only backgroundI'm a wife, mother and grandmother. I'm opinionated. I contradict myself frequently. Most of all, I love my kids. I believe in them. I fight for them. They're weird and wonderful. If you want to know more, here's a bunch of other stuff from my old site.
Archive for the ‘Education’ Category
Since my kids are spread out over 17 years, my experience with public and private education runs the gamut from love and admiration to I-want-to-scratch-out-your-eyes. Interestingly, the best and worst teachers in my children’s lives taught at the very same school. Having dealt with so many teachers over so many years, (and still dealing with teachers for my three youngest children) I can usually pick out the good teachers from the bad. I have no doubt that Betty is one of those very special teachers that every parent would like to clone.
Betty is a retired middle school teacher who comes from a family of teachers. While she spends much of her time enjoying her two young grandsons, she also manages to find time to blog about current events, teaching and just general family and children stuff.
I know there are loads of websites geared toward children and education but Betty’s blog stands out. Whether you’re a teacher, a parent who homeschools or just wanting to supplement your child’s traditional education, you’ll find an engaging, informative blog here. Betty let’s you know that April is Poetry Month (I love poetry!) and also shares a touching Family Circus comic as she explains about the friendships she’s established with other bloggers.
Betty also touches on the politics of education when she reports on No Child Left Behind or other legal matters. I really like that Betty reports on the facts without really offering an opinion. When I read the entry on Utah’s Voucher Program, I wasn’t quite sure of Betty’s position on the issue. I’d hoped to read some interesting commentary in the comments but there were none. We need to get the word out about this blog and get people reading and commenting it. This is good stuff!
Before I could give Betty my seal of approval (you know everyone wants that!) I had to read what she had to say about parents. I’ve been treated as a “partner” in my child’s education by some teachers and as an obstacle by others. After reading Betty’s take on the Pizza Hut Reading program and her disbelief that a teacher assigns homework for the parents, I just knew that Betty was one of those teachers that I’d have loved to have teaching my child. Who am I kidding? I’d have loved to have Betty teaching me!
There is just so much good information here, all written in an entertaining style, that my best advice to you is to just go to Betty’s blog and start reading. Subscribe to her feed so you don’t miss a single post. Whether you’re in the teaching profession or are a parent, you’re going to love this blog.
And Betty, if you’re reading this, thank you. Your blog is a gift to all who love children and learning.
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Every year around this time, when I’m stuck in the house because of the awful weather, I toy with the idea of taking some college classes online. I know that the local colleges all have online classes; you just have to meet in person 4 times, usually. That would work so well for me.
I spend a lot of time online anyway and I love to learn so this might be a good fit. I’m not sure how it compares to regular classes Tuition Wise but I’m guessing it’s the same cost, minus transportation expenses.
At some point, I am going back to college. I don’t know when I’ll do that but I am going to do it. The question is, will this be the year I finally do it? Or maybe I’ll wait till I hit the big 5-0.
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Anytime I think about computers in the classroom and general technology education for kids k-12, I get angry. I’ve yet to find a school that includes in the basic computer class a working knowledge of the machine these kids are using. There is no reason for a 5th grade student to not know the difference between a hard drive and memory or that the internet is not located on your own computer but that your Paint program is. And yet, we don’t teach kids these things.
I do have to give credit, however, to the schools in my district that utilize and teach some of the most commonly used software. No matter what you think of various software companies, it really is imperative that a child learn to use those programs that are most widely used in business. It’s also important that all children have access to that software at reasonable prices.
If you are an educator, work for a Board of Education or a public library, homeschool your child or have a child who is a student in eligible educational institutions, you can purchase a number of Microsoft products at a tremendously reduced price. CostCaptain.com offers software such as Microsoft Office (in various versions) and Windows Vista at very reasonable prices for those who qualify. Customer Service is excellent and they even offer gift certificates for qualified students and educators.
