President’s Message

It is hard to believe that July is almost over and we are nearly into August.  In spite of my constant efforts to have less on my plate, it just seems to get fuller.  There just is not enough time in each day for everything I want to do....projects, writing....painting....reading....gardening.....everything!  There is the satisfaction of being busy and for that I am grateful.  But I suppose one should be able to find a middle ground....I have yet to find it.  

Last Saturday I was watering some plants when the neighbor children asked to borrow my old green wagon.   It has served me well over the years and is still sturdy.  It wasn't long and I heard the sound of the rickety wheels on the driveway.  My little friends were coming back with a load of flagstone to add to my garden path.  They spent several hours digging and prodding each stone into its place.  Some stones were to go by the pond and others by the pink and yellow flowers, while others went past the trees.  They had it all planned.  No game or planned activity would have been as much fun for them.  Supplied with shovels and gloves they proudly went about their task.  They instructed me and I helped them.  What fun it was for us all.  It takes so little to make us happy.  I hope you find frequent, happy moments like this in your days.   Smiling and the gift of sharing are easy.  Troubles just seem to melt away.        

During the past two months we have had an explosion of subscribers.  Parents and students are looking for alternatives and help in the learning process.  We work hard to meet the needs of students who have found traditional learning difficult.  While some online learning programs are too game-like or have tried to mimic CD-ROM programs, we have concentrated  on using the strengths of the Internet, with the strong capabilities of fantastic teacher-writers and the inherent desire to learn in all students in providing a program that is unique, rigorous and successful.  We are proud to be a leader in establishing high standards for educational content  provided over the Internet.  Our brand of educational content is being sought after not only by parents and students, but businesses and organizations as well.  If you haven't done so already, I hope you won't delay in subscribing to e-Tutor. 

Thank you for your continued support, enthusiasm and interest in Internet-based learning.  

Underwater World at e-Tutor.   Learn more about the subject. 

Primary:
Mr. "F" the Funny Fish
Blue Whales
Humpback Whales
Ocean Animals
Sharks
Wacky Whales
The Great Barrier Reef

Intermediate:
Manatee
Aquaculture
Fascinating Fish
Jellyfish
Seashells
The Octopus
The Deep Ocean
Ocean Movement: Waves, Tides and Currents

Middle/Junior High:
Kon-Tiki
Manatees
Blue Whale
Say...Who Spilled That Oil On The Ocean?

High School:
Arthropods
Oceanic

Primary

• Garden Flowers

High School                                                                              

• Edward Taylor: Poet of the Wilderness
• The Liver - The Chemical factory of the Body
• Bone Marrow and Blood Formation

New lessons are added to e-Tutor on a regular basis.

Pride is the direct appreciation of oneself.

Arthur Schopenhauer, German Philosopher

Many of us remember those endless vocabulary lists and grammar drills in French I (Or was it Spanish, or perhaps German?).  A major change in the teaching of foreign languages is well under way.  Students not only learn about a language but also learn how to use the language to communicate.  Grammar, accuracy and pronunciation are still important but are emphasized only as the means to accomplish the ultimate goal of effective communication in real-life situations.  

There are compelling reasons why students should study a foreign language:  

•  To learn about other cultures and to value cultural diversity
• To improve their employment opportunities
• To enhance performance in other academic endeavors.

Nationwide, less than forty percent of high school students are currently enrolled in foreign language classes.  Only 30-35 percent of our middle schools offer a full year's study of a foreign language.  On the bright side, a growing number of elementary schools now offer foreign language programs.  This ties to recent brain research which emphasizes that a second language can be learned most easily if study begins before age ten.  Enrollment is also growing in adult-education courses.  Can motivation compensate for lost dendrites?  Hope springs eternal....

Willis and Checkley, Newsweek

The first law of ecology is that everything is related to everything else.

Barry Commoner, Historian

Teenagers In The House?

It's natural for teens to seek more freedom.  They are transitioning from childhood to adulthood, and they want to be understood.  Here are a few tips for getting along with that young teen ( who thinks you don't have a clue):

• Save your big guns for the major skirmishes.  Teenagers are notorious for picking battles on every front.  Be emotionally prepared to handle the barrage by deciding ahead of time which areas are worth taking a stand over, such as grades, religious activities, curfew, etc., and which are worth ignoring, such as when to wear lipstick or what time the TV goes off. 

• Give them their space.  If your home is a fun place to be, the kids will view it as a refuge.  If possible, set up a game area just for them.  They'll invite friends over and realize they have it better than many of their peers. 

