Education

Finding College Textbooks at a Nice Price

July 9, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

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It’s no secret higher education runs a pretty penny. The cost of college has increased greatly over the years. Not only do students have to pay for housing and tuition, but they have to get textbooks. Textbooks are also a pretty penny. Back in 2008, college students spent anywhere from $700 to over $1,000 to buy the books they were required to have for the academic year. Finding a bargain on textbooks eases the burden of financial obligation. Let’s look buying textbooks at a nice price.

Go used. Buying used textbooks is not a new thing. At the end of the semester, students who will not need their textbooks any longer will be happy to have someone else take them off their hands. Sure, they often have the option of selling them back to the campus bookstore. But there are those students who opt to sell them directly to the buyer. By checking out who’s selling their used sociology or calculus textbook, you can get what you need at a fraction of the price.

Go digital. Do you prefer to download your reading material? Check out getting your next textbook in an eBook format. Many textbooks are offered at a savings to you. Amazon.com and sites like CourseSmart have a variety of textbooks available to buy and download. Find the book you need and download it to your eReader or other device. An enticing advantage of a mobile device like an eReader is not throwing out your shoulder carrying all those heavy books.

Filed Under: Education, School Board Tagged With: CourseSmart, Student, Textbook

Benefits of Group Study

June 8, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

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Teachers often assign group projects or instruct students to work together with their peers in order to better understand the material being taught. For some students, this is not an enjoyable activity, and might feel that they can study better on their own. However, working together in a group can be a great way to see things differently, through the eyes of another. As long as each student is contributing within the group and is willing and eager to learn, it can be very beneficial to all members.

Being part of a study group is also useful in case one member is ill or unable to attend school on a specific day. The other group members can help that person understand what was missed, so that he or she won’t fall behind in study. Brainstorming together is a good place to start when working on a project or difficult assignment, so that each person in the group can share ideas and show what strengths they possess. When preparing for a test, groups can quiz one another to make sure every idea that will be covered on the exam is well understood by all. When one person is trying to organize a group to work together on homework or projects, it’s smart to make sure all potential study partners are on the same page as far as how often the group will meet, what will take place during meetings, and how work will be assigned.

Allowing others to lead the discussions may open the eyes of others’ to new ideas and better understanding. Working together can definitely help students to be more successful in difficult classes.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Education, Student, Study group

Learning Without Tests

June 6, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

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Some teachers are now choosing to provide a different educational experience for their students – a test free environment. Since there are many children and teenagers who suffer from anxiety related to tests, it makes sense to provide another way to learn for these special circumstances. Teachers can choose from a variety of ways to present the information.

By choosing to ask the students to give a presentation of the information learned, instead of having to answer multiple choice questions or write several essays on the spot, many students feel that the pressure is alleviated so they are able to focus and better understand. If the class is longer, students might be able to complete a project during school hours, instead of going home to work. Some teachers might worry that the assignments will be completed with the assistance of parents, siblings, or even the internet. Having the assignment be completed during the school day will take away any chance for this problem. There was a lot of talk in the news about the “No Child Left Behind Act” and how ineffective standardized testing can be to determine progress and learning.

The curriculum can still be presented effectively, so school administration won’t need to worry about these students not being ready for the next year of school. There are now even some colleges that are offering test-free courses, so removing testing from the classroom won’t take away preparation from the students. Teachers who choose this method might have a bigger job ahead of them, when ensuring all information is presented and understood. For those who test poorly, this is a great option to succeed in school.

Filed Under: Education, General Tagged With: No Child Left Behind Act, Standardized test, Teacher

Preparing for College

June 5, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

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Attending college is a wonderful and very exciting time in the life of a student. It can be a little frightening, especially for those who will be moving far from home, possibly for the first time, and living in a dorm or apartment without family members. However, with plenty of preparation and the right checklist, the transition to college life can be fun and simple.

