Continuing Education

Help for Statistics and Projects

2012-05-09T07:36:00.001-07:00

Dealing with statistics is usually claimed to be really annoying and overwhelming for the people including the students are still studying in this field. Well, there are so many complicated things that they need to consider and at the same time, they also have the desire to make sure that their statistics can be done as proper as possible. Well, there is no need to worry about it because you can use the probability statistics help that will guarantee that you can skip all of the troubles and you can come to the result instantly.

This kind of help can be gotten by using the service offered by Assignmentexpert.com. Statistics help probability is only one of the helps that you can get from this site. There are still so many other helps that you can get. It can be said that this site is the best and the most complete help that you can get in order to make sure that your assignments will be completed properly and effortlessly.

In addition to the help for statistics, it is also possible to get the help for c projects for students. Well, the projects which are usually claimed to be troublesome can become really easy instantly. It is true that you will not need to trouble yourself anymore to face the things that have been mentioned before since you have known the best solution for them.

With Nothing on the Line, the Stock Market is Only a Game

2012-04-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

Venturing real money in the stock market can be daunting if you lack Wall Street smarts. Most people pay a stock broker to do it because they don't trust their own judgment. But many inexperienced investors have found a fun way to gain investing experience without the anxiety in a virtual stock market simulator.

A virtual stock market game allows investors to get comfortable with the market and dabble with new strategies without putting actual money on the line. Smartstocks.com lets new members up for free. You begin with $1 million in what some would call Monopoly money that you can invest in real stocks as they show on the actual stock exchange. As the stock value rises and falls, your virtual worth does as well.

Not just a fun diversion - it's really invigorating to click the "buy" button and see $200,000 in stocks appear in your virtual account - it's a great way to learn without feeling like a classroom. Many finance teachers in high schools and colleges use the stock market game to give students real trading experience. You can create groups where you can compare and compete with a class or group of friends. Smart Stocks also has entertaining and educational videos and certifications to help participants learn the ins and outs of the market.

If you're just looking for the bragging rights, Smart Stocks allows you to see how you rank among all Smart Stocks players. The stock market game even awards prizes to the investors who make the best investments each month.

Of course without risking real money you won't make any. I still recommend using a stock broker to manage retirement accounts and other real money investments until you build up your confidence and stock savvy. But if you're looking for an educational experience, some meaningful competition, or just some good clean fun, Smart Stocks is worth a look.

Marketable Careers in the Medical Field

2012-04-08T08:26:00.001-07:00

There are several careers that you can pursue if you are interested in working in a certain medical facility, such as hospital and healthcare clinic. Nursing career is possibly the most popular among others. All healthcare facilities need nurses in order to operate perfectly. Those nurses are recruited either to assist doctors working in those facilities or to work independently. Registered nurses with associate degree are usually hired to assist doctors during examinations, treatment and surgery. Nurses that become doctors’ assistants monitor, assess, and record patients’ symptoms and administer medications to them. Registered nurses who have earned a BSN degree through either regular bachelor’s degree in nursing program or rn to bsn online degree program are considered qualified not only to carry out basic nursing tasks, but also to become nurse managers. Registered nurses who have earned master’s degree in nursing are eligible to work independently and to carry out basic duties that are usually done by doctors, such as diagnosing common illnesses, treating them, and prescribing medications. They are also considered qualified to work autonomously as nurse midwives and nurse anesthetists.

Another career that is also considered marketable in the medical field is administration career. An administrator of a certain healthcare facility is responsible in planning objectives and policies based on which the facility that he/she leads operates. Because an administrator plays a very important role in maintaining seamless operation of the facility, only people who have accomplished masters of public administration online program are considered qualified to hold this prestigious position. A holder of MPA degree is considered capable to handle all administrative duties in a healthcare facility perfectly and systematically.

The policies laid out by an administrator certainly need to be brought into practice by a skillful manager. Therefore, people who have accomplished engineering management degree online program are also considered sought-after because they have a strong basis in management, which is required to determine the skillfulness of a manager.

4 Tips for Successful Career Planning

2012-03-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

1. Evaluate your current job satisfaction

So many of us are stuck in a rut at work, but it's often hard to work out what you want to achieve or change. It may sound laborious, but maintaining a journal of your daily reactions to your job can be extremely beneficial. List situations that you like and dislike and you'll start to observe recurring themes, to help you identify areas for change. Try to relate your dissatisfactions to what you are doing; for example, check whether the discomfort is related to the content of your work, volume of work, your company culture, or the people with whom you work. After a week or so, review this to see what you should start to change and what career and jobs match your personal goals.

2. Assess your values and skills

Take a few minutes to think about what your core values, strengths and weaknesses are. Remember you'll probably enjoy your role more if it plays to your strengths and interests. Think about what jobs you've done well in the past, situations where you've particularly enjoyed work and received positive feedback from peers and superiors. Write these down and use them as a guide to the type of roles and working environments you'll excel in.

3. Always keep yourself updated

Remain aware of trends in professions you are interested in and be on the lookout for roles you may be able to apply for.

4. Investigate educational opportunities

Don't get complacent in your role or progression may slip past. Make sure you keep on striving ahead, challenging yourself and staying on top of your sector, to keep the role interesting and avoid getting stuck in a rut. Talk to friends and co-workers, to identify courses that can help you take the next step in your career. Alternatively, if you're looking to move to a different field, contact professional groups in the sector for suggestions. By challenging yourself and improving your skills base, you'll enjoy your role more and make yourself invaluable to employers.

Know The Advantages of Homeschooling

2012-02-22T23:19:00.000-08:00

In today's current times, nothing is more important when the children are concerned, than ensuring that they are getting the best education possible. In the educational system today, there are so many things that can impair a child's belief system and their personal development as well as their education. Despite the fact that the topic of homeschooling has always been somewhat of a controversial one, over the past couple of decades, the home education movement has literally revolutionized the American student's education.