• Loosen the reins.  This will help them mature faster and will decrease the confrontation over their need to establish their own identities.  Review their privileges and responsibilities with each birthday.

• Share yourself.  Tell stories of your own adolescence when your kids are in the mood to listen.  That doesn't mean in the middle of a lecture, after they have done something wrong.  Though your kids might say, " That happened in the Stone Age,"  what they are really thinking is Maybe they do understand what I'm going through.  This is particularly effective if you have built a pattern of telling them stories about your life during the grade-school years.

• Respect their opinion....even if you don't agree with them.  Don't be too quick to criticize.  learn to ask questions in a calm tone that helps them logically think through their ideas.  If a discussion hits a brick wall, suggest that you both think about it overnight and continue the discussion the next day.  This shows that you are trying to be reasonable. 

• Be flexible.  Say yes whenever you can.  "No's" will have more validity against a backdrop of frequent "yeses."  When you have to say no, think of alternatives. 

• Be unswayed by outside opinion.  Never give as a reason "This looks bad" or "What would our friends think?"  Otherwise, kids learn that their requests are at the mercy of other adults they barely know or care about. 

• Remember that you are the parent, not their best friend.  In the early teen years, kids don't want you to be their best friend.  They want you to be a parent who will provide freedom within limits. 

Smart Families,  Vol. 4 No. 2

There is no such whetstone to sharpen a good wit and encourage a will to learning as is praise. 

Roger Ascham

The Marathon of Mothering

My neighborhood is filled with young children and many infants and toddlers.  I am learning a lot from watching and listening to their mothers   Mothering is a twenty-four hour job, yet I am amazed at the resourcefulness of my neighbors in carving out time for themselves.  Although it has been many years, I can't recall being quite as inventive.  Here are some suggestions from my neighbors.   

1. Since you are on call 24 hours a day, you need a break every now and then.  MDO (Mother Day Out) can do a lot to sustain energy, but you will probably have to trade baby-sitting chores with another young mother to get that break.  As for a GNO (Girls Night Out), your husband should step in and take over so you can get out of the house....even if it's for an hour or two.
2. Find friends in the same season of life.  Play groups,  "Mommy and Me" classes, even the local McDonald's can be places where young moms starved for adult conversation can get together for some social interaction. 
3. Make time for exercise.  If you love to walk and run, purchase a double baby jogger.  This will allow you to exercise without a baby-sitting cost.  Early in the morning, pack some finger foods for the kids and start jogging.
4. Reward good behavior.  When the kids are older, it is often harder to leave the house with an "incident."  On a dry eraser board, draw pictures of a toothbrush, bed, clothes and food.  After successfully completing each time, the children can grab a marker and check the appropriate box.  Several triumphant mornings allow the children to pick from a "treasure box" filled with "get-out-of-time-out-free" cards, game-time with Mom, a Chuck E. Cheese outing or stickers. 
5. Limit TV.  Buy books, coloring books and audio tapes.  Disney has a great selection, and "adventures in Odyssey" offer superb stories.  Make TV the exception, rather than the rule. 
6. Don't forget that children remain small for a very short time.  It is amazing how quickly they grow older.

Happy Mothering!!!

Decision Making

You can avoid a decision-making blunder with questions that address:  

• Control.  What else do I need to do to make sure my decision will produce the outcome I seek?  If necessary, will I be able to modify my plan if it's not getting the results I expect?

• Competence.  Do all those who must carry out my decision have all the competencies they need to do so?  Do all those the decision will affect have the competencies they will need to deal with it?

• Climate.  Can I do anything more to make sure all those involved in or affected by my decision will favor it or view it as positively as possible?

High Quality Leadership, Erwin Rausch and John B. Washbush

Educational Vacations

Almost any family vacation activity can become a learning experience for young children.  To broaden your child's horizons:

• Point out things of interest for the child to see....historical places, interesting buildings, new kinds of plants and animals.

• Try to relate new experiences to familiar ones.  If visiting an historic place, for example, explain what happened there in terms familiar to the child. 

• Discuss the experience and listen to your child's reactions.

Using these guidelines, even short excursions to the library, the supermarket or a city park can become a learning experience. 

Page 4

If a child lives with approval, he learns to live with himself.

Dorothy Law Nolte

Riding for MS

Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40 and over one new case of MS is diagnosed every hour! Seventy-three percent of people affected are women. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are giving hope to those affected by the disease.

