_In The News February 2006 Vol. 9-2
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President’s Message  After
we completed all reports for 2005, we are happy to report what
our initial figures were te lling
us. The year was very successful! Thank you
for your continued patronage and confidence in our
online learning programs. Your commendations have
encouraged us to add programs and services. The input you give,
makes the planning and enhancing of the educational programs more
effective. We hope you will continue to partner with us in this
very important endeavor in the years ahead.
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It is raining in our
part of the world today. This is most unusual because at this
time of year, we usually have snow and ice. It doesn't take long
for the weather to change, however, and by tomorrow, we may have the
snow and ice that most of us are tired of at this time of year. This
is the time of year that I find most productive. With not many
weeks before I will want to be outside, it gives me incentive to plan
wisely in order to complete the work in my baskets
 I am most fortunate to have
a walking partner who has continued to get me up and out each evening
for about three years now. It helps to have
someone who is a consistent partner in an evening walk. The
thing I enjoy most about these walks are the simple conversations we have.
Each evening I get a refresher course in child development. Nothing
earth shattering is discussed, but I so enjoy hearing about the
antics of her daughters. It refreshes my memory of my own
children. The early years go by so very quickly
and then without our realizing it our children are too soon adults. It is important to capture and recall the little
things that make our children so very special. Thank goodness for February and Valentines Day. It is a bright day, a happy day and a wonderfully sweet day. What a surprise I had when I retrieved my mail, to find cards and a small box of candy from children in the neighborhood! Forget the rain, snow and ice....February is just fine by me. May all your days be sweet and
wonderful!
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e-Tutor provides a unique program through its Tutor Assisted Distance Learning Program. The One2One Program includes:
Learn more about this recognized program. |
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Nothing succeeds in a big way except by risking failure. |
 Learning
with e-Tutor
Assessing Student Work Evaluation is ongoing in e-Tutor Virtual Learning. It is real time. As the student completes a lesson, quiz or exam results immediately show up in the report card. Parents can follow what the student is doing while at work, in another room or on a business trip.
The screen above is displayed after the completion of a quiz or exam. Quizzes, shown in the blue pencil column, consist of five questions and may be taken any number of times. Each time the student takes a quiz the questions and responses are rotated. No two quizzes are the same. The arrows and the face indicate whether a score has gone up, down or hs remained the same. The ten question exam, scored in the orange pencil column, may be taken only once. Results show a child's progress for each lesson module. Portfolio
Parents have access to
their child's report card through their own unique login and
password. Each child has a portfolio. By selecting one of the
four curricular areas, the
parent can view a list of the lesson modules the student is working on
and quiz and exam scores when completed.
Report cards can be printed or emailed. We recommend that parents print them once a month so that students can watch their progress.
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It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory or defeat. Theodore Roosevelt, American President |
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One of the greatest talents of all is the talent to recognize and develop talent in others. . |
Tears have many dimensions. There are tears of pain and suffering and tears of happiness and delight. There are the loud cries of a newborn signaling "I'm hungry" or "Hold me...I'm lonely." A mother learns quickly to understand the meaning of her baby's cry. But it's not just babies that cry. As they grow, of course, there will be many times when both boys and girls need to cry. Tears are a natural way of mending a broken heart and letting go of disappointment. Tears can be an overflowing of happiness and running over of a heart full of pure joy. Although it might be disturbing to see your child cry, sometimes it is the only release that will calm him. Even if your child's tears make you feel helpless, please don't ever try to stop them; this will make him feel ashamed and teach him to repress his emotions. If you want to do something when your child is crying, ask quietly, "Can I put my arms around you?" If he is willing, gently hold him or tell him it's okay to cry. Let him know that tears are a sign of a sensitive loving person. Don't judge or embarrass him. Let him cry until he has emptied himself of his pain and hurt before you ask what his tears were all about. Don't force him to talk, because sometimes he just doesn't know for sure. Sometimes the tears themselves are the only expression needed. If you don't interfere, tears will bring relief and soon he'll feel energetic and happy again. Excerpt from Wonderful Ways to Love a Child, Judy Ford |
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Because families' schedules are becoming so hectic, the concept of family meetings is growing quickly in popularity and is strongly recommended by many family counselors and parenting experts. Families used to meet together two, sometimes three, times a day, and that was a place of discussion. For most of us, this is not possible. People are busy, but most of us can pull out a calendar and find a space when we can generally get together. Children often end up actually liking regularly scheduled family get-togethers, when the meetings are conducted properly. Here are some tips for holding family meetings:
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Enough Already! Questioning Homework
U.S. schools have always had a love-hate relationship with homework. It has fluctuated with the times. Now, however, some voices have begun questioning whether piling on the additional work is really the answer. Regardless of what experts and parents may think of homework, most would agree that, given the prominence of education issues on the current political agenda, it is unlikely that homework will be vanishing any time soon. The question, then, becomes one of how much homework should be assigned and at what age it should be assigned, rather than whether any should be given at all. There is an informal rule
of thumb that says homework should be roughly 10 minutes for each
grade level. Ten minutes for 1st grade, 20 minutes f Adapted from ASCD Curriculum Update |
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Patience is the companion of wisdom. |
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Family background, along with certain behaviors, were identified by researchers as predictors of whether young women will drop out of high school. The researchers found those with intact families, parents who graduated from high school, and with two or more kinds of reading material available at home were less likely to drop out. Most likely to drop out: young women
who are sexually IASB School Public Relations Service |
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Young children are naturally fascinated by differences and the concept of diversity appeals to them. Parents can encourage children to see cultural pluralism as a positive and natural part of life. Or, by their own attitudes, parents can teach children to view differences as frightening or bad. Here are some ways to promote tolerance for others, suggested by a number of experts:
Illinois Association of School Boards |
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Learning is cyclical. It begins with personal involvement, proceeds to conceptual understanding, then to experimentation and finally to individual adaptation. Research shows that quality learning occurs when a variety of learning methods are employed. Some use the visual of a clock to illustrate the different steps comprising a well-balanced approach to training. Here is a quick checklist to determine if learning is going full circle.
