How To Ensure The Best Education For Your Children

Few things are as critical to your child’s future as a good education. As a parent, you naturally want your child to have every possible opportunity to live a happy and productive life. And the time to start building toward that goal is right now, even if your child is not yet old enough to enter the educational system.

Contrary to what adults might think, childhood and adolescence are inherently stressful times for a child, testing his or her rapidly expanding awareness of the larger world. The child naturally wants little more than to have fun, make friends, and to fit it.  But between peer pressure, the media’s frequent distortion of reality, and underdeveloped faculties of logical discernment, today's children face greater obstacles than ever before. Your job as a parent is to help your child steer through those obstacles in a manner that causes him or her the least amount of difficulty, while at the same time building a strong moral and intellectual foundation. The choices you face might appear daunting, but by using available resources and your own good common sense, you should be able to face the task without too much difficulty... at least no more than standard difficulties inherent to parenthood.

Choosing a school

Pre-school - Even if your child is still a toddler, and a couple of years must pass before his or her formal education begins, you will need to begin to formulate a plan for his or her school experience. If both parents work, you might need to look into pre-schools. No longer merely formalized baby sitters, pre-schools offer your child a head start on the education process, by providing early instruction in basic comprehension, socialization, and reading & math skills. Beyond these functional skills, pre-schools also serve to help your child develop a social and moral compass. As such, you need to determine whether the approach taken by the pre-school is consistent with your own parenting objectives and guidelines. If the parents hold to a secular world-view, for example, enrolling a child in a strict, faith-based pre-school can cause significant conflict for the child, not to mention being the source of tension with the rest of the family. By the same token, if the child lives in a home where faith plays an important role, it only makes sense to enrol the child in a pre-school where practices and instruction closely resonate with the family’s beliefs.

School Boy Studying: Stockvault

Public, private, or home school?

While the majority of children attend public schools, more and more parents are choosing alternative education formats for their children. Private schools typically have higher teacher to student ratios, and can therefore offer more individualized instruction than can a public system with larger class sizes. They also offer the ability to somewhat limit the range of personalities with whom the child routinely associates, particularly in more exclusive or faith-based private schools. Home-schooling, of course, offers significantly more control over the child’s level of socialization, but this is actually a two-edged sword. While you will be able to insulate your child from many of the problems that plague public schools, you will also be severely restricting the opportunities the child has to develop a broader range of relationships and engage with people who come from different backgrounds. Whether the trade-off is worth it is a decision that requires significant thought on your part.

In addition, you have to honestly consider whether you are best qualified – in both your own education and temperament – to educate your child. Furthermore, there are significant logistical considerations to be weighed before undertaking the task of home schooling. When both parents work, even if the parent who will be providing the home schooling works from the home, it might be difficult to devote the time and energy necessary to properly educate the child. These are all considerations that must be addressed honestly if your child is to be afforded the education that he or she will need to thrive as an adult.

Finally, you should consider whether your educational choice will best prepare the child for his or her subsequent ventures. Does the public, private, or home schooling program increase your child’s qualifications for admission to the college that he or she might ultimately wish to attend, or prepare the child for whatever alternative career choices he or she might make, such as technical school, the military, or apprenticeship in a trade.

For additional information on choosing a school, the Department of Education website offers a free, downloadable booklet, available at http://www2.ed.gov/parents/schools/find/choose/choosing.pdf .

These are weighty choices, and certainly not to be taken lightly. In addition to today's concerns, you need to start preparing to pay for your child’s college education, but that is a topic worthy of its own article.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post by Sarah Brooks from Freepeoplesearch.org. She is a Houston based freelance writer and blogger. Questions and comments can be sent to brooks.sarah23 @ gmail.com.

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8 Reasons Why Planning for College Should Begin Early in High School

Planning for college is more intensive if you want your child to gain acceptance to an Ivy League school. It is also a struggle if you are hoping your child can get a grant for education. Concentrating on grades is important, but it is only part of the situation. Your child may want to become an established political scientist or philosopher, so ask yourself if your child should have joined the debate team during his or her high school years, instead of joining the “Twilight Saga appreciation society.” Here are a few other reasons why you and your child should start planning for college a little earlier.

Get the student and the parents on the same page about your child’s future

This is very important, as your child may have his or her own ideas about his or her future. You may have your own ideas, and even though you may be tempted to impose your will on your child, the fact is that they will start to reject your imposition when they are older and have more freedom.