My son and wife are riding their bikes in Colorado to inform people about MS and to support friends who are affected.  If you wish to support this important cause you can donate at the address below.  Your donated dollars are tax deductible and over 93% is directly used for MS research, programs and services.

You can donate online at: 
https://www.nationalmssociety.org/pledge/pledge.asp?participantid=94379 
or you can make checks out to National MS Society and send them to Strategic Studies Corporation, 1924 So. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge, IL 60068.  We will submit for you.

Coaching Your Way Out of Problems

Women are for the most part great managers as they have had to learn to balance many tasks at once.  But as mothers and executives we must double as wise leader and enthusiastic coach.  

It is not as hard as it sounds,  according to one study.  There are specific and practical strategies to help you master a range of coaching skills that can turn the most negative into a  productive team member.

For example, while managers might avoid confrontation, successful coaches welcome it.  The study offers these basic tips to smooth confrontations:

• When dealing with a grumbler, be honest and direct.  Stick to the facts, and resist raising unrelated topics.  Reason:  If you stray from your main point, you may unintentionally signal that you don't consider the core issue serious.  Caution:  Don't judge or speculate about motives.  It will indicate you are predisposed to opinion, not fact.
• Act immediately.  Confrontations aren't pleasant, but don't make excuses not to speak up.  Example: "We'll deal with it after we get home, or after the vacation or when your father comes home."  Solution:  Address problems early or you risk letting the action continue.
• Choose the most appropriate moment to discuss issues with difficult friends, family members and others.  Example:  If you are upset, wait until you are calm.  Impulsive confrontations often leave lasting scars.  But if you are criticizing someone for a specific action or behavior, it is best to meet as soon as that behavior occurs. 
• Relax.  A confrontation is just like any other important conversation.  There is no need to resort to threatening edicts or theatrical displays.  

End your discussion on a positive note,  stressing it is not personal.  Say:  "Thanks for listening and telling me your side.  I have faith you can conquer these obstacles and we can all thrive."

Coaching, Mentoring and Managing:  Breakthrough Strategies to Solve Performance Problems and Build Winning Teams,  edited by William Hendricks, et al.  

Remember the Power of Praise!

Page 5

The illusions of childhood are necessary experiences.  A child should not be denied a balloon because an adult knows that sooner or later it will burst. 

Lenore Hershey

Terrific Summer Links!

Baby Center:  A good first stop when trying to find out the answer to a specific question.  BabyCenter contains articles on nutrition, exercise and issues for pregnant women.  
http://www.babycenter.com

Parent Soup:  If your children are driving you crazy, stop by Parent Soup.  Here, parents use message boards and live chat sessions to swap views about everything from infant health to high school education. 
http://www.parentsoup.com

Environmental Health Kids Pages:  The National Institute of Environmental Health provides many games, stories, arts and poetry for kids of many ages.  The site also contains information on the latest health issues. 
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/home.htm

Bamdad's Math Comics:  What does math have to do with comics?  To find out, visit this funny, original, mathematical web site.  The Comic Strips are the main headings and subtitles are the names of the individual, daily strips using math.  This site will help students understand that sometimes math is easier than the explanation. 
http://www.csun.edu/~hcmth014/comics.html

Pieces of Science: Students and educators can explore the history and evolution of science through "Pieces of Science," an online gallery of educational resources related to 16 science artifacts.  The site combines a number of significant scientific achievements into one virtual, interactive gallery.  
http://www.sln.org/pieces/

Window on the Antarctic:  What does the scenery look like right now at Mawson Station, Antarctica?  You can see for yourself at this site.  The full-color images are sent via a live satellite link to Tasmania, where they are uploaded to the web every hour.  We can thank the Australian Antarctic Division for this inspired and whimsical use of the internet. 
http://www.aad.gov.au/stations/mawson/video.asp

Moose Crossing:  This site is an excellent way for kids 13 and under to expand creative writing skills and learn to program at the same time. Kids can create objects ranging from magic carpets to virtual pets to even a pokémon; a world based on your imaginations. They can also build virtual rooms and cities, such as King Tut's Pyramid, the Emerald City of Oz, or Hogwarts. Kids can meet and interact with other kids from all around the world. The world of MOOSE Crossing is built by kids, for kids.
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/elc/moose-crossing/

Enjoy A Sunny Month!

From the Staff at Strategic Studies Corporation

 
Copyright © July 2002 Strategic Studies Corp.
http://www.strategicstudies.com