Home schooling benefits

Although there may be some disadvantages to homeschooling, the 15 advantages for parents and students that are listed below far outweigh them. When you home school your children, you are able to:

o Address those bigger issues with your children whenever you feel that they're ready to handle them

o Build relationships with your children that are more intimate and meaningful

o Control exactly what your children will be learning and when you teach it to them

o Create weekly agendas that allow you to perform your normal tasks as well as fitting your needs to the agenda without dealing with the normal constraints of the conventional class schedule

o Give your children more in-depth and personalized attention with any of the subjects that they excel in or struggle with

o Help your children to mature through the different, difficult stages of their lives

o Nurture your child's natural talents, enabling them to grow and thrive in art, math, music, etc.

o Protect them from the many negative influences that they would usually encounter outside of your home

o Share your joy of homeschooling your children with your husband or wife

o Share the more common, daily joys of life with your children

o Show your children how exciting home learning is (not boring)

o Tailor your homeschooling methods and techniques to fit with your child's dominant style of learning

o Take educational vacations regardless of what time of the year it is and whether or not school is in session

o Teach with a 1-on-1 approach so you are more effective and can continue interacting with them

o Transfer your beliefs as well as your family values on to your children while addressing whatever questions they may have

Although the list of advantages may go on, the 15 mentioned above should be enough to make you consider education of your children at home. This is almost enough information to help you make an informed decision as to whether or not you want to home school them.

Homeschooling High School About The Importance of Junior Year

2012-02-22T22:38:00.000-08:00

Junior year is one critical moment in time when you are homeschooling high school. In freshman and sophomore year you can kind of "fly by the seat of your pants", but in junior year there are certain tasks that you need to do. On the first day of senior year you really want your child to start to apply for colleges. This sounds easy enough and only applies to senior year except for one minor detail. If you don't know where you're going to apply on the first day of senior year, it's kind of hard to actually do the applying.

That is why much of junior year is spent figuring out what colleges your student is going to apply to. You do that by making sure that your child takes the PSAT, and the SAT or ACT. These tests will tell them the approximate test score that they have so that they will know which college they will fit with. You can also go to a college fair so you can get an overview of colleges you may want to attend.

Another important task of junior year is to identify a school that you want to visit and then actually visit the college. Otherwise, you may discover it is not anything like the name that they have on the side of their buildings or what you see in their marketing brochures. You have to make sure that the college is a good fit for your child.

When you are homeschooling high school, pay attention to the college search during junior year and then you can be really successful.

Can We Improve the Learning of Mathematics?

2012-02-03T23:36:00.000-08:00

There is, I think, sufficient data to indicate that, for both students and teachers, mathematics is the least popular subject in elementary schools, and this has been true since before I entered mathematics education over 40 years ago.

After a life time spent in mathematics education I have come to the conclusion that, despite the improvements in our understanding of how children learn, and new methods of teaching mathematics, students still leave school with a low level of numeracy. To be clear, numeracy is the ability to reason with numbers and other mathematical concepts, and includes number sense, operation sense, computation, measurement, geometry, probability and statistics. Numeracy also requires that students have an intuitive or emotional feel for mathematics that gives them confidence in predicting or calculating answers.

Many people would argue that there is no emotional aspect to mathematics, just obey the rules, get the right answer and move on. However most adults have a strong emotional response to anything related to school mathematics; unfortunately these responses are usually negative!

Intellectually students can deal with everyday calculations (after all, they are rarely without a calculator), but many lack the emotional understanding that gives confidence in predicting and calculating answers.

The problem does not lie directly with the teachers but more with the way we recruit and train potential teachers. We have a self perpetuating cycle; students don't enjoy mathematics in school, graduate and go to university where they tend to avoid mathematics courses. They enroll in teacher education programs where they may or may not take a course on how to teach mathematics. Even if they do take a course on teaching methods for mathematics it lacks value if the participants have serious gaps in their knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts. It is like a course on how to coach basketball if you have no knowledge of the game and the skills involved.

The student, totally unprepared to teach mathematics, now enters the teaching profession and the cycle continues.

The dilemma facing educational leaders, politicians, and society in general is figuring where and how to break the cycle.

One possible solution, which could address the problem fairly quickly, would be to have a series of courses addressing both mathematical understanding, and teaching methods for specific topics or strands of the curriculum. On successful completion of each course participants would be given a certificate to say they had been trained in that topic and were qualified to teach that topic. Over time teachers would become fully qualified to teach mathematics.

Learning Time Management Skills Is One of the Most Common Homeschool Problems

2012-01-31T23:32:00.000-08:00

Learning time management skills in the homeschool environment is one of the most challenging tasks for parents and children alike. Out of all the resources that the homeschool family acquires or has, time is the most precious. Families that elect to educate their children at home have many responsibilities and tasks that need to be completed on a daily basis. It is not at all uncommon for duties to hit these families from all sides. If you find that you are a family that struggles with duties competing for your attention, it is essential to realize that you are not alone. Many are constantly striving to go about the process of learning time management skills in order to educate their children and handle their other obligations. Throughout this guide, you will learn some helpful steps for making the most of every minute in your day.

Eliminate Distractions

When it comes to homeschool problems that interfere with time management, distractions are at the top of the list. When you or your homeschooled child becomes distracted, it could result in the loss of focus. There are a variety of people, events, products and situations that may result in your attention being drawn from responsibilities that you need to tend to. For most families, the most common distractions are unexpected visitors and telephone calls. It is essential that you let your family members, relatives, friends, neighbors and others know what hours you dedicate to educating your child and politely ask them to refrain from calling or visiting during those hours unless an emergency occurs. While this may be an uncomfortable task, it is a necessary one when learning time management skills.

Organize Your Home

If you are interested in learning time management skills, it is imperative that you take the time to organize your home. First, it is important to designate a central location in the home where you will be educating your child. This area should be away from items that may divert your attention or your child's attention away from the lessons that they are subjected to throughout the day. Examples of these items include the television, a computer that is used for entertainment purposes, video game consoles, toys, and other items that are similar in nature. Disorganization is considered to be quite common as far as homeschool problems are concerned. You should ensure that the home is set up to accommodate the teaching that you will do. It is also important to ensure that you use products that will help you organize your time such as lesson plans, planners, magnetic schedulers, and similar products.

