In The News May 2011 Vol. 14-03
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Like the rest of the
country, the weather in our part of the country, has bee I had one of those 'aha'
awakenings this past week. My three year-old granddaughter was
visiting. I had the radio on in my office and she could hear the
sound through a baby monitor I use when they are here. She was
confused with the sound and wondered where it came from. When I
told her a radio, she wanted me to explain to her a radio. This
is a family who listens to lots of music, but through wireless
equipment. They do not have a television nor a radio. It
occurs to me that radios, televisions, land line telephones and many
other things that we grew up with may soon be antiquated things of the
past. Can you remember when you last used a floppy disk?
Times are a-changing! We remember, especially this month, the service our veterans have given to each of us. Happy Memorial Day!
eTutor has been on the
Internet for fourteen years now. Each year we have published
eNews, sometimes once a month and other years just a few times.
You may be interested in looking at some of our early editions.
It might give you a perspective on how we have changed and adapted
over the years. |
What
hardship many of our subscribing families have been
facing....flooding, tornadoes and unseasonable weather patterns!
While our hearts and thoughts go out to those families who are
impacted, these abnormal happenings also provide for teaching moments
for our students. There is much information about the
Mississippi River, tornadoes and extra-ordinary weather events on the
Internet (see links below). The opportunity for discussion,
charting, illustrating and problem solving should be on all our
agendas, whether our students homeschool, attend private or public
school or are on vacation. 
n
unseasonable. In a part of the country that sees sunshine almost
every day of the year...we have missed the light and brightness more
days than we would like this year. While the rain and clouds
have put a frown on many a face, the gardens and mountain plains are a
beautiful green. The abundance of water has given plants that
normally struggle to reach beyond the soil level a boost and we are
seeing green shoots coming up everywhere (another teachable
moment). So, what is taken away is often given back in abundance
in other ways....the flowers, fruits and vegetables will be
extraordinary this year. 
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Studying the
eTutor Way eTutor 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 lesson modules has been very successful for
eTutor 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 eTutor for
supplemental work or credit recovery. All curricular 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
expected to fully complete lesson modules.
Parents or another adult are asked to review the finished
Activities and Extended Learning with each lesson module since these
are most often completed off line.
They can be used as a springboard for discussion, ‘What did
you learn by completing this,” “How could you have done this
differently,” "Explain
this concept to me," etc. There
is much reading and writing in the eTutor program and users will have
excellent reading and writing skills
if the program is used consistently.
We
suggest the student respond in
writing to the Problem Statement before and after completing each
lesson module to act as a self-check.
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.
eTutor 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 eTutor 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.
Nearly
3200 Lesson Modules
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Have you ever noticed that all young children are artists? Creative geniuses ready to bloom and be discovered. Children can teach us so much about creativity...just watch them when they paint a picture. They become completely absorbed in the drawing and put their complete attention, concentration, and love into that one picture. They don't worry about what others think...they give it their all. Creativity takes many forms. A four-year-old boy I know can take a watch apart and put it back together almost exactly the way it was. When his father discovered this curiosity, he recognized his son's mechanical ability. He buys old watches and clocks at garage sales; the little boy loves them better than toys. With art children learn to solve
problems. When your child is angry, fr When a child explores her creativity she discovers her potential. When her potential is recognized and acknowledged, her future is secured. Frame their art and suddenly it looks suitable for any gallery. Hang it on the walls and they are ready to fly. Adapted from Wonderful Ways to Love a Childe, by Judy Ford
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Will you be traveling this summer? Here are a few math activities that you can do with your child...