It also encourages both you and your child to think about the future. The decisions made during high school are not permeated, and a child may change his or her mind. But, by thinking about and discussing your child’s future with your child, you set them up for a better future.

Leave his or her options open whilst laying groundwork for the future

In other words, as a parent you should not try to pen your child in to one discipline or future job or another. We all change psychologically every six or seven years. Teenage years are troubling because changes happen radically and with a less structured 6-7 year space. Your child may be a different person from the age of 13 to 14, and then again may be another different person at the age of 17.

This means you must create a situation where your child still has options at college age, so that he or she may pursue the career of their choice. But, you must allow for the fact that your child may change his or her mind about his or her future as time goes by. He may start in high school and want to be a football player, but may want to be a quantity surveyor by the age of 16 (just pray that it does not work the other way around).

Planning for College Early: Stockvault

Know what your child will need in order to be the best

Your child may have an idea of what he or she wants to be, but neither of you are going to fully understand the extent of what needs to be done to get your child to that position. Once planning has begun, it is up to you to look into what your child is going to have to do, study, endure and participate in so that he or she may achieve his or her goal.

Seek advice on what groundwork needs doing

You as a parent cannot be expected to know all the things your child needs to do in order to work towards a career. Even if your child wants to work in the same field as you, times will have changed and it will be different now. So, you need to seek good advice on exactly how such a career is gained. Remember that is must be good advice, to the point of considering a second and third opinion.

Work towards becoming eligible for a grant

This is something that you and your child can do together if you both start planning early for college. You can look up the many types of grants for students and help your child become eligible for as many as possible.

Extracurricular activities to put on your college application 

The bigger and more fancy that the college is, then the harder it is to get into. There are going to be hundreds (if not thousands) of students who apply with the same grades and conduct record as your child. It is often extracurricular activities that push your child across the finish line in this situation.

Extra credit activities to help your college application

If you get extra credit through established school means, then it is the same as pushing your grades up a little further. It is quite common for some students to quite a bit of extra credit work in order to stand a better chance on their college application.

Join groups for extra college application clout

Being part of different groups is good for your child’s college application. You need to find out what your child wants to be, or the area that he or she may like, and then help him or her join related groups. Joining any sort of group is usually going to help your child do better on his or her college application, but joining ones that are conducive with your child’s chosen career is a lot better.

Amy Cowen is a freelance writer at www.aussiessay.com/, where a team of highly qualified and experienced writers provide students with quality essays which help them improve their writing skills.

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Tips to Organize a Successful Fieldtrip!

Field trips are educational activities for an academic program. The aim of a field trip is to provide practical knowledge of a subject outside a classroom setting. If, for example, you are a history teacher, then your students might have question about ancient civilization and you would want them to have a firsthand knowledge of such sites. So naturally you would want them to visit a historical place to have a practical experience. This is where field trips have an important role to play. They allow students to see things out of the classroom and broaden their horizons of knowledge. Organizing a field trip is a real challenge especially if it involves going abroad, so you will need some guidelines about the whole experience.

For planning a field trip, you have to take into considerations some important factors that include the age group, abilities and, above all, the interest of your students. Besides, you must have excellent organizational and planning skills to oversee the whole trip. To know some important tips about organizing a field trip for college students, you must read on this helpful guide.

Here are some hands-on guidelines for organizing a successful college field trip:

·      Find your Destination

Choose a destination for your field trip. It must be something that relate with the students interest or subject and offers them something to learn about. For example, if your subject is ‘History’, then you can consider a ‘museum’ or ‘archaeological site’ as your destination.

·      Check out the Highlights

Take a look at the destination’s website for details about rates, total members limit or special packages if any. Look out for other information about what the site has to offer for

accommodation and recreation. Confirm the exact date and time of the trip.

Photo: Stockvault

·      Do All the Procedures

Do all the documentation formalities as per the policies of your school. Check with the school authorities about insurance policy if any.

·      Get Permission from Parents and Arrange Chaperon

Ask permission from the parents, informing them about the exact details for location and fees of the field trip. Get some chaperons to look after the students. Allocate one chaperone for 3-5 students. Make groups of students in terms of age, level and behavior.

·      Set Up a Standby Classroom for Absentees

Arrange activities for students who are not attending the field trip. Allocate a teacher to look after their activities. If there are only a few students who are not participating in the field trip, then accommodate them with other students in a regular classroom.

