773-84d6-40e8-a7d0-f55af7dd3c72" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-53617468893790689442012-11-13T19:19:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.349-08:00The University Entrepreneurship Reportby AccountingDegree.com: <a href="http://www.accountingdegree.com/blog/2012/the-university-entrepreneurship/">http://www.accountingdegree.com/blog/2012/the-university-entrepreneurship/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.accountingdegree.com/blog/2012/the-university-entrepreneurship/"><img alt="The University Entrepreneurship" border="0" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/infographics/The-University-Entrepreneurship-800.jpg" width="600" /></a><br />Brought to you by: <a href="http://www.accountingdegree.com/">AccountingDegree.com</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-13713376408497633602012-11-13T19:16:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.436-08:00Studying for the ACT Test<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Studying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="English: A Student of the University of Britis..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="225" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Studying.jpg/300px-Studying.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">A student studying for exams (Photo: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Studying.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mike_Bius">Mike Bius</a> <br /><br />The best way of studying for the ACT test is surprising to most people, because studying the test material more is usually not the answer.<br /><br /> The answer is not simply doing more practice tests either.<br /><br />The key to studying for the ACT test is realizing that the majority of what is on the test is the material you have been mastering all throughout high school, and although a review is in order, the highest scores are gotten by the students who are good test takers.<br /><br />Test taking skills are crucial, because knowing the material is not nearly enough. The ACT test is timed and everyone who has taken it will tell you that time management is the key. If you can't get all the questions answered in time, it really doesn't matter how much you know.<br /><br />There are a few time management strategies that are commonly accepted but very, very wrong. The most popular "strategy" involves rushing through the early questions on the Math test because those are supposedly the easiest and you need to save time for the questions that are at the end. This is a horrible strategy.<br /><br />The best way to study for the Math portion of the ACT test, for instance, is to master the "easy" questions so that you can quickly solve them and have more time for the harder ones. That means studying the "easy" stuff like pre-algebra and basic geometry. Most students get hung up on studying trigonometry, but there are only four trig questions on the whole Math test.<br /><br />Remember that studying for the ACT test means learning test taking skills that will help you not only with the ACT, but all throughout college as well. Get an affordable, strategic ACT prep course that teaches these skills and you will be on your way to your best possible score.<br /><br />By the way, if you are a parent or a student and want to see a brief video telling you more about the best way to prepare for the ACT test, you can watch the <a href="http://www.collegeexamtutor.com/parentsmessage.aspx" target="_new">PARENT Video</a> or go here to watch the <a href="http://www.collegeexamtutor.com/studentmessage.aspx" target="_new">STUDENT Video</a>.<br /><br />From Mike Bius, College Exam Tutor's ACT and College Success Coach.<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mike_Bius" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Bius</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Studying-for-the-ACT-Test&id=7376849" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?Studying-for-the-ACT-Test&id=7376849</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=ae7b05dc-c4bb-4367-b228-b86f867ac769" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-65135647581914558832012-11-13T17:11:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.508-08:00Reading For Comprehension Worksheets<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34961066@N00/3537144338" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Reading Comprehension" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="177" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3625/3537144338_c74689fa3f_m.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 240px;">Reading Comprehension (Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34961066@N00/3537144338" target="_blank">Maia C</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Shelly_Anton">Shelly Anton</a> <br /><br />Reading is required in every day in life. Whether it is reading a street sign, reading the news, or reading a menu, comprehension is the fundamental reason for reading.<br /><br />Reading for comprehension is an essential common core skill that can and must be taught to students. However, it is even more difficult to determine which reading for comprehension worksheets are the best.<br /><br />Time in the classroom is precious, and instruction must focus on essential skills. The worksheets must have a purpose and teach specific, targeted skills.<br /><br />Over 30 years of research has shown that instruction in reading comprehension skills is successful. Teachers can teach students how to comprehend what they read. Even more, they can help students remember what they read and engage in meaningful conversations related to the text.<br /><br />So what does the research show? The scientifically-based research shows that there are specific strategies that enhance reading for comprehension. Reading strategies are detailed steps students implement before reading the text, while reading the text and after reading the text. The strategies are purposeful in enhancing comprehension. Reading is much more than fluency and word recognition.<br /><br />Reading fluently isn't enough. Students must fully understand the content they are reading. By learning and applying several different reading strategies, students will be able to obtain meaning from a wide variety of texts.<br /><br />There are six general strategies for reading for comprehension:<br /><br /><b>1. Monitoring Comprehension</b><br /><br />It is imperative that students learn to recognize when they are not obtaining meaning from a selected text. Students may read the selection fluently but gain no understanding from it. Students must learn what steps to take when reading for comprehension produces no results.<br /><br /><b>2. Graphic Organizers</b><br /><br />Graphic organizers are visual diagrams to aid in organizing information. Others names many include maps, webs, graphs, charts, etc. These organizers assist students in determining main ideas and supporting details. They help students visually summarize a reading selection.<br /><br /><b>3. Answering Questions</b><br /><br />Appropriate questioning techniques may significantly increase comprehension. Reading for comprehension worksheets that contain low level to high level questions based on Bloom's taxonomy help reinforce a deeper understanding of the reading selection.<br /><br /><b>4. Generating Questions</b><br /><br />Students need to be aware of their own background schema and how it relates to the current reading selection. Students determine what they already know about the topic, what they need to know, then what they learned. By developing their own questions, students increase their active processing of text which results in increased comprehension.<br /><br /><b>5. Distinguishing Story Structure</b><br /><br />Story structure can be defined by the way in which the text is arranged or organized into a plot. For example, by understanding characters, setting, problem/conflict, climax, and validation, students increase comprehension. By understanding headings, subheadings, picture graphs and bold words, students also increase comprehension.<br /><br /><b>6. Summarizing</b><br /><br />Summarizing is essential in processing and categorizing all of the information obtained. Students must be able to identify main ideas, discriminate essential and nonessential information, and build this new information into their current schema.<br /><br />So which reading for comprehension worksheets are best? Any activity or worksheet that reinforces one or more of these six general reading for comprehension strategies would be an appropriate use of instructional time in any classroom or homework assignment.<br /><br />To print some highly effective reading for comprehension worksheets, you must visit this site: <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reading-for-Comprehension-Worksheets" target="_new">http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reading-for-Comprehension-Worksheets</a><br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Shelly_Anton" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shelly_Anton</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Reading-For-Comprehension-Worksheets&id=7366302" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?Reading-For-Comprehension-Worksheets&id=7366302</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=6e243ab4-06d9-4c36-ba86-cece21a7efbd" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-32079849199522913962012-11-13T16:58:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.580-08:00Should Australian Schools Ban Homework?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/15145559@N04/2404923556" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Homework" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="180" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/2404923556_1fc022a206_m.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 240px;">Homework (Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/15145559@N04/2404923556" target="_blank">TJCoffey</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="grid-eight grid-prepend-three"><header> </header> </div>by <a href="http://theconversation.edu.au/profiles/richard-walker-14820">Associate Professor Richard Walker</a>, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education and Social Work at <a href="http://theconversation.edu.au/institutions/university-of-sydney">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="http://theconversation.edu.au/profiles/mike-horsley-15366">Mike Horsley</a>, Director, Learning and Teaching Education Research Centre at <a href="http://theconversation.edu.au/institutions/central-queensland-university">Central Queensland University</a>, The Conversation: <a href="http://theconversation.edu.au/">http://theconversation.edu.au</a><br /><br />The recent decision by French President Francois Hollande <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/10/17/francois-hollande-wants-to-abolish-homework-is-that-a-good-idea/">to abolish homework from French schools</a> has reignited the long running debate about homework.<br /> <br />This debate has been around for more than a century and remains a contentious issue for parents, students and education researchers alike.<br /> <h2><br />A lengthy debate</h2>Last month’s promised ban came as part of Hollande’s <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2012/10/15/french-president-pushing-homework-ban-as-part-of-ed-reforms/">wider reforms to education</a>, and followed widespread teacher and parent agitation for a short-term ban on homework in France earlier in the year.<br /> <br />At that time, the president of a French teachers’ <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/26/french-parents-boycott-homework">organisation stated</a> that homework reinforces socioeconomic and educational inequalities, saying: “Not all families have the time or necessary knowledge to help their offspring.”<br /> <br />On the other side of the debate, the president of another French parents’ association spoke in support of homework and stated: “Of course, it has to be reasonable, but going back over a lesson is the best way of learning things.”<br /> <br />Homework, broadly defined as tasks given to students during non-school hours, has long been the subject of both pro- and anti-homework campaigns, some of which have resulted in court action and the abolition of homework for students in some school grades.