Conclusion

Distractions and disorganization are two very common homeschool problems that affect how productive or unproductive your day is as a homeschool parent. By taking the steps outlined in this guide, you will quickly discover that it is possible to finish all of the tasks that you have lined up all day. Learning time management skills is important for each member of the family. If you want to achieve an even higher level of success, you should consider getting the kids involved. There are several magnetic charts that may be purchased in order to motivate your children to take part in learning time management skills. There are chore charts, classroom activity charts, personal hygiene charts and several others available. You may quickly overcome common homeschool problems by using these specially designed products that are beneficial in learning time management skills.

Seven Fun Ways To Help Your Children Improve Their Math Skills

2012-01-24T23:30:00.000-08:00

Playing games with your kids such as dominoes, UNO or Monopoly is a great way for them to develop their mental math with the added motivation of competition. Playing games is a great way for kids to learn; if they are enjoying the activity then they will practice more and will gain a longer attention span.

Have your child take up an entrepreneurial activity such as selling Girl Scout cookies or organising a lemonade stand. This gives them the opportunity to take responsibility for keeping track of the cost of their products, their selling price and how many products they need to sell to make a profit or to break even.

Playing number guessing games is an ideal way to turn mental math into a fun puzzle. For example, get them to guess a number that you're thinking of, give parameters, such as it is between 1 and 100, it is an odd number, and it is the product of 7 x7.

Use dice to teach probability and to do mental addition. For a challenge use two dice and ask them whether you are more likely to roll a 2 or a 12. You could list all of the possible combinations on a piece of paper to make it easier for them to work at.

Cook and read recipes with your child. Cooking is a great way to show kids how you can use math in everyday scenarios and it is also a useful skill. Practice fractions by using measuring cups. Double or half your recipe and ask them to calculate the correct measurements. Let them set the table and use multiplication to calculate how many utensils they will need altogether (3 family members x 3 utensils each).

Taking your child shopping presents many opportunities for practicing math skills. Suggest that they keep track of your shopping as you go along and work out the total for you. They could practice their percentages by working out how much items cost after a sale reduction of 60% etc. For older children you could challenge them to calculate what the change should be before the cashier hands it over.

Five Homeschool Must Do's

2012-01-17T23:28:00.000-08:00

It is back to school time. Even for homeschoolers like us, it is good to have a fresh start. Some of my friends homeschool year round, but I like having time to recoup, rethink, recharge, and refresh. How about you? Starting back to "homeschool" is exciting. Yet, there are a few simple things that you can do to help get your school year off to a great start.

1. Clean out, discard, and organize. Get rid of things that are weighing you down. You really don't need that tattered outdated spelling curriculum. In fact, there are great online options available. Homeschoolers are curriculum collectors... don't join the peer pressure. Keep what you need, and sell or donate what you don't. If you sell, you can fund #3 below. A cluttered schoolroom is a haven of distraction for your student! Keep it neat and organized and your student will be less distracted from learning.

2. Review how you homeschooled last year. Did you like what you did? Did you accomplish your goals? What school curriculum was awesome? What curriculum do you need to dump? Were you stressed out? What do you want from your home-school in the future?

3. Use your list in #2 to help you determine what homeschool curriculum you should add to your school this year. Purchase only curriculum that will help you achieve those goals. Research the various types of home education curriculum before you buy, check out samples online, and ask around. Be sure that it is a good match before you plunk down a load of cash for it.

4. Purchase your school supplies and teaching aids in August. This is the best time of year to purchase mundane needs such as pencils, notebooks, erasers, and glue. These supplies are so cheap that it is crazy not to take advantage of it. I usually buy enough of each to last us all year. Your first year will be an estimate, but in later years, you will get to know just how much you need to make it through an entire year.

5. Make your goals and objectives for the year clear and definable. Everyone in your family should be able to understand them. Review your curriculum, and look for what it will require from you on a daily basis. Then make a "loose" schedule that acurately reflects your family and their home education needs. I don't like to make a clock time based school schedule because it makes me feel like a failure when we don't stick with it. You know, life happens! I like to make a subject schedule - basically what we need to do each day/week for the various homeschool curriculum that we use. The kids can cross it off as they complete it.

6 Steps How to Homeschool

2012-01-12T23:23:00.000-08:00

Right before you make the final decision to homeschool your child, you'll have to take into account a few things. Public, or standard schools are a wonderful educational alternative for your little ones, but some homes may discover that embracing a homeschool program may be the right solution for their family. Many parents see that by being in control of their child's education and learning, they can plan what topics and principles to emphasis on, while building an enduring connection amid parent and child. If you're considering a homeschooling program for your youngsters, below are a few basic steps to think about when figuring out how to homeschool.

* Identify what's most meaningful to you- Factor in what morals and principles you'd like to instill into your children. Many homes make the final decision to homeschool centered on their religious faith, which is something they then combine into their homeschool curriculum.

* Make your homeschool curriculum- After you've decided what you want to teach your children, it's time to set up a curriculum. This system is often a cumbersome one, but it's also one of the most critical in terms of ensuring your child is provided with an outstanding education. Just think about what ideas are most necessary for you; regardless of whether it be history, math, English, and science. Also, don't ignore creative training, or matters that persuade your child to be better rounded, such as language, music, and art. Once you've encountered a curriculum that is effective for you, you'll want to pick a homeschool transcript so you can always keep track of all your students' grades, projects, and feats. Creating a homeschool transcript is imperative to your child's success.

* Acquaint yourself with homeschool laws- Just about every state has unique homeschool laws detailing what is expected from you as an instructor. Make sure you are well- informed about these limits right before you get started arranging a homeschool curriculum. These laws are greatly important in case your child decides to pursue traditional schooling or apply to college in the potential future. You want to be confident your child's training is acknowledged by the state.