·      Demonstrate Important Considerations

Arrange a meeting with the students and discuss with them about the highlights of the trip. Explain to them the behavior that is expected on a field trip. Do some important drills required for different activities. For example, you can demonstrate the students how they should handle antique objects if the field trip’s destination is a Museum.

·      Arrange things in advance

Inform students a week before the field trip. Collect the money and other contributions a day before the event.

Remember!

·      If there is any student with disability, make sure to choose a place that has all the necessities for him.

·      When writing a permission slip, include all the nitty-gritty details, such as the wardrobe or any outfit.

·      Get emergency contact number of every student for any emergency.

Contributor: April Rheon is an online writer by profession. She is currently associated with the team of Assignmentlabs.co.uk as a content manager. In her spare time, she blogs about college life, educational events & activities.

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The Benefits of Single-Sex Education

No matter how long you’ve been out of school, it’s still easy to picture what it looked like. The lockers in the hallway, the drama in the lunchroom, and the cute boys on the football team are images common to many, made even more memorable by the uncountable amount of movies that been set in high school. 

Why would film writers and producers use school as their setting? They have realized that the tension and dynamics of high school is the perfect driving force in their plotlines, movies like The Breakfast Club, Ten Things I Hate About You, High School Musical, and Easy A. Each of these films uses the social structure of high school, girls and boys placed together in a closed environment, trying to find their place as people, and struggling to fit in while being noticed by the opposite gender. It’s these parts of high school that make them ideal settings for movies, but it’s also these same features that sometimes make high school a hard place to do what they came for: learn. For these reasons, along with some compelling research and data, many forerunners in education are suggesting that single sex schools may be an environment that, while less fitting for the movie scene, will be more conducive to our children’s education. 

Following the Research

The idea of single sex education may seem to be old-fashioned to some, but as LaunchEducation.com reviewed the latest research on the learning traits of boys and girls, we began to see a picture of how single sex education may soon be put back into practice. The previously accepted fact that girls learn better in all-girl classrooms remains, but researchers have now found that not only does this hold true for boys as well, but a single gender environment seems to have an even greater affect on boys’ learning.

A study at Stetson University indicated that in a co-ed classroom, girls reached around 59% proficiency as compared to the girls in a single-sex classroom who reached 75% proficiency, an improvement of 16%.  When the same study was performed with boys, the findings were even more significant. Only 37% of boys reached proficiency in the co-ed classroom, whereas 86% of boys reached the same level in a single-sex classroom., indicating a 49% improvement. It is that drastic difference in performance that is causing many schools and parents to consider single-sex education.

And these findings are not limited to one grade level; rather, all ages demonstrate similar findings. 

Students studying: Stockvault

Despite these findings, many parents are hesitant about the idea of sending their child to a single-sex school. After all, many parents are familiar with the typical high school scene since that is what they experienced. However, with the many potential benefits of single-sex education, it is time for parents to give this idea some serious thought.

No More “Girly” Subjects

While many are trying to break the gender stereotypes, the stigma still remains that boys are better at math and science while literature and the arts are girl’s subjects. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that only 30% of the degrees in math or science are awarded to women. While teaching in a mixed-gender high school, students can be pressured by these stigmas. Girls may let boys take the lead in the sciences while boys are hesitant to participate in literature and arts for fear of looking “sissy.” However, in a single-sex school, roles can no longer be assigned by gender. This frees boys to participate in creative subjects and allows girls to step forward and take leadership in the typically male-dominated sciences. 

The tutors at Launch Education note that while there are differences in learning styles for many girls and boys, there are still exceptions. Some students do very well in mixed gender classrooms and tutoring sessions while others perform far better in all boy or all girl classes. Other students perform best in one-on-one teaching environments or smaller classes. These are factors that many studies overlook when separating boys and girls, while simultaneously shrinking class size. Launch Education continues to explore the effects of a student’s environment on performance and improvement. It may be the case that we begin to see a strong revival in single sex education, but it is important to look at the myriad of other factors that affect student performance as well.

