_In The News March 2005 Vol. 8-3
President’s Message  March!
Officially Spring is just a few days away. My garden continues
to protest the cold and snow that just doesn't seem to want to go
away. Tulips and daffodils are pushing their little green heads
up through the brown soil in spite of the weather. They will be
ready to provide us with the beautiful colors of Spring when the sun
and warmth finally arrive.
We are pleased to announce the e-Tutor
Virtual Learning is officially accredited through CITA - The
Commission on International and Trans-Regional Over the last few months we have worked very closely with an organization providing extended programming with the e-Tutor Program. Since we are striving for the same goal, to provide superior learning content for those who use the Internet as their primary means of learning, it made sense to join forces with Brilliant Learning. We have a tentative agreement to create an alliance where their company will come under the Knowledge HQ umbrella. The arrangement will provide more options for e-Tutor subscribers and give us the opportunity to reach a larger population of subscribers. We are excited at the prospect of working with a talented group of individuals who care about education and students as we do. |
Accreditation. e-Tutor is listed as accredited in the
International Registry of Accredited Schools at It's St. Patrick's Day as I
write this. And although you will receive this several days
after, this old Irish blessing arrived one day in my mailbox and I
just needed to pass it on to each of you.. We so often forget to
tell those around us how important they are. Your continued
involvement and enthusiasm for what we do makes my daily journey a
joy. Thank you. May each day this month be special.
May the road rise to
meet you. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
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This month we have launched a second website for Knowledge Headquarters. We think you will like this informative new website. You will be able to view information about our expanded offerings, learn more about us or just explore. Please give us your opinions. We value them. |
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Blow your own horn loud. If you succeed, people will forgive your noise, if you fail, they'll forget it," |
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 Learning
with e-Tutor
e-Tutor
Virtual Learning Middle-Junior High School Coursework
e-Tutor
Virtual Learning High School Coursework
Ten new lessons were added to e-Tutor this month. Join the e-Tutor world of learning today to view the Lesson Library. We want to hear from you. If you have questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us. We enjoy hearing from parents, students and others. |
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A gentleman or gentlewoman is a person bent on shaping his or her mind to give happiness to others. A gentleman's life leads upwards; he cherishes worth; he is fair, broad, calm, spacious; his own life is modest; he puts deeds before words; he helps the needy; he considers what is right, not what will pay; he trusts in justice, not in favor; he is consistent, not changeless; he is firm, not quarrelsome; he is a friend, not a partisan. Here, moreover, are the nine aims of a gentleman or woman: "To see clearly; to understand what he hears; to be warm in manner; dignified in bearing; faithful in speech; painstaking at work; to ask when in doubt; in anger, to think of difficulties; in sight of gain, to remember right." Confucius
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Parents
and students often ask which lesson or subject should be completed
when they logon to e-Tutor. To help you in deciding which
subjects and lessons to tackle, we provide the following
suggestions. Students may choose any of the many lessons listed
from the menu of lessons in the program. Some will be easier and
are meant as a review and some will be more challenging. This
method of selecting topics of interest for learning has been very
successful for e-Tutor learners over the years. All levels in
the e-Tutor program have lessons in the major subject areas. The
skills and topics presented in the lessons are age and grade
appropriate. 
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Some men see things as they are and ask, "Why?" I dream things that never were and ask, "Why not?" |
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Listening
and Talking Being a parent is not easy. Being a good parent is even harder. It is never too early...nor is it ever too late...to begin to try to understand your child's own special point of view on growing up. And the rewards of understanding are always well worth the effort. Sometime around the early teen years, your child begins to move from a child's adjustment to the world to an adult's. This is a difficult time for both parent and child, but the parent at least has the advantage of an adult perspective on the situation. The rapid physical changes...both internal and external...taking place in teenagers cause them to react emotionally to everything that happens. They may be jubilant one minute and deeply depressed the next. The problems may seem insignificant to
you, but hey are very real to teenagers. They may not admit it,
but they still need the strength of your guidance. Be there when
you're needed, but don't press if they don't unburden themselves
immediately. Their need for privacy is stronger than ever.
