Thursday, 31 December 2015

Common Reasons Why Your Child May Struggle With Math in School - Reason 2

Too Formal Too Soon.

"The new developmental research shows that this historical consensus about children was just plain wrong. Children are not blank tablets or unbridled appetites or even intuitive seers. Babies and young children think, observe and reason. They consider evidence, draw conclusions, do experiments, solve problems, and search for the truth." From "The Scientist in the Crib"

Monday, 28 December 2015

Primary School Homework Help

The primary school students are too small to manage their homework alone. If the parents are too busy to help the children then they should make sure that they are getting aided in some other way. The little ones need some time to play or learn some extra curricular activities.

This is the reason why they should not be burdened with the private tuition. Yes they can ask the teachers in their schools for some assistance about the homework but the other classes and packed schedules often stop them.

Friday, 25 December 2015

How to Become a Certified Teacher in the State of Texas

Unsure of the procedures for teacher certification requirements in Texas? Here's a brief rundown on meeting the requirements to become a certified teacher in the state of Texas.

Teacher Certification Requirements in Texas

Like many other states, the first steps for achieving teacher certification in Texas is a college degree. Acquiring certification requires completing degree work in a specific subject, in addition to completing courses in a state teacher training program.

As part of your field work, you will need to complete 45 observation hours observing qualified teachers in your desired subject area. Most programs can match you with experienced teachers willing to mentor a prospective teacher.

You will also need to complete a student teaching practicum where you are responsible for teaching classes under the supervision of an experienced teacher. Your mentor will evaluate your performance by offering you tips and discussing the lessons at large. Depending on the age groups, expect student teaching practicum to last at least one semester.

Texas Certification Exams

The state of Texas requires that you pass certification exams in both pedagogy and professional responsibilities that are specific to the grade levels and subjects you desire to teach. These exams are called the Texas Examination of Educational Standards and the Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas.

The Application Process of Acquiring Teacher Certification in Texas

The State Board of Educator Certification website walks you through the process of attaining certification. You will need to create an account before you actually take the exams. The site not only helps you through what appears to be a complex and complicated certification process, but it also keeps your scores and credentials on file.

Tips for Teachers Who Seek Certification

Ideally, you should discuss your future plans with your college advisor during your junior year. Your college advisor can help you familiarize yourself with degree and certification procedures.

If you already possess an academic degree but have not completed an approved teacher training program, you can still become a certified teacher. The State Board website provides information on alternative methods of teacher certification in Texas.
The State Board website also explains the certification process for teachers who are certified from other states.

Good Luck!

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Monday, 21 December 2015

Cover Letter For a College Professor

The use of a cover letter for a college professor is extremely important. The purpose of the cover letter is to emphasize those experiences that make you desirable as a faculty member. However, it is only effective if it is brief and to the point. A cover letter should never be more than a page. In fact, it ideally should be about one-half to two-thirds of a page.
As a matter of course, a cover letter should be included whenever you submit a resume. In fact, it is a good idea is to have the cover letter saved in the same file with the resume so that you can send them together as a single attachment. This way the cover letter will become apparent when the resume is accessed.

Friday, 18 December 2015

Things You Should Know Before Considering A Phlebotomy Career

Phlebotomy is an excited career with a bright future.  There is plenty of demand for certified phlebotmists, and this demand is expected to continue growing.

But what exactly is phlebotomy?

Simply put, it refers to the procedure of drawing blood from a patient so that it can be analyzed and tested. In order to practice phlebotomy, it is highly recommended that one obtain their certification from an accredited college. Although only currently required by two states, most employers now expect their applicants to be certified. Those who do not hold a certification will find it difficult to find jobs.

What Does A Phlebotomist Need To Know?

To become certified, a phlebotomist must not only have adequate training and expertise in drawing blood, but also be comfortable interacting with people (sometimes difficult individuals). The main part of the job involves extracting blood through the veins (venipuncture), arterial puncturing and drawing blood through the capillary bodies. Thorough knowledge of vein location, puncture point, and comfortable punctures are all essential knowledge for those looking to become certified as a phlebotomist.

What Should I Expect At Phlebotomy School?

You must attend one of many phlebotomy training schools in order to write the phlebotomy certification exam. School programs last between eight to twenty-four months depending on the program. Although initially more costly, the longer courses will improve your credentials come job time and will allow you to demand a higher starting salary.

Expect all "aspects" of schooling regardless of the program you choose, including online, in-class and in-lab training. In addition to learning blood drawing techniques, you will be taught how to analyze specific characteristics of blood samples, and how to read these samples and understand what they reveal about the patients ailment. Training courses will also cover human anatomy, lab safety, and how to interact with patients.

The phlebotomy certification exam can be written once you successfully graduate from your training course. Those who have not received training but have worked in the field for a specified number of years may also be eligible to write the test (depending on the certifying body). If you do not pass your test on the first attempt, you will have multiple chances rewrite the test.

Once you receive your official phlebotomy certification you should be able to find employment relatively quickly, since jobs in this field are in high demand throughout the United States and Canada. Most certification courses offer job placement upon graduation making the application process even easier-yet another benefit of attending phlebotomy school.