This is a great time to think about giving a student you know something this Christmas that will help them to learn and succeed. With these kinds of prices, you’ll want to pass this on to everyone in the educational field!
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A long time ago, I told my oldest son that he and I were like the first pancake in the morning. You know, you test the griddle with that first one and adjust the heat accordingly. First born kids are the same way. We’re the test pancake.
One of the things I learned with my second son was the whole college thing. I had no idea how expensive college was, how early you had to start applying for assistance or how much financial aid, including scholarships, was available. We missed out on so much help because we just didn’t know.
I now have a son in 10th grade and a daughter in 9th grade. (I’m not ready to think about my “baby” going to college yet but he’s just 3 years from high school!) I know from experience that it is not too early to find financial help for college. In fact, this is the right time. Starting now gives us plenty of time to assess all the different scholarships that are offered every year.
The first step is to do a free college scholarship search. I love that so much information is available here, at no cost. I remember paying for a huge book that was supposed to have this kind of information, only to find much of it was outdated. Scholarships.com has up-to-date information on scholarships at colleges across the country.
After I filled out a thorough yet easy online form, I was presented with a page of possible scholarships for Boomer, listed by relevancy. The amount of the award as well as the deadline for submission is also listed. Each scholarship is clickable so you can read more about the requirements and contact information. Scholarships.com has made it as easy as possible to locate financial help for college.
Before you think that this isn’t worth the time, just try it out. You wouldn’t believe the scholarships that are offered each year, some never even awarded because people don’t know about them. You could spend hours and hours searching for all the information that Scholarships.com presents to you in minutes.
Scholarships.com is really a one-stop resource for your college bound kids. The blog articles on various scholarships give a more in-depth look at some of the programs being offered. The resource page is so jam packed with information that I can’t imagine anyone walking away with unanswered questions. They even cover online courses and tips for non-traditional students.
I had one complaint about the site but it’s a design issue. I really didn’t like the javascript link for the blog opeing in a new window. I’m not sure why it’s coded like that since none of the other links are. If they’d change that one item, the site would be just about perfect.
I’m not done looking around there yet since there really is so much excellent information besides the great scholarship search function. Once I’ve gone through the recommended scholarships for Boomer, I’m going to have do more exploring. I may not have known about this site for Jesse but I’ve already bookmarked it for Boomer, Maggie and Levi.
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I suppose when you space your kids out as we did, you’re bound to spend the rest of your life searching for the best educational toys around. Levi, my youngest, is 11 and here I am buying baby toys for my granddaughter! Of course, I’m not complaining. Kids and toys make my world complete.
If you’re looking for toys that are designed to educate while they entertain, I’ve got the site for you. Even though I prefer to invest in educational toys, I am a firm believer in the premise that all toys ought to be fun and keep the kid interested beyond the first day. And if a toy meant for, say, a 10 year old can also be fun for an older sibling, then that’s an added bonus!
Even though these are toys originally intended for Christmas, my kids spotted them and there just wasn’t much I could do after that. I had to let them play. I managed to hold one toy back for Kendyll but that’s only if Levi doesn’t find it hiding in my closet.
First up, Spill Your Guts. It’s been a while since my kids sat at the kitchen counter and played a game; they’re usually in front of the TV with the PS2 or at the computer. It was great to see Levi and his older sister, Maggie, asking each other the True or False questions, and laughing as they played the game. They even asked me a few questions and I actually knew one answer! That’s a big deal, considering biology was not my best subject. An added bonus was that I now know that Levi is very interested in the human body, knows quite a bit about biology and seems headed in that direction educationally. Perhaps he’ll follow his grandmother’s career in medicine.
