Education Blog! » School

Reading Beyond the Elementary School

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 06:41:44 +0000

I have been a teacher for nearly thirteen year. It is a job that I love and cherish with my heart, because it was my “calling” from God. Science is the subject that I teach and nearly half of my students are intimidated by it, because science was not taught during the elementary grades. While in the fourth grade, students may spend fifteen to twenty minutes per week on the subject.

I have noticed during the past few years that the reading and comprehension skills of students are very low. Many read or “call words” and cannot comprehend what they just read. Most of the information from the textbook has to be “spoon-fed” to the students. I will assign reading from certain sections in the textbook and ask questions from the reading. Nearly all the students look at me as if I was speaking a foreign language. I tell students to read the selection more than one time to get a better understanding the meaning. Since some students skim or look over words, their grades begin to decline in more than one subject, because they do not comprehend what they have read. More sophisticated reading skills, such as interpreting and analyzing need to be taught during the middle school grades and beyond. During the middle and high school years, students move from class to class and different skills are required. A student must not be only able to sound out words, but understanding plots to read longer, due to more complex texts in subjects such as science, literature, and social studies.

Many middle and high school students are at risk of becoming dropouts, due to the lack of basic reading skills. Studies have shown that there are more than six million students are classified as “struggling readers”. The MS Department of Education wants all students to score at proficient level on the MCT2 by the year 2014. With the poor reading skills of many students, this may only be “wishful thinking” to those who are in charge of education. To accomplish this goal, everyone, such as parents, teachers, relatives, friends, neighbors, and churches must be involved in this process. Children must read every day even when there is no assignment, especially during the holidays or summer months. All parents need to be proactive, rather than reactive when it comes to a child reading abilities. Ultimately, parents must be held more accountable and be more responsible for their child’s education. It is not all left up to the child’s teacher or school. If a child fails due to poor reading skills, then that child probably will not be a productive member of society.

High School Musical Ringtones | High School Musical Theme Ringtone – High School Musical 3

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 06:37:48 +0000

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Characteristics of High School Learners

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:41:39 +0000

High school learners are qualitatively different than younger learners. You certainly can “teach an old dog new tricks” by understanding the cognitive and social characteristics of high school learners. Using the right instructional strategies to maximize the learning advantages and address the learning challenges of high school learners can make all the difference in their success.

High School Cognitive Development

Most high school students have achieved the formal operational stage, as described by Piaget. These students can think abstractly and need fewer concrete examples to understand complex thought patterns. Generally speaking, most students share the following characteristics:

1. Need to understand the purpose and relevance of instructional activities

2. Are both internally and externally motivated

3. Have self-imposed cognitive barriers due to years of academic failure and lack self-confidence

4. May have “shut down” in certain cognitive areas and will need to learn how to learn and overcome these barriers to learning

5. Want to establish immediate and long-term personal goals

6. Want to assume individual responsibility for learning and progress toward goals

High School Social Development

High school students are experimenting with adult-like relationships. Generally speaking, most students share the following characteristics:

1. Interested in co-educational activities

2. Desire adult leadership roles and autonomy in planning

3. Want adults to assume a chiefly support role in their education

4. Developing a community consciousness

5. Need opportunities for self-expression

High School Instructional Strategies

High school students are still concerned about the labeling that takes place, when one is identified as a remedial reader. Labels and stereotypes are both externally imposed (by other students and, sometimes their parents), but are primarily internally imposed (by the students themselves). Years of academic failure, due to lack of reading proficiency, have damaged students’ self-esteem. Many students have lost confidence in their ability to learn. Students have developed coping mechanisms, such as reading survival skills e.g., audio books or peer/parent readers, or behavioral problems, or the “Whatever… I don’t care attitudes” to avoid the tough work of learning how to read well. High school teachers need to be extremely mindful of student self-perceptions. A few talking points may be helpful:

“Unfortunately, some of your past reading instruction was poor; it’s not your fault that you have some skills to work on.” a.k.a. “blame someone else”

“You can learn in this class. If you come to class willing to try everyday, you will significantly improve your reading, I promise.”