When choosing a college, students have a few things to consider. Location is a big part for many, since moving across states can be unnerving. Paying out of state tuition can be frustrating as well. It is also important to consider other factors, such as what majors are offered, how many students will be in each class, and what types of activities and lifestyle choices are promoted. Religious students might feel more comfortable at a private school where their beliefs and values are shared, while those looking for a more liberal experience will probably want to choose differently. Someone who has worked very hard and studied diligently may be more inclined to select a more academically prestigious university.

Once a college has been selected, students can meet with academic advisors or deans to begin their university experience. Some offer guided tours, while others can provide a detailed welcome packet with information about activities, the campus, and more. When packing, it’s good to consult a list of college necessities to make sure nothing is left out. Parents and children can work together to shop and hunt for these items, and enjoy spending a little extra time together before the child heads off to next phase in life as a college co-ed.

Filed Under: Education, Requirements Tagged With: Colleges and Universities, Education, Student

Accessing Your School’s Computer Lab from Home

May 23, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

They want convenience and portability. Young people today demand this from their electronic gadgets and they want it in education as well. They want instant access to information to complete assignments, at any hour of the day or night. To meet the needs of today’s students, schools must expand campuses into cyberspace. One way education is meeting this demand is by allowing access to the school’s computer lab from home or any other remote location.

The days of going into the computer lab at school to complete an assignment are over. Laptops and electronic tablets have changed how people do their computer work, so the top schools are setting up programs for students to be connected to the tools used in the lab anytime they are online. They can connect to the school site from home, an Internet cafe or even a park that has wi-fi service.

Dell’s virtual labs is one of the systems serving college campuses to provide students with remote access to the main lab. It allows the student who is working online to have all the resources from the lab as they work on a project in their dorm room or even back home on break. The virtual lab can also make sure that class work continues if the campus would have to be shutdown for bad weather or any other reason.

It is critical to the future of education that young people be given the tools that they need to succeed in the digital age. A big step in this direction is improving their access to the tools and data that they need to complete their assignments.

Filed Under: Education, School Board Tagged With: Computer lab, Dell, Student

Benefits of Hands On Learning in the Classroom

May 22, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

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No matter what age group you are teaching, there are numerous benefits that come from having a hands-on curriculum. What this essentially means is that aspects of your teaching, and aspects of the learning in your classroom should involve allowing the students to work with their hands, learning as they explore. This might mean working on a computer, doing math problems on the board rather than in a notebook, playing with science tools or making art. However you look at it, you can take the education that you are imparting on your students to a completely different level when you allow them to work with their hands in the classroom.

As a teacher in a classroom, it is largely within your power to direct the learning of your students in any way that you choose. You have the power to give your students a creative, interactive, hands on learning style that they can use to develop a better understanding of the class material as well as a greater appreciation for the subject. Hands on learning is a great way to help students with subjects that they struggle with, and so it is a great way to keep your students engaged and ensure that they are learning to their full potential in your classroom.

Experiment with different teaching and learning styles in your classroom and your students will flourish as a result. Take advantage of the control that you have in the classroom and use your distinct teaching style to help your students perform at their very best.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Classroom, Education, Learning styles

What is Collaborative Learning?

May 8, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

In a traditional classroom, each student sits alone at their own desk and an instructor lectures and teaches from the front of the room. While in certain circumstances this can be an effective teaching style that children can benefit from, there are far more teaching and learning styles that you can implement in the classroom if you want to turn it into a more effective learning environment. Collaborative learning, for example, teaches more than just the course material, allowing students to learn how to work together effectively while reinforcing classroom material for a power-packed approach to learning in the classroom.

What collaborative learning essentially comes down to is group learning and learning where the students work together in pairs, small groups or large groups, striving to teach not only the material in the lesson, but also concepts of team work, group work, working together, and even themes of tolerance. There are many benefits associated with collaborative learning, so much so that this is becoming one of the most popular forms of teaching in many classrooms. It often leaves students up to their own devices, allowing groups of students to come up with the best course of action for solving a problem or addressing the material, and so you can come up with some pretty interesting interpretations of the classroom material in the process.

