Looking for May's Issue? Click Here!
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President’s Message
Enjoy this season of rebirth and growth. Happy Spring!
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What
a month it has been! If you haven't done so already, you will
want to review our new e-Tutor home page. Over the past years we
have heard from you about changes you would like to see. We have
used your suggestions, added to them and deleted some, to create a
totally new look for e-Tutor. You will be able to access
information more easily, learn more about the programs we offer and
the range of students we serve and keep up-to-date on changes in the
company. We hope you are as pleased as we are with the new
look. We enjoy the work we do and look forward to
continuing to provide the very best in instructional programs for the
Internet. 
We
continue to get phone calls and emails from parents who have reached
the end of their ropes with the public or private schools their
children attend. Any child that is just a bit different from the
norm, just does not seem to be getting the education parents envision
for their child. "My child is just slipping through the
cracks," is a common complaint. Or, "My child is not
being challenged in her schoolwork," is another. There are just
no easy answers. It is unfortunate that schools today have so
many restrictions on them, that the needs of the student are sometimes
forgotten. In the broadest sense, that is why we have created
e-Tutor....to provide a choice for parents. When I talk to
parents, it is as if they have no alternative. Yet more than ever
there are instructional alternatives for parents and their children to
chose from. e-Tutor is one. We have worked hard to
maintain the quality, range of curricular areas and breadth of topics
that will provide simply the best Internet-based learning option
available for students. Our students can attest to our success
rate. Many have been with us for four and five years.
Others leave to try other programs, but then come back to
e-Tutor. A brother or sister will sign on because they have seen
what their sibling is doing in e-Tutor. We are successful
because of you! Thank you for the wonderful support for and confidence
you have in us!
Have
you noticed a change in the weather this month? What a change we
have had in this part of the country. Flowers are nodding their
heads, green leaves are popping up on branches and the grass is
greening. For me Spring is always a surprise. I forget
over the winter what I have planted and then new plants just seem to
finally decide to grow. So, for me, a walk around the garden in
the morning or evening is a time of discovery. 
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Each month I share with you what this remarkable group of people I work with have been doing. I thought you might like to learn more about them. We are fortunate to have a highly qualified group of people who share the same mission.....to provide the very best in online education to students. |
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 Learning with e-Tutor:
e-Tutor lesson modules are grouped at Primary (about K-3), Intermediate (about 4-5), Middle/Junior High (about 6-8) and High School. This cross-aging of lessons has been very successful for e-Tutor students as they can work at their own pace. Some lesson modules may be easier and can be used for review and some will be more challenging. Students should do no more than four lesson modules each day. We recommend one lesson module in each of the four major curricular areas. One lesson module a day is sufficient for those who use e-Tutor for supplemental work. Students and parents can choose the area of greatest need. However, all areas support one another. Lesson
modules take from one hour to one and a half hours to complete.
Some may even take several days to complete.
The default for passing quizzes and exams is set at eighty
percent. Students are
expect We suggest the student respond in writing to the Problem Statement before and after completing each lesson module. The vocabulary words can be used for writing sentences or creating word puzzles. Students should write a short description of each of the resource links. e-Tutor is a Pass/Fail program. Completed lessons are reflective of those where the student has successfully completed Quizzes and Exams. Students are expected to spend approximately four to five hours studying each day when using e-Tutor for their full curriculum. We suggest that the student keep track of his hours of study each day on a piece of paper or a calendar. Forty-four new lessons were added to e-Tutor this month. Join the e-Tutor world of learning today to view the Lesson Library. |
Studying the
e-Tutor Way
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Don't become irritated and disgusted with her. Her difficulties probably stem from factors she cannot control. Your anxiety will make her so resentful and discouraged that her reading difficulties will increase. Don't compare his reading with other, more successful young readers in his family or neighborhood. Such comparisons make a youngster feel inept and inferior and may keep him from reading at all. Don't air your child's reading difficulties in front of family or visitors. In fact, the less you discuss them....except in private, with the educator....the better. Don't try to solve your child's reading problems yourself. Have a conference with an educator. If she or he thinks they are serious enough for remedial reading help, or for a consultation with a psychologist, take the advice of an expert. National Education Association |
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Often the gifted child feels isolated from the rest of the world because of the exceptional abilities he or she possesses. Facing these feeling of difference alone can create emotional problems, disruptive behaviors or withdrawal from the frustrating situation.
Adapted from National Education Association
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Math and Science By The Numbers 57% of parents say that "things are fine" with the amount of math and science being taught in their child's public school 70% of high school parents say their child gets the right amount of science and math. 50% of children grade 6 to 12 say understanding sciences and having strong math skills are essential for them to succeed post-high school. 62% of parents theoretically say it is crucial for today's students to learn high-level math. 32% of parents say their child's school should actually teach more math and science. 32% of parents in 2006 consider a lack of math and science in their local schools to be a serious problem Study by Public Agenda (Chicago Tribune) |
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Stereotypes are often based on generalizations. For example, we might have met one teenager who squanders money and behaves in a disrespectful, irresponsible manner. We may then conclude that all teenagers are like this. A child whose grandmother has gray hair may conclude that all women with gray hair are grandmothers. People stereotype other people for a variety of reasons. We may stereotype people so we don't have to think too much. Research shows that stereotypes may arise from the very way our minds work. Each of us receives hundreds of impressions and pieces of information every day. To make sense of all these impressions, we tend to put things into categories. Events, ideas and people all get sorted and put into convenient slots so we can deal with them. The problem with
stereotypes is that they hurt people. Stereotypes are harmful
because they can lead to prejudice and discrimination. Some
people have been denied jobs, or friends, or a place to live based on
stereotypes and the discrimination which too often follows. It
is even possible to victimize yourself with stereotypes. Suppose
you are having trouble with math. Suppose you then say, "I
must be stupid." You would be making a generalized
statement about your intelligence based on your ability in one
subject. Not all generalized statements are stereotypes. Some generalizations are based on scientific facts. For example, "People who smoke cigarettes risk cancer and other health problems." Other generalizations are based on commonly accepted definitions. For example, "Teenagers are people between the ages of 13 and 19." So how does one distinguish between a fact and a stereotype? And how can you avoid stereotypes? Here are some suggestions:
You might also try replacing some popular stereotypes with more factual statements.