* Establish a collection of your students' work- Have a folder or a box full of their tasks, assignments, and anything else that would be valuable later. Don't forget to date everything and put together work in chronological order. This is essential to homeschooled students who anticipate inevitably applying for college, which may demand such portfolios. Also, it's a wonderful way to keep track of feats and makes for a great memento.

* Find regional support teams- Find out if your community has homeschool support groups so you can get assistance and suggestions from other course instructors on how to homeschool. Additionally, set up play dates or field trips with the a few other homeschooled children to be certain that your child has a healthy and balanced academic and social life. Don't forget that the first years of a child's life are key for building social skills.

Special Needs Homeschool About Homeschooling a Child With Learning Disabilities

2012-01-07T23:27:00.000-08:00

Homeschooling a child - let alone one with special needs - can be challenging, to say the least. Many parents aren't sure where to start or how to effectively teach their child. Yet, numerous children with learning disabilities are successfully taught at home. In fact, these children generally perform better when learning from home rather than in other types of educational settings, largely in part to the parents' love and commitment.

No one knows your child better than you. As parents, we better understand our children's needs. We know their weaknesses as well as their strengths. So if you are just getting started homeschooling your child with special needs, or even if you're just thinking about it, becoming familiar with the individual needs of your child is half the battle. Learn all you can about his/her learning disability. Go to the library, look online... resources are available.

Talk to and obtain support from others. Correspond with other families of special needs children and homeschooling parents.They are the best resources available when it comes to homeschooling a child with learning disabilities. After all, they have experienced some of the same things-the ups and downs, the successes and failures, etc.

Check the legal requirements for your state regarding special needs homeschool. Although there are no laws specifically denying the homeschooling of children with learning disabilities, each state differs in their educational requirements. It is also important to keep accurate records demonstrating how you are meeting your child's learning needs and how he/she is progressing.

Consider your budget and whether it's feasible to choose specific learning materials. You'll want to learn all you can regarding curriculum materials suitable for your child and ensure that they will meet your needs.Choose materials that complement both you and your child. There are different teaching methods and learning pathways, especially when it comes to those with learning disabilities. Generally, special needs children require clear instructions with well-structured lessons and repetition. Take advantage of technological resources, real life "teachable moments," and hands-on activities.

Finally, relax. If you can't relax, neither can your child. There's no "one size fits all" style of teaching, and you're certain to make changes along the way. The end result will inevitably be a happier, more well-rounded child that can adapt to his/her learning disability within the homeschool environment.

Getting and Keeping Your Homeschool Room Organized

2012-01-05T23:24:00.000-08:00

At the end of last year's school, I found that my homeschool cabinet was quite the mess. It's easy to let the shelves and drawers become a catch-all for all the stray papers and cute drawings that the kids have done throughout the year. But, if I remember right, that became a problem towards the end of the school year. Things were falling out of the cabinet as I would reach for each child's books for the day. That became quite a nuisance, especially since I was nine months pregnant at the end of the school year. Bending down to pick up various objects over and over was not a fun thing to do.

This year, before school started, I cleaned out that school cabinet. It is now back down to the essentials. No more little toys hanging out in there or stray pencils or broken crayons. Everything has its place and everything is in its place. I purchased some of those disposable plastic containers and put all the crayons in one and all the markers in another. All the pencils are in their own container, too. The scratch paper and the construction paper have their own homes on the bottom shelves and all the scissors and tape and glue sticks are safe in their own special basket, too.

It's so much more pleasant to reach in and grab a book and not have to worry about a dozen other things potentially falling out. It's great to be able to know exactly where a certain supply is and be able to get to it quickly without having to dig for it through the mess. But truthfully, that's how last year's school started out, too. Nice and clean and organized.

So what am I going to do differently this year, to make sure that the mess doesn't sneak back into the cabinet?

Well, here's the plan of attack. At the end of each school day, all school books will return to their place in their proper boxes or on their proper shelf. Any stray papers that are not needed will go directly into the garbage. Anything that is just too cute, like drawings or super well-done papers, that I don't have the heart to throw away, will go in a special binder. At the end of each month, I will go through that binder and cull out the things that I don't think are truly necessary. (That's not gonna be easy, but it will be essential with as many kids as I have! Otherwise, our school room would be overtaken with all the "cute" papers that I want to save!)

If you have any cool ideas for keeping your homeschool room area neat and organized, I'd love to hear about them!

Dyslexia and Homeschooling About Decoding Solutions for Struggling Readers

2012-01-02T23:13:00.000-08:00

"I hate reading. Don't make me do it. I don't want to read anymore." These are not simply the sounds of an obstinate child. If you've heard this before, and are hearing it frequently, then your child may be in need of some extra help. Dyslexic children often have difficulty with decoding, which is important for reading proficiency. When your child experiences difficulties matching sounds and letters, frequently gets stuck on words while reading, or guesses words based on the first letter or two, he becomes frustrated. And it's easy to understand his or her frustration. No one wants to read this way. So don't get yourself worked up into a frenzy every time your child's daily reading lesson nears. These are simple clues that you can use to help improve your child's decoding skills.

While there are many solutions for struggling readers, it's important to know that these strategies are dependent on your child's unique learning style. And that the presentation of these strategies will make a difference in how they are received. A few of the most common of these strategies include sounding out words, using picture clues, and chunking or breaking up word parts.

Sounding Out Words

There are a number of ways to practice this concept with your child. You could try implementing a 'sound of the week' into the reading lesson. Simply use letters or letter blends to create a sound that will be practiced throughout the week. Keep this in an area that your child can see easily (wall, white board, billboard, etc.) and use as a reference. Allow him or her to practice this sound each day during reading time. Create a list of spelling/vocabulary words that contain the sound. Include additional practice by having your child find objects in the home that use the sound as well. Making the activity more fun or hands-on will help keep your child engaged and reading time more enjoyable.