Adapted from Illinois Teachers of Mathematics Do you know how to get what you want from your family and friends without ordering them around or begging? And do you know how to refuse a favor that you don't want to grant without antagonizing anybody? Too many of us don't because we are leery of using manipulation to gain an end. It's a mistake. Our daily interpersonal relationships are tailor made for effective manipulation. Mostly, it is a matter of approach and language and the use of the proper skills. Here's one approach psychologists use that has merit. It's call DEARMANN and her is how it works:
The point here is to be effective, to ask for things in a way that brings results, even if it does take you two or three passes to succeed. In the end, you are lining up the other's support so that he wants to help you, thinks the whole thing is his idea. Adapted from Executive Strategies
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In phonics, the child learns individual letter sounds and how to blend them to form words. Where the sight approach is visually oriented, the phonics approach is auditory-oriented. Children learn beginning and ending consonant sounds, short and long vowel sounds, and rules for putting these sounds together. They start by blending such words as "cat," "top," and "mud." National Education Association |
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What is so nice and so unexpected about life is the way it improves as it goes along. I think you should impress this fact on your children because I think young people have an awful feeling that life is slipping past them and they must do something...catch something...they don't quite know what, whereas they've only got to wait...it all comes. Nancy
Mitford (1904-1973) |
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The part of your mind that plays the greatest role in achieving the things that you want from life is that part of your mind that imagines. It is a strange fact, in view of this, that this part of your mind is the one that is developed and controlled the least. You spend years developing the part of your mind that stores knowledge, reasons, analyzes, judges, memorizes, and learns but almost no time in developing the immense power of your imagination. Here are some interesting facts about this enormous personal power and the benefits you will receive by tapping its potential. Fact No. 1: Your imagination
affects your emotions. Scientists have discovered there is a
kind of "hot line" running from the part of the mind that
imagines to the part of the mind that controls your emotions.
This explains why you can imagine yourself in a frightening situation
and actually get emotionally upset. It is simply because your
imagination is sending pictures directly to your emotional control
center which, in turn, affects the feelings and functions of the body. Fact No. 2: Your imagination is more apt to act destructively rather than constructively unless managed by you. All of your problems in living are rooted in your imagination. It is the imagination acting negatively that becomes congested by fear, doubt, worry, and makes you feel inferior, unhappy, and depressed. It even keeps you from getting along with others and is the breeding place for jealousy, envy, suspicion and hate. Letting your imagination run wild can be one of the most destructive forces in your life. Fact No. 3: The untapped power of your imagination is almost unlimited. Psychologists say that, at the very most, people use only 10% to 20% of their mental potential. They must certainly be referring to the imagination. Your imagination is a rich source of ideas, mental pictures, and dormant forces that yu can use to develo9p0 your life into abundance and happiness. Adapted from The Public School Administrator |
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Marvelous
May Links: Build a
Monstor: Created by Goobo, this site has several games that
students can entertain themselves with. One of the games
requires flash. Bubbles:
What is so fascinating about
bubbles? The precise spherical shape, the incredibly fragile nature of
the microscopically thin soap film, the beautiful colors that swirl
and shimmer, or most likely, a combination of all these phenomena? Why
does a bubble form a sphere at all? Why not a cube, tetrahedron, or
other geometrical figure? Fun With
Music: The San Francisco Symphony (SFS) created this site to
share their love of music and are committed to music education, within
the community and beyond. The website, in conjunction with live
performances, provides a great way for people of all ages to hear,
learn, and have fun with music. Carmen San
Diego Virtual Detective Agency: Presented by the publisher,
Houghton Miflin, the site offers several games that students can play
online. Optical Illusions:
These
pages demonstrate visual phenomena, and optical or visual
illusions. The latter is more appropriate, because most effects have
their basis in the visual pathway, not in the optics of the eye.
From the Knowledge HQ Staff Copyright © 2011 Knowledge Headquarters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.knowledgehq.com |
ustrated,
or scared, drawing a picture and telling a story can help him work
it through. Always encourage creativity, for you never know
where it might lead. A top Seattle department store carries
jewelry designed with the drawings of a twelve-year-old
girl. One mother used her son's pictures to make greeting
cards; he now works on movies. A father designed his
business cards using a logo that his daughter had scribbled on
paper. It gave her quit a boost...today she is a graphic
designer. 
e
time it takes to get from one town to another when you drive at
different speeds.
Enjoy
the Bloom of a