Secondary Schools
Kids in School? Check out the school systems before you buy a new home.
If you're looking to buy a new home and you have school-aged children, the quality of the school systems in the towns or cities you're considering needs to be a major component of your decision making process. As you're looking for homes, be sure you research the schools, both public and private, in the region where you'll be living...Volunteerism for Teenagers: A Great Character Builder
Volunteerism among high school and college students is at an all-time high; many school systems actually build volunteer work into their curriculum. Young people are building homes for Habitat for Humanity, working in National Parks for the Conservation Corps, and involving themselves in political, environmental, and social causes...Improve Your Students' Skills with Puzzles and Games
Pattern recognition, spatial relationships, and logical thinking are all necessary skills as students learn to read, do math, and develop problem-solving strategies. Having a big collection of puzzles and games on hand can make developing these skills fun...Meeting National Standards with Integrated Curriculum, Differentiated Learning
In trying to implement the "No Child Left Behind" Act, schools are scrambling to standardize their curriculum and upgrade their instruction to make sure students can pass achievement tests mandated by the Act. In order to fit all the instruction and other demands of childhood education into the day, many schools have resorted to "teaching to the test," shortening lunch period, and cutting back on or even eliminating recess...Enrich Classroom Learning with Educational Magazines
Magazines created for elementary, middle school, and high school students are a great way to enhance core curriculum studies with current, up-to-date information. Periodicals have the ability to take into account current social trends among young people while reflecting the latest advancements in educational theory...Reading to Learn: Turning Kids into Lifelong Learners
Along about third grade, children reach a level of reading competency which allows them to read independently for the purpose of gathering information and learning new skills. At this point, a whole world opens up to them. They are developing the tools to pursue interests of their own, and wise teachers and parents will take advantage of this phenomenon to build on their children's educational success...Teach Your Children the Art of Letter Writing
With the ease of Internet communications, letter writing has become almost a lost art. But there are times when a handwritten note or letter is more appropriate, and much more appreciated, than an email...Child-Directed Curriculum? The Results Might Surprise You.
Along about third or fourth grade, children begin to make the transition to independent learning. They develop interests of their own, and can show remarkable ability to dig deeply into a topic, becoming experts in their chosen field of study...Special-Interest Magazines Help Reluctant Readers Develop Learning Skills
From art to archeology, from math and science to sports magazines, special interest children's periodicals can turn reluctant readers into enthusiastic ones. Young people who resist reading assignments and other homework will read their favorite magazines from cover to cover in one sitting, and then wait impatiently for the next issue to arrive...Send Your Kids off to Camp with Some Personalized Stationery
Are your kids going to camp this summer? Why not send them off with some colorful personalized stationery and a supply of stamps, and encourage them to write you and other family and friends regularly...A Collection of Favorite Books Is a Great Incentive for Kids to Read.
Helping your child develop his own collection of favorite books is a great way to encourage the habit of reading.Do You Have a Budding Specialist on Your Hands? Give Her the Resources She Needs.
If you have a child who gets really excited about a particular subject or activity, you're lucky. The enthusiasm for learning that comes from getting deeply involved in a specific area of interest can be parlayed into better reading and learning skills...Can't Volunteer a Lot? Volunteer a Little Instead.
Many people would like to volunteer their time to a favorite charity or other organization, but can't seem to find the time. Busy work schedules and the demands of family life get in the way of making a serious commitment to many volunteer activities...Organizational Skills Learned in School Can Last a Lifetime
The women in my family (myself included) aren't known for our organizational ability-far from it-but my niece Heather is about the most organized person I know. And the skills she learned, she learned in kindergarten. She'd come home with papers she'd done in school, all tucked neatly into...Journaling Helps Students Track Their Academic Progress
Driven by the day-to-day demands of school, it is sometimes hard for students to be aware of their learning progress and to remember the details of projects they've worked on days, weeks, or months ago...Some Homeschooled Kids Need More Socialization Opportunities
In the past decade homeschooling, once a rare practice, has grown exponentially; currently well over a million kids are being homeschooled in the U.S. From kindergarten children to teenagers, kids are being educated in the home by parents who have access to an ever-growing collection of instructional materials, both printed and online...Covering Current Events for Children's Publications Can Be Tricky
Since at least 1928, when "My Weekly Reader" debuted in elementary school classrooms, publishers have been attempting to cover current events for children. "My Weekly Reader" was an accepted and unquestioned part of children's lives for decades....The Environment Is Big News-and a Big Topic of Discussion in the Classroom
Thanks to decades of dedication by teachers who have brought environmental topics into the classroom, today's students are more educated about ecology and the natural world than ever before. And now, thanks to Hurricane Katrina, the hurricane and resulting flood that devastated a large part of the Gulf Coast in the summer of 2005, environmental issues have hit the front pages of newspapers and prime time TV newscasts...Higher Education
Nontraditional Students Welcomed at Colleges and Universities
Major shifts in the job market and increasing costs at public and private universities have combined to create a new phenomenon: Increasing numbers of adult students are deciding to attend college, either to improve their job skills or prepare for a career change; and the colleges are welcoming them with open arms...Continuing Professional Education a Must in Today's Work Climate