Using Picture Clues

Reading can also be made to be more fun and engaging by using pictures to decode content and text. Use visually appealing books and encourage your child to look for clues in the pictures to help make sense of the reading material. Use sound recognition from the week's lesson to reinforce the learning concept. Identifying words through meaning using pictures and then practicing or applying the sound being taught can help link the two strategies together and make reading less of a struggle. Additionally, you can create anagrams using picture that provide a clue to each answer while still employing the sound of the week (act/cat, tar/rat, tab/bat, etc.).

Chunking/Breaking Up Word Parts

An additional method to help struggling readers with decoding is by chunking or breaking up words. Chunks of words can be found in the beginning, middle, or ending. Recognizing these chunks help struggling readers to figure out new, unfamiliar words when reading. A great way to practice this concept is through the use of word walls. Use key words from the reading material and vocabulary words to build a colorful wall of words. For instance, each week may have a word wall using new word chunks from spelling words formed from the sound of the week. Little "a" sounding words, for example, could be used to create the chunk word "at," which can then include the following: cat, hatch, atom, bat, etc. Have your child practice writing and saying these words each day. You can also have your child find pictures or objects of these words as well.

The Classical Education Model

2011-12-31T23:09:00.000-08:00

Touted to be the return to a proven method of past centuries, the Classical Educational Model is gaining in popularity among homeschooling parents. The model is characterized by exposure to history, art, culture, languages, philosophy, and literature of Western Civilization. With a Christian emphasis (it also concentrates on the development of a biblical view of the world and Theology is considered to be the queen of sciences), the core of this model is the Trivium, which tailors curriculum subject matter to a child's cognitive development.

The Trivium is based on three levels, or stages of teaching and learning based on the age and ability of the child. The goals of the Trivium are Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric.

Grammar Level

This stage is the based on concrete learning. In Bloom's taxonomy, this is considered to be the base of the learning pyramid. In this stage, rote memorization is the emphasis. Many public school systems call this "kill and drill." The idea is for kids to learn the vocabulary, rules, and basics first. This level is recommended for the elementary ages of children.

During this stage, children are taught Art, Bible, Geography, History, Literature, Math, Music, Oratory, Science, and Writing.

Dialectic Level

Also considered to be the analytical thinking and understanding stage, this is recommended for the middle school age kids.

The student learns to reason and to string isolated ideas together.

During this stage, students are taught more in-depth concepts in Art, Bible, History, Literature, Math, Music, Oratory, Science, and Writing. Language, Logic, and Government are introduced at this time.

Rhetoric Level

This is where abstract thinking and self-expression come in. It is recommended for the high school years.

During this stage, students take all that they have learned and develop the ability to apply that knowledge to abstract ideas. Rhetoric and Philosophy are added to the studies while Government and Logic receive less concentration.

On a side note, history is taught throughout all stages in four year cycles. Repeating the cycle allows for further understanding as the child's cognitive development advances.

Homeschooling How To About Eleven Tips for Dealing With the Fighting!

2011-12-29T23:08:00.000-08:00

Images of the ideal homeschool life include smiling, happy children engrossed in an educational activity, working alongside their siblings with grace and maturity and little conflict. Fighting, after all, may be typical for their public schooled peers, but certainly not acceptable behaviour for children taught at home under the watchful eye of mom. Throw in a crackling fire and some hot chocolate, mom busy baking cookies in the kitchen and the picture is perfect-the message intact-homeschooling life is a superior.

Naturally, this is a lie, and it is best for all new homeschooling moms and dads to know the truth, it may not set you free, but it will help your sanity remain intact even it is only safety pins holding the tattered ends together. Children will spend time focused on learning and there very well may be hot chocolate involved, but the idea that they will do this without a well-placed elbow jab to their older brother or a dirty look to their sister is just wishful thinking.

Children, homeschooled or not, will argue and fight, and it is the parents responsibility to understand this fact, embrace it even. Not to lower expectations, but to strengthen their resolve to persevere through the trials all the while building up an arsenal of battle ready skills.

There Will Always Be Conflict

There are moments, magical ones, when the stars align and the planet is in perfect rotation, and the children get along. Savour these times. Watch from a distance and do not interfere. It won't last. It cannot last. It is not in the make-up of a child to abstain from conflict.

And that is a good thing.

Children learn important things about themselves when conflict arises. Limits are tested, character is shaped and patience stretched. When a child is in school there is little room for conflict, even less for resolution. Children are expected to conform to the structures and policies around them. The same goes for home life too. Families have their own set of policies children are expected to adhere to, but there is room to experiment and room to challenge with the space and time to accept defeat.

How to Handle Sibling Rife

There are ways to keep the bickering to a minimum. When patience is stretched beyond the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, and it is time for parental refereeing, it is important to remember two things:

It is not personal

It will not last forever

Here are eleven useful tips on dealing with the situation:

*Do not pit them against each other with negative comments meant to inspire.

*Build up each of their individual strengths and make them aware of how their differences complement rather than compete.

*Forge friendships by supplying times to get along using mutual interests and hobbies-computer games, sports etc.

*Reward them together so they can share the benefits

*Respect their individual need for space and privacy.

*Ensure alone time, quiet time when they need it.

*Expect arguments and give them space to work it out before getting involved.

*Remove the source of the problem and force quiet time.

*Have clear consequences

*Encourage them to work it out on their own-let them know if a parent has to get involved they will not enjoy the results.

*Reward loyalty.

Your homeschooled children will argue. They will challenge each other, provoke each other, tease and harass. The benefits are that they will also have a higher level of patience for younger siblings, a greater repertoire of problem solving skills, an appreciation for differences, and a pure enjoyment of one another.

Homeschooling About Can I Begin at the High School Level?

2011-12-25T23:03:00.000-08:00

I am often asked if it is okay to start homeschooling at the high school level when you have never homeschooled before? The answer is a definite, YES!

It's perfectly fine and actually I am seeing this happen an awful lot as public schools are having more and more difficulty. A growing number of parents are trying to find the best possible education for their children. Yes, it's perfectly possible.

When you are a beginning homeschooler it is sometimes nice to have someone to hold your hand and help you through the process because it can be a bit scary until you get your feet wet. I usually recommend for beginners to take a look at Sonlight curriculum. That is the curriculum that I used when I started homeschooling and it really helped me figure out how much schoolwork was a normal amount each day as well as what I needed to cover.