<br /> <h2><br />Abolishing homework</h2>The recent French announcement has led to calls for the abolition of homework in some German and American schools. So should homework be abolished in Australia? The answer to this question requires a closer look at what homework is supposed to do, and whether it achieves these goals for students of all backgrounds.<br /> <br />The most comprehensive list of reasons for setting homework has been compiled by American researcher <a href="http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/staff/joyce.htm">Joyce Epstein</a>. These include the practice of already learnt skills, preparation for the next lesson, parent-child communication about school activities, the requirements of school or education department policies, and the enhancement of the reputation of the school or teacher.<br /> <br />But most empirical research into homework focuses on three main issues: does homework enhance student learning and achievement outcomes? Does homework help students to develop the skills of independent, self-directed learning? Does homework involve parents in the educational activities of their children in ways that are beneficial?<br /><br />To read further, go to: <a href="http://theconversation.edu.au/should-australian-schools-ban-homework-10295?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+14+November+2012&utm_content=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+14+November+2012+CID_e1bfc02f1607ccf9d8eb640ee3b715b1&utm_source=campaign_monitor&utm_term=Should%20Australian%20schools%20ban%20homework">http://theconversation.edu.au/should-australian-schools-ban-homework-10295?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+14+November+2012&utm_content=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+14+November+2012+CID_e1bfc02f1607ccf9d8eb640ee3b715b1&utm_source=campaign_monitor&utm_term=Should%20Australian%20schools%20ban%20homework</a><br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=53b08f69-b9d7-4d1f-ae49-9dcd7e054f2d" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-36211263586858779772012-11-13T01:17:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.651-08:00U.S. Judge Grants Asylum for Homeschooling Family<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Creed22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="English: Christopher Reed on the bus talking w..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/Creed22.jpg/300px-Creed22.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">Christopher Reed on the bus talking with homeschoolers from the Cedar Rapids area to the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines for Homeschoolers Day. (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Creed22.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><span class="itemAuthor">by <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/itemlist/user/70-rebeccaterrell" rel="author">Rebecca Terrell</a></span>, TheNewAmerican.com: <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/167-us-judge-grants-asylum-for-homeschooling-family">http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/167-us-judge-grants-asylum-for-homeschooling-family</a><div class="itemToolbar"><br /> </div><div class="itemIntroText"> A German homeschooling family is safe on United States soil now that a federal judge has granted them political asylum.<br /><br />Immigration judge Lawrence O. Burman announced his decision on Tuesday in Memphis, Tennessee, according to a <a href="http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Germany/201001260.asp" target="_blank">press release</a> issued by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA).<br /><br />The family applied for political asylum because the government of Germany would not let them homeschool their children.<br /> </div><div class="itemFullText"> <br />"We can't expect every country to follow our constitution," said Judge Burman. "The world might be a better place if it did. However, the rights being violated here are basic human rights that no country has a right to violate."<br /><br />Burman continued, "homeschoolers are a particular social group that the German government is trying to suppress. This family has a well-founded fear of persecution." He called such persecution "repellent to everything we believe as Americans."<br /> <br />In 2008, Uwe Romeike and his wife, Hannelore, fled with their five children from Bissingen, Germany, where public school attendance is mandatory. Two years before the couple had decided to educate their children at home for religious and conscientious reasons.<br /><br />They received repeated threats from school and government officials until armed police officers, without written orders, forcibly removed the children from their home and escorted them to the government school.<br /><br />Soon afterward, Mr. and Mrs. Romeike managed to have their children excused from attending school based on a doctor's finding that the situation caused "undue stress with psychosomatic consequences."<br /><br />It was then the government began leveling fines on the family which in the span of 16 months totaled more than € 12,200 (about $17,850) with threats the authorities would confiscate their property if they did not pay.<br /><br />The Romeikes appealed to German courts, but their appeals were denied. The government began proceedings take their home, so the family fled to Morristown, Tennessee, where they have lived since August of 2008.<br /> <br />"We are so grateful to the judge for his ruling," said Mr. Romeike, who added, "We know many people, especially other German homeschoolers, have been praying for us. Their prayers and ours have been answered. We greatly appreciate the freedom to homeschool we now have in America and will be building our new life here."<br /><br />According to <i><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/27/german-home-schooling-family-asylum" target="_blank">The Guardian</a></i>, some of the Romeikes' objections to the German public school curriculum were sex education and exposure to anti-Christian religions and symbols.<br /> <br />The Romeike case has international ramifications since, according to HSLDA, this is the first time homeschooling has been at the center of a political asylum case in the U.S. HSLDA attorney Mike Donnelly said the judge's ruling "is embarrassing for Germany, since a Western nation should uphold basic human rights, which include allowing parents to raise and educate their own children." He added, "We hope this decision will cause Germany to stop persecuting homeschoolers."<br /> <br />Unfortunately, the Romeikes' experience is not unusual. The HSLDA <a href="http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Germany/RomeikeBrief.pdf" target="_blank">legal brief</a> tells the sad story of persecution of German home schooling families. "The German Federal Constitutional Court has explicitly held that Germany is entitled to forbid homeschooling precisely because 'homeschoolers' represent a particular social group it may legitimately suppress."<br /><br />The government says suppression of homeschooling is necessary to counteract "the development of religiously or philosophically motivated 'parallel societies.'"<br /> <br />The brief goes on to explain authorities regularly fine German homeschoolers by garnishing wages and seizing property, including their homes.<br /><br />Some parents spend time in jail and lose custody of their children, while other couples separate "for years - the fathers remaining in Germany to provide for their families and mothers and children living in another country where they are able to safely homeschool." Dozens of families flee Germany every year. <br /> </div><div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=d36780fd-1848-460f-beb5-4ce5fb642b60" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-53281688474755231832012-11-13T01:11:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.723-08:00State ‘Kidnapping’ of Swedish Home-schooler Prompts International Outcry<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HSLDF_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Logo of the Home School Legal Defense Association." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="104" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/ce/HSLDF_logo.jpg/300px-HSLDF_logo.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">Logo of the Home School Legal Defense Association. (Photo credit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HSLDF_logo.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><span class="itemAuthor">by <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/itemlist/user/68-alexnewman" rel="author">Alex Newman</a></span>, TheNewAmerican.com: <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/">http://www.thenewamerican.com</a><div class="itemToolbar"><br /> </div><div class="itemIntroText"> The case of eight-year-old Domenic Johansson, separated from his family by Swedish authorities last year over his parents’ decision to legally home school him, has prompted an international outcry from human rights groups, American home schooling organizations, and activists on the World Wide Web.<br /> </div><br />Last summer, armed police seized the boy from an airplane without a warrant just as the family was about to move to the mother’s home country of India. Court documents show the original reason for taking Domenic was home schooling, which currently remains legal in Sweden.<br /><br />Later, the court that upheld the government’s decision cited some unfilled cavities the family was planning to treat in India, and the fact that the boy had not received all of his “recommended” vaccines, which are technically optional under Swedish law.<br /><br />Domenic has been separated from his parents ever since - with one-hour supervised visits permitted every five weeks. He is being subjected to various “psychiatric treatments,” which four separate sources independently described as “brainwashing.” According to the boy’s father, Christer Johansson, Domenic is not the same as before he was taken. <br /><br />He had never in his life been sick, his Dad said - until he was seized by the government. Now, he has trouble remembering the names of his pets, family friends, and even his favorite hat. He’s also very depressed.<br /><br />The boy’s mother, Annie, has been in shock since the day when police took her son. She barely gets out of bed and has been in the Emergency Room five times since then, according to Mr. Johansson. <br /><br />“I’m still so shocked that I have trouble speaking about these things,” Mr. Johansson told <i>The New American</i> in a telephone interview. “To go through this in 2010 is outrageous - unbelievable really.”<br /><br />He said the social services had been haranguing him for years about vaccines and kindergarten. “When I told them about home schooling and human rights, that’s when they started to get really nasty,” he said. Finally, the family decided to leave. But the government would not allow it. And now, the state is doing everything in its power to keep the family apart. <br /><br />“They’re trying to make us look bad at every court hearing, they’re manipulating facts, and they’re using socialist ideals saying that ‘we don’t believe this is good for Domenic, this is better for Domenic.’ They‘re really breaking us down,” Mr. Johansson said. <br /><br />But the massive international outcry generated over this case has been a blessing, he added. “I thank God, actually, because without it, I don’t think I would be alive today,” he said, recounting the trauma of battling the government for his child while attempting to care for his wife.<br /><br />“The support we have, I don’t even have time to reply to all of the mail,” he explained, adding that his allies come from literally all over the globe. <br /><br />“There is nothing else that I think about except that we’re going to get Domenic back,” he said.