“I know you have tried before, but this time is different.”

“You will be able to chart your own progress and see what you are learning in this class.”

“Some of my past students were like some of you. For example, ___________ and he passed the high school exit exam after finishing this class. For example, ___________ got caught up to grade level reading and is college right now.” Personal anecdotes provide role models and hope for high school remedial readers. Any former students who have been successful will provide “street credibility” to the teacher and the class.

“You aren’t in this class forever. As soon as you master your missing skills, you are out.”

Support our Troops, Breast Cancer, or Raise Funds for your Church or Elementary School

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 06:41:38 +0000

With something as simple as a , you, as an individual, can help bring awareness to the things you care about the most in simple, yet powerful ways – without ruining your bumper.

You can say a lot with a little. A Pink ribbon helps remind countless women to periodically check for the early signs of breast cancer. A yellow ribbon reminds us to Support Our Troops overseas: keeping them in our thoughts and prayers, sending letters and care packages. People are frequently willing to show their support while contributing to a worthy cause.

Fun, simple items can help inject creativity and personality to rally support and involvement. Churches, Charity organizations, schools, and clubs can start Fund Raising campaigns to support their associations and activities. As an added benefit, a donor may proudly display the souvenir and further raise awareness for the cause.

Joe Kivett, owner of SupportStore.com has been twice featured in Entrepreneur Magazine. He began his e commerce efforts with a home-made website with 1 product to several site with over 1,100 products delivered to over 47,000 satisfied customers.

Whether it’s for your favorite team, church affiliation, or your child’s elementary school, keep in mind the simple, creative you can raise Support for the things that matter to you. We can all do our part in changing our own little parts of the world.

Distance Learning High School Online Programs: the Answer to Your Needs?

admin — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 06:41:33 +0000

In present times, students have been spoiled for choice, for the number of distance learning high school online programs keeps growing everyday. Practically every school and college in the world is wiring itself to the IT network and is ready to provide its courses to interested students at their own pace and on their own time. Distance learning has come as a boon to a lot of people, and today, more and more teenagers are opting to complete their high school studies on the internet. Be it someone who has professional reasons to stay away from a traditional course, or be it a housewife caught up in daily chores, someone confined to home for health reasons or someone who wants to do things at his/her own pace, distance learning caters to all their needs.

Types of Distance Learning High School Online Programs

While choosing an online course, it would be wise to check the credentials of the schools offering such courses. Online high schools can be of two types – private schools and public charter schools. Private schools may or may not have an accreditation by a regional association, and work independently of the government. Like any traditional private schools, these online private schools have rules and regulations of their own and generally have higher tuition fees. If you wish to enroll in a private distance learning high school online, make sure that diplomas issued by them are recognized by most colleges, when you pursue higher studies. However, some reputed universities like Brigham Young University and Indiana University are today offering online high schools, and are a safer bet since they have associations with well established educational institutions.

Public Versus Private Schools

As opposed to private schools, distance learning online high schools which are public charter schools are publicly funded and provide free education to residents of the state. In case you wish to apply to a school outside of your state you might be asked to pay the tuition fees. Public charter schools work on government rules and regulations and are accredited. The Blue Sky School in Minnesota and Choice 2000 in California are good examples of Public Charter Schools.

Distance learning high school online programs are a good option for a variety of students. And courses pursued at an accredited high school, will be recognized by all colleges. So if you are a student who can keep himself motivated, has good comprehension skills and wants to study on his own time, an online high school diploma course is the right choice for you.

How to Plan a Successful Elementary School Parent Teacher Night

admin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 06:41:32 +0000

Unlike parent-teacher conferences, which can be very taxing for both the teachers and the parents, parent-teacher parties are more relaxed and easy going. The only hurdle you have to overcome is this phenomenon called “parental apathy to PTO parties”, which becomes an issue if the only type of meetings that these parents have attended are related with their children’s behavioral and academic performance.