Sonlight is a literature-based curriculum, and it is not right for everybody, but I do like recommending it as the first place for people to look at when they start.

It is very easy for you to begin homeschooling high school. The only difficulty is if you want to put your children from homeschooling back into a public school. The reason for that is that public schools care very much about accreditation, unlike homeschoolers and unlike colleges. While homeschoolers can continue all the way to high school and get into college without difficulty, sometimes the public schools have a great deal of difficulty accepting your transcript as a homeschooler.

One thing that you should make sure of is that at the high school level you are pretty much committed. If you don't feel like you can commit then you should make sure that you are going to commit for the first two years and then have your child perhaps do dual enrollment or some other option afterwards.

Yes, I believe that homeschooling is a great option for your high schooler and it is very possible to begin homeschooling in high school.

Some parents may want additional hand-holding and that's one of the things I can help you with if you become a member of my Gold Care Club. Then, I become your best homeschool buddy and we can talk each week. There are also classes on my website that will help you learn how to homeschool high school.

Homescooling About Choosing Elementary Math Curriculum

2011-12-22T22:59:00.000-08:00

As you begin your search for a math curriculum that works for your elementary aged child, you need to remember that there are three areas of math to cover: facts, computation and concepts. If math has already become a struggle for your child, then you will especially want to break math down into these three areas. Spread math over the course of the day with short sessions covering these areas in separate sessions.

1. Math Facts - Math facts are primarily a function of auditory memory so be sure you present this new information to your child auditorily as well visually. Whether you have a full math curriculum or find materials that cover the different parts, you must include this in your child's day.

My Best Recommendation for Learning Math Facts: Rapid Recall System

2. Math Computation - At a different time of the day work on computation skills. Computation is primarily a function of visual memory so I recommend 75% visual instruction. That is you do three problems for your child as he watches. You say only a few words to identify steps as you go along. Then your child does the fourth one. Repeat for the duration of the session of say, 10 minutes. You start with simple addition and work up to long division, fractions etc. If the child doesn't remember a math fact, tell them so that the process of computation is learned without interruption. You work on the math facts during a separate time. You can get the computation problems from any math book, but if you just want to pay for the computation problems, get a book that has only those problems in it.

My Best Recommendation for Learning Math Computation: Straight Forward Math and Keys to Fractions (Decimals, Percent, Measurement)

3. Math Concepts - The first two items are the nuts and bolts of math. Concepts are how the basics are applied to real life. If you want a regular curriculum, look into Math U See, Singapore Math and Right Start Mathematics. They cover the whole spectrum of math in a fresh way, but it makes it harder to separate out the three parts and concentrate on one at a time. There are a host of math games available that apply these math concepts in an interesting way. You can spend big bucks. Perhaps a better way is a book of games that you can play as a family. My best recommendation is actually a series of books, but the original is the best overall for K-8 math games. Family Math arranges the games in sections according to the different math concepts. Each game has an objective, instructions and sometimes a page that serves as a game board. You may need to add some household items for game pieces. Each game is labeled for one or more of the three age groups within K-8.

My Best Recommendation for Learning Math Concepts: Family Math

Bonus Recommendation for Mental Math / Auditory Skills: The Verbal Math Lesson Level 1 and 2 for early learners or those who struggle.

Since math skills build on each other, home educators find it helpful to use a "Scope and Sequence" for navigating through math. Downloadable lists of skills can be found on the Internet. By including math facts, computation and concepts you can prepare your children for Algebra, Geometry and beyond.

What Canned Curriculum Be the Right Choice?

2011-12-20T22:58:00.000-08:00

I used to look down on "canned curriculum." I think my attitude came partly from my first teaching experience at a private school in Southern California. I didn't have a teaching credential when I was hired. In fact, I was still about a year of "course work" away from finishing my bachelor's degree. In spite of this I was offered a position as a second grade teacher. The school granted me as well as the rest of the teaching staff an amazing amount of freedom. We were encouraged to innovate and create interesting lesson plans to reach the learning objectives for our particular grade levels. Along with this freedom came two full-time teachers whose sole task was to source instructional materials from a "mini warehouse" on the school campus for us.

Three years later I accepted a teaching job in Oregon. This school ran differently. To accomplish their objectives a "canned curriculum" was used. What I mean by "canned" is that the curriculum guide had a very specific plan that told you what to teach and when to teach it for every day of the school year. It was timed to the minute and even told the teacher when the students should take a break and use the restroom. No kidding! I balked at using it, and eventually replaced it once I took the elementary principal position.

Not all "canned curricula" is the same, however. In hindsight, I probably over-reacted to the extreme micro-management nature of what we used in Oregon. I was guilty of "throwing everything overboard" when much that was good could have been salvaged.

As I mentioned in a previous article, some of you might be considering a break from the state system. If fear of the unknown is holding you back, my suggestion to you is to find a good "canned curriculum." Here are six things a good "canned curriculum" will do for you:

give you an overview of what will be covered during the year.

keep you from having to "re-invent the wheel." They're simple to use because a lot of the thinking has been done for you.

keep you on track. We all tend to gravitate back to teaching our favorite content which leads to a lack of balance and content gaps.

provide a structure for you.

provide you with step-by-step lesson plans.

help pace you through the course, so that you complete the course.

Are you weary of the mindless micro-management of many public charters and home school programs? Is the local charter school becoming "too helpful" and too involved? Tired of the weekly check ins by your friendly academic advisor who is there to make sure you're not using any three or five letter words like "God" or "Jesus?"

Homeschool High School About When Testing Can Help

2011-12-15T22:56:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know me, you might know I am not a huge fan of testing and I didn't do a lot of testing throughout our high school years. Even though I am not a fan, there are some times when testing can be really helpful to you.

For one thing, you want to make sure that if you are applying to a specific college and they are going to ask you for certain high school test scores that you know that in advance. If they want to see a SAT subject test or an AP test, you cannot really make that up in a month. Sometimes you have to plan years ahead to get those tests taken care of.