<br /><br />“Annie has proved that she’s not going to continue to live unless Domenic comes back. We wanted to move from here because we don’t like this country anymore, and Annie needs to see her family - she hasn’t seen them in nine years … I won’t accept anything else except that he’s going to come back,” Mr. Johansson said, noting that they would probably leave for India as soon as Domenic is returned. “This is kidnapping, actually - if you don’t have any good reasons to take a child, it’s kidnapping.” <br /><br />And international allies of the family agree - it’s state-sponsored kidnapping. The case has attracted a firestorm of international criticism, and some very heavy hitters have joined the family’s fight. <br /><br />“We got involved because the home-schooling issue was implicated here and this was just such an outrageous violation of the family’s rights,” explained Michael Donnelly, the director for international relations and a staff attorney with the U.S.-based non-profit <a href="http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Sweden/default.asp" target="_blank">Home School Legal Defense Association</a>.<br /><br />In an interview with <i>The New American</i>, he explained that his organization has done a lot of work publicizing the case. They have also been in contact with Swedish officials, and are researching various options to move forward with a legal strategy. <br /><br />“This case is so egregious … the way the social services in Gotland have treated this poor family is so shocking to the conscience of any human being,” Donnelly said.<br /><br />“[The government employees] just don’t want to admit that they were wrong. If they return the boy they’d have to admit that they did a terrible, terrible thing - a terrible thing.” But despite the reluctance of social workers to acknowledge their mistake, “we hold out hope that justice will be done,” Donnelly added.<br /><br />To read further, go to: <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/204-state-%E2%80%98kidnapping%E2%80%99-of-swedish-home-schooler-prompts-international-outcry">http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/204-state-%E2%80%98kidnapping%E2%80%99-of-swedish-home-schooler-prompts-international-outcry</a><br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=2a20ac8e-5435-45e2-bd15-b931cbb25a53" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-42829575899700989712012-11-13T01:04:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.731-08:00German Statesman Backs Homeschooling, Slams State for “Usurping” Kids<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2001_06_09_Norbert_Bl%C3%BCm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Dr. Norbert Blum accepts the 2001 Leipzig Huma..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="220" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/2001_06_09_Norbert_Bl%C3%BCm.jpg/300px-2001_06_09_Norbert_Bl%C3%BCm.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">Dr. Norbert Blum accepts the 2001 Leipzig Human Rights Award. (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2001_06_09_Norbert_Bl%C3%BCm.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/itemlist/user/68-alexnewman" rel="author">Alex Newman</a>, TheNewAmerican.com: <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/">http://www.thenewamerican.com</a><br /><br />Home education advocates around the world are celebrating after a senior German political leader in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) became the highest ranking official in the nation to publicly express support for persecuted homeschooling families there.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norbert_Bl%C3%BCm" target="_blank">Norbert Blüm</a>, a federal lawmaker and former labor minister who served for over 15 years, said the modern educational system in Germany was “usurping” children while ignoring the important role of parents. <br /><br />Under the National Socialist (Nazi) regime of mass-murderer Adolf Hitler, homeschooling became illegal throughout Germany in 1938.<br /><br />Like collectivists of all varieties, the Nazi tyrant viewed children as property of the state who needed to be properly indoctrinated with its philosophy. Even Boy Scouts were banned while children and adolescents were prodded into joining the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_Youth" target="_blank">Hitler Youth</a>. <br /><br />Now, Scouting is legal and the Hitler Youth is nothing but a bitter memory for most Germans - a dark chapter in world history. Despite Hitler's defeat in World War II, however, home education remains illegal throughout Germany even today.<br /><br />Brave families that attempt to educate their children at home in defiance of the ban have become the victims of ruthless persecution campaigns that continue to shock the world. <br /><br />Some parents, <a href="http://www.wnd.com/2012/10/crack-appears-in-opposition-to-homeschoolers/?cat_orig=us" target="_blank">even recently</a>, have actually <a href="http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/139" target="_blank">lost custody of their children</a> over home education, with the government claiming that it has a "legitimate" interest in quashing “parallel societies.”<br /><br />Other persecuted German families fled the country as political refugees, <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/167-us-judge-grants-asylum-for-homeschooling-family">seeking asylum in countries like the United States</a>, Canada, New Zealand, and other European nations. Around the world, Germany’s Nazi-era home-education ban has become an international scandal in recent years. <br /><br />For former Labor Minister Blüm, an award-winning human rights campaigner as well as a politician, the alarming trend has gone way too far.<br /><br />“Today I observe a total usurpation of children by school,” the respected political figure explained in a recent statement sent out to journalists all over the globe, drawing praise from human rights activists and home education leaders. “Children are exhausted by leaving home early in the morning and returning late in the evening.”<br /><br />The controversial German ban on home education - unique in the Western world with the exception of Sweden, which <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/8576-sweden-bans-home-schooling-religious-instruction">implemented its own draconian prohibition last year</a> - should be discontinued, according to Blüm. “I am against the state’s education monopoly and see parents responsibly homeschooling as a healthy response to an imperious school system,” the high-ranking lawmaker added. <br /><br />Advocates for home education and human rights quickly celebrated Blüm’s statements, noting that the courageous statesman had become a source of hope to the hundreds of persecuted homeschooling families in Germany, as well as to those who have already fled abroad and others who would homeschool without the ban in place.<br /><br />The question now, as home education leaders from around the world prepare to <a href="http://www.ghec2012.org/" target="_blank">converge on Berlin</a> this week, is whether the German government is paying attention.<br /><br />To read further, go to: <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/13428-german-statesman-backs-homeschooling-slams-state-for-%E2%80%9Cusurping%E2%80%9D-kids">http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/13428-german-statesman-backs-homeschooling-slams-state-for-%E2%80%9Cusurping%E2%80%9D-kids</a><br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=7371598f-c1b3-4a51-9e32-5b55556547c0" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-46710241339827851312012-11-13T00:56:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.804-08:00Homeschoolers Flee Persecution in Germany and Sweden<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/96255502@N00/7930372280" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Homeschooling schedules" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="160" src="http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8459/7930372280_2f1e710e9c_m.jpg" style="border: medium none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homeschooling schedules (Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/96255502@N00/7930372280" target="_blank">verymom</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"></div>by <a href="http://thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/itemlist/user/68-alexnewman" rel="author">Alex Newman</a>, TheNewAmerican.com: <a href="http://thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/13503-homeschoolers-flee-persecution-in-germany-and-sweden">http://thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/13503-homeschoolers-flee-persecution-in-germany-and-sweden</a><br /><span class="itemAuthor"><br /></span><span class="itemAuthor">Two leaders in the European home education movement, a father from Sweden and a German mother, drew tears from the audience as they told a packed conference room about life in exile and the heart-rending decision to flee abroad. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">While each of their stories was unique, both parents were forced to escape from their homelands due to relentless government persecution when they refused to stop homeschooling. <br /><br />The presentations were made during a Friday workshop at the first-ever <a href="http://www.ghec2012.org/">Global Home Education Conference</a> (GHEC), held in Berlin, Germany, bringing together around 200 homeschooling leaders, policy makers, parents, human rights activists, and pro-family forces from every corner of the world. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">Meeting here this weekend, they say the plan is to join forces in the battle to protect the right of parents to direct the education and upbringing of children. <br /><br />Today, parental rights over the education of children are almost universally recognized. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">Even the controversial United Nations’ so-called “<a href="http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml">Universal Declaration of Human Rights</a>” concedes that “parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children,” as more than a few activists at the conference have pointed out. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">But under certain totalitarian regimes, as well as in <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/8576-sweden-bans-home-schooling-religious-instruction">Sweden</a> and <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/13428-german-statesman-backs-homeschooling-slams-state-for-%E2%80%9Cusurping%E2%80%9D-kids">Germany</a>, that is not always the case. <br /><br />Jonas Himmelstrand, the chairman of the GHEC, is the president of the Swedish Home Education Association (ROHUS). He also lives in exile, having fled to Finland as a “homeschooling refugee” after the Uppsala municipality adopted a restrictive view on homeschooling - a process that began even before the national government passed a law purporting to ban home education in 2010. <br /><br />As <i>The New American</i> <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/8947-homeschool-leader-flees-swedish-persecution">reported </a>earlier this year, Himmelstrand was forced to flee from Sweden when officials threatened his family with massive fines and potentially even retaliation by social services. There finally came a point where the pressure became too much to bear. <br /><br />“We cannot live with the fear of the threat that our children will be taken away,” Himmelstrand told GHEC attendees, explaining his decision to escape from Sweden after the family received a letter from social authorities calling the parents and child to a meeting. “The moment we got that letter, we knew the move was close.” <br /><br />After moving to the Swedish-speaking Aland Islands in Finland and leaving the vicious persecution behind, his homeschooled kids are doing great, Himmelstrand explained, saying it was a huge relief. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">When the head of a Finnish government education organization and residents of his new island home welcomed the family to Finland, “I nearly had tears in my eyes,” he said, adding that they are referred to as “Swedish school refugees.” Conference attendees sought to keep their own tears in, but not all succeeded. <br /><br />At least a dozen other families Himmelstrand knows personally have already fled abroad, too, he said. Many of them, including other members of the ROHUS board, now live on the semi-autonomous Finnish Aland Islands as well. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">Still, some brave homeschooling families have decided to risk the fines and even the threat of having their children seized to stay in Sweden and defy the ban - for now at least.<br /><br />The situation in Germany is similar: Many persecuted homeschooling families have already escaped abroad, but some have not left yet for various reasons. Himmelstrand had some advice for the victims of the persecution who have not thus far fled to more liberty-minded countries. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">He told the 50 or so workshop attendees to plan beforehand, decide what the final line in the sand is, and make escape plans to be kept between the parents. If and when the line is crossed, act on the plan and run.<br /><br />Before closing, Himmelstrand also mentioned a recent <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/13301-in-sweden-persecuted-jewish-homeschoolers-win-court-battle">appeals court victory by a Jewish homeschooling family in the Swedish city of Gothenburg</a>. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">Unfortunately for that family as well as for other homeschoolers and advocates of religious freedom in Sweden, however, authorities decided this week to appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court in an effort to prevent the Rabbi and his wife from educating their four children. <br /><br />“If the Supreme Administrative Court agrees with this permission, that’s going to create a conflict within Sweden where at least the politicians are going to have to start thinking about it,” Himmelstrand explained, careful not to sound too optimistic. “If not, we’re back to square one.”<br /><br />While the Jewish family’s victory was celebrated by homeschooling advocates and Jews all over the world, in Sweden, politicians have been fuming. In recent days, for example, the state-run and government-subsidized Swedish media unleashed a series of screeds against the family, its religious beliefs, homeschooling, freedom of religion, and more. <br /><br />“The critical views that some top Swedish politicians express about the victory of the Jewish family is about more than only homeschooling,” Himmelstrand told <i>The New American</i> after the session. “It is about the generally hostile view on family in Sweden, and families choosing their own way of life.”<br /><br />Also at the workshop on homeschooling in exile was Dagmar Neubronner, a German home educator and civil rights activist who became the face of the secular home-education movement in Germany’s press. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">When she took the microphone and began talking, it took her a few moments to stop sobbing. But her story of standing up for her children and their education despite having to flee her homeland clearly inspired the attendees.<br /><br />After another German family lost a key court battle, Neubronner’s family finally left Germany in 2008, largely to avoid crippling fines and the possible loss of custody over her children. The family now lives just across the border in France, she sobbed, explaining how hard it is for a person to be forced to leave their own country. <br /><br />“Once you’re in a new country, with a new language and a new culture, you realize how big the sacrifice is,” Neubronner said. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">“We risked everything we could risk - fines, jail. But we left at the moment where we couldn’t be sure about keeping custody of the children ... my very first responsibility as a mother is for the well-being of my children - not any political goal. I can fight for political goals until it comes to the point where I can’t assure the well-being of my children.” <br /><br />Fortunately for persecuted homeschooling families, it is possible to legally homeschool in all of the countries bordering Germany - some families have even registered in neighboring nations while still spending much of the time in their homeland. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">Among the primary refuges for German homeschooling refugees, she said, are Austria, Switzerland, France, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden - at least before the Swedish Parliament passed its own draconian prohibition. <br /><br />Some exiles even fled to Canada and the United States, where a U.S. immigration judge slammed the German government persecution when granting a family asylum. "We can't expect every country to follow our Constitution. The world might be a better place if it did. However, the rights being violated here are basic human rights that no country has a right to violate," <a href="http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/167-us-judge-grants-asylum-for-homeschooling-family">explained</a> federal U.S. Judge Lawrence Burman in his decision.<br /><br />With the wave of exiles continuing to grow, authorities in places such as Austria are starting to get nervous. At the same time, homeschooling families in those countries - especially in Austria and some Swiss cantons - are also expressing fear about the extra scrutiny placed on them due to the growing tide of German home educators fleeing across the border. <br /><br />After the talk about home education in exile, two persecuted homeschooling parents in the audience also spoke out briefly about their own situations. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">One father explained how he was forced to flee to Switzerland from Germany a day before officials were planning to seize his daughter. Following his comments, a mother who fled to Italy with her family said the “government is being so irrational,” brutally seeking to quash homeschooling even when it clearly works so well.<br /> </span><br /><span class="itemAuthor">“It reminds me of the situation faced by other refugees throughout history,” Neubronner, the German homeschooling leader living in France, said of the hesitation of nearby countries and homeschooling advocates to fully accept the fleeing homeschoolers with wide-open arms. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">“It is very important that we connect with each other, and don't lose our loyalty to each other, and not split into groups. This is very, very important.” The global home education movement must emphasize what it has in common and support its persecuted members, she concluded. <br /><br />Opponents of educational freedom and the human rights of parents and families never argue on facts and logic because they know homeschoolers will win, Neubronner added. The key to securing the right to home education, then, is not so much government and policy, but changing public opinion in hostile countries. </span><br /><br /><span class="itemAuthor">That way, local authorities - who often fear trouble with higher-level officials - would feel more comfortable coming up with solutions other than persecution, helping to accommodate homeschoolers. <br /><br />“We are just pioneers - pioneers get dirty, get in the mud,” she said, noting that the explosion in homeschooling around the world, while wildly successful as an educational strategy, was a relatively recent phenomenon. Neubronner concluded by urging fellow persecuted homeschoolers and leaders from around the world not to fear, but rather prepare.</span><br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=64f2a1fd-8a0b-491a-88dc-8f13623859b6" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-82305958003669853032012-11-13T00:19:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.876-08:00Discovery Profiles: Uncomfortable Situations in China for African-American Student Soften Into Appreciation for Cultural Differencesby Stacey Hartmann, GlobaLinks NewsWire Editor: <span class="left"><a href="http://www.globalinksnewswire.com/4454/discovery-profiles-uncomfortable-situations-in-china-for-african-american-student-soften-into-appreciation-for-cultural-differences/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GlobalinksNewswire+%28GlobaLinks+NewsWire%29">http://www.globalinksnewswire.com/4454/discovery-profiles-uncomfortable-situations-in-china-for-african-american-student-soften-into-appreciation-for-cultural-differences/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GlobalinksNewswire+%28GlobaLinks+NewsWire%29</a></span><br /><h2><br /><span style="color: black;">Cultural Discovery: Amber Gore</span></h2><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Location_of_Chengdu_Prefecture_within_Sichuan_%28China%29.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Location of Chengdu Prefecture (yellow) within..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="252" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Location_of_Chengdu_Prefecture_within_Sichuan_%28China%29.png/300px-Location_of_Chengdu_Prefecture_within_Sichuan_%28China%29.png" style="border: medium none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">Location of Chengdu Prefecture (yellow) within Sichuan province of China (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Location_of_Chengdu_Prefecture_within_Sichuan_%28China%29.png" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">T</span>he stares. Now those took some getting used to for Amber Gore, a Bloomsburg University student who studied abroad as a junior in 2009 at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China.<br /><br />Gore, from Harrisburg, Penn., is of African-American descent. So she knew before she boarded the plane to China that she’d stand out in the crowds there with her dark skin, natural hairstyle and larger physique.<br /><br />In fact, her Chinese teacher at the time gave her some advice. “He said, ‘they might stare at you.’”<br /><br />But it took awhile after she arrived to absorb the culture shock of the large numbers of people turning their gaze in her direction, elbowing each other, and pointing at her just about everywhere she went.<br /><br />Sometimes the local people took her picture without asking, or referred to her as “the negro,” a term she found stunning at first because it is “so 1950s” in the United States.<br /><br />“Someone can tell you a million times what something is going to be,” she says, “but you really have to experience it for yourself.” In Chengdu, very few people spoke English, so Gore was forced to put her Mandarin language lessons into practice almost all of the time and work extra hard to understand her Chinese language instructors at Chengdu.<br /><br />“In Chengdu, you have no choice but to speak Chinese,” she says. “They even have their own dialect called Sichuanese, so a different way of saying things. But I didn’t understand any of it.”<br /><br />Gore was afraid to speak when she first arrived, and when she did speak she felt she was all over the place, misusing words. After she started taking language classes, her Mandarin definitely improved, although not to the point of fluency. Still, Gore grew increasingly comfortable as the months passed. Toward the end of her study abroad, she started thinking of Chengdu as a second home.<br /><br />“I knew where everything was,” she says. “I knew the local people. These people were just like us, but they have different norms within their society. Everyone’s kind of striving to make it. They try to do good in school and please their parents.”<br /><br />If Gore studied or worked abroad in China again - something she’d like to do - she says she’d work even harder to push past the cultural differences she experienced so she could overcome her fear of talking in the native language. She’d worry less about making a fool of herself. And she’d also try to reach out more to make friends with Chinese locals.<br /><br />“Once I got home, I thought, I could have done this,” she says, “I could have done that.” But it is that realization that shaped her cultural discovery experience in China and her own sense of how her differences there have great power to enrich her experience within the culture.<br /><br />“There were situations where it was uncomfortable,” she says, “but the benefits and positives of going to China are definitely greater than the little stuff.” She hopes to eventually go back to live and work in China for a while.<br /><br />“I would say to students who are African American or other races: Don’t be scared,” she says. “China’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I don’t want anybody to be afraid.”