Helping Boys with the Ants in their Pants

During their education, most teachers spend time studying the differences in the psychology of males and females; however, actually implementing this knowledge in the co-ed classroom is difficult. Using a strategy geared to one gender often means inadvertently ostracizing the other. While a teacher may try to engage boys in more dynamic, active methods of learning, the girls are hungering for more reflective feedback and encouragement 

Even the ideal temperature for learning in the classroom differs from boys to girls. Studies have shown that boys do better at colder temperatures while girls can focus better in warmer environments. By splitting students into single-sex classrooms, teachers are better able to meet all the students’ needs in their classroom and maximize their learning potential.

Removing Posturing, Hormones, and Sexual Tension

Imagine that movie scene where the boy is listening attentively to the teacher and suddenly that cute blonde girl walks into the classroom to deliver a note; the boy’s eyes follow her as she leaves, his attention stolen for the rest of class. Or picture another familiar movie scene where the girl finds herself sitting by the cute boy in her math class and starts pretending to be incapable of math so he will tutor her. While these scenes are obviously exaggerations of the reality, they still hold some truth. 

From as young as 5^th and 6^th grade, students are beginning to enter puberty, a time of raging hormones and awkward adjustments to the opposite sex. Teachers are constantly battling the students’ bodies for the attention of their minds while the opposite gender surrounds and distracts them. Within single-sex classrooms, students are faced with less distraction from the opposite gender. Plus, they feel less pressure to perform and less intimidated to speak out. In all grades, students in single-sex classrooms display more focus, which also results in better discipline and less disruption in class. 

Returning Schools from Entertaining to Educating

While the co-ed classrooms may be the perfect movie setting, maybe it’s time we learned something from these films about how distracting these environments can be. Instead of regarding single-sex schools as old-fashioned or extreme, we should see the truth of what they can be: simpler and more effective. Single-sex classrooms are an effort to bring education closer to its goal of preparing and teaching students. Who can argue with that? As more schools try single sex education, parents should consider helping their boys and girls learn in a classroom that caters to them individually and helping them reach their maximum potential.

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Story of Education - Student's Perspective

--> Hello my name is Matt and I am about to share my TRUE story of education

Childhood – Concept of Education

Since my early days of schooling, I was never into education like most of the kids. I tried my best to avoid studying, as much as possible, and spent time playing games. This is because of an obvious reason, that I found games more attractive and enjoyable. At this stage, I never thought of the advantages of education, and I think I wasn’t even told about that. All I was told by my parents is to socialize, enjoy with friends and teachers in your class. To sum up, it never makes sense to go to school till the 8^th grade.

High School 

Things have started to make sense but the world is not easy to conquer! You have to sacrifice a lot to make sure you stood good in class; you have to be very strict with schedule, life, and plans. However, this stage has almost the same intentions as childhood but with a bit of a knowledge that education is going to play a vital role in life!

Normal Concept of Teenagers about Education - College Life

This age seems to be more sensitive because:
·       Students are not that much in control of parents
·       Life seems to be more beautiful than ever
·       Your friends / social circle is very influential for you
·       And the most important point, students try to earn! Which is good for them and parents but it comes up with a whole new package. I personally think that the more you are exposed to jobs, the more you have the potential to get away with education.

Every student is not sharp, intelligent, and has the ability to maintain balance. I have a few friends who always wanted to earn more (I wish if they wanted to Learn more), and they did against the cost of their education for a specific time frame. But when I was done with the engineering degree I was earning far better than all those who didn’t pursue their education or is some cases hardly done with an associate degree to start earning as soon as possible. All of them were looking for a short term plan!
                                                                                         

Student’s Concept about Education

Even at college and university life, students were not able to understand the importance of education. For me, education is just to have a better career, and this reason is good enough to pursue for my engineering program!

What Actually Education is?

Education is not only about what degree you have. I have a strong believe that education gives you “vision” which is priceless. My parents used to tell me all the time that education will make you a man of honors and respect. This never makes sense for me. Now when I realize that education has actually makes me think like a sensible person. It not only makes you learn a skill and pursue a successful career, in fact it lets you make sensible decisions in life. The more you use your brain the better it will have thinking ability. Education is such a great things that it always reflects in you (from you work, family, decision, and analytical skills!) Also, that doesn’t matter which career path you have selected, the more you learn, and the better will be you!

The above mentioned point is the top most benefit of education; this is the difference that even differentiates between a proper four year bachelor graduate and vocational degree holder, which concentrates on a specific skill set. The purpose of wide range of courses in a bachelor degree is to create a coating of education on students.