So that is one situation where you should find out exactly which tests the college will want. When you really want to go to a certain college you are going to have to do the testing in order to reach that goal.

The other situation is that sometimes you don't actually know what your children are learning. Maybe they read so much or they are so involved in this project or that activity, that you don't really realize how much information they know. In that situation, it can be really helpful for you to give them some sort of test so that you can figure out how much they know.

Another example of a good reason for tests is if they are learning a foreign language and you are not using a curriculum, and you really don't know how much foreign language they've learned, you might want to give them an SAT subject test in that foreign language or maybe a CLEP exam in that foreign language. If they pass the exam, you will know how many credits of foreign language to give them. And if they don't but they come close, then you'll know that it's not 3 years, but perhaps it is 2 years.

There are times when that sort of testing can really help you out and help you create your homeschool transcript.

Homeschool Writing About Best Topics for a Personal Narrative

2011-12-11T22:55:00.000-08:00

Your home-school teen will write, yes. But what will he or she write? They have lived their own story; they know themselves. But how will the reader know and see and touch what they have experienced? Show your teens to look at their own story with the eyes of the reader.

Always start with a personal narrative. Your child will select some event or activity they participated in or something that happened to them, sometime in the last few years. You want them to pick an event that has interest and action, with a little suspense if possible. Narratives with no "problems" are usually not interesting. Difficulty and solution is what makes any personal narrative enjoyable reading.

I always have my students write their narrative rough draft in one sitting. The more prepared they are beforehand, the better success they have in writing that first Paper. There is a pre-writing process that will make it much easier for your children to write their own story. But first, what event should they pick?

Ideas for a Narrative Topic - think about:

a time of overcoming adversity

an event that altered the course of one's life

a period of uncertainty or great fear

a thrilling experience

an accomplishment that brought acceptance, recognition, or a feeling of pride

an unexpected or dramatic happening

Have your teen jot down three possible topics or events or things they did or things that happened to them that would make a great narrative paper. Have them circle the one they prefer, remembering that suspense and difficulties of some sort (even humorous difficulties) make the best narrative.

The narrative chosen should cover one event only. Do not try to include more than one event. Some events do happen over time, for instance, a school year. When this event happened should be clear in a general way such as, "A couple of years ago," or "Last summer," and so on. The setting should also be clear - where things happened.

(Sadly), accidents always make great topics for personal narratives. It is easy to write about an accident and craft it into a powerful paper. Getting stranded in a bus depot far away from home, or catching that big fish, or winning the big game all make good topics. Tense and difficult times such as hurricanes or house fires are easy to write about. Humor is difficult to pull off well, but humorous narratives, done well, certainly never fall into the "boring" category.

The best topics, however, are those events or incidences that have the deepest meaning to your child. I still remember well the 14-year-old girl who was asked to sing at her beloved grandmother's funeral. She was certain, all the way up to the moment she stood in front of friends and family, that she could not do it, that she would fail in tears. But something happened, there, on that platform. She sang from her heart, more beautifully than she had ever done. There was not a dry eye in the room.

That paper was written over ten years ago. I, the reader, remember it well, out of hundreds of other narratives I have forgotten since. I remember it because of how much that moment meant to this teenage girl.

The lives of your teens are filled with more stories and meaningful things than they realize. The right topics for their personal narrative papers will set them on the course of writing well.

Home-School Writing About The Four Steps of the Writing Process

2011-12-09T22:54:00.000-08:00

When your teenager looks at the requirement to "write a paper," it can look like one big difficulty. But like any large task, breaking the writing process up into completely separate parts makes the writing of a meaningful paper much easier. Your teen may be aware of 'the writing process," but sometimes it still all merges together into one big blob: "I have to write a paper."

In my college classroom, I sever the writing process into four completely separate parts - for each paper I assign. I ask my students to do each part without thought of the next. As they do each part, they focus only on the simple requirements for that part and nothing else. By the end of the course, writing a paper has become as simple as follow the steps: one, two, three, four.

Ideas:

The first rule of writing is "write what you know." Before writing the first word on any paper, start with gathering ideas. For a narrative paper, think of what happened, who was there, why, how, and when. For an informative paper, scan a Wikipedia article on the topic. For a persuasive paper, think about what your audience really wants and how the idea you want to persuade them about can really meet their needs.

There are the usual ways to gather ideas: brainstorm, research, visualize, interview, read, create idea maps, and so on. Your teen must also think about audience and purpose and then create some sort of outline of the ideas gathered. But when approaching ideas, I have my own students think in terms of problems to be solved with action. Think of any movie you or your teens enjoy - the story line very likely is a series of problems to be solved with action.

Just Write:

The second rule of writing comes into play once the ideas are gathered and your child "knows" the topic. Rule 2: There are no rules; just write. This is so very important. The first flow of writing comes much more easily when there are no expectations or "rules" about what it has to be. So:

Forget grammar, spelling, and what your teacher said.

Forget it all; key into what you know and just write.

Let your own Voice flow onto the page.

Action Writing:

It's fine to right freely on the first draft because there are more drafts to come. Once the paper is written in rough form, THEN the work begins. Now is the time to "improve them verbs," to think about organization and word choice, to rid the paper of useless words and to add imagery and description, content and evidence. It is so much easier to add these things to a semi-finished draft than to invent them onto a blank page.

The third rule of writing comes in on Draft 2: "show, don't tell." There are a number of ways to change a paper from telling to showing, but changing weak verbs to action is the most important.

Polish:

Once the second draft is at an acceptable point, your teen now turns and faces "the rules" head on. The fourth rule of writing is "edit, edit, edit." Only in the third or final draft does the writer consider grammar, punctuation, spelling, and the overall appearance of the paper. Cleanup doesn't happen until the paper is fully built. Worrying about these minor things too early actually prevents good writing.

