INEQUALITY FOR ALL: The Challenge of Unequal Opportunity in American Schools

INEQUALITY FOR ALL:  The Challenge of Unequal Opportunity in American Schools.

Why Can’t We “Get it Together”?

That’s what Virginia and I were left wondering after this interview with Dr. William Schmidt, the author of the exciting new book: INEQUALITY FOR ALL:  The Challenge of Unequal Opportunity in American Schools.

No, it’s not about rich versus poor or disadvantaged versus privilege.  It’s a revelation of the fact that our schools, even within the same districts, cities and States do not have comparable curriculum content and standards on the same critical science and math subjects.  And the greatest variations are in middle-income school districts; and it happens even within the same school.

In other words there is no equivalence between classes of the same Grade on the same subjects.  And this results in many kids being short-changed or otherwise graduating with different knowledge than other kids who’ve done the “same” subject Grade classes elsewhere in the system.

Dr. Schmidt reveals that some teachers are not properly equipped or competent to deliver the math and science curriculum—and that is part of the problem.

Compared to this, the nations that are bettering us overseas have national standards of common core material that all kids are exposed to.

By “common core standard” is meant what is to be taught: not how it is to be taught.

Parents will ask: what to do?

The answer is go to the Common Core Standards website http://www.corestandards.org/ and see what their child should be learning at each grade, and take the action needed to have the material delivered to your child.

This is important because math is the language of technology and the information driven society we now live in.

Click here for more information on INEQUALITY FOR ALL:  The Challenge of Unequal Opportunity in American Schools.

If that link doesn’t work go to http://promse.msu.edu/ and look in the “what’s New” section.

William H. Schmidt is University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University and co-director of theEducationPolicyCenter.

 

Click here to Listen: Dr. William Schmidt — INEQUALITY FOR ALL: The Challenge of Unequal Opportunity in American Schools

 

Roger & Virginia at The Learning Curve.

Did You Know Most Kids Lose a Lot of What They Recently Learned in School While on Summer Break? Teachers Call it the “Summer Slide.”

Did You Know Most Kids Lose a Lot of What They Recently Learned in School While on Summer Break?  Teachers Call it the “Summer Slide.”

Nowhere is the adage: “If you don’t use it, you lose it” more accurate than in the case of young minds and the reason behind the “summer slide.”

In today’s Learning Curve Francie Alexander explains how you can protect your child’s learning and advancement.  Learn how you can easily prevent the “summer slide.”

Francie Alexander is Vice President and Chief Academic Officer for Scholastic Education. Francie has taught at all levels, was a district reading consultant for Pre-K through high school, and has authored professional articles for educators as well as 25 “Books Kids Can Read” for children.

In today’s Learning Curve we reveal:

  • What the “Summer Slide” is.
  • The fact that teachers typically need 4 to 6 weeks in the fall to re-teach material students have forgotten!
  • The importance of “summer reading in beating the summer slide.”
  • The wonderful treasure trove of tools and resources available at the scholastic.com website.

Learn of the many initiatives and tools Scholastic has made available to you so you can beat the “summer learning loss” and also help your child in everyday learning.

  • Scholastic Summer Challenge a program where students can win prizes by logging their reading minutes online or using a new mobile app. called The Scholastic Reading Timer.
  • Scholastic Reading Timer kids can set personal reading goals, using the built-in stopwatch to reach their target number of reading minutes.
  • Storia® is a free eReading app specifically designed to support kids’ reading
  • Sushi Monster, Scholastic‘s newest free math fact fluency game available on the iPad.
  • Summer book packs for all age groups.

Get tips for parents from Francie on how to keep kids learning over the summer

For teachers, the Scholastic website is an equally wonderful resource.  Their website has been set up to serve as the content and e-Commerce hub for everything a teacher needs most for use in the classroom.  Each week, more than 1.6 million visitors to Scholastic.com access over 100,000 pages of free content and teaching resources.

This show is one of the most enjoyable Roger & Virginia has done on the Learning Curve.  And the material it makes available to parents, teachers and students is truly valuable and quite amazing.

Scholastic, Inc., is a publishing and educational industry service company whose mission is stated as:

“The corporate mission of Scholastic is to encourage the intellectual and personal growth of all children, beginning with literacy, the cornerstone of all learning. With more than 90 years of experience supporting the learning lives of children, today Scholastic remains committed to providing quality, engaging educational content in digital and print formats for the next generation of learners, and the families and educators who guide them.”

But the big surprise to Roger is that Scholastic are also the people behind bringing the Harry Potter series to America!  So it’s not all serious academics at Scholastic.