Questions like “do we HAVE to go?” will crop up, which means your PTO party must rock these parents’ imagination and spark their interest enough for them to attend.

Planning for the Parent Teacher Night should be done at least six months prior to the event. This will allow you to conduct surveys and give out questionnaires for parents to answer. In fact, you can start planning for the next PTO party a week after the last one. Check out the log for the names of the parents that attended the event and contact them for feedback.

You can send an email asking them a few questions, or one that directs them to a page on your school’s website where they can fill out a feedback form. Remember to mention the magic words, “this will only take a few minutes”. A simple rating system can be used to avoid complicating the feedback process, but make sure there’s a space for the parents to tell you in their own words what they thought of the party.

Also, explain on the page (or the email) that you are going to use their suggestions to make the next party more memorable. This will make parents feel invested in the next party because it will seem like they contributed in the planning somehow with the feedback they gave.

When you’re done asking for feedback and collating survey results, it’s time to plan for the next party. First, decide on a theme. To do this, you must have a clear idea of the commonalities among the parents. Will the majority of the parents appreciate and attend a 1980’s themed party? Should you hire a 90’s rock band or a DJ who’s familiar with ballroom dancing CDs?

Next, make a list of the food items you will be serving. Because of the cross-cultural nature of the parent community in most schools, you must prepare an open buffet with food elements that most folks can appreciate. Assign one of the teachers to attend to the parents who are getting food from the table. They may have questions on specific dishes that need to be answered immediately (e.g. questions about the presence or absence of meat products, low fat ingredients, etc.).

Assign a host and a front door attendant to usher in the attendees. Make sure the people with these responsibilities are approachable and well-liked. Remember, the usher is the one that greets every parent at the door and hand them the party program, which means that his or her likability will make the parents’ feel glad they attended the party instantly. The host or the program manager is responsible for making sure the parents don’t leave early.

Finally, create compelling invitations that will be distributed a month or two before the party. Don’t rely on a simple bulletin board notice to get the parents’ attention. An invitation is more personal and a more reliable way to inform parents about the PTO party.

Ged Vs. Online High School Diploma: Citizens High School Makes your Studies Worth your While

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 06:41:25 +0000

Now is the opportunity for anyone without a high school diploma to enter into a self-paced study program through Citizens’ High School – and do so on-line in the convenience of one’s home, while on vacation or anywhere a Net-connected computer is available.

Through Citizens’ High School, studying for a high school diploma online has never been easier or more convenient. Students can virtually keep their present schedules, including full-time jobs and family obligations, with the least amount of interruption as possible. Citizens’ High school online programs work around the student.

Self-paced study is the key at Citizens’ High School. Study guides are made available with each course and “open-book” exams and are taken only when the student feels he/she is ready. These are then mailed to Citizens for review and grading by the instructor. They are recorded and then mailed back to the student.

What is the advantage of a Citizens’ High School Diploma obtained online over a GED?

Some employers look upon a GED as inferior, preferring instead an actual high school diploma. Even some branches of the U.S. Military will not always automatically accept it. This is unfortunate because acquiring a GED is not as easy as one may think. General Education Development can be rather difficult to acquire. But the reality is almost every well- paying job requires at least a high school diploma.

Located in Orange County, Florida, Citizens’ High School has been accredited through the Accrediting Commission of the Distance and Education Training Council which is nationally recognized as an accredited agency by the U.S. Department of Education.

Prospective students of Citizen’s High School can be assured of fiscal responsibility, valid curriculum, admission standards, and quality of instructors through accreditation. The accreditation process also helps filter out “diploma mills” which “guarantee” diplomas in days or weeks based on “life experience”.

A 100% money-back guarantee is offered to all new students via a 30-day (from the postmark date of the first course) no obligation review of the first course. If a student is not completely satisfied, a full refund will be arranged. (Educational materials must be returned in original condition.) There is no further obligation.

