The Whole Kitten Kaboodle

Teach Your Kids to Love Learning

When it comes to kids and school, it can be difficult to get your kids to enjoy certain subjects. Some children enjoy subjects like math and science, while others are more into art and reading and writing.

One subject that most children have a love/hate relationship with throughout school is science. Why? Because it can either be a lot of fun or downright boring. If you have a child who is handling science class in this way, know there’s a simple solution to the problem.

Make learning fun. There are many ways you can do this, and the best way, especially if you can’t spend much money, is to create activities around the house and yard. Your backyard can offer many different science activities for kids. Over the past ten years, the availability of science-related items has exploded, with many different toys that let kids explore science. From growing a terrarium to growing crystals and building your own butterfly habitat, the possibilities can be endless. Some of these items may even work well with backyard science exploration.

The backyard can be explored with simple objects like magnifying glasses, allowing kids to see seedlings, sprouts, and numerous bugs up close. You and your children can bird watch with or without binoculars and keep track of the birds you see. You can even make a collage from items in the backyard. Leaves, blades of grass, flowers, and even a preserved but or two–all can make a beautiful collage of nature. With these items available outside, your child is sure to find something of interest.

Filed Under: Education, Elementary, Parents Tagged With: Educational Resources, Learning, Science education

How Google Docs Can Help Students

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Students often have to write essays on a variety of subjects throughout their classroom careers. The best word processor for students may be the free, cloud-based Google Docs.

First of all, Google Docs will be helpful in your careers just because it can open a multitude of file types. This is helpful if your teacher or classmates use a different word processing program than you do. Microsoft Word may be the most popular word processing program in academia but some people may still use Microsoft Works and there are a handful of other programs that can crop up once in a while. Google Docs can open almost any text file from a program that is in widespread use, so you’ll never have to go searching for a converter online again.

You can even create free online forms through Google Docs which is both easy to start creating and can be used for real-time collaboration. If you need to do a poll or survey for class, just create an online form within minutes and have responses automatically saved for you. This saves time in both pushing out the poll and collecting and collating reponses since you can copy and paste directly into another program.

Finally, Google Docs is saved onto the cloud – i.e., an outside server – instead of your home computer. This means if your computer ever crashes, you’ve got a backup copy available at any computer that has Internet access. Similarly, if you realize you need to make last-minute changes right before class, just open up the document on any computer and make the changes you need.

Filed Under: General, Students Tagged With: Google Docs, Students

3 Reasons Why You Should Buy Your Child a Laptop

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There is no end to the benefits your child can receive by having a laptop. You don’t have to wait till they’re in college to invest in a portable computer either. High school students and even junior high students have laptops that they use strictly for homework. While there are the common safety concerns to be aware of, the uses a child can receive with a laptop outweigh the cons.

Homework is always centralized on one unit. There is no need to worry about where their homework is, or scrambling at the last minute to find it. Younger students can benefit from understanding how to structure folders on their laptop for specific classes and studies. It will also teach them about personal responsibility for their work.

Portability is another great benefit of a laptop. If your student has trouble studying in a certain area of your home, they can move to another area that may be suitable for them. Some classes require students make a presentation to the class. This can be done all on their laptops without the fear of having lost their work. A student can bring their laptop if it’s needed during class, especially when it’s time to download new material from the school’s virtual computer labs.

Using the virtual computer labs with their laptop is another benefit. With a school making use of a computer lab online, your student has the ability to share their homework with their teacher, ask questions related to their work and download new work through this lab. They don’t have to be physically present all the time either. And, they can access these labs from anywhere they have an internet connection.

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Filed Under: Education, Parents Tagged With: Class (education), Homework, Laptop

L.A. Unified School District: More work to do

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is one of the largest school districts in the United States of America. With over one million children in its system, LAUSD provides an array of programs and opportunities that are geared towards helping students succeed. To date, LAUSD has supported the country’s Juvenile Justice System by providing an education to over 12,000 troubled youth, and has provided 80% of graduating seniors with the necessary tools attend post-secondary schools or obtain a job after high school. The District is constantly inspecting low performing schools, and working with educators to improve student performance.

