Education news and notes
By Anat Tour, math teacher and children’s author/illustrator
March 1, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--Do you have children, relatives, friends, or neighbors who are planning to go to college? Make sure to check out the scholarships available below.
In addition, here are my picks for this month’s top education stories of interest to local students, teachers, and parents:
- 1)Charters Near Top and Bottom- of California Rankings
- 2) Colleges Err in Placing Many on Remedial Track, Studies Find
- 3) 6 Ways To Spend Spring Break Wisely
- 4) 15 Songs To Help You Study
- 5) 12 Things Kids Want From Their Teachers
- 6) Are Graduate Degrees Worth the Cost?
- 7) Why Are Strong Readers Being Labeled Remedial
- 8) Children Are The Future, Dream with Me
- 9) What Silicon Valley Executives Keep Getting Wrong About Education
- 10) Disney's Anti-Obesity 'Habit Heroes' Exhibit At Epcot Causes Controversy
- 11) Breaking Ground In College Journalism
- 12) Top 50 Free Education Apps
- 13) Scholarships! Scholarships! Scholarships!
Charters Near Top-- and Bottom- of California Rankings
California charter schools are more likely than non-charters to be among the states' top performers—but also more likely to be among the laggards—a new report concludes.
Read more:
Colleges Err in Placing Many on Remedial Track, Studies Find
Two new studies from the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College have found that community colleges unnecessarily place tens of thousands of entering students in remedial classes — and that their placement decisions would be just as good if they relied on high school grade-point averages instead of standardized placement tests.
Read more:
Spring Break is just around the corner:
6 Ways To Spend Spring Break Wisely
This month, some college students will be jetting off to sandy beaches or ski slopes for spring break. In case you're not one of those people, here are some other ways to spend your vacation. These options might be more productive, and they may even make the transition back to school a little easier. Read more:
15 Songs To Help You Study
If you like to listen to music while you study here is a top 15 songs to listen to while you study:
I love music, live and breathe it. Music gets me through working out, long car rides, and most especially, concentrating on work. Ever since elementary school, I've found that music played lightly in the background helps keep me focused and centered. The key to a good study soundtrack is to pick songs that will get you into a good groove but are not so overbearing that you focus more on say Metallica than your assignment. With nearly 20,000 songs in my Spotify library, I have more than a few suggestions for songs to put on while you study. Here are 15, selected at random...
12 Things Kids Want From Their Teachers
Whether you are a teacher, parent, relative, boss, or fellow community member, each of us has a chance to make a positive and impactful difference in a child’s life…read more.
Are Graduate Degrees Worth the Cost?
Many workers are considering whether a masters or doctorate degree will provide a competitive edge. Host Michel Martin explores the costs and benefits of getting one. She talks with Anthony Carnevale, director of Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. He was recently profiled in The Washington Post Magazine. Read more…
http://www.npr.org/2012/02/23/147291128/are-graduate-degrees-worth-the-cost?ft=1&f=1013
Why Are Strong Readers Being Labeled Remedial
I began teaching history at the high school level in the fall of 1952. It wasn’t by choice. I hadn’t majored in the subject in college. It had always been just another required hoop to jump through.
Read more…
Children Are the Future, Dream with Me
It has been said that “ the only way to predict the future is to create it”. “We can make it happen.” But there is great wisdom in the well known lyrics. “ If you don’t have a dream, how can you make your dreams come true?” Read more…
What Silicon Valley Executives Keep Getting Wrong About Education
Successful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who, in creating and running their businesses, clearly understand the importance of understanding the market and testing how effective their products are, seem to leave those important instincts at the door when they comment on -- and these days increasingly get involved in -- K-12 education. When it comes to making important business decisions, they will regularly seek the advice of domain experts, often at considerable cost in consulting fees, but they fail to recognize the equal importance of domain expertise in education. Read more…
Disney's Anti-Obesity 'Habit Heroes' Exhibit At Epcot Causes Controversy
Disney World has officially joined the fight against childhood obesity -- and the reactions are mixed. Read more…
Breaking Ground in College Journalism
And now, as we close out Black History Month, we are reminded that big changes throughout history have often come from a series of small victories. Many of the landmark firsts that we remember were shaped by people who broke ground in their own communities and paved the way for significant changes to happen on a national level. Read more…
http://www.npr.org/2012/02/29/147643651/breaking-ground-in-college-journalism?ft=1&f=1013
I’m always searching for good apps…
Top 50 Free Education Apps
Below are the top 50 free applications in the Education category.
http://www.appstoreapps.com/top-50-free-education-apps/
Scholarships Available
Many students are unaware of the many scholarships available to help with college expenses. These scholarships have a wide range of requirements and many are targeted for students fitting specific criteria. Check out the many scholarships available, but don’t delay—deadlines are coming up soon!
View scholarships and application requirements
Comments
SCHOLARSHIPS AND MORE
Very informative site. The scholarship information is very helpful.
Keep up the good work.
Arye