 

Click her to listen to:  June 11, 2012 Francie Alexander

Roger and Virginia at The Learning Curve.

 

How to Repair a “Failing” Student’s Ability to Learn

The Learning Curve July 11, 2011

How to Repair a “Failing” Student’s Ability to Learn

This week’s Learning Curve is important for all parents who have children who are failing at school or who have the consideration that they are “slow,” “dull,” “can’t learn” or “learning disabled.”

Roger and Virginia take you through the process that handles and restores a student’s certainty that they can learn.  It demonstrates to the student that learning is an ability we all have; and the procedure restores to the student their certainty that they can exercise it and actually, successfully learn anything they apply their attention to.

Last week we and our guests from www.3DLearner.com debunked the notion that dyslexia is a “disability.”  We showed that dyslexia is not correctly understood; and that, instead, these folks are what can be called “right brain learners” who exhibit quite remarkable abilities not enjoyed by others.

This week we take on another of the myths held by the educational establishment.

At the end of Chapter One of our book: How to Learn-How to Teach: Overcoming the Seven Barriers to Comprehension, (http://www.howtolearneasily.com) we have a section dealing with how to recover the ability and certainty for your child that they can learn and succeed one-hundred percent at their school studies.

This week’s program reveals some of that important information.

For the full discussion of the material, folks who have Kindles or Nooks, can obtain the Parent’s & Student’s Edition of How to Learn-How to Teach: Overcoming the Seven Barriers to Comprehension, from either Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/How-Learn-Overcoming-Comprehension-Parents-ebook/dp/B004RR1QPA/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1)

or Barnes & Noble (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-learn-how-to-teach-roger-e-boswarva/1030457406?ean=2940012187093&itm=2&usri=how%2bto%2blearn%2bhow%2bto%2bteach)

Alternatively, you can download the Nook or Kindle application to you computer and read it there.

 

Click here to listen July 11, 2011 Roger & Virginia

For more information go to http://www.howtolearneasily.com

send any questions you have to questions@howtolearneasily.com

Jennifer Turner is an Honest to Goodness, Genuine Home-Schooling Mom Who Believes in student-led learning.

The Learning Curve February 27, 2012   Jennifer Turner

Jennifer Turner is an Honest to Goodness, Genuine Home-Schooling Mom Who Believes in student-led learning.

Jennifer is lucky to be able to benefit from A Cyber Charter School with on-line curriculum along with on-line teacher back-up and testing.

The benefit of all this to Jennifer’s two children is that, while they have to meet the state testing standards, she can allow the kids to progress through each item on the curriculum at the pace that best suits the child and also ensure mastery on all subject matter.

Hear how Jennifer practices Student Led Learning.

Hear how she works the interests and needs of each child into the lesson plans and material.

She is also able to allow each of her children to learn in the style best suited to the child—indeed she pays special attention to facilitating her children’s two different learning styles.  And this further enhanced by her practice of Student Led Learning.

Jennifer says this method of educating her children has developed in them a wondrous love of learning, and the ability to discover and master anything they will ever have to deal with in later life.

And the big bonus Jennifer has found is that Home Schooling allows families to be flexible in meeting all of the needs of each member of the family.

Hear Jennifer answer these questions:

  • What is student-led learning?
  • How do home school parents incorporate their children’s interests during instructed learning time?
  • How do our children meet state and federal school requirements by following the student led philosophy?
  • Can traditional school settings incorporate a student-led philosophy?

More wisdom from Jennifer at her Blog: http://www.studentsathome.wordpress.com/

 

Click here to listen  February 27, 2012 Jennifer Turner

Roger & Virginia at The Learning Curve

 

 

Are There Advantages in Single Gender Schools for Children? Does it Work Better for Kids the Way Schools Were Prior to Going Co-Ed?

The Learning Curve February 13, 2012 Cherokee Creek Boys School

Are There Advantages in Single Gender Schools for Children?  Does it Work Better for Kids the Way Schools Were Prior to Going Co-Ed?

Today’s guests are Beth Black and Denise Savage of Cherokee Creek Boys School. 

Beth is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Cherokee Creek Boys School, which is a therapeutic boarding school for middle school boys, ages 11-15, in Westminster, SC.The school is dedicated to “challenging boys and their families to discover what is real and true about themselves and the world around them.”  The program seeks to build character by offering a path of self-discovery that addresses the emotional, psychological, intellectual, and spiritual needs of adolescent boys.  Among her many accomplishments, Bet was an Adjunct Professor for Florida State University while teaching “Communicating Disney Style” and “Marketing the Good News About Schools,” as well as a facilitator for the popular program “Disney Approach to People Management”, designed to share Disney’s internal marketing and quality service strategies with business professionals.