<br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=f859d018-76c0-422c-bc49-e7cbe1dd6d14" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-9584411623734259092012-11-11T16:08:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:24.948-08:00ACT Scoring and the Average ACT Score<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:StateLibQld_1_100348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="English: School children doing exams inside a ..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="215" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/StateLibQld_1_100348.jpg/300px-StateLibQld_1_100348.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">Children sitting at their school desks in a classroom doing scholarship examinations, 16 April 1940. (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:StateLibQld_1_100348.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Michael_O_Smith">Michael O Smith</a> <br /><br />The ACT (American College Test) is a national college admissions exam that tests knowledge and ability in four major subject areas:<br /><br /><ul><li>Science</li><li>Reading</li><li>Mathematics</li><li>English</li></ul><br />The exam format is 215 multiple choice questions, broken into four separate tests, and also a separate thirty minute writing test.<br /><br />ACT test results are accepted by all four year universities and colleges across the United States.<br /><br />Across the nation, an average of over 43% of high school graduates have taken the ACT before they graduate. The Midwest and Rocky Mountain region have the highest percentage of students taking the ACT test. Nearly all high school students in Michigan, Colorado and Illinois take the test before they graduate.<br /><br />The ACT test is much less popular in the north Atlantic. In Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, and Delaware under 20% of high school graduates take the ACT.<br /><br /><b>Average ACT Scores </b><br /><br />ACT scores, grades, and class rank are the main criteria a college uses to determine if an applicant will be accepted. The ACT test scores out of 36 points, with a possible score range from 1 to 36. The nationwide average ACT score is fairly consistent from year to year, and was just over 21.1 in 2009.<br /><br />Nearly 30% of ACT takers score between 19 and 23. Over 55% of all ACT takers score between 17 and 25. While technically it is possible a student can score a 1 on the ACT, over 99% of students earn a 12 or above.<br /><br />The average ACT score fluctuates from state to state. The states typically having the highest average ACT test scores are Washington (23.1), Connecticut (23.3), Massachusetts (23.6), and New York (23.1). The states scoring the lowest were Florida (19.8), Washington DC (19.1), and Mississippi (18.9).<br /><br />The minimum ACT required score for admission will differ for each school. Although there are exceptions, most public colleges require an 18.<br /><br />Most Ivy League schools only accept applicants whose ACT scores are in the 90th percentile, which in most years equates to a minimum score of 28. Achieving a 36 on the ACT does not require getting every question correct, but is difficult nonetheless. Only 1 in every 4,000 students earn a 36.<br /><br />Typically a score over 34 puts a student in the top percentile. A score of 30 is considered to be very good and is only earned by the top 4% of all students.<br /><br /><b>How the ACT is Scored </b><br /><br />The ACT score is calculated by using the average of the scores from all four test sections. All of the sections are scored on a scale of 1 to 36. If the average score is not a whole number, the ACT rounds the score up to the nearest whole number. Like other standardized admissions tests, the ACT has created a "College Readiness Benchmark" for each subject area.<br /><br />The readiness benchmark is supposed to be an accurate gauge of whether a student is intellectually and academically ready for college. The ACT college readiness minimum benchmark scores are 22 for mathematics, 18 for English, 21 for reading, and 24 for science.<br /><br />The weighted average of all four of the college readiness benchmarks is 21.25, which means a student who gets a 21.1 does not meet the level of readiness that the ACT indicates is required to succeed in college. Surprisingly, the ACT reports that only 23% of all test takers in 2009 exceeded the benchmarks in all of the categories.<br /><br />Please visit <a href="http://www.averageactscore.com/scholarships/high-scores/" target="_new">ACT High Scores</a> for more information about ACT testing.<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Michael_O_Smith" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_O_Smith</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?ACT-Scoring-and-the-Average-ACT-Score&id=7331808" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?ACT-Scoring-and-the-Average-ACT-Score&id=7331808</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=2301f258-9efa-4586-9691-b2181282933d" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-78998720572604443212012-11-11T16:00:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:25.020-08:00Business Schools: Are They the Perfect Economic Shelters?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ITESM_EGADE_Monterrey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="English: The Graduate School of Business Manag..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="200" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/ITESM_EGADE_Monterrey.jpg/300px-ITESM_EGADE_Monterrey.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">The Graduate School of Business Management of the Tecnológico de Monterrey in San Pedro Garza García, in Greater Monterrey, Mexico (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ITESM_EGADE_Monterrey.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Rima_Hammoudi">Rima Hammoudi</a> <br /><br />Many people seek shelter during an economic recession. One of the most beneficial ways to do this is to go back to school.<br /><br />If you feel like you aren't getting enough from your job, or feel that you might benefit from a higher level of education, then consider enrolling in one of the local business colleges while you weather the financial storm.<br /><br />People that work in business are usually individuals that are highly organized, motivated and determined. Since the business world thrives in such a fast-paced environment, business professionals must be able to keep up.<br /><br />While experience is essential, the right certification certainly helps your credibility. What's even better about a business degree is that it is a flexible one - it can literally take you anywhere in the world.<br /><br />You can work in absolutely any field with room to grow. Business is actually one of the only fields in the world that has no ceiling. How far you want to take yourself depends only on how hard you are willing to work.<br /><br />Some of the potential fields that are immediately available to business professionals include:<br /><br />- Accounting<br />- Administration<br />- Analyst<br />- Conference/Event Planner<br />- Finance<br />- Manager<br />- Marketing (Coordinator or otherwise)<br />- Project Administration<br />- Sales Professional<br /><br />If you look at this list, one thing that you will notice is that they are all positions that are essential to the successful operation of almost every company, from retail sales to government agencies. What is especially great about business schools is that they teach you what to expect in the real world, once you graduate.<br /><br />The right school will provide you with the tools you need to find your footing in the business world. For those that are already employed or experienced and are simply looking to improve their skill set, then business colleges can provide you an opportunity to hone skills like critical thinking and communication.<br /><br />Business degrees also open the door to potential entrepreneurship. Owning your own business is also a great way to stay clear of the economic downfall, especially if you are a smaller business (depending on your area of concentration.<br /><br />You can limit your employees and spending, while ensuring that your company is running smoothly (it is easy to manage a business when you can see it from all angles). And you don't have to worry about being a victim of a massive lay-off. A <a href="http://www.academyoflearning.com/business/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">business college</a> can teach you everything that you need to know about owning and operating your own business.<br /><br />Whether you're a potential student, new to the business world, or looking for more experience, business schools are a great way to increase your knowledge base, but also your overall personal value. Think about it. Is there really a better way to weather the economic crisis? This way, you come out more educated and better prepared for the next economic step that the world takes.<br /><br />Contact the Academy of Learning for more information on attending a <a href="http://www.academyoflearning.com/" target="_new">business school in Canada</a>.<br /><br />Rima Hammoudi is a Copywriter at Higher Education Marketing, a leading Web marketing firm specializing in Google Analytics, Education Lead Generation, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Mobile SMS Alerts, Social Media Marketing and Pay Per Click Marketing, among other Web marketing services and tools.<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Rima_Hammoudi" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rima_Hammoudi</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Business-Schools:-Are-They-the-Perfect-Economic-Shelters?&id=7371554" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?Business-Schools:-Are-They-the-Perfect-Economic-Shelters?&id=7371554</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=dc797b41-ecdc-4964-9df5-e704215bb433" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-44756757263802640612012-11-11T15:52:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:25.091-08:00Free Math Problem Help for School and College Students<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chord_and_radius_in_circle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="English: A chord, radius, and perpendicular bi..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="254" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Chord_and_radius_in_circle.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="281" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 281px;">A chord, radius, and perpendicular bisector used to illustrate how to find an equation for unknown values. Created in ms paint for tutoring example. (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chord_and_radius_in_circle.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Liz_James">Liz James</a> <br /><br />Students are probably used to teachers and parents telling them to work out math problems by themselves because that's the only way you'll learn math.<br /><br />Much as students would like to disagree, it's probably true.<br /><br />However, the problem students have with math is not limited to solving problems; it usually starts earlier and has to do with how much students understand of what they are being taught.<br /><br />Instruction for math should ideally be tailored to each student's capacity and aptitude for the subject.<br /><br />Students who are really good at math can cover lessons faster and go beyond the syllabus and explore topics they are interested in. Students who maintain average grades need plenty of practice and someone to explain things in a way they understand.<br /><br />While following a customized approach for teaching math will turn out better informed students, it's not really possible to apply it in most classrooms across the country, due to a shortage of good teachers, time constraints and deadlines.<br /><br /><b>Find Good Math Tutors to Learn Math Easily</b><br /><br />Using a math tutoring service is a viable solution to students' math needs. Hiring a good math tutor can make a world of difference in students math education. Tutors provide individual attention and help with math problems, at an easy pace which allows students to really absorb what they are learning.