I was also pleased with my choice for Kendyll. She loves animals, real or stuffed so I thought it would be fun to give her Animal Crack-Ups. The kids - all of them - had a blast playing with them. They especially liked connecting the horse’s front to the rooster’s back and other interesting combinations. The best thing, though, was that one side is tan, like a cracker but the other side of the animal pieces are 10 different colors. The colors are supposed to be for checking to see if you’ve matched them up right but that was a learning game in itself. Kendyll is quite good at matching colors! Who knew? She was able to match red with red, blue with blue, green with green and yellow with yellow. She got a little confused when we added the light green, the pink, the light blue, etc. But that just means that this toy will continue to teach, a little bit at a time, for quite a while.
I did manage to hide the Jump ‘N Jungle so I’ll put that one under the Christmas tree. It looks to be a more active game so that should be great for using up some of that pent up energy that comes from being cooped up in the house on cold wintry days. You know, I think I kind of want to get that toy out and play with it myself. I wonder if I can sneak it out for just a few hours this weekend.
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I’m not going to pretend to be a chemistry genius. I won’t even tell you that I enjoyed Science in school. That’s because I didn’t. In fact, from 9th grade on, I did well enough in my science classes to not have to repeat any of the classes. That’s all that mattered.
Don’t misunderstand. I was an A student right through the 8th grade. Teachers encouraged me. I never felt like being a girl meant I couldn’t do math or science. My failure had nothing to do with stereotypes. Looking back, there were a few factors at play once I hit high school. First, I didn’t “get” the whole Lab notebook thing. The stuff we had to write in it seemed too simple to be correct. I didn’t understand why we had to write everything down when it was all so simple. If only the teacher had said, “I know this seems tedious but we’re learning the correct procedure.” I would have understood. I just kept thinking I was missing something. Second, the smell of formaldehyde in the science lab, thanks to the Juniors who were dissecting cats, gave me a headache. I was in pain and since I had no intention of every needing science, I just didn’t pay attention. After all, I wanted to be a writer. Or a guidance counselor. Or a lawyer. Or something other than a nurse, chemist, scientist.
Despite all of that, I am absolutely certain that there is one thing my teacher could have said to me to change my entire attitude about science. If one person had told me that by studying chemistry, I could create my very own soap, lotions, serums, shampoos, conditioner and other toiletries, I would have figured out the darn Lab notebook thing and invested in massive amounts of Excedrin, just so I could learn about chemistry.
That may seem shallow or stereotypical but it’s the truth. And today, I stand by the premise that if a girl is not interested in science, show her how to make a body lotion or shampoo or a heavenly scented bar of soap and she’ll be hooked on chemistry.
My own daughter is having trouble in science so I’ve been searching for a way to get her interested. That’s what brought me to www.scientificsonline.com and their fun chemistry kits. I was hoping to find something to pique my daughter’s interest; I never expected to find a complete soapmaking kit! While The Art Of Soapmaking doesn’t contain the lye needed to make soap (check your local hardware store for that) it does have everything else you need to make 15 beautifully scented bars of soap. The oils included - almond, olive, coconut and palm - should make a wonderful bar. I’ve worked with those oils and they’re perfect for a beginning soapmaker. The folks at Edmund Scientific really did their homework when they put this kit together!
Not only will this kit teach kids about the saponification process, it will also produce exfoliating bars made with the included oatmeal. Ahhh, so nice for the skin! I can’t imagine any girl who thinks science is just for guys, not being totally taken with this kit. The really great thing about the kit is that it comes with a reusable wooden mold. Once your child is successful with that first batch of soap, I know they’ll be wanting to make more. With such well written instructions, it will be a cinch to refill the kit and keep using it over and over.
Becoming a soapmaker spurred my interest in chemistry. I regret not learning about chemistry in high school, when my brain was young and able to retain so much more than it does now. With the science kits at Edmund Scientific, there is no reason that every child can’t be exposed to a side of science that fits with his or her needs. Sometimes that’s what it takes - for a parent or caring teacher to look a little deeper into a child to learn how to spur that interest. Science always plays a role in the things we love in life, whatever that may be. Just take a look around the site and you’ll find something that seems to be made for that child in your life. Go ahead, open the door to the world of science and watch the excitement and learning right before your eyes!