Denise is Academic Dean, having been a teacher since 1992, she brings extensive classroom experience with her to Cherokee Creek Boys School.  Denise has an exciting mix of strong language instruction skills, as well as extensive knowledge of Individual Education Plans, testing and interpretation, and experience evaluating and developing diverse curriculum models. At Cherokee Creek, Denise works to foster, in her own words, “enthusiastic and dynamic teaching as a means of creating and nurturing a lifelong love of knowledge.” She does this through Curriculum Development and academic oversight of a staff of teachers, by teaching a themed English and Social Studies class, and by preparing the boys for the moment when they actually leave the school. In a therapeutic environment, she feels her job is to get boys to reclaim their love of learning and back on an academic track so they are better able to perform as independent learners once they leave the therapeutic environment.

Learn why it is often better to have boys and girls separated in school  . . . it’s to do with their learning styles tending to conflict with each other.

The public school system currently forces boys to learn in the style best suited for girls!

Did you know there is an association of Independent Educational Consultants who can help parents find the best learning environment/school for your child?

Cherokee Creek Boys School

 

Click here to listen February 13, 2012 CherokeeCreek

Roger and Virginia at How to Learn Easily

 

How to Benefit From Home Schooling Internet Resources Whether You Home School or Not! Part 2.

The Learning Curve August 15, 2011 –Terry Neven Part 2

How to Benefit From Home Schooling Internet Resources Whether You Home School or Not!  Part 2.

What internet resources are there available to help you help your kids get good grade?

What about Public Home School Programs?  Getting Your Program Accredited?

This is Part 2 of Roger & Virginia interviewing Terry Neven, the Administrator of the Sundland Home School Program. Terry founded Sundland in 1981. In 2008, Terry, Sundland and their attorneys won the case before the California Supreme Court that established as law the right of caring parents to home school their children. This win established the precedent that affected home-schooling rights for all Americans.

Terry runs the “Home School Program” at http://www.home-schooling.org which we recommend listeners go to to feast on the available resources provided.  It is one of the very best sites we’ve found to help parents help their kids get good grades.  Coaching is available, as are curricula accreditations.

See the High School Manual here: http://www.home-schooling.org/High_School_Manual/high_school_manual.html

In this interview key issues are addressed, such as:

  • To home school or not — all questions are answered.
  • How to begin your home schooling endeavor.
  • How home schooling recovers and enhances your best relationships with your child.
  • Only 52 minutes in a six hour school day are spent actually learning in a conventional school.
  • Learn about the superior scholastic achievement of home schooled children.
  • Is the public school system really just tax sponsored daycare?
  • The Montessori Method works very easily with the home schooling environment.
  • Student learning styles are facilitated and worked with so the child’s natural ability to learn is enhanced.
  • Why some parents choose to home school to protect their children from the conventional system.
  • Choosing an accredited program so your home school work is accepted academically for college entry.
  • Erasing the unfounded fears of whether or not you will succeed in home schooling.
  • Did you know some public schools have been trying to sabotage some home schoolers?
  • The benefits of accreditation and how to get it.
  • How to handle the fallacy that home schooling impedes “socialization” of a child.

And much, much more.

 

Click here to listen  081511 Terry Neven–Part 2

Roger & Virginia

How to Benefit From Home Schooling Internet Resources Whether You Home School or Not!

The Learning Curve August 8, 2011 Terry Neven Part 1

How to Benefit From Home Schooling Internet Resources Whether You Home School or Not!

What internet resources are there available to help you help your kids get good grade?

Roger & Virginia interview Terry Neven, the Administrator of the Sundland Home School Program.  Terry founded Sundland in 1981.  In 2008, Terry, Sundland and their attorneys won the case before the California Supreme Court that established as law the right of caring parents to home school their children.  This win established the precedent that affected home-schooling rights for all Americans.

See Court Briefs here: http://www.home-schooling.org/Court_Briefs___Custody/court_briefs___custody.html

HomeSchoolLegal defense: http://www.home-schooling.org/Home_School_Legal_Defense/homeschool_legal_defense.html

Terry runs the “Home School Program” at http://www.home-schooling.org which we recommend listeners go to to feast on the available resources provided.