Engineers, doctors and other professions that require four year degree program has a strong reason. I have done software engineering and during my span of four year degree program, I studied forty courses (5 per semesters), among those 40 courses, only 25% courses (10 courses) ever specifically related to software engineering. Why? Why I don’t just go for those specific 10 courses and get an engineering degree? This is because engineers and other four year degree program holders are respected more, not just because they have a specific skill set from specific courses BUT they have more analytical and mental capabilities, which is achieved thorough the continuer years of effort!

In short, you have to pay to get something, and what you pay for education is not even close of what actually you get! It’s priceless!!!

About Author:
Ronnie Williams is a staff writer for AskForEducation.Com, offers information on accredited online schools. You can follow Ronnie on twitter @askforedu.

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5 Educational Museums to Inspire Teens

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After an entire school year of studying, taking tests and sitting through lectures, the last thing your teen probably wants to do is visit educational sites during his or her vacation. Although it may remind your teen of school, educational sites can actually make learning more fun and interactive for students of all ages. Not to mention, it offers a nice change from confined classrooms that will emphasize the fact that learning can happen anywhere. Consider planning your next vacation to include a stop at one of the following destinations:

1. The Chickasaw Cultural Center

Schools these days don't spend a lot of time teaching about the history and culture of Native Americans, so a lot of what your teen knows might be based on fiction. Visiting the Chickasaw Nation in southern Oklahoma allows the whole family to become better acquainted with the realities of this fascinating culture. The Chickasaw Cultural center in Oklahoma is one great stop for discovering the unique qualities about this tribe, while other nearby museums and collections showcase the inspiring artwork and artifacts that Chickasaw ancestors left behind.

2. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Washington, D.C., is an excellent vacation spot for educational sites. However, there's much more to discover in this city than just government-related landmarks and experiences. The Smithsonian offers the largest collection of museums in the world, with a wide range of different themes that are sure to accommodate the interests of everyone on board. The National Air and Space Museum is an especially notable museum in this complex that features life-size replicas of famous aircraft along with actual souvenirs from space.

3. Adler Planetarium

Speaking of space, the Adler Planetarium is the ultimate destination for students fascinated by the universe we live in. Located in Chicago, the planetarium features several interesting and interactive exhibits depicting the experience of being in space along with hands-on, visually striking explanations of what scientists have discovered about space. A massive theater with a screen on the ceiling makes for highly engaging learning experiences and memorable viewings of images captured by the Hubble telescope.

4. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University

Philadelphia's Drexel University is home to America's oldest natural history museum and is a world leader in biodiversity and environmental research. The museum has been studying, collecting and showcasing the incredible diversity of our planet's natural world for more than 200 years and has a lot of outstanding exhibits to show for it. The world-renowned collections feature more than 18 million specimens, ranging from Lewis and Clark's plant collection to John James Audubon's birds, consisting of 435 hand-colored illustrations.

5. Museum of Modern Art

With schools losing funding for arts programs, your child may not have gotten much of an opportunity to explore the world of art. New York City's famous Museum of Modern Art can allow teens to discover exactly how modern artists are applying their talents and skills to the real world – and perhaps ignite a creative spark. The museum has rotating exhibits that are sure to appeal to a wide range of personalities.

Students often wonder how the lessons learned in classrooms apply in real-life. So taking them to museums and showing them how science, art, culture and other subjects have shaped the world can really help teens understand why their education is important. More importantly, visiting educational centers teaches students that learning can be fun, which is one of the most important lessons parents can teach.

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Year Round Education in Schools

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There’s a difference between what’s best for students in general and what’s best for kids. That difference may be year-round education.

Year-round education has gained popularity as another option to improve America’s struggling education system. Many believe that students completely shut down mentally over the summer, forgetting everything they learned that year. That makes the first month back from summer a review month, instead of a progression month.

But, to many, summer is a long-held tradition of going to fairs and pools, sleeping in and catching up with friends. It’s a needed, extended break from the everyday grind of school and homework. It’s a tradition many kids and parents aren’t willing to give up.

Right now, most schools operate on roughly a 10-month (180 days) calendar with a two-month summer vacation. In year-round schooling, students attend for 45 straight days then have 15 days off.  Some schools run 60 straight days with 20 days off, and others operate on 90-30 splits.

Some schools use a single-track system where all students attend the same 45 days and then have the same 15 days off. However, others use multi-track systems with multiple groups of students, altering vacations so there are always some students in school and some on vacation. This keeps their facilities open all year.