The principal need of teenagers is to
be accepted socially, by friends of both sexes, in the normal course
of tackling the problem of breaking away from the family...which they
must do...they rebel against parental control and conform to the
dictates of "the crowd." Life will be easier if you
tolerate unimportant fads in dress, haircuts or speech, in moderation,
but when your child's well-being is affected, you must set a
limit...with drugs, sex, cigarettes and the like. Encourage the good in your teenager more often than you punish the bad. But when the limits are overstepped, punishment that is suitable to a young adult is necessary. Your teenager needs you as a parent, not a pal. Avoid sarcasm. Resist any impulse to criticize your teenager in front of others....especially friends. Talk things over when you are calm; if you are upset, your words will reach your teenager as just so much nagging. Ultimately, your own example of behavior will make a strong impression on your child at this stage. If you respect your teenager, talk openly and are fair in your demands, you can help make easier the difficult transition from childhood to adulthood. Adapted from National Education Association |
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Chances are you have met your share of difficult people. They put you down in front of others. They borrow things and don't return them. They pressure you to do things that violate your values...like smoking, drinking or using drugs. They want their way and forget that you have rights. Most likely, you have also had some of
these experiences. You need help with a problem, but you don't
want to look stupid. You want to request a favor, but you are
afraid you will be told "no." You want to say
"no" yourself, but your are afraid you will lose friends or
appear to be selfish. Assertiveness is an attitude and a way of acting that lets you express your feelings, ask for what you need, or say no to something you don't want. Assertive behavior helps you communicate so that others really hear what you are saying. Assertiveness gains respect from others. Assertive behavior does not involve selfishness or getting your own way at the expense of others. Perhaps the best way to describe assertive behavior is to contrast it with two other types of behavior...passive and aggressive. Aggressive people don't respect the rights and feelings of others. They push people around and seek to get their own way, no matter who gets hurt. They often insult and abuse others. They demand things rather than asking nicely. They act as if they are better than other people. Passive people try to please everyone
else, but they don't respect themselves. They let others have
their way, while ignoring their own rights and needs. They don't
stand up for themselves when others insult them or abuse them. Assertive people strike a positive balance between these two extremes. They stand up for their own rights, but respect the rights of others at the same time. They ask for things they want or need in a polite, honest way. They don't insult or abuse others. Nor do they allow others to insult or abuse them. They believe they deserve respect and good treatment. An assertive person is likely to say, "I'm not any better than other people, but I'm every bit as good." Adapted from Illinois Association of School Boards
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Imagination is the secret reservoir of the riches of the human race. |
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A comprehensive curriculum should provide for different learning styles, multiple intelligences, various languages, disabilities and abilities. This can be quite a juggling act. However, a technique we simulate in the e-Tutor program called "layering" can meet the diverse needs of today's learners. Each unit of instruction builds upon the other and is divided into layers or sections. The first section has a variety of assignment choices that accommodate a range of abilities. This section allows students to collect general information on a topic or skill. The next section requires students to apply, create or problem solve with the information gained at the first level. The final section asks students to do a critical analysis of issues pertaining to the topic of study. The biggest concern for students and
parents are state-mandated, end-of-the-year exams and college entrance
exams. Will students who are taught in this manner do well on
criterion-referenced tests? That is probably the best feature of
this learning Because students are choosing their own lessons and because they are immediately held accountable for their learning, they tend to do better on end-of-year exams. Apparently, when students are allowed more involvement in the educational process, the testing issues take care of themselves. Excerpts from from Classroom Leadership
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The message is clear: People who exercise regularly are healthier than those who don't. Yet less than half of our kids are involved in regular physical activities and participation in all types of physical activities declines strikingly as age and grade increases. Standards developed by the National
Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) call for students
to master a variety of basic movement skills needed to play any sport
or perform a fitness activity. The fundamental motor sk In recent years many states have
decreased physical education requirements. Parents and educators
increasingly must help students learn how movement and fitness
are related and how to asses which fitness-related factors may be
keeping them from successful performance. Adapted from Teacher Today
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When communicating with the opposite sex, one thing is clear: men and women sometimes seem to speak different languages. Research reports women say men could improve communication by becoming more empathic listeners. On the other hand, men say women could improve communication by being more direct. Researchers offer the following suggestions for improving communication: Women, you can communicate better with men if you:
Men, you can communicate better with women if you:
The Office Professional |
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Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. |
Estuary Live!:
Estuary Live will take place May 3-5, 2005. Free to participants (but please sign up in
advance), the field trip will explore the Rachel Carson Site of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve, covering
four islands and salt marshes off the North Carolina coast. Resources include
a motion picture and still images of estuary inhabitants. Zona Land: Created by high school math and physics teacher Ed Zobel,
Zona Land provides resources for students to fully grasp major concepts in Degree Search:
Find the colleges and universities that offer specific types of degree
or certificate programs. For example, a search for degree programs in University of Illinois Extension: Schools Online:
At this site there are units targeting different grades and disciplines. Need to know about Incubation and Embryology, The
Adventures of Herman (the worm), and Apples and More. Let students Walk
in My Shoes, as they participate in a variety of activities that Tinfoil: This site
is dedicated to the preservation of early recorded sound Would you like to hear the sounds of the early 20th century? Visit this Linear Algebra Toolkit:
This site is designed by staff at Old Dominion University to help a student understand basic linear algebra procedures. Learn to solve
linear systems of equations or transform a matrix to row echelon form. Communication Skills Writing Program:
This Northern Illinois University website contains good resources for students and
educators. Editor's Grammar and Mechanics tutors students on editing terminology and punctuation and allows students to
quiz themselves. The use of quotations and plagiarism are also covered. Have a Great Month From the Knowledge HQ Staff
Copyright © 2005 Knowledge Headquarters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.knowledgehq.com
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Assertiveness:
A Key to Getting Along Without Losing Self-Respect
They're
afraid to ask for things they need or want. They don't believe
they are quite as important as other people. 
strategy. Nearly all the research coming out in educational psychology
supports student-centered instruction to increase long-term learning
and retention. 
ills
include running, throwing, kicking, catching, etc. The goal is
to enable all students to hone essential skills that can be
transferred from sport to sport and activity to activity. The
focus centers on individualized instruction rather than on playing the
game. 
Misunderstanding
the 