Many wonder whether the cost of phlebotomy certification school is worthy-and we believe that it is. Although it is possible to become employed without one, it will be very difficult.

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Tuesday, 15 December 2015

The Benefits of Teacher Professional Development

In the current workplace environment, teachers are finding themselves faced with stressful situations. There are deadlines, professional development requirements, and performance reviews, among other things. New teachers first starting out are expected to live up to high expectations in terms of meeting the needs of their students, whereas older more experienced teachers are forced to adapt to new teaching techniques. Continuous education is necessary for teachers who wish to excel in their field and improve their abilities. However, most people in the field are unsure of where or how to go about accessing professional teacher development resources available to them.

Saturday, 12 December 2015

The Importance Of Excel In The Workplace

Excel is perhaps the most important computer software program used in the workplace today. That's why so many workers and prospective employees are required to learn Excel in order to enter or remain in the workplace.

From the viewpoint of the employer, particularly those in the field of information systems, the use of Excel as an end-user computing tool is essential. Not only are many business professionals using Excel to perform everyday functional tasks in the workplace, an increasing number of employers rely on Excel for decision support.

Wednesday, 9 December 2015

A Complete Preschool Lesson Plan - Jungle Theme

Hop on the Safari Bus. We are going on a Jungle Tour in the Preschool Classroom. It's going to be so much fun for the children, and I guarantee you are going to enjoy yourself.

Here are some ideas on how to get your jungle theme lesson plan started and some ideas to keep it going for as long as your preschoolers are interested in the activity.

Sunday, 6 December 2015

The Latest Education Trends of 2014

A good education is a must for personality development of an individual and goes a long way in deciding the future of a person. With changing times, education and approach towards education also has undergone great changes. The world has realized the importance of education and all the nations are sparing lot of time, resources and efforts in establishing good educational institutions. Also, internet has become the new teacher and is providing students with access to any information that is desired by a student. Following are some of the latest education trends that have emerged this year and will further be improved over the years to come.

Thursday, 3 December 2015

School Debates - A Brief Overview of Current Educational Issues

Whilst all societies recognize the value of and implement systemic education of their population as children between the approximate ages of 5 and 15 for primary and secondary education, and into the early twenties for tertiary education, contemporary debate is in constant ferment as to what the format and content of a proper school curriculum should be. No one disputes that it is advantageous for both the individual and for society that people should enter into early adulthood literate, numerate and with a variety of social skills such as the early school environment enables, but beyond that there is infinite scope for disagreement as people debate education issues and argue as to the proper scope and manner of teaching in our schools.

Monday, 30 November 2015

How Advancing Technologies Are Affecting Our Young Children And Their Education

As a parent and a college student, I am noticing how the educational system is constantly changing. My children are now in 4th and 6th grade and I notice that the school work that they are doing right now is a lot more advanced than what it was when I was in the same grade. They spend hours doing home work each night. Before, I started back to college; I was often having a hard time trying to help my oldest child with some of his home work, especially math. The same words where not even being used for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Friday, 27 November 2015

Some Public Schools Look at Results When Separating Boys and Girls in the Classroom

Having separation between boys and girls in the past has always been a way many private schools run their classrooms. Motivation for this might be for religious or moral reasons, or just because they don't want boys and girls being distracted by the opposite sex in the same classroom. Recently, public schools have been separating the boys and girls, and for entirely different reasons. The public schools are separating the sexes due to different learning needs depending on the gender. Apparently girls and boys learn differently. The public schools are not going as far as to completely separate the sexes by putting them on different campuses, but they are all intermixed on one campus but separated in the classrooms.

Some give the reason for separation in part to the fact that boys and girls distract each other when in the classroom setting and they may not pay much attention to the lesson plan when the opposite sex is in the room. They say by separating the genders, they are removing the distraction and helping test scores go up because students can focus more on the schoolwork and lessons.

Girls have the reputation that Math, Science and Technology is not the best subject for them. The schools are hoping that by separating the boys and girls, they can adjust the lesson plans for the girls to be geared towards the female brain and how to teach the girls effectively. In result the girls will do better on their tests and have better understanding of the subjects.

They are calling this separation of the genders in classrooms, Dual Academy. One school that has adopted this new Dual Academy way of teaching is Imagine Southeast Public Charter School, in Virginia. This single sex education really is showing improvement in the schools that have taken on this dual academy teaching style. Teachers that were critical of this new way were astounded on how much more focused the students were. They said the students were not only focused but they participated more, because of lack of shyness since the opposite gender was not present. Also, the teacher noticed that students took more pride in their work, they were proud of getting good grades and loved that they didn't have to feel embarrassed in front of the opposite gender when presenting in class or asking questions.

When we think of separating boys and girls we normally think of three things; private schools, religious reasons or old fashioned morals. Now that we are seeing a trend in public schools starting to separate boys and girls we wonder if that is good for our children's character to only be around one sex. In real life us adults aren't segregated anymore. We have to work on a daily basis with the opposite sex and by going to school with the opposite sex, we learn to resist distractions in the classrooms and learn to work with the opposite sex on projects or present projects in front of them. By us segregating genders to boost test scores, is this really helping our youth become diverse and help them feel confident around the opposite genders one day?

