Strategic Studies: e-News Volume 6, issue 12 [December 2003]

Christmas Everywhere

Everywhere, everywhere, Christmas tonight!
Christmas in lands of the fir-tree and pine,
Christmas in lands of the palm-tree and vine,
Christmas where snow peaks stand solemn and white,
Christmas where cornfields stand sunny and bright.
Christmas where children are hopeful and gay,
Christmas where old men are patient and gay,
Christmas where peace, like a dove in his flight,
Broods o'er brave men in the thick of the fight;
Everywhere, everywhere, Christmas tonight!

For the Christ-child who comes is the Master of all;
No palace too great, no cottage too small.

Phillips Brooks
(Born December 13, 1835; died January 23, 1893)

During this holiday season, as we exchange material gifts, there are some gifts we cannot buy. There are many meaningful ways you can help your family share learning experiences and show generosity of spirit. Whether you

r family is blended or traditional, the holidays are a wonderful time to celebrate the joy of life and the gifts of each other. I encourage you to give your family the priceless gift of your time, encouragement and beliefs.

Wishing you all the joys of the holiday season.

After the holidays and as winter sets in is a perfect time to get your creative mind going. Why not write a lesson for your students' online learning. You can use the template at LessonPro.net to create inspiring lessons for your students. When your students access your lessons they are learning an appropriate way to use the Internet.

Learning with e-Tutor:

Seven new lessons were added to e-Tutor this month. This is a good time of year to review how our students are doing. Parents have access to all of the work the student has completed by using their unique ID and PW. The following will provide you with a guide to make full use of the information on the student report card.

Report Card

Click your mouse on "Report Card" to check student progress. e-Tutor sets up a portfolio for each individual student. To view a student’s progress, click on a subject area tab.

Figure 3. Student's Portfolio

A table will appear that lists the lessons the student has accessed, all of which can be reviewed separately by clicking on a title. Quiz and exam scores are listed in this table. The passing score for quizzes and exams is 80 percent. Scores for the quizzes, which may be taken several times, are averaged. No two quizzes are the same. Each lesson has from 20 to 60 questions in its question bank. Each time the student takes a quiz the question as well as the answers are rotated. Sometimes a parent may wish to clear a score. By clicking on the clear button all scores are cleared.

Figure 4. Report Card

A check mark in the "Read" column indicates the student has has read the Study Guide. A red arrow indicates that quiz scores are going down. A green arrow indicates the quiz scores are going up. A face indicates the first quiz score.

A red X in the exam box indicates that 80 percent was not met on the exam. A green check mark indicates the student passed the exam.

The book icon, under the "Study Materials" column, is inactive. In the future it will launch a separate window that will list additional study materials on the topic of the lesson as they become available.

To print the report card, click on the printer icon next to the words "Print Report", located on the top of the page. You may also have the report e-mailed to you. To receive the report card by e-mail, your e-mail program (Such as MS-Outlook, Netscape communicator, and others) must be able to read HTML code. Please refer to your e-mail program help section on how to enable HTML emails.

In the example shown above, the student John Smith has read the lesson "Antarctica" but has not completed the quiz or exam. You may clear quiz or exam scores so the student can take them again.

We recommend that parents print out the report card once a month. These can be kept with the student's completed Activities and Extended Learning. Students can then keep track of their own progress.

New lessons are added on a regular basis.

This is an exciting way to learn! If you are not an e-Tutor subscriber, don't let another day pass without logging on to this great way of learning!

www.e-tutor.com

Page 2

The greatest thing in this world is not where you stand, but in which direction you are moving.

What's Your SSQ (Study Skills Quotient)?

Smart is not something you are...smart is something you can become if you work at it.

Lots of techniques can help you study better, but nothing can take the place of a good attitude. Read the following statements. how many of these good study habits do you practice regularly, sometimes or never? Your answers will reveal a lot about your attitude toward studying.

Yes or no....
   I have a regular time for homework. Even when I'm busy, I always manage to find some time to study.

   If I get a bad grade on a test, I work harder. I also seek help from a teacher, parent, a tutor or another student who is doing well with learning.

   I have goals for what I want to do after graduation. I know that studying will help me get closer to may goals.

   I'm usually prepared for studying.

   I know how to break a large project down into smaller, easier steps.

If I have a subject that I don't really like, I work harder to make it interesting.

American Association of School Administrators

Don't part with your dreams. When they are gone, you may still exist but you have ceased to live.

Communicating

Individuals often assume that others know how they feel or that their feelings are reflected by their behavior. As a result, people become lax about communication. In all relationships one must not only express love and appreciation through behavior, but must openly verbalize these feelings. Words alone can be empty and meaningless if an individual's behavior is not consistent with them.