Enroll online or through direct mail for more information and enrollment package. There is neither application fee nor legal obligation for completing this form. REGISTER TODAY FOR YOUR ONLINE CITIZENS’ HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA

Back to School Preparation for All Ages

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 06:41:49 +0000

If you have children, late July, August and early September represents more than summer ending, cooler weather and fall foliage. School begins once again for millions of kids across the country. Getting your child prepared, regardless of whether they are in Kindergarten or a senior in high school, is a must. Here are some tips to make the transition from several weeks of summer fun to school days and homework easier.

Children in Kindergarten – 5th grade

About a week before school starts, have your children go to bed at the time they will when school begins. Set their alarm or wake them up early. It’s difficult for some kids to adjust to going to bed and getting up earlier after having an entire summer of sleeping in or staying up late. Many young children need to be on a schedule and preparing a week or so earlier will pay off, especially if you have a night owl or late sleeper.
If you have a school supply list (many school districts post them on their website or hand them out the last day of school), buy the supplies early. For the child who is not organized, this is a good way to begin the school year off on the right foot. Label everything and get the backpacks ready the night before school starts. Buy some extra supplies to keep at home if your child is one to lose or forget their pencils or markers at school. They will probably need some basic supplies for homework time. Nothing is more frustrating than sitting down to do homework and discovering the basics are missing.
If you have a Kindergartener, walk to school two or three days before school begins (or drive if they take a bus or you will be driving them). This helps acquaint them with what they will actually be doing that first day and can work wonders for alleviating the first-day jitters. If your child is especially anxious, ask if you can let them visit their new classroom for five or ten minutes the day before school starts. Many principals will let the Kindergarteners come to the campus prior to school starting.

Middle School

Many sixth graders will be attending a new school for their middle school years. Oftentimes, the campus is much bigger and can be intimidating. Of course pre-teens may not admit they are nervous, but most parents are. Suggest a bike ride over to the school sometime during August just to look around. Many middle schools conduct orientation anyway a couple of days before school actually begins, but an extra trip without all of their peers might be worthwhile.
Just as in elementary school, it is important, if not more so in middle school, to have all the school supplies ready, especially an organizer. Some schools make it mandatory for the students to purchase an organizer directly from the school. Get in the habit from day one of checking it and being sure homework assignments are recorded. Visit the school website and see if homework and grades will be posted on the site. This is an excellent way to stay involved with your child’s progress throughout the year.
If your student struggles with the basics; math or language arts, consider hiring a tutor for some review sessions before and during the first semester. Also, it is quite common in middle school for students who are excelling to be moved to Honors classes sometime during the year. Being in an accelerated class is a good way to prepare a student for Advanced Placement (AP) classes in high school, which count as college credit.

HIGH SCHOOL

Find out when the PSAT and SAT exams will take place. If your student is not a good test taker, consider enrolling them in a test prep class. As colleges become more and more competitive, test scores make a difference. One can take the exam more than once if they are not happy with the score, so plan ahead and register early.
Stay tuned in to your student’s school and social schedule. There is a tremendous amount of freedom in high school and even the most academically gifted students can be distracted by all of the things that are associated with the teenage years. Establish a curfew for school nights and limit the amount of time that is spent at a part-time job or involved in sports, especially if time management and study skills are not your child’s forte.
If your son or daughter is college-bound, start doing your research and be sure to attend the college nights that many high schools sponsor. Know what is expected on college applications. It is no longer a simple process like it was for the baby boomer generation. Test scores, a formal essay, volunteer hours, and class selection in high school are all important factors in getting into college. Take advantage of the many companies that exist today solely for the purpose of assisting you and your student select the right college for them.

Regardless of the age and grade of your children, stay involved. Volunteering on any level, whether it be reading stories to your elementary aged child’s second grade class, helping in the computer lab in middle school, or being on a committee for peer counseling in high school, it is important to know what is happening at the place your children spend a large part of their week. With so many parents working, many Parent Teacher Associations have their meetings in the evening, so more parents can attend. There are activities that need volunteers that do not involve daytime hours such as calling parents in the evening for a fundraiser or helping with a weekend car wash at high school.