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Tuesday, 24 November 2015

Examples of Recreational Activities - Fun Things to Do

Recreation is anything that is stimulating and rejuvenating for an individual. Some people enjoy nature hikes; others enjoy skiing (or both). The idea behind these activities is to expand the mind and body in a positive, healthy way.

Saturday, 31 October 2015

Easy Place Value Math Games For Elementary Kids

First, let us understand what place value is before doing any place value math games with our kids. Place value is the value of a digit based on its location in a series of numbers. Let me illustrate to you the concept of place value which you and your kids can easily comprehend.

Let us take the numbers 1 to 0 as an example and line them up like this:

1,234,567,890

Let me show you the place value of each number in the above series:

  • 1 = Billion/s
  • 2 = Hundred Millions
  • 3 = Ten Millions
  • 4 = Millions
  • 5 = Hundred Thousands
  • 6 = Ten Thousands
  • 7 = Thousands
  • 8 = Hundreds
  • 9 = Tens
  • 0 = Ones

It would be easy to create place value math games for your kids! Here are some of them which you can do at home:

  1. Get out that old set of playing cards and separate the Jacks, Queens and Kings and use them as zero (0). Also, use the Ace cards as No. 1. Then announce the numbers you want them to create, example: Two Thousand Three where they will have to pick out the following cards: 2, Jack, Queen, 3 or Twelve Thousand Ninety with the cards Ace, Two, Jack, Nine, Queen or Ten Thousand Fourteen can have two correct sets of cards: 10, Jack, Ace, Four or Ace, Jack, Queen, Ace, Four. Kids will have a fun time with this game and to make it harder you can require that the numbers should only be in the same suit.
  2. You can also cut out colored papers (2 x 3 will do) or index cards then give your kids 10 pieces each and a pen. You can write down 10 numbers in words on individual sheets of typewriting paper. Then show these to all the kids one at a time, the first kid who finishes writing down his answer must run to you and show you his answer. If the answer of the kid is correct he will leave the sheet of paper on the table and the rest of the kids must hold on to their answers. However, if the answer is wrong the next kid who has an answer must come forward to present his answer. After all the 10 numbers in words have been gone through, the kid with the most number of index cards on the table wins.
  3. You can collect 4 or 3 different sizes of bottles caps of 10 caps per size. Label the caps from 0 to 9 per cap size. The biggest sized caps will be the thousands place value, the next in size will be the hundreds and so on. You and your kid can play one-on-one with you announcing the number you want your kid to create and then using the bottle caps your kid can arrange on the table the correct number sequence. This will help you train your kid on place value concept but with speed and accuracy.

You can device other easy place value games using homemade equipments, scrap materials, old toys and/or tools. One good example is using an old dart board label each segment as ones, tens, hundreds, etc. Then you can ask your kid to throw the number of darts that should land at a specific segment after you have announced the number you want. Example: Three hundred twenty-two - there should be three darts in the hundreds place, 2 darts in the tens place and two darts in the ones place.

What is important here is to be able to train and practice your kids through easy and fun games so that they will be able to easily grasp the concept of place values in mathematics.

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Thursday, 29 October 2015

Math Activities - One-to-One Correspondence

The concept of one-to-one correspondence requires two skills: (1) matching pairs and (2) comparing sets. Matching places two like items together as a pair while comparing determines which set has more or less. In these projects, the key is to focus on the language, emphasizing mathematical terms.

Books to Read
The following books teach one-to-one correspondence using stories. I love the impact a story has on understanding, and these books do a great job of packaging the mathematical ideas in a way that young children can comprehend.

Two of Everything: A Chinese Folk Tale by Lily Toy Hong
Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
Seaweed Soup by Stuart J. Murphy
A Pair of Socks by Stuart J. Murphy
Missing Mittens by Stuart J. Murphy
Monster Musical Chairs by Stuart J. Murphy
Just Enough Carrots by Stuart J. Murphy
Some Things Go Together by Charlotte Zolotow

Projects to Learn Matching

Project #1
Take opportunity to point out situations where there is a matching set. Word emphasis: match, even, pair, each.

  • There are three cups and three straws. It is even.
  • Three children and three cookies. It is a match!
  • A pair of socks for your feet. One foot for each sock, and one sock for each foot.

Project #2
Provide the following items and allow the children to sort into pairs. Word emphasis: pair, match.

1 ice cube tray
2 screws
2 washers
2 electrical circuit binders
2 matching butterfly clips
2 matching hair pins
2 pennies
2 matching buttons

Project #3
Have a tea party with stuffed bears. Set one place setting for each bear. You could say, "One seat for each bear, and one bear for each seat." Word emphasis: each.

Project #4
Serve a lunch with matching shapes to make their own snacks. I used cookie cutters to cut the bread, cheese, and lunch meat into matching shapes. I provided at least two different shapes so that they would have to find the match in order to build their sandwiches. Word emphasis: match.

Project #5
Play the memory game. Word emphasis: pair, match.

Projects to Learn Comparing

Project #1
Take opportunity to point out situations where there is not enough or there is too much to go around. Word emphasis: more, less, fewer, even.