Home School Writing About Help Your Teen Write Any First Draft

2011-12-07T22:52:00.000-08:00

When home-schooled teenagers sit down to write their first draft of any paper, there are a few simple things to place before them to make writing that first draft an effective and enjoyable learning experience.

Find Examples:

Before they take the plunge into writing, have your teens look at how other people approach that particular type of paper, how they shape their own ideas. Have them write with the best! Look for examples that are short and meaningful. Long pieces as examples could tend to make the eyes glaze over. The purpose of examples is to place possibilities and further ideas before your writers' eyes. Do not let them think that they must "write like this."

Pre-Writing Material:

Next, they will need the pre-writing charts or whatever note-taking work they have prepared to help focus their thoughts and ideas. They will need the rubric (see my article on rubrics and rough drafts) for that first draft, of whatever type of paper it is, as well. Have them study the rubric carefully, first, and look over the pre-writing notes.

Their Own Rough Draft:

Now, it is important for your budding writer's success in learning to write well that they write any first draft in one sitting with no outside assistance. A short break is fine, but have them set aside the time so that they are not away from writing draft one for more than a few minutes. Your teen should feel free to correct little problems they see while writing, but the first draft MUST be their own ROUGH Draft. That is, it must be what your child writes when they write without worrying about ANY writing "rules."

Write in One Sitting:

Next, write draft one in one sitting with no outside assistance and little, if any, revision. Follow the rules of writing the rough draft. Rule 2: There are no rules; just write. Even forget about the requirements of the first draft rubric. Once your writers have finished writing, have them go back through and be sure they have met the few requirements from the first draft rubric.

I give my students about one hour to write their first draft. That should be plenty of time if the pre-writing work is sufficient. One of my students, Zach, had this comment to make: "I learned that writing can be fun. Mr. Yordy allowed us to let go of all the rules and to "just write!" as he would say."

Mark It High:

Finally, once the draft is completed, check it against the rubric you prepared. Make encouraging comments and give it as high of marks as you can. Point out what they did well. On draft two, your marking will be tough, really tough. But after writing draft one, any writer needs to know the potential and unlimited possibilities for writing effectively that lies (however dormant) inside them.

It is only after draft one is successfully completed that the hard work of writing begins. However, any writer's first experience with writing a paper should leave them with a sense of success and accomplishment. "Writing was not as hard as I thought!"

How Art Therapy Schools For Troubled Children?

2011-12-07T22:50:00.000-08:00

Kids in their teens can be really tough to handle. Most parents would just want to give up because they no longer know what they can do to control the behavior of their children until they came across art therapy schools that promises to help them understand their children and to help their children to understand the stage that they are going through. Sometimes the problem of parents will their children is really just a matter of lack of proper communication to help both parents and children understand each other and the point of view of where they are coming from. Most of the time, parents are scared to send their children out there to experience the real world while teenagers just want to experience the freedom and trust that they see adults enjoying.

Luckily for both parents and children, they can now enjoy the benefits of art therapy schools. The art school rankings compared to the regular schools are getting more and more popular among parents and teenagers not only because they receive the kind of therapy that they don't get from regular schools but they also learn more about themselves and discover more about the beauty of being children and parents. Ever since the world began, art has played a major role in keeping people together in harmony. Since people do not discuss art but rather enjoy it for its beauty, it has help communities survive tough times just because there is art.

Today, the world is celebrating the contribution of art therapy schools not only in enhancing the relationship of parents and their children but putting them in a place where the magic of art unites them. If you are a parent who is having a problem with your teenager, then the best solution is not to fight them over what they want to do. Instead, suggest alternative activities to what they are already used to. One of the activities that your teenagers can engage in is the arts. Their creativity and talent for the arts can be improved if they attend art therapy schools. More than that, if they are not aware that they have the eye for the arts, they will be able to discover it by attending the different art classes and that will have a great impact on their self confidence.

There is no denying that teens who have submitted themselves to taking art therapy classes have seen a great change in their attitude. Their art classes that teach them painting and drawing have taken so much of their time that they no longer spend the day thinking about their problems. Instead, they are able to use the arts to release the negative emotions that they have inside. These teenagers do not really need to be artists themselves before they can be enrolled in art therapy schools. In fact, these types of schools cater children who may not have linkages in the arts but who can find peace of mind in the arts.

Five Modern Techniques Used To Home School Kids

2011-12-03T22:48:00.000-08:00

Home schooling your kid is a big responsibility. But it combines fun and learning to make the educational experience for your kid a memorable one.

Here are some strategies brought to you by experienced home schooling parents. Try using some of them to create a fulfilling learning experience, for you and your kid.

Strategy# 1 - It is never too late to change the curriculum

Yes, you can even do it mid-way in the academic year. Sometimes you might pick books for a course from your favorite publishers or you might buy a packaged curriculum only to find your child does not like it. Don't hesitate to change it and sell it when you realize it is not working. Get feedback from other parents who are home schooling their kids. Explore online and go for curriculum resources with high ratings and good reviews.

Startegy#2 - Every child demands different educational approach

One of your kids might be more of the kinesthetic type while the other would learn better visually. Figure out the strengths of your child. For instance, a kid learnt names of American states and capital while skating with his father, in a day. The same kid if told to sit down and learn would have taken probably 10 days because it would not have interested him.

Strategy# 3 - Cover most of the syllabus in the morning

It is better to teach in mornings. It is the freshest time and children can pay more attention to what is being taught to them. It allows you to say focused on what you are teaching. Covering most of the work in morning leaves the kid enough time to go play or work on a project and frees you to do household chores.

Strategy # 4 - You do not necessarily have to cover week learning in 5 days, just like school

You could cover the week learning in 4 days or even 7. Make decisions that are best for your child. You could cover topics like spelling and handwriting quickly so that less time is consumed and the children do not get bored. You can move at your own pace when you homeschool your kid.

Strategy # 5- Get help of an educational consultant

An educational consultant helps the family work out the curriculum to homeschool the kid. Educational consultants guide and monitor child's progress. Educational plans are developed according to child's capabilities. Some educational consultants also include field trips to enhance child's learning.