Thinking of the learning cycle as a clock, learning happens at 11:59. Adapted from About Learning |
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Nobody will believe in you unless you believe in yourself. |
Archaeology of Jamestown The
mission of historic Jamestowne is to preserve, protect and promote the
original site of the first permanent English settlement in North
America. Two new interactive archaeology modules give users a
taste of how Jamestown Rediscovery archaeologists do their work.
The Artifact Module and the Buildings Module illustrate the many
methods archaeologists employ to identify and give context to their discoveries. Requires Flash. You will be asked to provide
some basic information before you use them. Interscholastic Water Challenge.
Although the contest has ended, students can undertake the tasks and
use the materials from this site at any time. Students can share
information about this important natural resource and create daily
water conservation habits. NASAexplores Online Resources:
NASAexplores provides free weekly K-12 educational articles and lesson
plans on current NASA projects. Printable and downloadable,
these supplemental curriculum resources meet national education
standards. NASAexplores seeks to generate awareness of and to
build students' interest in space, science, mathematics, geography and
technology. Materials are adapted to three reading levels (K-4)
(5-8) (9-12). NBC American Dreams School
Project: This website contains lesson plans and activities for
middle school and high school classes based on a variety of themes
highlighted in the American Dreams program. These include topics
such as family relationships, friendship, love, war and peace, sibling
conflicts, school, courage, diversity, grades and heroes. The
interdisciplinary materials will focus on the content areas of
language arts, social studies and the arts. All educational
materials are correlated to national educational standards. Virtual Knee Surgery (COSI: This
totally Flash-driven tutorial allows users to conduct a virtual knee
replacement. You will be guided step by step throughout the
procedure and will have opportunities to interact with various tools
such as the bone saw, a tool for cauterizing veins and so forth.
Also includes real photos of the procedure in a separate section which
are not too overwhelming. AmericanPresident.org: When the
site opens, you are presented with two pathways: History or
Presidency in Action. The History section includes information
on the Presidents themselves; biographies of each first lady;
biographies of each cabinet member; listings of presidential staff and
advisers; and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of
each administration. Presidency in Action features the functional
side of the American presidency, outlining the
responsibilities of the President and the resources at his
disposal. Includes essays; a graphically rich Organization
Chart; and details about the offices the President relies on and the
personnel inhabiting them. Biographies of leading staffers and
advisers add further depth to this portrait of the White House at
work. Enjoy The Month From the Knowledge HQ Staff Copyright © 2006 Knowledge Headquarters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.knowledgehq.com
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s regarding negotiable matters.
For many parents, homework
assignments are an expected burden of childhood; math problems,
reading assignments and language exercises are simply considered part
of the experience of growing up. However, amid horror stories of
10-year-olds having three hours' worth of homework, some parents are
questioning the wisdom of extending academic schedules. 
or 2nd
grade, and so on. Experts suggest that assignments for younger
children should not be overly complex or time-consuming. When
the assignments are fun and simple, the children learn to enjoy the
work. Homework assignments that are manageable and
age-appropriate can teach children important values that extend far
beyond the scope of an individual activity or learning exercise.
If they don't get a sense of pleasure of effort and the pleasure of
work and achievement, then children in their later years will view
homework as drudgery rather than a learning experience. What is
most important is that parents take an active interest in their
children's learning exercises, whether in class or at home. 
active or begin smoking or drinking before age
sixteen. The researchers found that pregnant students who stay
in school after becoming mothers fare as well as those who progress
straight through without having a baby or dropping out. In contrast,
those who drop out, with or without giving birth, have a great
difficulty returning to school and graduating. 
As
the world becomes a smaller place, respect for differences becomes
increasingly important. Your children's future success may
depend as much on respect for diversity as it does on good grades and
job skills. To compete in the job market and live in their
communities, children must learn to get along with people of all races
and cultures. Those who avoid gender stereotyping may have more
successful dating relationships and marriages. 
ng
people. Don't say, "People are all the same." They're
not and you want your children to grow up to value the differences
between people. By ignoring a child's curiosity about
differences, parents actually teach that some differences are
unacceptable or must not be talked about.
own unique qualities are more likely to be
tolerant of differences in others. 