  • Oops, I grabbed one straw too many. There are three cups and four straws. There are more straws than cups.
  • We have six chairs at our table, but only four people in the family sitting at the table. That leaves two empty chairs because there are more chairs than people.
  • Today we have company, so we have eight people and only six chairs. We have fewer chairs than people, so we will need two more chairs.
  • Three children and four cookies. There are more cookies. If I eat one, it will be even.

Project #2
Invite the children to collect toys to put inside two hula hoops. Then count to see which hula hoop has more toys and which has fewer. Ask, "Which set of toys has more? Which set has fewer?" Word emphasis: set, more, fewer, even.

Project #3
Pour two cups of water and compare the volume. Which cup has more? Which has less? Word emphasis: more, less, even.

Project #4
Make sugar cookies and put chocolate chips on the frosting. Compare two cookies to see which has more chocolate chips. For an added lesson, determine how many chocolate chips need to be added to make them even. Word emphasis: more, fewer, even.

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Drama Lesson Plans For Math?

With so much to cram into our daily classroom timetables, it is often difficult to set aside a specific time to formally teach drama skills, find a play script, assign roles, rehearse and perform. With a little creativity, however, it is possible to integrate drama play into the other areas of the curriculum. You can reinforce learning in many subjects through focused drama lesson plans.

Start with Drama Skills

If we were presenting a drama workshop for the students, we would want to cover skills such as:

  • Voice Elements (volume, projection, timbre, diction, dialect, tone, pitch, articulation, pace)
  • Body Language (stance, gestures, breathing, facial expression)
  • Emotion (anxious, ecstatic, fretful, deliriously happy, bored ...)
  • Role (teacher, car salesman, fairy tale ogre, 3 year old child, lottery winner, gum chewer)

All of these skills can be presented and practiced by including them in a cross-curricular drama activity.

Drama Lesson Plans for Language Arts

This is the easiest of the subject areas to work in since most of us would consider drama to be part of our language
arts program. There are informal ways to incorporate drama skills into some unexpected topics.

For example:

Spelling B-mote

Practicing spelling can be more fun when students are asked to use the various dramatic methods when spelling their words.

Voice Elements

- vary the tone, pitch, volume, speed ....

- add hesitations and a gesture to show syllable breaks

- speak with an accent

Body Language

- move body to illustrate the character of each letter as the word is spelled

for example - a swaying movement for the fluid letter 's' or stiff with arms out for the rigid letter 't'

Movements do not have to show the shape of the letter, but rather the "feel"

- perhaps a punch in the stomach for the letter 'f'. Students should be told that there is no right or wrong to their choices for each letter.

Emotion

-spell the word using the emotion suggested by the teacher or leader

-spell the word using the emotion suggested by the word e.g. 'worry'

-spell the word using the opposite emotion suggested by the word e.g. 'boring'

-for difficult words - assign a specific emotion to individual students and go down the line spelling the same word in the different emotions

Role

spell the word as if:

-you just won 3 million dollars

-you are 3 years old

-you have a mouth full of jelly beans

-you are the ogre hiding under the bridge

Many of these methods can be used for rote learning in other areas such as multiplication facts or formulas in math.

Drama Lesson Plans for Math

Body Sculpture can add some laughter to a geometry review of 2D and 3D shapes. Divide the class into groups with enough students to make the shapes that you are working on. Groups must try to be first to correctly make the shape called out by the teacher or leader.

-make a rectangle, square, rhombus .....

-make a cube, sphere, tetrahedron .....

-make a cube with a cone inside, square inside a sphere ......

Can you think of a way to use this for reinforcing the concepts of perimeter and area with an integrated lesson plan?

Drama Play in Science

This could be used for review or as another take on the research project! If for example you were working on an animal unit, pairs of students could be assigned one animal to research, but instead of presenting their findings in a written report or display, they would present a short skit. Set out the requirements for the task. In the play, the humans must run into the creature in the wild, showing its natural habitat. Through costume and dialogue the students must reveal why they are there (hunters, hikers, scientists, swimmers ..... ). Details about the animal's appearance, behavior, food, etc. must be given and the "plot" should make clear the results of contact between the humans and the animal.

Add a little drama to learning. It's fun to spice up lessons in science, math, social studies, physical education and some of the other unusual suspects.

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Friday, 18 September 2015

Techniques to Master for Effective Tutoring

There are certain techniques that a tutor Singapore is master in order to make every home tuition effective.