If you are teaching in a classroom where learning styles are very different, grouping students together for projects for a collaborative learning approach is often going to prove to be the best course of action.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Education, Student, Teacher

Connect to School From Your Home

May 4, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

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One of the ways that you can keep learning and keep school material fresh in your mind is to access your school’s computer lab from home so that you can continue to make use of software and learning tools that are accessible to you at school at home as well. It would benefit you to find out through your school if there are ways in which you can access computer software and resources from the school at home. This is especially beneficial when it comes to working on school projects, because schools often have access to additional resources beyond what you can acquire on your own.

Contact your school and find out what you can do to bring the school’s computer resources home. The school may be able to help you access your school’s computer lab from home. If you are willing to find out what types of resources the school makes available to its students, then the result is that you may be able to bring additional resources home that you can use to your advantage during the learning process. When you have access to more resources during the learning process, then that is when you can truly excel in school.

Many schools offer resources for students that want to bring computer resources home, but you simply have to be willing to find out what resources are available to you. Take advantage of any and all resources that your school makes available to you.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Education, Homeschooling, Learning

How to Visit A College Campus – Part I

March 28, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

You have finished your AP exams, sent off your college applications, asked your teachers for recommendations, and now you are started to receive letters back from colleges that will determine your fate for the next four years. One of the best ways to choose between colleges is to take a college campus visit. Here are some tips for a successful college campus visit.

First, make a list of all the colleges you’d like to visit. If you have applied only to colleges nearby, you should still plan on taking a formal campus visit to get to know the students, teachers, classroom sizes, and the atmosphere of the campus. If your top colleges are across the country, discuss with your parents about which colleges you can visit. Call or email the campus admissions office to set up a campus visit. Ask for a tour, a night in the dorm, a cafeteria pass, and a classroom visit or two. Also ask if you can schedule a time to meet with a professor or dean of the school that you are most interested in.

Second, prepare for your campus visit by creating a list of questions for each of the people you’ll meet. If you are staying with a student in the dorms, ask them what dorm life is like. What do they like about it, and what don’t they like about it? What’s it like living with a roommate? What is the cafeteria food like? What are classes like? How do they usually study, and where do they study? What fun things are there to do on campus, or in town? A student in the dorms is a valuable source of information.

Filed Under: Administration, Education Tagged With: Campus, Education, Student

The Positives and Negatives of the Advanced Placement Program

March 24, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

The Advanced Placement Program, or AP Program, is well-known by many high school students in America today. Many juniors and seniors spend their days with a head in a textbook, trying to tackle reading lists, absorb vocabulary words, and memorize historical dates in efforts to earn the coveted 5 on the AP exam.

The AP program prepares high school students for college-level academics. The programs are available in a number of subject areas, from World History to Latin. Students can take courses designed to help them prepare for the exam, held in the spring of the academic year, or they can study on their own.

The AP program is widely accepted in American high schools, and seems to encourage students to push themselves academically. However, AP courses also run the risk of simply teaching students to perform well on a test rather than learn critical thinking skills.

One of the advantages of taking the AP exam is that students who earn a 4 or a 5 on an AP exam in a certain subject area can receive college credit. For example, a student who earns a 4 in AP English may be exempt from Freshman English in her college. This allows high school students not only to prepare for college, but actually perform at the college level, which can give them a jump start when they matriculate and can alleviate college costs.

AP Programs are so widely accepted among colleges and universities that it is a no-brainer that high-performing high school students, or those students that want a challenge, should take the exams, But it can also be beneficial to consider International Bacchalaureate or other programs that can also provide college credit and academic challenge.

Filed Under: Education, School Board Tagged With: Advanced Placement, High school, United States