Although beginning to change, socialization practices in American culture have led men to be generally less expressive and affectionate than women. This attitude can be problematic because both males and females are equal in their need for emotional warmth. Family members should try to be sensitive to these gender differences and develop ways of expressing supportive-affectionate feelings that meet the needs of males and females while allowing all family member to feel comfortable.

Adapted from Year of the Child
Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction

Holiday Food Ideas

For many, the holiday season is a time of special cooking, baking and family meals. Because the period between Thanksgiving and New Year's can be a battle of the bulge, this year might be the time to experiment with some nutritious alternatives for great-grandma's special recipes and enjoy some family learning in the process of creating delicious things to eat.

Going to a party? Head for the vegetables and skip the dip. If bringing vegetables and dip, make low-calorie dip with plain yogurt instead of sour cream. Try not to go to a party thirst and famished. Have a large glass of water or low fat milk and a piece of wheat bread or crackers before you go. Be the last in line at a buffet. You'll be less likely to have seconds.

Plan a "festival of Breads" instead of a cookie exchange. Investigate breads from ethnic backgrounds. Celebrate with folk songs and dances. Wear dress appropriate to the country of origin of the bread.

Visit friends and neighbors and bring them something you've made for holiday celebrations....candles, pomander balls, baskets of goodies (nuts, fruits, cheeses), holiday bread or a picture or decoration.

Learn how the holidays are celebrated in other lands and make appropriate foods such as stollen, sweet potato pie, rice cakes (puto in the Philippines), challah, latkes (potato pancakes) and cornbread and greens. Make a pinata.

Page 3

Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself.

Giving a Gift of Art

Using a little creativity when choosing gifts for school-age family members or friends can really pay off....with gifts that youngsters grow with rather than out grow. Some expand children's creativity and curiosity and encourage learning throughout the year. They also can provide opportunities for family members to join in the learning process.

Art Supplies. Young artists will appreciate basic art supplies, like paper, paints, markers, pencils and crayons. Avoid art kits that have pre-designed patterns, since children should be encourage to use their imaginations and creativity.

Framed Art. Have a piece of your child's artwork matted and framed; this transforms a temporary "refrigerator door" piece of art into a beautiful wall piece that your child can treasure in adult years.
Your child may also enjoy a work of art purchase at an art fair, gallery or museum shop. Additionally, some libraries and art museums rent or loan art pieces.

Nontraditional Art. For students who do not express an interest in traditional art, select a gift in some other art form. Architects, illustrators, filmmakers, fashion designers, cartoonists and industrial designers are also artists.

Photography. A digital camera of one's own is a good gift idea for students who have an interest in art, as well as for students who have not yet acquired that interest. Children can take pictures on family trips or can use photography to collect ideas for drawings and paintings.

Private Space. Provide your child a special place to work on art projects, such as an easel in a quiet corner with good lighting and a comfortable stool.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Watertown, Wisconsin Unified School District

Never be haughty to the humble. Never be humble to the haughty.

Bounce Back from Offensive Behavior

No likes to think of himself as a jerk. That's a label you throw on other people, right? But if you seem to notice that others feel uncomfortable in your presence, you might want to take a hard look at your behavior.

"A jerk is anyone who doesn't do unto others as they would do unto themselves," explains author Beverly Kaye. Take heart, because we are all jerks some of the time, such as when we're having a bad day. But when you regularly jump into "jerk mode" and it negatively affects those around you, changes need to be made. Kaye offers these tips:

Ask for honest feedback. Sometimes it's hard to see your own faults, so it might help to get input from others.
Listen for the answer. When you do get feedback, really listen. Don't react defensively by blaming or by saying, "Yes, but...." to excuse or defend your behavior.
Asking yourself, "What's in it for me?" It might motivate you to see how a positive behavior change would benefit you.
Starting small. Target two or three behaviors that you want to change.
Getting caught in the act. Become aware of these bad habits as they occur and say, "Whoops! I'm sorry."
Acting the opposite. For example if you only criticize others, try instead to only praise them.
Evaluating your progress. Pick another person to work as your "evaluator." After you've made some efforts to change, ask her to tell you how you're doing. To succeed at changing your behavior, Kaye advises, you must really want to change. Don't change to appease others....do it for you.

Love 'em or Lose 'em: Getting Good People to Stay, Beverly Kay, co-author

Page 4

Let people learn of your sterling qualities without your help.

Pressures on Children and Youth

As a parent, you want your child to learn from the experience of pressure as part of the process of growing up. You also want to do whatever you can to help your child cope with the pressures in life and to prevent the pressures from becoming insurmountable. Obviously, you cannot eliminate many of these pressures, even if you really wanted to. But you can help your child face them and you can avoid adding to them to make them worse.