The following techniques are listed below.
1. Greet and set the climate
This is the first phase of a tutoring session. Tutors should greet their student and lead them as to where they should take their sit. Set the right mood for the session. Smile and open up small talks to ease the tension and set a relaxed mood for effective learning. Your seating arrangement is another important factor that you need to take into consideration to make every session effective. For a one on one tutoring service, the tutor should sit next to each other on one side of the table. This arrangement promotes proper access of both parties for the discussion and other work materials.
2. Identify your daily task
If you have been mentoring the same student continuously, then you might have been able to identify your daily tasks. To help you become more organized with the task, It will help if you make a calendar of short term and long term task together. This will help both you and your student to be prepared for every session that you will have. It may also help if you let the student explain to you what his or her assignment is all about. You may ask for an assignment sheet or a syllabus to help you get through with it. If you still have difficulty understanding it, you can ask for notes from his or her lecture for you to be able to have a better idea.
3. Divide the task into parts
In working for an assignment, bear in mind that your goal is to help the student become as independent as possible. You must encourage them to take the lead of dividing the task, rather than you, doing everything for them. However, if they are clueless on what to do and where to start, you can always give guidance.
4. Work on the task
This step should take most of your time. This will involve problem solving and tackling issues one on one with your student. This may also mean facing other concerns that will arise along the way. Carefully assess the task set before you and look for positive points that you can comment on. Remember that it will give a positive reinforcement to the student every time you begin and end your task with a positive comment. But do not forget that it is very important that you are able to exchange information with your student. You need to understand that in order for a tutoring to be effective, your student should need to participate with the discussion. There are times that you may need to explain the concept to your student, but don't neglect the importance of making sure that your student is also able to understand the concept by asking him to explain certain concepts from time to time.
5. Summarize what you have discussed
After each session, cool down by summarizing what you have tackled for the day and ask your student what he understood in the session. Ask if there are more questions or clarifications. If for instance you were not able to meet the goal for the day, explain it to your student and tell him what he can do next time to avoid cases like this. It is also important to end every session with a positive comment and a warm smile no matter how difficult the session was.

Tutoring: What It Takes to Begin and Develop Into Profitable

Humans have been tutoring each other considering that the dawn of historyhow else was the creating of fire learned and passed on This need to have for face-to-face attention continues nowadays:
People today are hiring tutors in pretty much any region in which abilities will be taught and acquired: ranging from academic subjects and computer system use, athletic skills to hobbies. Though most independent tutors have students come to their homes, some go the clients' homes or might be able to make use of space in the students' schools, or if they're helping students with a sport, they'll use the suitable type of field or facility.
Academic tutoring has been in particular demand because of the elevated expectations placed on high school and even grade school students. As 1 tutor told us, "What employed to be taught in college inside the old days is now taught in high school." Crowded classrooms do not allow the person consideration quite a few students demand, and parents are acquiring that their kids usually are not sufficiently ready for college nor for the entrance examinations vital for admission. They comprehend their young children generally require far more personalized focus than they can get from classroom instruction.
Taught with no the pressure of peers or authorities, quite a few students discover by way of tutoring what they do not absorb in a classroom. As a tutor, you'll customize what you teach for the level and requires of each and every of one's students. When tutors who specialize in personal computer topics will want gear for their students to utilize, most tutoring calls for small with regards to books or materials.
Beyond academics, you may also teach or tutor any ability an individual wants to learn. Music, the arts, and sports like baseball and tennis are a number of such regions where both children and adults want added help. And bear in mind, it's going to be a lot easier to sell oneself should you have teaching expertise or are degreed in the subjects you are tutoring.
Tutoring is actually a word-of-mouth organization but to obtain to this point, you'll have to take the initiative to develop a base of students. This is greatest accomplished by calling on teachers inside the subject places in which you specialize at the same time as talking to school workplace personnel and counselors. You should also spread the word among your neighbors and friends'it's likely you'll uncover your initially students amongst folks you already know. Posting fliers on community bulletin boards, writing articles for or buying advertisements in local publications and having an Internet web site are other ways of generating small business.
Qualifications
Becoming a tutor is as uncomplicated as saying: I'm a tutor. You'll find no state or licensing needs. Obviously, parents normally won't spend much to get a tutor who has less than a four-year degree. And also the more qualified you're to teach your target group, the far more effective you are going to be.
In generating tutoring your at-home occupation, start by generating a list of your one-on-one, tiny group, or other teaching encounter.
Targeting
Immediately after creating a list of teaching experiences, you are able to use it to decide what age group you wish to teach too as what subjects you are able to teach. A frequent error for quite a few starting tutors is assuming that they have to be versatile. Should you know you can't teach math greater than PreAlgebra, define your tutor offerings in terms of arithmetic assistance. If you simply don't have the patience for the pace of elementary students, define your self as a Junior High/Middle School or High School tutor.
Following you have established your self, you are able to expand your range. When the students continue to complete well in their schools, their parents will start to ask assist for their younger siblings
Good results
Good results for a tutor is generally defined by the boost in their tutees' school grades. It only takes 1 satisfied parent to begin creating your tutoring enterprise. When parents are pleased with their child's progress, they're eager to pass along the name of their tutor. Thus, success can also be measured inside the number of queries a tutor gets from possible clientele.
Advertising Your business
Word-of-mouth may be the largest advertising tool a tutor has. Most of your clients will come to you due to the fact somebody who has currently hired you to tutor their kid recommends you. But receiving these initially few customers is virtually as quick even when you haven't got any friends or neighbors who've currently hired you and who can spread the word about your availability.
Simply devise a resume. Despite the fact that the top item will naturally be your name, telephone quantity and address, the most prominent item ought to be your target statement: the ages or grades and the subjects you might prefer to tutor. This must be followed by the dates and short descriptions of any teaching encounter you deem relevant. (Unlike a typical resume, a tutor resume can have gaps amongst dates of expertise.) The last item on your resume must be your education. Subsequent, take your resume to each and every in the neighborhood schools from which you need to attract your clientele. Stop in in the workplace and introduce your self for the school clerks -- parents generally ask them if they know of any tutors. Then check out that school's counselor(s) -- describe your teaching skills and your target students. If the school does not possess a counselor, pay a visit to the principal instead. Ultimately, put a resume into every teacher's school mailbox.
Immediately after you've visited all of the schools in your target region, take your resume about for the nearby grocery shops. Lots of have bulletin boards on which persons place sale or service fliers. Other areas to post your resume could include: dance or martial arts or gymnastics schools; the recreation offices of local parks; children's play centers or child-oriented restaurants. Some of these locations have policies against posting fliers but several are accommodating.
Fees
There are nearly no costs inside a tutoring enterprise. You don't purchase textbooks mainly because the students bring their own. Some tutors supply writing utensils and paper but I anticipate my students to bring this equipment to their sessions. You do not have transportation or site-rental charges for the reason that tutees come for your dwelling. You do not even need to have a particular room inside your residence: I set up a card table in my living area but most tutors use their kitchen or dining area tables.
Just in regards to the only expense you have got will be the printing of one's resume. 1 batch of a thousand one-page resumes should final you about a year. Soon after that, you'll would like to update it ahead of reprinting.
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The Best Tutoring Services