<br /><br />Students have plenty of opportunity to practice all the concepts they learn under the guidance of their tutor. Online tutoring services and <b>math help</b> sites have a sizable repository of practice worksheets, which have a diverse set of problems. The best thing about using these practice sheets is that students have access to a variety of problems of different difficulty levels, which may not be included in text books.<br /><br />Today, students can find tutoring services that fit their schedule and requirements. Unlike a couple of decades ago, when private tutoring was an expensive affair, it is possible to find affordable and good quality tutoring, particularly online. Many high school and college students opt for online tutoring over the other traditional options, because of the convenience, flexibility, and 24 x 7 help it offers.<br /><br />Gone are the days of traveling to a tutoring center and working with rigid timetables. Students who learn online can schedule lessons for whenever they want and log into the sessions from just about anywhere. All you need is a computer and an internet connection, and you're all set to get all the help you need.<br /><br />Students who learn online find the virtual environment comfortable and the tutors encouraging. There are many resources available online which students would not have access to in tutoring centers or with a home tutor. Online games, quizzes, and puzzles add to the fun of learning while mock tests prep students for tests and exams.<br /><br />Know more about <a href="http://www.tutorcircle.com/" target="_new">Free math help</a>, Homework Help. This article gives basic information about <a href="http://www.mathcaptain.com/math-problem-solver.html" target="_new">Math problem help</a>. In my Next article will try to cover more solved problems. Please share your comments.<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Liz_James" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liz_James</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Free-Math-Problem-Help-for-School-and-College-Students&id=7367418" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?Free-Math-Problem-Help-for-School-and-College-Students&id=7367418</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=4a819bfa-da88-4095-94d3-3d6a6418737d" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-45674597508538520212012-11-11T15:46:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:25.164-08:00How Blended Delivery Can Work for Nursing Students<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blended-learning-methodolog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="English: Blended learning methodology graphic" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Blended-learning-methodolog.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="250" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 250px;">Blended learning methodology graphic (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blended-learning-methodolog.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=George_Szifo">George Szifo</a> <br /><br />There have been significant developments and advancements in the field of education worldwide, and today there are multiple methods to develop and present courseware in ways that will capture the attention of students.<br /><br />Blended delivery combines both the advantages of conventional classroom learning, as well as new-age methods of computer mediated activities.<br /><br />This strategy creates more integrated methods for both instructors and students to gain comprehensive knowledge on the topics of learning.<br /><br />Such courses blend face-to-face methodology of course delivery, such as in-class discussions, active group work, and live lectures with web-based educational technologies such as online course modules, online assignments, discussion boards, e-learning involving videos, audios and applets and other web-assisted learning tools.<br /><br />It has been proven that where a student's interest is kindled, education automatically happens. These blended learning methods work to awaken the students' interest in a particular topic, through innovative delivery methods that capture student interest and therefore increase memory retention.<br /><br />Online and web-based designs can be developed using crystal clear imagery, visuals and graphics that elucidate all the principles being taught.<br /><br />More practical advantages stem from the fact that online courses can be played back and reviewed any number of times till the student understands all the concepts; besides this the classes can be done at the students' own convenience of time and place.<br /><br />Online assessments and evaluations are instantaneous and can be reviewed by teachers and parents as well to judge the level of interest and performance of the students.<br /><br />Combine this with the advantages of traditional classroom based courses as well, and you have an education system that has only positive applications. There may be students who prefer the one-on-one individual attention that is afforded through face-to-face learning methods, and they can be benefited equally through the blended learning methodology.<br /><br />Today, more and more institutions of higher education are opting for blended course delivery methods for various reasons, including the following:<br /><br />1. Such courses appeal to the market of busy senior students who choose to complete their college-level education while they are working in a fulltime regular job. Online courses allow them the convenience of fitting in face-to-face class time into their busy work schedules once or twice a week, while simultaneously working on the remainder of the course work over the internet.<br /><br />2. Such courses reduce pressure on university classrooms, reducing their running costs of maintaining the university. Virtual classrooms reduce the space constraints on campus.<br /><br />3. Students are brought together only when needed, as they can employ self study methods through recorded classes online. Nursing students may read up on the course content online and attend physical classes only for practical sessions.<br /><br />4. Even in classrooms, teachers can benefit by playing videos from the internet or showing slides that can elucidate the learning matter, saving time and at the same time making concepts much clearer.<br /><br />5. Students who may not want to go to regular school due to allergies or severe medical conditions, or fears of school violence or bullying can opt for the blended learning methodology where their time on campus is minimized.<br /><br />A lot of institutes are offering specially designed <a href="http://www.ihna.edu.au/courses/Nursing" rel="nofollow" target="_new">nursing programs</a> for nurses at the campuses, but they will get more enrolments if they provide the same course online and this is one of the major reasons every college or institute should start delivering online nursing courses.<br /><br />The students also love to go for online courses rather than the regular campus courses due to the wide range of flexibility and time saving aspects.<br /><br />An online content writer offering services for clients from various niches. Also interested in spending time with travel and outdoor games.<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=George_Szifo" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_Szifo</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Blended-Delivery-Can-Work-for-Nursing-Students&id=7368882" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Blended-Delivery-Can-Work-for-Nursing-Students&id=7368882</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=7ada2fee-fa62-4239-a0d5-453735bed826" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-57010176793028331932012-11-11T15:41:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:25.235-08:004 Factors That Need to Be Considered When Choosing a Tutor<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TeacherBritishMuseum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="English: A teacher and young pupils at The Bri..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="274" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/TeacherBritishMuseum.jpg/300px-TeacherBritishMuseum.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">A teacher and young pupils at The British Museum Duveen Gallery (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TeacherBritishMuseum.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"></div>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Pooja_M_Shah">Pooja M Shah</a> <br /><br />The majority of parents find it challenging to choose the right teacher and learning center for their children.<br /><br />Nevertheless, choosing a tutor is an important step, which goes a long way in improving standardized test scores or grades.<br /><br />Many important factors need to be taken into consideration when selecting a tutorial company including tutorial experience, education level, subject expertise and tutorial style.<br /><br /><b>1. Records</b><br /><br />To find an experienced teacher, it is important to consult the tutor's resume. When seeking for a tutor in small towns there may be just a few teachers to choose from. However, in a larger town, there will be a larger pool to select from.<br /><br />Many of the websites feature teachers' profiles listing the experience of the teachers. You can consider requesting for references. Nevertheless, it is important to avoid being attracted by testimonials that appear on the website because there is no possible way of verifying whether they are authentic.<br /><br /><b>2. Education level</b><br /><br />The amount/level of education acquired by the tutor can be another deceptive trait. Somebody with a PhD in a given field or 30 years of experience in teaching is not necessarily the best choice. It will be difficult to empathize with learners when the subject content appears ancient and trivial.<br /><br />Choosing a teacher drawn from one of the top universities offers a better bet when you are looking for a tutor because they possess a standardized breath of education and test mastery.<br /><br /><b>3. Expertise</b><br /><br />The subject expertise offers an easy way of evaluating. It is however a less important process particularly if you are seeking for high school teachers. Every teacher should have mastered all the necessary skills. In case you are seeking for expertise in a specific subject, it is important to select a teacher with a related college degree. For instance, if you are seeking for an English teacher you can consider selecting on that is mastered in Literature or has an English Major.<br /><br />On the other hand, if you are looking for a mathematics teacher or science teacher you can consider choosing a fellow with an education in engineering with expertise in both of these areas.<br /><br /><b>4. Methods</b><br /><br />The tutorial style is an important selection criterion that is often difficult to measure; nevertheless, it is considered the most important skill. The best way of doing this is to consider the references while keeping in close communication with the teacher once they have been hired. It is advisable to select a trainer who teaches the relevant skills to think and learn as opposed to a trainer who drills the facts.<br /><br />We provide the best info about <a href="http://www.thereadingclinic.com/" target="_new">San Francisco Learning Center</a> and <a href="http://www.thereadingclinic.com/" target="_new">bay area tutor</a>. For further details please visit the provided links.<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Pooja_M_Shah" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pooja_M_Shah</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?4-Factors-That-Need-to-Be-Considered-When-Choosing-a-Tutor&id=7368947" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?4-Factors-That-Need-to-Be-Considered-When-Choosing-a-Tutor&id=7368947</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=57788ea3-b784-4de6-a9a9-2c35d571fe78" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-24362900543369959432012-11-10T23:44:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:25.307-08:00How to Develop Excellent Mathematic Students<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11347003@N00/94673490" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Saarbrücken, HTW, Mathematics Workshop" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="180" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/36/94673490_863d80cce6_m.jpg" style="border: medium none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saarbrücken, HTW, Maths Workshop (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/11347003@N00/94673490" target="_blank">flgr</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ronnie_Phillips">Ronnie Phillips</a> <br /><br />There was a time that the United States of America had some of the highest mathematics scores in the world for students in grades k through 12.