See the High School Manual here: http://www.home-schooling.org/High_School_Manual/high_school_manual.html

In this interview key issues are addressed, such as:

  •  To home school or not — all questions are answered.
  •  How home schooling recovers and enhances your best relationships with your child.
  •  Only 52 minutes in a six hour school day is spent actually learning in a conventional school.
  • Learn about the superior scholastic achievement of home schooled children.
  •  Is the public school system really just tax sponsored daycare?
  • The Montessori Method works very easily with the home schooling environment.
  •  Student learning styles are facilitated and worked with so the child’s natural ability to learn is enhanced.
  •  Why some parents choose to home school to protect their children from the conventional system.
  • Choosing an accredited program so your home school work is accepted academically for college entry.
  • Erasing the unfounded fears of whether or not you will succeed in home schooling.

And much, much more.

More details at http://www.home-schooling.org

Click here to listen August 8, 2011 Terry Neven — part 1

For more information on this important subject, visit our website http://www.howtolearneasily.com.

Send any questions you have to questions@howtolearneasily.com

 

Home School Enrichment—A Reason Why Home Schooled Kids Score Thirty-Five Percent Higher Than the National Average

The Learning Curve July 18, 2011

Today’s guest on The Learning Curve is Jonathan Lewis, Editor-in-Chief of Home School Enrichment MagazineHome School Enrichment Magazine is a bi-monthly print magazine, but also on-line at: http://www.homeschoolenrichment.com/

This is a must hear show for parents who want good grades for their kids.

There are now more than two-million children being home-schooled in theUS, with numbers fast increasing each year.  Jonathan reveals that home-schooled kids on average score 35% higher than the national average on standardized achievement tests!  He also reveals that the US is spending $10,500 a year for each enrolled student in regular schools, but the average cost of home-school education is $500 per child . . . and what a difference in result!

Learn the reasons why parents opt for home schooling.  Learn how easy it is, how to go about setting up your home school endeavor; what resources, help, free advice and services are available for potential home-schoolers.

Hear how parental involvement, even for non-home-schooled kids, is an important key to good grades.

 

Click her to listen July 18, 2011

For more information on this important subject, visit Roger & Virginia at our website http://www.howtolearneasily.com.

Send any questions you have to questions@howtolearneasily.com

What Are the Higher Level Abilities of Children (and Adults) Who Are “Right Brain Learners” but Labeled Dyslexic? What Indicators Can Parents Use to Recognize This in Their Children? How Can They Benefit From This Condition Our Guests Reveal Thirty Three Percent of us Have.

The Learning Curve July 4, 2011

Roger & Virginia interview Mira and Mark Halpert of 3DLearner.com. Mira is a practicing school teacher who has been featured on CBS showing her revolutionary answers to the “learning disabilities” experienced by those labeled as being “dyslexic.” What people see as a disability Mira sees as a learning difference, and she proves it with her success handling students as revealed by the CBS program.  See http://www.3dlearner.com/parents

What we reveal in this show are the extraordinary abilities and true potential these children (and adults) have along with how to best harness and take advantage of what conventional wisdom mislabels as “disability.” We also discuss how these children excel in later life and in business when they are away from the stifling structure of the conventional school system.

These folks (children and adults) are holographic in their thought processes, and learning style, which mode of action actually gives them huge advantages in real life. Listeners will be able to benefit not only from getting a correct understanding of these phenomena, but learn how a correct address to them both in the learning process and in life can yield superior results.

Listeners will learn the symptoms by which they can correctly recognize this phenomenon in their children (or themselves). This is part two of our show with Mira and Mark Halpert of  3DLearner.com.

 

Click here to Listen July 04, 2011

For more information on this important subject, visit Roger & Virginia at our website http://www.howtolearneasily.com.

Send any questions you have to questions@howtolearneasily.com

Dyslexia is Not Correctly Understood — It is Not Really a Disability but May Well Be the Expression of a Higher Level Ability.

The Learning Curve June 27, 2011

Roger & Virginia interview Mira and Mark Halpert of 3DLearner.com.  Mira is a practicing school teacher who has been featured on CBS showing her revolutionary answers to the “learning disabilities” experienced by those labeled as being “dyslexic.”  What we reveal in this show are the extraordinary abilities and true potential these children (and adults) have along with how to best harness and take advantage of what conventional wisdom sees as a “disability.”  Mark and Mira reveal a statistic of thirty-three percent of students are being labeled as “disabled” for having what they refer to as being “right brain learners.”  In actuality, these folks are holographic in their thought processes, and learning style, which mode of action actually gives them huge advantages in real life.  Listeners will be able to benefit from hearing how a correct understanding of these phenomena along with a correct address to them both in the learning process and in life can yield superior results.  This is part one of a two part show with Mira and Mark Halpert of 3DLearner.com.

 

Click here to listen June 27, 2011

For more information go to http://www.howtolearneasily.com

Send any questions you have to questions@howtolearneasily.com