The solution lies in the question by itself. If you are abreast of the existing position market place you need to have seen that employers are now stressing on education additional than actually ahead of. According to the United States Department of Commerce submit graduate pupils make as a lot as 170 % more than non university graduates. And the difference is widening.


Why would students enroll in On-line Master's Diploma systems?

Exploration has indicated that college students enroll in the Master's Degree for the subsequent reasons:

1. To get a much better job. 
two. For future employment safety and development. 
3. To obtain qualifications they have missed out earlier in their education. 
4. To make recognition for knowledge gained inside of his/her chosen space of specialization. 
5. To assemble new skills or update existing skills. 
6. To shift job profile.

Will it be really worth pursuing?

Very well, in the finish right after all the blood, sweat and tears, nearly every single pupil says that their effort was nicely price it. Not just for the qualification, but also for the increased feeling of self esteem, new circle of pals and peers and the most up-to-date selection of techniques they have acquired. What are my future choices?

Will I be in a position to do PhD/Doctorate if I so desire?

Yes- You can undoubtedly go after your PhD following completing your On line Masters System offered you have attained the credit score normal you would need to have at your master's degree in buy to qualify for the meant PhD program.

Several mother and father really like the strategy of household-schooling their young children but worry that they may possibly not be able to instruct all topics, on their own. Oftentimes, parents in the co-op will take turns teaching workshops or classes in their own place of knowledge to all of the little ones in the co-op. If there is a particular place of curiosity (these kinds of as science) in which none of the parents feels comfortable teaching, the co-op will make your mind up to employ an exterior instructor to offer instruction for the group. In this way, the people share the price tag of the lessons, thereby furnishing a very much much more affordable different to private tutoring.

If there are no vacancies in a homeschool co-op in your place (group dimension is often restricted in buy to preserve the intimate, loved ones atmosphere that several homeschooling people want), and you don't want to start out one, all by yourself, you could appear for anyone providing classes, independently, in your region. You could also employ a personal tutor, but this could be rather high priced. Depending on exactly where you reside, the heading price for tutoring ranges everywhere from $30 per hour to above $100 per hour. Group classes have a tendency to be additional reasonably priced.

If you do not want to have other individuals teach your child(ren) science, or you cannot find a suited group or class, there are lots of excellent science publications and science curriculum assets out there for all ages and levels. Many of these have step by action directions for doing experiments and pursuits at property. If you want to strategy your individual plan, determine which topics you want your kids to research first and head to your local library or bookstore.


Please visit here for Singapore tuition.

Friday, 27 March 2015

An Introduction to Singapore Maths

During your child’s year in first grade, you will have many opportunities to learn more about the Singapore Math curriculum.  Here is a brief introduction:

  • Singapore Maths revolves around several key number sense strategies: (1) building number sense through part‐whole thinking, (2) understanding place value, and (3) breaking numbers into decomposed parts or friendlier numbers, ones that are easier to work with in the four operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

  • Singapore Maths does something dramatically different when it comes to word problems. It relies on model drawing, which uses units to visually represent a word problem. Students learn to visualize what a word problem is saying so they  can understand the meaning and thus how to solve the problem.
  • Mental math teaches students to calculate in their heads without using paper and pencil. Your child will still need to commit some facts to memory, but mental math will teach him or her to do calculations using proven strategies that don’t require pencil and paper.
  • Strategies taught in Singapore are layered upon one another. One strategy is the foundation for another one.
  • Singapore Math teaches students to understand math in stages, beginning with concrete (using manipulatives such as counters, number disks, cubes, and so on), then moving to pictorial (solving problems where pictures are involved), and finally working in the abstract (where numbers represent symbolic values).

Through the process, students learn numerous strategies to work with numbers and build conceptual understanding. With time and practice, they eventually master the traditional methods and algorithms.