<br /><br />A lot has changed since those days, and in order to help children get back on the path to being good mathematics students parents need to play an important role.<br /><br />Parents can assist with developing a lot of the fundamental skills needed for children to succeed in math when they attend school. Parents can do things that will support the schools and hopefully the schools will do the rest.<br /><br />In order to develop a student that has good math skills, a parent must play a key role in the learning process. In addition to parents, teachers and other family members are very important to a child's mathematical development.<br /><br />Elementary teachers and parents play the biggest role in a child's mathematical development, especially from Kindergarten through Fourth Grade. Time spent in school learning math or not learning math can never be replaced. Parents should make sure the elementary math teacher is knowledgeable and is a good teacher. Anything less could cause children to suffer a tremendous loss.<br /><br />The teacher that parents should be trusting to teach their child math is a person that will challenge their child regardless of their age. In addition to the challenges, the teacher should encourage children to try hard.<br /><br />Children need to know that their teacher cares about them and is not just trying to give them a lot of hard work. This teacher should believe in giving homework every night. Homework reinforces what was taught and learned in class and gives the parent and the teacher a chance to see if the child understands that information.<br /><br />I have observed teachers who really challenge their students to achieve higher order thinking These teachers take their students as early as the Second Grade and teach them how to add, subtract, multiply and divide using only their bran. We call this Mental Math.<br /><br />When I observed a Second Grade Class that had their students mentally answering math computation questions, I put my own son in that class. Shortly after being enrolled, He, too, learned how to do Mental Math. From that point on, math was my son's best subject. Teachers can really make a difference and parents can help affect change.<br /><br />The parent's role in their child's math development is very important and should start as young as possible. Teaching young children how to count, add and subtract numbers in their head without pencil and paper can stimulate the brain to think mathematically.<br /><br />Parent s can start the process by teaching children how to count from one to one hundred. Teaching children how to mentally figure out math problems should also be part of this process. They can start with asking simple math questions and going on to harder questions, as the child gets older.<br /><br />Parents should continually ask children mathematical computation questions and give positive feedback when they respond. Children love to receive positive feedback and that encourages continues growth.<br /><br />In addition to mental math activities, children should be given grade level mathematics workbooks to strengthen their math skills. Parents should have these books and other subject content books at home for additional practice and homework.<br /><br />These can be purchased from bookstores, teacher supply stores and multiple-purpose department stores where school or office supplies are sold. As children become more confident in their math skills, give them worksheets one grade level above their current grade.<br /><br />Help them if necessary, but when students become successful in the upper level workbooks; their confidence will really improve. The seed will be planted early and parents can watch as it grows.<br /><br />A parent must know what level of math and any other subject, for that matter, that their child is performing at every school year. When children enter kindergarten and the school recommends that children know their ABC's and know how to count to twenty or whatever number, it is the parent's responsibility to make sure the child is prepared prior to enrolling in school.<br /><br />Also, when the child is in the second or third grade and their child can't add simple two digit numbers, it is up to the parent to make sure that their child gets the extra help needed to become successful. Parents cannot wait on the school every time their child has an academic deficiency.<br /><br />Part of being a good parent is making sure that your child functions at the correct grade level throughout their academic career.<br /><br />Another strategy involves allowing your child to spend some time on a computer playing math games. The computer can be a wonderful resource that supports math and other subject area skills.<br /><br />Software is available that will measure a child's math skill level. Some of the software is developed in a game format. Children will think that they are playing a game, but in reality are actually learning math. Technology can be great, but I must warn parents to not allow children to spend a lot of unsupervised time on the computer.<br /><br />Another recommendation for parents is to not allow children to utilize calculators at an early age. Children need to first develop their brains to be able to do mathematical computations on their own. Constantly using calculators at a young age can stunt the mathematical growth of children.<br /><br />If children develop math skills by mentally thinking of the answer to simple problems, they will be better prepared for everyday life, such as grocery shopping, balancing a checkbook, to name a few. For example, all children should learn their multiplication tables by the third grade.<br /><br />They should be able to repeat them, verbally, without using a calculator. Children in elementary school who rely on the calculator for the answers are creating math deficiencies, which could have a negative impact on their math development.<br /><br />In addition to good teachers and involved parents, children should be involved in extracurricular activities that support math. In the state of Michigan, students can join a club at their school that plays a game called Academic Games. This form of gaming is challenging for children.<br /><br />It helps them to develop their academic skills as well as their math skills. Children can start playing these games as early as the second grade. This form of gaming will teach children how to play the game of Equations, a form of Algebra, at the age of seven. These skills are called Higher Order Thinking Skills.<br /><br />The children also compete locally, state wide, and on the national level. The experience is invaluable. There are also other mathematical games and clubs that children can join that will help develop skills and are fun. Parents should contact their local school district or state level office of Gifted and Talented Programs for this information.<br /><br />Children can take classes from various organizations that will support their mathematical development. These organizations may offer classes in the summer or on the weekends. Some of the classes can teach children how to build robots, toy cars, toy airplanes, etc. These classes may be in the area of engineering, computer science or some other technical field.<br /><br />The classes can be taught at the various colleges or universities in the local area. This is a community outreach for the colleges and universities, but children will develop social and academic skills that will carry over to their classroom and on to adulthood.<br /><br />When trying to develop good math students, all avenues should be tried. Parents can make additional progress by allowing children to visit work locations that utilize a lot of math. Children should be exposed to as many careers as possible. Careers in math and even science should be on their list of considerations. Parents should inform children which careers require them to have good math skills.<br /><br />Parents who are positively involved with their children and want the best for them will make sure their children are keeping up with their math skills and are successful in school.<br /><br />The strategies utilized in this article are a sample of the many ways parents can make sure their child is developing strong mathematical skills. The number one way to help a child develop good math skills is to have their parents positively and actively involved with their educational journey.<br /><br />For additional information go to <a href="http://outskirtspress.com/ronniephillips" target="_new">http://outskirtspress.com/ronniephillips</a> and read "Parent Involvement is Non-Negotiable". Ronnie Phillips, a very experienced educator and parent.<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ronnie_Phillips" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ronnie_Phillips</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Develop-Excellent-Mathematic-Students&id=7368427" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Develop-Excellent-Mathematic-Students&id=7368427</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=0531be6e-d53d-4d2d-ad00-83b886d213cc" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-1443720026390474552012-11-10T23:01:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:25.379-08:00Is Home Tuition Only for Poor Students?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7613418@N02/4314744470" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Tutoring" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="240" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2767/4314744470_538b209929_m.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="167" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center;">Tutoring (Photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7613418@N02/4314744470" target="_blank">QuietDangst</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Danny_Zhang">Danny Zhang</a> <br /><br />Many parents have the idea that home tuition is only for poor students who are slow in learning. As a result of this stigma, many parents only resort to home tuition when all other options fail.<br /><br />Typically, students who are enrolled for home tuition are students who are on the verge of failing or have been failing their exams.<br /><br />So why do parents seek the help of home tutors when their children's grades are failing? This is because home tutors can provide students with the 1 to 1 specialised attention that they need. It is believed that with the extra attention, their children can do better in school.<br /><br />Would good students not benefit from this 1 to 1 attention? The answer to that is no. In fact, students who are already doing well in school can achieve even greater results with the help of a private tutor. Outlined below are ways a tutor can help your already performing child.<br /><br />Tutors can offer a custom curriculum designed for your child. This is seen time and time again with home tuition. The attention that your child gets from the tutor is customized to his/her need. This is contrary to the classroom environment, whereby a one size fit all approach applies.<br /><br />Should your child be good in certain chapters, a tutor can choose to spend less time on it, vice versa. This ensures the most efficiency in time spent with your child.<br /><br />Home tutors can provide intensive revision sessions. The consummate student will say that the secret to success is practice. This universal law applies for examinations too. The more your child is familiar with exam settings, the better he/she will do. With the help of a home tutor, your child can be sure to receive much more revision than what he can receive in school.