 This can help schools educate more students each year as they constantly cycle students in and out. If they plan correctly, they can even offer smaller class sizes. Research consistently indicates that smaller class sizes improve learning and test scores for example, the ISEE.

Educators and politicians see year-round schooling as an opportunity to add a few more days…or even a few more weeks to the typical school calendar, dropping them in to shorten the already-smaller breaks. To them, there’s no such thing as too much education.

However, research does not quite indicate that. Researcher Elena Silva, a policy analyst at Education Sector, suggests that more time in school is not the solution, but rather more quality time. Her publication, “Economics of Education Review,” states that more schooling does not equate to higher achievement. However, more engaged students yield higher achievements.

Year-round education simply makes school more tedious. It’s something students have to do every single day, all year long. That doesn’t seem engaging. Then, if the solution is more engagement, is the answer less schooling? Probably not.

However, nearly all other foreign countries have year-round schooling. And everyone knows many foreign countries simply have better education systems. So, if we want our students to compete in a global economy, it might be best to prepare them similarly.

Many Southern and even Midwestern schools reject year-round schooling simply because of resources. The costs of installing and running air conditioning units is just too high for schools to actually offer summer classes.

Also, summer gives high school students a great opportunity to work and save up for college. Tuition and student loan debts have soared recently; any dent students can make before college would be incredibly valuable.

This guest post article was written and provided by Janice Mitchell who is a stay-at-home mother and has homeschooled her children with the help of VarsityTutors.com for over 10 years.

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Sowing the Seeds of a Digital Education

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An Apple for Teacher: Sowing the Seeds of Learning.

Imagine a world where you can earn an advanced physics degree without ever opening a textbook. The rise of tablet computers and e-books is making this a growing possibility. The technology innovator Apple is at the cusp of this change, poised to take the education market by storm by entering the world of digital textbooks.

On Thursday, January 19, Apple held an event at the Guggenheim Museum in New York to discuss its goals in the educational sector. Executive Phillip Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing, used this event to showcase the company’s new textbook experience for the iPad, an app called iBooks 2, as reported by the Washington Post.

This new app makes textbooks interactive. Students can capture notes and send them to the iCloud, highlight text with just a touch of the finger, and quickly switch to glossary sections for words they do not understand.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, other tablet computer manufacturers are adding college texts to their e-book databases, but Apple is taking this one step further by working to get high school and even elementary texts digitized. The company is currently working with Pearson, McGraw Hill, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to make their textbooks available on the iPad.

Long Road for Integrating iPads Into Classrooms

While this announcement and the sale of the new app does stand to change the way Americans approach education, it is not without its difficulties. The truth is that the average student in the public school setting is not going to own an iPad. In order to make this a viable solution for schools, schools need to have the tablets in the classroom.

Apple has a solution for this as well, and it is one they have used in the past. Three decades ago, Steve Jobs himself ran a lobbying campaign to get funding for Apple computers in public school classrooms around the country, and he was successful. Today, the Washington Post reports that the technology giant is striving to get similar tax breaks and public funding to put iPads in classrooms, so students can have access to their digital textbooks regardless of income levels. The benefit for Apple is the branding this creates, as students work daily on tablets sporting the company’s logo.

Testing Already in the Works

Currently, Apple has launched an iPad pilot project in a few districts around the country. In these districts, teachers report greater excitement and engagement on the part of the students after the iPads and digital texts came to the classroom. No testing has been done as of yet to determine if the tablets encourage greater performance from the students, but that assessment is in the works for the fall.

Could these changes bring permanent change to the face of education? Perhaps, but do not expect your local public school to look like something out of a science fiction movie any time soon. There are still many educators and parents who believe the traditional ways of educating are best, and some doubt that technological gadgets actually improve outcomes for students.

Teachers will need training to embrace this technology, and that training costs money. However, Apple sees a market for their products in the classroom, and they plan to continue lobbying to reach this goal. Consequently, the next generation of students to come through America’s public schools and universities may well use tablet technology for at least a portion of their education.

By Guest Contributor: Joe Barker
You can reach Joe at josephbker@gmail.com

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The Value of AP Classes

Almost everyone hates AP classes. Parents hate them, students hate them, schools hate them, even colleges are wary of them. In high school, these AP classes add a significant amount of work to the regular student schedule. Active students who play sports and are involved in their community are often forced to sacrifice leisure time or hours otherwise spend sleeping in order to finish their AP work.