While we differentiate instruction to meet individual student needs, the chart on the opposite page is a road map to show progression of computational strategies across the grade levels:



Kindergarten
Making bonds to build numbers 1-10. Using the place value mat.
First grade
Making bonds to build numbers 11-20. Branching bigger numbers into smaller ones to make them more manageable. Using place value mats to decompose, add, and subtract numbers. Adding horizontally from left to right (instead of adding vertically).
Second grade
Using place value mats for more complex addition and subtraction. Branching with even larger numbers. Adding vertical addition to the mix. Using model drawing.
Third grade
Using place value mats with multiplication and division problems. Branching with larger numbers. Using model drawing. Using the distributive property to decompose numbers.
Fourth grade
Using the area model for multiplication and using partial quotient division. Using model drawing for increasingly complex problems.
Fifth grade
Using model drawing proficiently.
Examples of First Grade Strategies

Number Bonds: Part-Whole Thinking The beginning of number sense is viewing each digit as a part of a whole. This is very similar to fact families, where a number has specific “relatives” in its family. Let’s take the number 6 as an example. 6 is 6 plus 0, 5 plus 1, 4 plus 2, and 3 plus 3. This understanding becomes very important when students are challenged to use operations with the number 6. After students learn digits 1–9, they master what combinations make 10. 10 is an anchor number in Singapore as we use a Base 10 system. In K and grade 1, students will spend a significant amount of time learning their bonds through 10. 
  

Branching: Students spend time learning how to break numbers into place value groupings on the place value board. This is called decomposing numbers or using expanded notation. After students practice breaking numbers apart into place value groupings, we teach them to add and subtract by place value. This is branching. The goal with branching is for students to break numbers into place value groupings and then do the operation with those place value groups. For example, 23 + 42 would be branched into tens and ones. Then students will add and then add the groupings together.

23 + 42 =(20 + 3) + ( 40 + 2)
20 + 40 = 60 + 3 + 2 = 5
60 + 5 = 65

The goal for branching is for students to eventually be able to look at the problem and work it out mentally.

Place Value: Singapore Maths is a Base 10 system. A number’s place value is determined from right to left, starting with the ones and moving through the tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, one hundred thousands, to a million and beyond. In class, we use tools such as place value boards with disks and cards to help us organize, visualize, and understand value of numbers and how they relate to one another.

Algorithms An algorithm is a systematic, stepby step procedure to solve a problem using a mathematical operation. For example, with subtraction, we have learned to line our numbers up vertically so that the digits are in the correct place value columns. We have traditionally learned to subtract the digits moving from right to left, using regrouping or borrowing, in order to get the correct answer to the problem. In Singapore, traditional algorithms are taught and mastered with the help of the place value mat. However, we also teach alternative algorithms or strategies to solving equations often before we teach the traditional ones. This helps us build and reinforce our understanding of number sense and place value. This also allows students to use a strategy that they are competent at using for any problem. Rather than having one strategy, they may have several to choose from, and they can use the one that’s most intuitive for them.

Model Drawing: Model Drawing is the key strategy we use to solve word problems.
Read the problem to get a sense of what is asking.
Decide who and what the problem is about.
Draw units for each who and what.
Reread the problem and adjust our units to match the word problem.
Decide what the question is asking of us and place a ? in place.
Work our computation.
Write our answer in a complete sentence


Mental Math: Mental math is one of the cornerstones of Singapore Math as its emphasis is on helping students to calculate mathematically in their heads, thus developing number sense and place value. It encourages flexibility and speed when working with numbers. We practice mental math strategies and do lots of fun activities that support the skill. Please come to class and participate with us one day! 

Singapore Maths Compared of Purposeful Design

INTRODUCTION:

SOUTH AFRICA:

The World Economic Forum’s annual report on financial development, released in October 2012, placed South Africa last in a ranking of 62 countries in the quality of mathematics and science education. The forum’s report pointed to a high correlation between human capital and the degree of financial development in countries.

The 2011 census results, released in 2012, showed that a decade ago 2.7% of men and 2% of women who had tertiary qualifications in South Africa had qualifications in the fields of natural, physical and mathematical sciences.

By 2011, this had declined to 2% of men and 1.8% of women On 17 April 2013, the Mail and Guardian reports: South Africa has ranked its maths and science education has second last in the world, ahead of Yemen, according to a World Economic Forum report. Forty-three percent of South African grade five learners failed to reach the lowest international benchmark, in contrast to 5% of grade four learners internationally.

This means that they have not yet mastered the basic reading skills required to access and retrieve information for reading comprehension purposes," the Pirls (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) report stated.

It further revealed that about 90% of the grade four learners tested in English or Afrikaans attained the lowest international benchmark, while between 24% and 57% of children writing in all nine official languages did not achieve it.