<br /><br />Schools take typically 2 weeks to complete and go through an exam paper. With home tuition, papers can be marked and feedback received by the student in a matter of two sessions. Intensive revision is really what divides above average and smart students.<br /><br />Your child can get ahead of his/her peers by having extra help on school work. Students can consult tutors almost anything on any subject. This applies with school work as well. Typically, tutors would also try to cover topics ahead of syllabus.<br /><br />Because of this, your child will revisit every topic during school lessons. This is beneficial as the lesson in class would be considered 'revision' for your child. Concepts taught in class would also be reinforced during lessons.<br /><br />We have seen how some home tuition can help your already performing child. We would like to highlight that the best performers of any field, all have personalized coaching to help them achieve the high level of success that they desire. With the proper utilization of your home tutor, your child can scale even higher heights.<br /><br />Are you finding ways to help your child improve his/her grades? Danny is a full time tutor who teaches <a href="http://tinyurl.com/cnuv7uw" target="_new">home tuition</a> and offers free advise on how to help your child do well in school. To find out more, please visit us at <a href="http://www.tuitionking.sg/" target="_new">http://www.tuitionking.sg</a>.<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Danny_Zhang" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danny_Zhang</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Home-Tuition-Only-for-Poor-Students?&id=7363678" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?Is-Home-Tuition-Only-for-Poor-Students?&id=7363678</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=93d4f578-d0b1-4eb9-b0da-b44b41aa1810" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-26651201641570846692012-11-10T22:58:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:25.451-08:00The Turning of the TESOL Tide: The Rise of TESOL Qualified Non-Native English Speakers<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flickr_-_U.S._Embassy_Tel_Aviv_-_CLASS_Seminar_2011No36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="21st Civics, Language and American Studies (CL..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" height="214" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Flickr_-_U.S._Embassy_Tel_Aviv_-_CLASS_Seminar_2011No36.jpg/300px-Flickr_-_U.S._Embassy_Tel_Aviv_-_CLASS_Seminar_2011No36.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;">21st Civics, Language and American Studies (CLASS) Seminar for English Language Teachers in Israel, July 17-22, 2011 (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flickr_-_U.S._Embassy_Tel_Aviv_-_CLASS_Seminar_2011No36.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Hamish_J_Weir">Hamish J Weir</a> <br /><br />As English continues to dominate spheres of international business, travel and communication, the imperative to have a significant grasp on the vagaries of the language is now more important than ever.<br /><br />Increasingly, governments in emerging economies - particularly in Asia and South America - are prioritising education in general and, in many cases, the English language in particular.<br /><br />Many countries in South East Asia, for example, are now looking to insist that their teachers not only have a sufficient linguistic background in order to teach English, but also carry appropriate qualifications which apply specifically to the practicalities of classroom teaching rather than merely possessing knowledge relating to pedagogical theory.<br /><br />This is not to diminish education degrees in this region, but simply to point out that ministries and other government organisations are beginning to understand the benefits which exist when their teachers are exposed to significant amounts of practical training in the field of ESL / EFL.<br /><br />The plethora of TEFL and TESOL courses now available in South East Asian countries is indicative of a marked increase in demand by local teachers who wish to up-skill or who are entering the industry and realise the need for a competitive edge.<br /><br />For instance, the Thai Ministry of Education is increasingly demanding that local teachers in its state schools gain a TESOL qualification in addition to a Bachelor's degree in education. The net effect of will be to increase the classroom competence (and perhaps salary) of the local teacher but also reduce the need to employ so many native speaking teachers.<br /><br />This will raise the level of language instruction across the board by insisting that both local and foreign teachers have the requisite knowledge and skills to perform effectively in the language classroom.<br /><br />In addition, it is clear that the supply of native speaking teachers cannot keep up with the demand for English language instruction. Now more than ever, then, there is the need to have highly trained local ESL / EFL teachers in the classrooms of state schools.<br /><br />This will mean that certificate courses such as CELTA and other TESOL / TEFL training courses will eventually become more popular amongst non-native speakers who meet the language requirements for these types of courses.<br /><br />The question is, can the general public be weaned off the idea that their children must be exposed to native speaking teachers or will parents and language learners eventually accept the fact that there are not enough native speakers to go around and that perhaps local teachers with high English language proficiency coupled with a certificate in TESOL can, in all likelihood, produce as good or better results than what they are currently getting.<br /><br />Want to increase your chances of landing the dream teaching job? Enrol in a quality TESOL course today at <a href="http://www.yestesol.info/" target="_new">http://www.yestesol.info</a>.<br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Hamish_J_Weir" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hamish_J_Weir</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Turning-of-the-TESOL-Tide:-The-Rise-of-TESOL-Qualified-Non-Native-English-Speakers&id=7361918" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Turning-of-the-TESOL-Tide:-The-Rise-of-TESOL-Qualified-Non-Native-English-Speakers&id=7361918</a> <br /> <br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=d45b95ba-35c8-4a4f-8cb9-c791722eea0f" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2706790505545722337.post-67388063174488908832012-11-10T22:53:00.000-08:002012-11-14T23:00:25.523-08:00Reading Worksheet for 1st Grade<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snowy-Day-Ezra-Jack-Keats/dp/0140501827%3FSubscriptionId%3D0G81C5DAZ03ZR9WH9X82%26tag%3Dzemanta-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0140501827" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cover of "The Snowy Day"" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51O%2BulrjQgL._SL258_.jpg" style="border: medium none; font-size: 0.8em;" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snowy-Day-Ezra-Jack-Keats/dp/0140501827%3FSubscriptionId%3D0G81C5DAZ03ZR9WH9X82%26tag%3Dzemanta-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0140501827" target="_blank">The Snowy Day</a></td></tr></tbody></table>by <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Shelly_Anton">Shelly Anton</a><br /><br />This reading worksheet for 1st grade is intended to be a quick reading probe to quickly assess reading level and reading comprehension.<br /><br />The readability level for this reading passage is Level 1 on the Dale-Chall scale and Level 1.4 on the Flesch-Kincaid scale.<br /><br /><i>The Snowy Day</i><br /><br /><i>It is snowy Saturday morning. Zane is very happy. He plans to play outside in the snow. First, Zane eats breakfast. His mom makes pancakes. Pancakes are his favorite! After breakfast, Zane places his dishes in the dishwasher.</i><br /><br /><i>Next, Zane needs to clean his bedroom. His mom says he can't go outside to play until he puts his toys away. He also makes his bed. Zane loves to play with his toys. Sometimes he forgets to put them away. Zane is proud of himself. He now has a nice, clean bedroom.</i><br /><br /><i>Zane is ready to play! Zane gathers his snow boots and snow pants. He also has a warm coat, stocking hat, and mittens. Zane carefully puts everything on. He doesn't want to be cold outside.</i><br /><i>As Zane heads outside, he sees his friend across the street. Levi and Zane love to play in the snow together! Last time they played outside, they built a huge fort. Levi asks Zane what he wants to do today. The two boys decide to build a snowman.</i><br /><br /><i>The boys begin to roll three balls of snow. They are ready to stack the snowballs. Oh no! They are too heavy to life. The boys are disappointed. What will they do now? Suddenly, Levi has an idea. Zane likes the idea. The boys begin rolling more snow.</i><br /><br /><i>Finally, they finish! Zane and Levi look at their work. There are three snowmen! Each snowman is made of only two snowballs. Each has a large snowball for the body and one smaller snowball for the head. What a great idea!</i><br /><br /><i>It is time to go inside. Levi and Zane are sad to stop playing. They make plans for the next day. Tomorrow they will go sledding!</i><br /><br /><i>The End.</i><br /><br />After completing the reading worksheet for 1st grade, administer this Reading Comprehension Assessment:<br /><br />1. What day of the week is it?<br />A. Monday <br />B. Tuesday <br />C. Saturday<br /><br />2. Why is Zane happy?<br />A. He is going to play in the snow. <br />B. He is going to a movie. <br />C. It is his birthday.<br /><br />3. What does Zane do so he isn't cold outside?<br />A. He doesn't stay outside long. <br />B. He puts on warm clothes. <br />C. He eats pancakes for breakfast.<br /><br />4. Who is Levi?<br />A Zane's friend. <br />B. Zane's dad who is at work. <br />C. Zane's favorite uncle.<br /><br />5. What are the boys making in the snow?<br />A. A snow fort. <br />B. A snowman. <br />C. A snow angel.<br /><br />6. What problem to the boys have?<br />A. It is too cold outside. <br />B. The snow starts to melt. <br />C. The snowballs are too heavy.<br /><br />7. Who has an idea to help with their problem?<br />A. Levi <br />B. Zane <br />C. Levi's mom<br /><br />8. How did the boys solve the problem?<br />A. They used the 3 heavy snowballs for the bodies. <br />B. They asked their parents to help them. <br />C. They quit making snowmen and went sledding instead.<br /><br />9. How many snowmen did the boys make?<br />A. one <br />B. two <br />C. three<br /><br />10. What do the boys plan to do the next day? <br />A. Go sledding <br />B. Build a fort <br />C. Go to a movie<br /><br />Answer Key:<br />1 - C <br />2 - A <br />3 - B <br />4 - A <br />5 - B <br />6 - C <br />7 - A <br />8 - A <br />9 - C <br />10- A<br /><br />If the reading worksheet for 1st grade is at the student's independent reading level, he/she will have 100% reading comprehension and will have only 1-2 errors in the reading the text.<br /><br />This passage is at the student's instructional level if he/she has 80% comprehension level and 5-10 errors when reading the passage. The reading passage is in the student's frustration level if he/she receives 70% reading comprehension and makes more than 10 errors while reading the selection. Finally, most first graders read an average of 50-70 words per minute.<br /><br />For another worksheet for 1st grade, reading comprehension assessment, and other printable teacher created resources, click here: <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Promoting-Success" target="_new">http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Promoting-Success</a><br /><br />Article Source: <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Shelly_Anton" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shelly_Anton</a> <br /><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Reading-Worksheet-for-1st-Grade&id=7362513" target="_new">http://EzineArticles.com/?Reading-Worksheet-for-1st-Grade&id=7362513</a><br /> <div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/?px" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=4ec534f7-28e0-4fd9-8755-8abfe2144e81" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0