Then the AP test comes in May, and the last 2 or 3 weeks in April are an endless cramming session. For students who take multiple AP tests, it seems like the work will never end. I know because I went through it just like every other high school student. It does, however, pay off.

As a college student right now, I am very happy that I took AP classes. First off, I started my freshman year with 17 AP credits; a standard college semester is only 16. I have friends with over 20 AP credit. This can mean many things depending on how you look at it. If I decide to graduate a semester early using my AP credits to fulfill electives, then I can save a lot of money, somewhere around $20,000. My particular school requires 4 years of study to graduate, but many others will let students graduate early.

What AP credits mean for me is that I can pursue minors and/or take other classes that interest me besides those in my major. I could also take a slightly easier workload every semester and still graduate on time. With this approach, I could dedicate more time to running this website along with others, and possibly find other jobs. There will be more time to socialize as well, but that is not everything. Knowing that I will be able to graduate in 4 years takes off a lot of stress.

My particular credits also mean that I can spend time studying abroad without fear of falling behind. Some classes in foreign universities might not be recognized at my university, but with credits already stacked up, I won’t need to worry.

Finally, there is the value of taking a college “level” class in high school. Although college classes are nothing like high school classes, there is no question that AP better prepares students for the vigor of college. 100 pages of reading per class seems like nothing after doing it for years in high school. Additionally, much of the knowledge learned in AP classes can be directly applied to college. I draw upon knowledge from AP History, Gov, and English classes every day because it makes a substantial part of my academic core. Science and Math classes act the same way for engineers and physicists.

Hopefully, you will think differently about AP classes in the future. Yes, they are a lot of hard work but the work will come sooner or later. Is it not better to get accustomed to it early on? In hindsight, even though I hated the work at the time, I am very glad that I took so many AP’s in high school. My words of wisdom to all students are this: It gets better.

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How to Avoid Overbearing Parents

“How can parents help students with the college search and application process?”—Vanessa K., Boise, ID.

A: Five things parents can do to help with college admissions

It’s not easy for parents to know if they are doing too much or too little regarding their child’s college admissions. A little advice about testing is a good start. 1) Become educated about the various tests. 2) Remind your student about test registration deadlines and test dates; put them on a visible family calendar. 3) Help him/her complete the test registration forms. 4) If it fits your budget, pay for test prep books or tutoring. 5) Provide your child with chauffeur services on the day of a test so he/she doesn’t have to locate the test center and find a parking space.

• Marjorie Shaevitz—Author, Founder - adMISSION POSSIBLE

A: The three C's of parent college coaching

The hardest part of parenting a teen is coaching them to do things themselves and attain increased levels of independence. As far as the college process goes, you have three roles as a parent. I call them the 3 C’s. Chart the course by helping them plan for the future. Catalog the journey by keeping track of the details. Cheer them on by encouraging them to study hard, volunteer and get involved in extracurricular activities. Be a coach, not a taskmaster, by following the three C’s: Chart, Catalog and Cheer. Your teen will be happy, well-rounded and prepared for college.

• Suzanne Shaffer—Founder - Parents Countdown to College Coach

A: Parents should serve as mentors in the college search process

It’s been said that the relationship between the parent and child changes when the child goes to college.  As children begin to assert their independence and their ability to make decisions without parental involvement; parents must take on the role of mentor/supporter.  The college application process is a great time for parents to lay the foundation for this type of relationship.  The primary role for parents throughout the college admissions process is to encourage their child by consistently reminding them of their confidence in his/her ability to complete the application process and to choose the college with the best fit.

Dorothy Styles–Director for College Readiness Programs & Initiatives - Project GRAD Atlanta

The Unigo Expert Network is a group of top education experts from across the US answering questions submitted by students and parents about college admissions and succeeding after high school.
Don’t miss answers by the Dean of Admissions at Sweet Briar College, Associate Dean of Admissions at University of Delaware, and more – at www.unigo.com/expertnetwork.

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SAT and ACT Testing days 2011/2012

All high school students need to take either the SAT or the ACT sometime during their student careers. To make it easy for you, we compiled a list of all the SAT and ACT test days in one place.