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My next door neighbor, Tammie, is one of the most intelligent people I know. I’m not sure if she’ll ever finish her Dissertation so that she can complete her Doctorate degree, but it doesn’t really matter. Knowledge is one of those things that is valuable whether you have that piece of paper proclaiming your achievement or not.
Nevertheless, I sure do wish I had a college degree. Tammie and I were talking about this last week and she explained to me about college programs that give you credit for what you already know. These special degree programs are intended for non-traditional students. I guess I qualify as non-traditional since I’m a mom, a gramma and nearing the half century mark. There’s no doubt that I’ve learned quite a bit just by living, tending to kids and a husband, dealing with the schools system and those kinds of things. And let’s not forget the years I spent in customer service and tech support. Yes, I’d say I have quite a bit of Life Experience.
Perhaps the most challenging part of getting Life Experience college degrees is just knowing how to navigate the system efficiently. I think I know the degree I want and I’m pretty sure I have an excellent basic knowledge of the subject, but I still need guidance. I like that I can look through the list of offered degrees and read descriptions. I’m also finding many answers to my questions at the Almeda University website, especially in their FAQ and was quite pleased to learn that Almeda university is accredited.
While I’m proud of all I’ve accomplished and I don’t regret the choices I made, I really would like to earn a college degree. Almeda University may just make that possible for me. And right now, for a limited time, Almeda University is waiving its application fee. That means that there’s nothing to lose by filling out the application form to have your Life Experience evaluated. Maybe I really have learned enough in real life to finally earn that degree. I’m so glad Almeda University is giving me the chance to find out.
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Tomorrow we’re going to see Maggie graduate from 8th grade. After the Mass and ceremony, we’ll all go to eat at a banquet. She’s already planning her future, really wanting to get into movie making. We’ve checked out a few colleges including Collins College in Phoenix.
Of course, Maggie is young enough that she may change her mind about her future. Many times. It’s still good to have an idea of which colleges offer the courses that interest her. I’m still searching a little closer to home, too. She’s my only daughter and I don’t think I want to send her too far from home.
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Now that I’ve spent more than a decade on the internet and I’m now even earning money with my blogging, I think it may be time for the next chapter. I’m thinking of finally finishing my degree with an online education. Wouldn’t that just be perfect?
I’ve wanted to go back to college for quite a while. I almost signed up for a few classes when Jesse was going. Now that I’m babysitting almost every day, online classes seem like the perfect choice. That would fit right in with my life now.
Anyone get a degree online? Any advice?
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By now everyone who reads here knows how much I love traveling and how fascinated I am by various cultures and customs. Tourism is fine but I’d so much rather become a part of the culture I am visiting.
If I could give my children any gift, it would be the real life experience of traveling abroad to learn first hand about the way other people live. Nothing we read in books can compare to living within a distant land, side-by-side with the people there. That’s true learning and from that kind of learning comes an understanding that is priceless.
My daughter seems interested in traveling for education and we’ve been researching online, trying to gather as much information as possible since she will be entering high school next year. Most student exchange services begin during the high school years.
We’ve located Study Abroad Forums for Education Agents, International Students and Schools and are learning a great deal there. The Ask An Expert Forum is a great resource for those of us who have never done anything like this before. In fact, the entire Area A section is jam packed with information and advice for students who want to study abroad.
My cousin and his wife have housed a number of foreign exchange students over the years and found the experience to be so rewarding for themselves as well as the kids they hosted. I’m going to make sure they check out these great informational forums for themselves. And in the meantime, my daughter is poring over the posts there, trying to gather as much information as possible. I can see that glimmer in her eye already, every time she mentions something else she’s read there. She’s going to be a world traveler like her mother, that’s for sure.
What fun and learning awaits her! I think I’m as excited as she is.
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