These tips can help your children get back to school the right way and prepare them for a year of learning and fun. For additional articles on raising kids, starting a business, or educational issues go to http://www.hometutoringbusiness.com.

Laurie Hurley is an educational consultant and mentor to small business owners. Hurley was recently featured in Woman’s World and Entrepreneur Magazine as well as Family Circle and others. She can be reached at http://www.hometutoringbusiness.com or 1.888.847.0033. Article is free to be reprinted as long as author’s bio remains intact.

Hsm 3 Ringtones | High School Musical 3 Ringtones ~ High School Musical Senior Year Ringtones

admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:41:50 +0000

High School Musical 3 Ringtones are some of the hottest ringtones in the world right now! High School Musical 3: Senior Year will be the third installment in Disney’s High School Musical franchise. It is scheduled for a theatrical release in the United States on October 24. Kenny Ortega returns as director and choreographer, and all six primary actors also return, including Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale. High School Musical 3 is expected to be one of the most popular movies of the year, don’t wait – get your High School Musical Ringtones now by clicking on the link below:

Now high school seniors, Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez are facing the prospect of being separated from each other as they go off in different directions when graduating from East High. Joined by the rest of their Wildcat friends, including Sharpay Evans, Ryan Evans, Chad Danforth, and Taylor McKessie they stage an elaborate spring musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future. High School Musical Ringtones have been popular for years, and now that High School Musical 3: Senior Year has been released, HSM ringtones are more popular than ever! If you want to download High School Musical 3 Ringtones for your phone, click on the link below and sign up!

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Try Outs for Elementary School Plays and Programs

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:37:34 +0000

So you want to have an elementary school play, but how do you choose who gets each part. Since elementary students are quite a bit different from middle and high school students here are some ideas that you might find helpful in choosing parts.

First the students need to want to do it enough to give up some of their time. So schedule tryouts during recess or lunch time. If the student is willing to give up their recess or lunch then they really want to do it.

I rarely give students a long wait to try out. I tell them on Monday that we will be having tryouts that week so be sure to listen and watch the bulletins. If a student really wants to participate then they will remember and keep watching for the tryouts. This gives you an idea of which students really want this experience because they will stop you in the hall and ask/

Second, the students must be willing to speak loud enough to be heard. The first try out I have them line up, then I stand at the back of the room. The student is then requested to say any nursery rhyme that they would like to repeat. This way you can see if you can hear them and if they speak clearly. Then I have them say the nursery rhyme again, but I see if they can act a little so I ask them to say the nursery rhyme as if they were “a little old lady” or “like a cheerleader” etc. If they are too shy to do a little acting then I put them on the list for short speaking parts. Those students that speak loudly, clearly and do a little acting I put on a short list to have read parts.

This try out also tells me whether a student will freeze or is one of those students that have to be talked into doing something. If I have to talk a student into doing something and they are unwilling to try something without a long explanation then I do not want them to be one of the major speakers because I do not have time to do this all the time. I need someone that is willing to listen to instructions and do it instead of having to be talked into doing it.

During the tryout I watch those students that are not speaking, also. Can they stand and listen and not have to be told to settle down. If they cannot control themselves then you will have trouble with discipline during rehearsals. If a student can be courteous and stand and listen and watch their fellow students respectfully then they we be good during rehearsals usually.

All students that tryout are given some kind of part. Some of them will want to try out for several things like speaking, solos, dancing, and anything else that is offered. These students are easy to place because there are many places to put them. There is also that student that does very poorly at tryouts but wants to be in the play really badly so you invent a part for them or make them the student director or maybe your gopher person.

I had students that did the lights, that turned pages for the pianist, students that took care of the microphones and tapes. There are many places that students can work and take the work load off of you.

So remember even if they are trying out for a speaking part and they do not get it make sure that you give them something to do. One line parts are great for students that want to be front and center for their minute of fame even though they are very quiet. So don’t overlook anyone give them all a chance.

Thirty seven years of teaching school is in my past and my future is full of hope and promise.

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