The dramatic shift in employment patterns in the past decade, and particularly in the past five years, has dealt a blow to the American workforce. The development of the Internet, particularly high-speed Internet, World Trade Organization treaties, and the explosion of container shipping are only three of the many factors which have resulted in millions of jobs, including highly paid, skilled jobs, being exported to countries from Mexico to India and China. As American workers have seen their jobs disappear to outsourcing, many have responded by going back to college, either for individual professional development courses or for degrees in a new field...Two-Year Colleges: A Great Alternative to a Four-Year Institution
For at least four decades the conventional wisdom has been that as many high school graduates as possible should go on to earn a bachelor's degree at a four-year college. A bachelor's degree has been the ticket to entry into high-paying professional careers, and many corporations haven't allowed workers onto the first rung of their professional ladder without that degree. Two-year colleges are often looked upon more as vocational schools, and have traditionally been considered the stepsister of four-year institutions, suitable for those without the academic record to get into a "regular" college...Jump-Start Your Career with a University Certificate Program
Quicker than either a bachelor's degree or an associate's degree, a top-notch certificate program can qualify you for a skilled entry-level position or give you a boost up the ladder at your current job in a remarkably short period of time...A New Wrinkle in Distance Learning: Hybrid Classes
Online learning, or distance learning, has become a popular form of education, and conventional institutions all over the country are offering a wide range of classes over the Internet. One major advantage of Internet courses is that students can easily plan their class time around work and personal demands. One disadvantage of online learning is that contact between teacher and student and among students is limited to Internet communications, and can seem an isolating experience...Kids Going Off to College? Send Along Some Food!
If you have children heading off to college this fall, make sure some basic food supplies go along with them...Is Your Student Home from College? Now's the Time to Prepare for Fall
If you've got a student arriving home from college with all her stuff, maybe now is the time for you to plan for the trip back to school in the fall...Study Abroad: More Than an Education, It Offers a New View of the World
One criticism often leveled at Americans is that we're too ethnocentric; because we live in such a vast expanse of land with few neighbors, we're not required to associate with citizens of other countries, and therefore have no deep understanding for other cultures...Why Choose a Private College?
Private colleges can be more expensive than public universities, and can have a more limited curriculum than the biggest government-funded schools. So why choose a private college, particularly a small one, over a state-run university?Local Colleges Offer More than Academic Fare
More and more colleges are making an effort to connect with local residents, offering courses tailored to the working adults in the community. And while many college continuing education programs have a definitely pragmatic, career-oriented slant, occasionally one finds a few unusual offerings among the standard college fare.As the Financial Industry Becomes More Complex, Universities Respond with Targeted Degrees
With the rising power and importance of multinational corporations, the spread of globalization, and the increased interest among a large segment of the population for investment opportunities...Online Degrees a Practical Option for Adult Students
A decade ago, online degrees were an exciting and somewhat risky experiment; now, ten years later, they are a solid option for millions of nontraditional students....For Learning Practical Skills, You Can't Beat Community Colleges
Community colleges, often considered the poor stepchild of four-year colleges and universities, are expert in providing their students with practical skills that lead to often lucrative jobs. Students developing hands-on knowledge of communications or medical technology...Colleges, Universities Becoming More Responsive to Community Needs
Traditional college and university curriculums have expanded to include courses and certificate and degree programs that meet the needs of the communities they inhabit. Continuing education for adult learners is one development; another is course material that teaches students how to implement needed change in their communities...College Phys Ed Ain't What It Used to Be-It's Better
College physical education programs and facilities have been known in the past as a refuge for the jocks of the college community, a small subset of the student body destined to go on to teach high school phys ed. The facilities have offered the standard swimming pools, basketball and racquetball courts, and running tracks...Creative Solutions Needed to Resolve High Education Costs
In a situation which reflects funding problems all over the United States, New Hampshire has been embroiled in a seemingly never-ending conflict for over fifteen years, ever since the town of Claremont sued the state of New Hampshire for its method of funding education.Change Is Needed in College Funding, Admissions
With both federal and state funding for higher education being cut throughout the country, students are facing exponential increases in tuition costs, and millions of students are graduating from four-year colleges with a bachelor's degree in one hand and a load of student debt in the other.Research Techniques
Researching a subject? - Resources that will help.
Most of us have become so used to logging on to the Internet and using the most popular search engine to research a topic that we've invented a new verb: Google. We don't "use Google," to look up a subject anymore, we "google" it...Researching Your Genealogy: Start with Living Family Members
If you're like most Americans, you have a curiosity about your ancestors: where they came from, how they lived, when and how they came to this country...Online Courses Change the Face of Education
A few short years ago, when a handful of colleges (some a little suspect) began offering online courses, the whole idea was considered offbeat. Now many mainstream colleges and universities around the U.S. and throughout the world are offering courses online, some leading to a bachelor's or even a master's degree...Make your Homework Time Count
Under more pressure than ever to achieve, high school students often find themselves overwhelmed with increasing amounts of homework. While some high schools are guilty of assigning too much homework, there are ways of approaching the task that allow you to become more productive and efficient.