Provide guidance in dealing with pressure. Your child could take one of three general approaches...retreat, capitulation or action...to reduce the stress. You can help your child determine what action would be most effective in a given circumstance.
Let your child know you care. Be available to help her or him work out difficulties. When a child has the security of parental love and respect, pressure can be met with self-confidence. Be supportive, not smothering. The more children feel they have solved problems themselves, the more assurance they feel the next time.
Be a positive force in your child's life, not a major pressure point. Throughout school years, avoid making unrealistic demands. It is fine to start education early, but don't pressure children to learn or to read before they are ready. Let them feel they are reaching for their own goals, not satisfying your needs. Don't push children into early social experiences...they will mature emotionally and physically at their own rate.
Teach your child to live with limitations. No one excels in everything; no one is perfect. It is not your child's particular handicaps that are crucial, but his or her attitude toward them. Children should know their limits and recognize their strengths.
Help your child find time to be alone....time to think, to dream, to plan, to make decisions.
Ground your child in a system of values. Even if pressures become overwhelming, you do not want your child to seek ethically unacceptable means of dealing with them. Students who have cheated report a wish for more parental direction, firm rules and guidance in determining right and wrong.
Encourage your teenager to develop self-responsibility. Volunteer service, such as community work, provides one of the few remaining outlets in adolescence for independence, cooperative rather than competitive activity and useful and socially necessary work.

National Education Association

A Gift for All Ages

What's a gift that always fits, won't break, can't be outgrown and is always appropriate?

A Library Card

Best of all is the price...it's free. Consider giving your child a gift that gives all year long. A library card is truly a gift for children of all ages. And if the last time you were at a library was during your school years, why don't you treat yourself to a library card, too?

Some facts:

50 percent of a child's intellectual development occurs between birth and four years of age.
Children who are read to in the home and use the library do better in learning.
Children who grow up using the library are more likely to continue to use the library as adults.

American Library Association

Page 5

Don't expect to find life worth living, make it that way.

Dynamic December Links!

H.I.P. Pocket Change: US Mint's Site for Kids: This web site was launched in July 1999. The History In Your Pocket (H.I.P.) Pocket Change site showcases the connection between this country's coins and its people. Through games, stories, and other engaging activities, the site brings to life both the extraordinary individuals who appear on U.S. coinage and the generations of citizens who've used this pocket change.
http://usmint.gov/kids/

Multiflyer: This is a fun online game developed to help anyone who is learning multiplication tables. It takes place in space and even sprinkles in learning about the planets. You can play it online or register and receive a full downloadable version as well as downloadable interactive support tools. The game lets you figure out the answers, or you can turn off the table and wing it on your own. Simple, fun diversion to help reinforce multiplication skills.
http://www.gdbdp.com/multiflyer/

Orisinal: A beautiful site built with Flash. A bit of a time waster? Or really more like a trip to an online interactive museum of new media--but hey, that's educational too! Features a considerable collection of lovely, addictive games and a smaller collection of interesting media called "Experiments." (Roll down past the News)
http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/

Ribbit's Math Ventures: Ribbit contains several applied mathematics problems geared at different grade levels.
http://www.mohonasen.org/staffdev/mathven/Ribbit/rdefault.htm

InSite Fitness: It is the mission of InSite Fitness to make up-to-date and accurate information available to those seeking knowledge in this area. Healthtips, Lessons (check out Movement Terms) and Articles allow students and educators to learn more about the workings of the human body.
http://www.insitefitness.com.au/

Mountain Voices: How does development affect individuals in different countries? Oral testimonies have been gathered from communities in the Himalaya, the Andes, the Sierra Norte, Mount Elgon, the highlands of Ethiopia and Lesotho, China, the Sudety mountains and the Karakorum mountains. Students can learn of the past and present of many native peoples in the world, as well as the realities of the global economy in these regions.
http://www.mountainvoices.org/

TryScience: Science is exciting, and it's for everyone!
TryScience is brought to you through a partnership between IBM
Corporation, the New York Hall of Science (NYHOS), the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), and science centers worldwide. Interactive content is the following areas: Adventure (thematic interactive experiences), Experiments, Field Trips (interactive science center features, Curious? (polls and activities based on a hot topic question), and Live Cams.
http://www.TryScience.org

Mississipian Moundbuilders and Their Artifacts: For more than half a millenium, the Mississippian people cultivated vast agricultural settlements based on corn, squash and beans. However, the Mississippians were much more than prosperous
farmers. They also developed a complex and highly organized culture based on a ritualistic relationship between the people and the land. This site contains information, photographs of artifacts, and sketches of daily life. Artifacts include: pottery, pipes, flint points, ear ornaments, beads, and more.
http://www.mississippian-artifacts.com/

Happy Holidays!

From the Staff at Strategic Studies Corporation