Learners tested in Sepedi and Tshivenda achieved the lowest results, according to the study.
In December 2012 the Department of Education has released the Annual National Assessment (ANA) results, which provides a bleak picture of educational performance. The performance in mathematics is however extremely worrying. The results show that the largest number of South African students have been assessed to score below 30% in Grades 3, 6 and 9. When a student scores between 0-29%, this is described as “not achieved”. The scoring used by the Department of Basic Education is as follows:

Rating Percentage Description
Level 1 0-29 Not achieved
Level 2 30-39 Elementary achievement
Level 3 40-49 Moderate achievement
Level 4 50-59 Adequate achievement
Level 5 60-69 Substantial achievement
Level 6 70-79 Meritorious achievement
Level 7 80-100 Outstanding achievement

The graphic below summarises the data, showing that 9 out 10 South African students in Grade 9 do not even score above 30% in mathematics.
                                         
The data paints a worrying state on mathematics education in South Africa. The performance across Grades 3, 6 and 9 indicate that performance levels drop as students move to higher grades.

SINGAPORE:

Singaporean students ranked first in the world in mathematics on the Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study-2003 (TIMS); U.S. students ranked 16th out of 46 participating nations at grade 8 (Mullis, et al., 2004). Scores for U.S. students were among the lowest of all industrialized countries. Because it is unreasonable to assume that Singaporean students have mathematical abilities inherently superior to those of U.S. students, there must be something about the system that Singapore has developed to teach mathematics that is better than the system we use in the United States.

Singapore’s superior performance on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) in 1995, 1999, and 2003 affirms the high quality of Mathematics education in Singapore (Ministry of Education Singapore, December 16, 2004).

Analysis of these evidentiary streams finds Singaporean students more successful in mathematics than their U.S. counterparts because Singapore has a world-class mathematics system with quality components aligned to produce students who learn mathematics to mastery. These components include Singapore’s highly logical national mathematics framework, mathematically rich problem-based textbooks, challenging mathematics assessments, and highly qualified mathematics teachers whose pedagogy centers on teaching to mastery. Singapore also provides its mathematically slower students with an alternative framework and special assistance from an expert teacher.

Singapore’s mathematics framework defines expectations about what students should know and be able to do in mathematics. Singapore’s well-defined syllabus describes mathematical topics and outcomes grade by grade within broad mathematical strands. Singapore gives its teachers much of the credit for its education success. Singapore’s teachers “lie at the heart of all we do in education” (Ministry of Education, Singapore, 2001c).

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

The U.S. mathematics system does not have similar features. It lacks a centrally identified core of mathematical content that provides a focus for the rest of the system. Its traditional textbooks emphasize definitions and formulas, not mathematical understanding; its assessments are not especially challenging; and too many U.S. teachers lack sound mathematics preparation. As a result, the United States produces students who have learned only to mechanically apply mathematical procedures to solve routine problems and who are, therefore, not mathematically competitive with students in most other industrialized countries.

However the U.S. mathematics system has some features that are an improvement on Singapore’s system, notably an emphasis on 21st century thinking skills, such as reasoning and communications, and a focus on applied mathematics. However, if U.S. students are to become successful in these areas, they must begin with a strong foundation in core mathematics concepts and skills, which, by international standards, they presently lack.

COMPARISON BETWEEN PURPOSEFUL DESIGN MATHEMATICS and SINGAPORE MATHS

ACSI wanted to ensure that the curriculum we offer our schools via Purposeful Design is indeed the best in comparison with world standards. It was important for us to ensure that we remain true to our calling in offering an alternative that is Bibically sound and distinctively Christian as wel as a rigiourously intellectual and  academic.

We have drawn the following conclusions:
Purposeful Design’s Mathematics Curriculum  meets or exceeds all of the national standards and has documented its close alignment to the Common Core Standards in the USA.

Both series are strong in problem solving.
Singapore Math uses a specific square model for problem solving
Purposeful Design also provides a specific problem solving guide. As a new concept is taught students use that concept in solving problems.

Feedback from schools moving away from Singapore Math is that parents sometimes find it difficult to help their children with homework because of the teaching methods employed.
Feedback from upper level math teachers after Purposeful Design  has been implemented at lower grade levels is that they notice a change in the foundational learning of students using Purposeful Design  mathematics, especially in the area of fractions and abstract concepts

Singapore math assumes that once major concepts are taught, they do not need to be retaught.
Purposeful Design provides a regular review of all concepts.

Advantages of Purposeful Design Mathematics
Purposeful Design provides solid understanding of concepts through the use of manipulatives and modeling.
Differentiated instruction is integrated into the “Directed Instruction” component of the lesson, addressing the various learning styles of students in the classroom.
Basic facts and operations are taught while developing concepts through the use of manipulatives, investigation, and hands-on activities.
Algebra and geometry strands are woven through the entire series, beginning in kindergarten.
Tools for enrichment, recovery and practice are provided.
Emphasis on math vocabulary through the use of math journals at each grade level.
Designed to be teacher, not textbook-driven, Purposeful Design  provides the necessary tools for teachers to be successful.
Since the series is concept-based, the majority of the lesson is often taught through manipulatives and modeling before students open their texts. Proper use of manipulatives and modeling are provided for in the Teacher Edition.

Contributions made by:
Marikita Evangelista: Retired Professor: De La Salle University, Manila Phillipines
Sheilamarie Uy Eiaw: Human Resource Department Head, MGC New Life Christian Academy, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Cindi Banse: Math and Science Support Specialist, ACSI Colorado Springs

Compiled by:
Anna-Marie Russell: ACSI Director South Africa