Perhaps the best weapon against stereotypes is to respect each person as a unique and individual human being. By respecting each person's individuality, you can avoid stereotypes of all kinds. Adapted from School Public Relations Service |
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That giggly group of girls you drive around every weekend or those boys who gather in the basement to play video games are doing more than entertaining your son or daughter. They are helping shape who your child will be someday. According to experts in the field,
friends do matter and it is appropriate to pay attention to that
aspect of your child's growth and development. Children who form
good, sustaining friendships and who are accepted and valued within
their peer group will generally do better in school and better in
life. Parents can steer children in the right direction by teaching basic social skills, such as tolerance and how to start conversations, as well as building up the child's self-confidence. Research has found that children who choose good friends are supported by parents who spend time with their kids. Parents of toddlers can encourage them
to smile and use eye contact with other kids. By age 3 or 4, try
the two-praise rule: Anytime your child goes out, remind her to praise
other kids with similar values and interests at least two times.
Repeating "You are sure good at that" is certain to attract
a new friend. During the stressful middle school years, in particular, kids worry about where to sit in the lunchroom or about not being picked for a gym team. Easy tricks may help your child connect with others, such as saving a seat on the bus for someone or saying "hi" to someone in the hall. These little courtesies build a sense of belonging....even among middle schoolers. Adapted from Executive Strategies |
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To handle conflict:
Adapted: Communication Briefings |
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You may hate to hear criticism....everyone would rather hear "You are Great!" than "We have a problem." But if your self-esteem is low, you could react defensively, passively or simply overreact. Conflict can arise when a controlling figure looking for status tries to find it by putting down another person. A person who seeks agreement or approval may want to avoid conflict, causing his self-esteem to suffer. When you question your self-worth because of what someone has said or done, you will need to boost your self-esteem to avoid losing ground at work or to appear to be intimidated easily. Instead of letting your confidence waver, try reacting to criticism using these techniques.
Getting Along |
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Left unchecked, bad attitudes can infect everyone. But you can lift spiritis and open minds to more positive outcomes by asking the right questions. Try these:
The Bad Attitude Survival Guide, Harry E. Chambers |
Don't Buy It: By dissecting
pop culture and advertisements, media literacy education can help
students build critical thinking and analytic skills, become more
discriminating in the use of mass media, distinguish between reality
and fantasy and consider whether media values are their values.
Activities are intended for children ages 9-11 and are designed to
touch on the six levels of Bloom's Taxonomy: knowledge, comprehension,
application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Chevron Cars: Chevron Cars are toy cars. The site is colorful and fun. Divided into several sections including eh Playground, Kids Shop, Meet the Cars and Free Stuff. The site features games, many in Flash and Shockwave, biographies and multiple views of the cars, coloring and sticker pages, jigsaw puzzles and connect the dots games, screensavers, desktop themes, musical tunes and more. There is also educational content covering oil and gas refining and subjects ranging from famous people and history to animals and science. http://www.chevroncars.com/wocc/ Science NetLinks:
This site is part of the MarcoPolo Education Foundation. The
website provides a wealth of resources for K-12 science educators,
including lesson plans and reviewed Internet resources. All site
content is organized around Benchmarks for Science Literacy. You
can subscribe to receive free weekly updates. Flight-History: This site
has developed an extensive on-line archive of aviation history. The
site offers stories, photos, plane details and the ability to send an
electronic postcard. The website is a division of Ghosts of
Aviation Inc., which is located in Canada. ClassBrain Reports: The Projects and Reports section is part of the much larger ClassBrain website. It will help students create reports by providing access to specific resources and is divided into several different sections. http://www.classbrain.com/cb_reports.htm SuperThinkers: This
website features a set of original interactive mysteries designed to
foster literacy and problem-solving. Created by children's book
author and illustrator/educator Peter H. Reynolds and his creative
team at Emmy Award-winning FableVision and funded by Verizon.
This site takes a creative approach in order to engage every type of
learner, using sound, animation, words, images and
interactivity. The Super Microbiology Information Portal: This web site is designed to bring useful and interesting microbiology informational resources to you. It covers: General, Environmental, Food, Industrial, Medical and Veterinary Microbiology. It also includes sections of Education and Learning, Employment and Careers, Organizations, Companies, News, Articles and more. http://www.microbes.info/index.html The Toxic House: This site provides a quick and interesting overview of the dangerous chemicals in our very own homes! As you explore various rooms in the Toxic House, you discover bad things. Links take you to more information about the toxin. It's simple, yet engaging. http://www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/toxic_flash/toxic_house_flash.html
Have a Beautiful Month 6713 No. Oliphant Ave. Copyright © 2006 Knowledge HQ, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
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