In spite of recent improvements and contributions, the Los Angeles Unified School District has a long way to go before attaining excellence. While the LAUSD is constantly evaluating school performance, there are still over five hundred low performing schools in the District. These schools are spread out among 43 sub-districts and are home to approximately 645,000 students. Although 645,000 students equals a small percentage in a large district such as LAUSD, the idea of over 600,000 children receiving a poor education is disappointing. According the LAUSD 2009-2010 report, the only action that the District has taken to improve the numbers is to review the records and credentials of educators in low performing schools to ensure that proper assignments were administered. The report says nothing about teachers receiving new assignments or rules concerning classroom conduct; this is unacceptable.

In order to substantially improve the Los Angeles Unified School District, board members must practice accountability and instill such concept in educators.

Filed Under: High School, Higher Education Tagged With: Los Angeles, Los Angeles Unified School District, School district

Yes You Can! Finish Early

Although most counselors are focused on providing necessary tools that will help students finish high school on time, some advisors are also concerned with early high school graduation. According to various reports, it is possible for high school students to finish school early and enroll in college. As with any over achievement, such action requires much motivation and concentration.

The first step to finishing high school early is to meet with a guidance counselor. When scheduling the meeting, students should inform the counselor of their plans to complete school at an accelerated speed so that the advisor can have necessary information accessible to the student in the meeting. Counselors are reluctant to approving an accelerated program; especially when it appears that a child cannot handle a regular school schedule. Students who complete average work in high school should not expect to be placed on an accelerated program before improving their grade point average. Likewise, students who have poor behavior or attendance records should also expect to be denied. Why would a counselor give a student more classes if he or she has not shown that they can handle the courses that they already have? If a student expects to be approved for early graduation, then he or she should show it through perfect attendance, stellar grades, and model behavior.

After qualifying for and completing an ambitious course schedule, students should consider their plans after graduation. While most parents suggest college, all career paths do not require a four year university. Students should choose careers that they feel comfortable with, and should not aspire to do something just because it satisfies family members.

Filed Under: High School, Higher Education Tagged With: Grade (education), High school, School counselor

How much does the transcript count for?

While aspects of the college application process is debatable, many educators and admissions counselors will agree that the high school transcript is the most important portion of the college application. While colleges look at extracurricular activities and personal statements when admitting students to various programs, the high school transcript provides insight into the academic performance of the student. A transcript essentially tells admissions committees how much a student values education.

When evaluating a student, admissions officers closely analyze which classes the student has previously taken. While rigorous course schedules are typically favored over easy schedules, advisors do not favorably view applicants who do not excel in honors and advanced placement classes. When choosing between regular and advanced placement courses, students should choose classes that are both manageable and challenging; otherwise, acceptance to prestigious colleges and universities may be denied.

In addition to being careful about course selection, students should be certain to take classes required by their desired college or university. The average college requires four years of English, three years of Math, two years of Social Science or history, and two years of a foreign language along with a lab science. Students who fail to take these courses will certainly be denied entry into some colleges and universities.

Although many high school students choose the bare minimum when it comes to course selection, those desiring to be accepted into prestigious colleges and universities should be highly selective of the classes that they choose in high school. Remember, most college admission decisions are based on the transcript.

Filed Under: Education, High School Tagged With: College application, High school, University and college admissions

No Bullying Zone

Bullying is an ever present problem in secondary education. While many students come to school to learn, some come to intimidate and terrorize students. Although the percentage of students attending school to learn far exceeds the number of students who come to intimidate, the minority makes it dfficult for the majority to obtain a good education. In order to address this problem, the Obama administration has partnered with the NASSP to prevent and even stop bullying in school and workplace sectors. A conference, scheduled to take place in the near future, will discuss the effects of bullying and prevention methods that parents, students, and teachers can take. In addition to the conference, the White House has established a Facebook page and website that addresses bullying. Individuals will most likely find a definition and prevention methods at these sites as well.

Bullying is a real problem in public and private schools that carries detrimental effects for parents, teachers, and students. While parents do not want their children terrorized at school, teachers have to be on constant watch for potential instances of bullying. Sometimes teachers are so caught up in the act of prevention, that they forget to properly educate children. In addition, students who are constantly bullied in school suffer mental and emotional effects. Even bullies suffer because they take such practices to the workforce and sometimes miss out on work opportunities along with promotions.