SAT test days

October 1, 2011                       Register by September 9th  (21st and pay a late fee)

November 5, 2011                     Register by October 7th  (21st and pay a late fee)

December 3, 2011                   Register by November 8th  (20th and pay a late fee)

January 28, 2012                       Register by December 30th  (Jan 13th and pay a late fee)

March 10, 2012                       Register by February 10th  (24st and pay a late fee)  No subject tests in Mar

May 5, 2012                                 Register by April 6th  (20th and pay a late fee)

June 2, 2012                                Register by May 8th  (22nd and pay a late fee)

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/sat-reasoning/register/test-dates 



ACT test days

September 10, 2011                 Register by August 12th  (26th and pay a late fee)

October 22, 2011                     Register by September 16th  (30th and pay a late fee)

December 10, 2011                 Register by November 4th  (18th and pay a late fee)

February 11, 2012                    Register by January 13th  (20th and pay a late fee)

April 14, 2012                              Register by March 9th  (23rd and pay a late fee)

June 9, 2012                                Register by May 4th  (18th and pay a late fee)

http://www.actstudent.org/regist/dates.html

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Getting Ready For Senior Year

The Unigo Expert Network is a group of top education experts from across the US answering questions submitted by students and parents about college admissions and succeeding after high school.

See answers from the Dean of Admissions from University of Pennsylvania, Wesleyan, and have your questions answered at www.unigo.com/expertnetwork  
“As a junior looking to stay on top of my college admissions timeline, what are the most important things for me to be doing before senior year starts?” – Andrew S., Renton, WA

A: You have to know what you want to go for it!

It’s easy to get excited about summer break and zone out during the last weeks of school, but these are the days that count! So wake up and start planning! Your first step is to research colleges and programs that fit your needs and interests. That’s where a counselor comes into play. Set up a meeting with one and get some guidance picking colleges and majors that seem interesting to you. Once you’ve narrowed down your options you can start applying. Sure the application process can get overwhelming, but if you’ve picked some top schools and majors you’ve already tackled some of the hardest work!
Enid Arbelo – Editor in Chief, NextStepU
   
A: Getting ready for your college search, think "marathon," not "sprint"

By planning ahead, you can be ready to hit the ground running in senior year.  Do what you can this year, beginning with SAT and ACT testing.  Try to take each twice in second semester.  Learn about the options: large v small; urban v. rural or suburban; liberal arts college v. university.  Don't "think" you know the differences--take time to see samples of each.  Do this at schools near you--you'll learn how to "do" a college visit and be ready for serious campus visits in the summer and fall.
Susan Sykes – President, SS Advisor

A: Follow a clear game plan and meet your objectives efficiently

Paradoxically, much depends on junior year accomplishments, yet application time seems remote in 11th Grade. Sharpen focus by targeting your college goals early; then design and carry out an efficient game plan. Top students aim for highest grades in challenging classes, ace standardized tests through solid preparation and establish strong relationships with teachers/coaches. They invest personal time in meaningful extracurricular activities, assuming leadership roles when offered. Consider how you can excel in unique ways to differentiate yourself from other good students - through competitions, independent study, talents, community service. Above all, maintain your zeal for knowledge and joy in learning.
Gail Lewis – Educational Consultant, College Goals

A: Sign up to take challenging courses in your senior year

Contrary to popular belief, senior year is definitely not the time to slack off and take it easy. That is because colleges tend to look for and choose students who they believe are likely to be academically successful at their school. The best things you can do to show them that are to maintain strong grades and sign up to take challenging courses next year. By choosing to take more rigorous classes, and succeeding in them, you demonstrate to colleges that you have both the motivation to take on new challenges and the preparation needed to do college level work.
Julie Manhan – Founder, College Navigation

A: Juniors should commit to working hard in their academics

As the junior year progresses and the college admissions process begins, it is important to remember that a student’s first commitment should continue to be working hard in all their courses.  Throughout the college admissions process the student’s academic performance is the most important element in being successful.  Also, talk with your guidance counselor, develop a testing schedule and discuss what things you (the student ) have done in and outside of school since starting grade 9.  Remember, the guidance counselor is going to be writing your recommendation and knowing you well is the key to being able to highlight your accomplishments.
Elinor Adler – Founder, Elinor Adler College Counseling
   
Don’t miss answers by the Dean of Admissions from University of Pennsylvania, Wesleyan, and more – at www.unigo.com/expertnetwork.  To send your question to our experts, visit www.unigo.com/expertquestions

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