While school is home to many activities and practices, bullying should not be one of them.

Filed Under: Education, High School Tagged With: Bully, Student, Teacher, White House

What About the Children?

It’s easy to forget just how precious a good education and educational system is until you see the situation of those without. The truth is, education is crucial to success in this world – not only does it teach specific technical skills, many of which are taken for granted among those who have those skills already, but education also teaches students about how society works and how to interact within it. That is critical knowledge for success; this is a world that has grown through learning. However, there are many children in the world who don’t have the resources available to them and their families to allow them to get the education they need. That’s where charity comes in.

Charities such as Kars for Kids provide the resources for children to receive educational mentorship, whether it’s through building schools, sending out teachers into the community, or other methods. This may even take the form of providing people to care for these children and make sure they stick it out through the school they are already attending. Through the aid of these organizations, children in impoverished situations can attend school and get the knowledge and social skills they need in order to get good jobs in today’s economy.

Many figures of great influence in history, both present and past, have arisen from humble beginnings and, through their own diligence and the aid of others, accomplished great things. Much of this would not be possible were it not for the contributions of compassionate people and organizations. Without education, children do not know how to function in society and have little chance of finding a place for themselves. By donating to such charities, you can help ensure that children are educated and can grow up to be happy and successful, raising their own families and making their own contributions towards future generations.

Filed Under: Elementary Tagged With: Child

Is Johnny Ready for School?

When determining a child’s ability to make it through a school day, most parents take into account a number of factors. First, the type of school is taken into account. Although some parents do not have the option of sending their children to private schools, those who do must decide if a private education is right for their child. In addition, if the private sector is chosen parents must find a school that carries a desirable philosophy, which usually requires some research about the beliefs and practices of the potential institution. After choosing the right school for the child, parents must shop for school supplies and be prepared to explain the transition to the child. While all of these steps seem necessary to the parent, educators and experts believe that only one factor determines school readiness; brain development.

In past decades, children have been denied the right to education because of age and physical appearance. Many schools did not allow children under the age of five years old to attend Kindergarten because administrators believed that individuals younger than this age were not mature enough to handle the setting and curriculum. Some schools, in past times of course, have even denied children admittance because of their height. While there were few instances of such denial because a child was too tall, there were some instances of a child deemed too short for Kindergarten having to wait until they reached an acceptable height.

While some practices of education are still biased, these practices are now obsolete in developed countries. In the science age, children entering Kindergarten are administered tests. Such tests carry the primary purpose of determining if a child’s brain is ready for a Kindergarten classroom.

Filed Under: Education, Elementary Tagged With: Child, Home, Kindergarten, Parent

K-12 Online: How do they measure up?

Every since its debut, parents and educators alike have been skeptical of the online alternative to public school education. Although the programs offer specialization at little to no cost, many parents do not want their children educated by a computer. Well, these parents may have a change in heart after hearing of the changes being made in the online public education sector.

In a rubric recently released by the Quality Matters Program, online education for grades K-12 gives the appearance of being just as good or even better than a traditional public school education. Contrary to the physical classroom where some students are disruptive and teachers fail to address the needs of each student, virtual classrooms offer one-on-one time for students and teachers without interruptions. Students attending virtual academies do not have to be concerned with the student who is competing for attention, and teachers have more time to convey key points in the lesson plan. In addition to specialized time, the teachers of online schools are credentialed like the average educator in the traditional public school sector. Online schools also offer visuals and other resources that are progressively being taken out of the traditional sector. The online school is the perfect alternative for parents who want their children to obtain a good education without financial restrains and behavioral interruption.

Although the online track for K-12th grade is an excellent source for learning, it is not a good place to look for social interaction. While students interact with teachers via web videos, children do not have the opportunity to make new friends on the playground or in the hallways of a virtual school; primarily because there is no such thing. Parents should stick with the traditional educational scheme of things if they want their children to enjoy school in its entirety.

Filed Under: Education, Higher Education Tagged With: E-learning, Education, State school