Compulsory Education

Compulsory education is the type of schooling that children are required to receive by state law. An example of compulsory education is public education, however, homeschooling may be a legal alternative in some places. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this type of educational requirement. However, it sparks controversy as it provides for the intellectual development of our children under the government’s  terms, instead of allowing the public to choose.

There are many benefits that come from compulsory education. It has increased the knowledge of basic subjects, including mathematics. Plus, it has greatly reduced illiteracy. Compulsory education works to increase economic development, while discouraging child labor. Access to better professions with better pay become available as a direct result. Overall, students who participate in compulsory or “required” education perform better in life and receive higher wages.

On the other hand, critics of compulsory education believe that it conflicts with an individual’s freedom. Forcing children to go to school against their consent might be perceived as unethical. It prevents children from pursuing their own interest, as it takes up a large amount of time in their lives. Ivan Illich, a strong advocate against compulsory education believes that the school establishments should not exist and that they confuse things. He believes that schools confuse teaching with learning, grades with education, diplomas with competence, attendance with attainment, and especially, process with substance. Others who are against compulsory education believe that schools are okay, but many aspects of the way that they operate should be rethought.

Overall, the American society is supportive of compulsory education. Most people agree that the benefits out weigh the problems that it might create and appreciate the fact that the government provides the public education system. Compulsory education will more than likely continue to be a huge part of our children’s development.

 

College vs. High School

Many young adults who are entering their freshman year of college may be apprehensive, wondering what to expect.  Whereas high school is required and often free, college is elective and usually expensive.  College is also more difficult than high school and requires a higher level of commitment for success.  There is also a certain level of maturity that is needed to do well in college because one will find that it is much different than going to high school. 

First of all, no one should fear going to college.  It is a noble decision on anyones part and shows motivation and ambition.  Also, college is better than high school because it allow you to grow rapidly into adulthood as there is no more babysitting done by teachers and parents.  No one holds you accountable for being in class or turning in assignments.  It is entirely up to you to be responsible for yourself and succeed.  College is often where you find out what kind of person you will be. 

In college, unlike in high school, you will attend classes with people of all ages.  Both young adults and older adult strive to increase their knowledge and attain personal goals and career advancements.  Also, there is usually a significantly larger number of students in your college classes.  This means that you will get less individualized attention and often have to schedule time with instructors or communicate by email to get their attention.  Once again, you will find that you generally have to take responsibility for yourself. 

Another big difference between high school and college is the size of the campus.  In high school, usually all of your classes are in the same building.  On the other hand, in college, classes are often spread throughout a large campus.  Each campus consists of various buildings that specialize in teaching different subjects.  Often, a student can expect more exercise with a long walk or bike ride between buildings.  It is important to take that into consideration when scheduling classes. 

Finally, in college, there is more work than in high school.   It is estimated that for every hour you spend in a college class, you must spend two hours studying or doing assignments.  College requires a lot more discipline than high school.  There is more reading, writing, and curriculum.  A lot of what you learn in college is what you teach yourself from reading books and studying independently.  Whereas in high school, you are practically spoon fed the majority of information that you need to know.  College is an advancement from high school for those who are willing to work hard and continue learning.

 

Principal vs principle

This post is a grammar lesson to help clarify understanding of principal vs. principle.

It was the first day of the new school year and all the students were gathered together for an assembly. As the school authority stood in the front of the auditorium, trying to connect with his students, he said,
“Now remember kids, the last three letters in the word principal spell P-A-L.” Although it was cheesy, it was his way of informing the students that he was a friendly guy. From that day on, I never misspelled the word principal, because his speech was burned into my memory.

Principal and principle are two of the most commonly confused words in the English language. Many people skipped through the grade school system without learning how to use them correctly. You will find these words used erroneously on everything from newspapers to court documents. Given the fact that a word can have multiple meanings, it is not difficult to understand where this confusion is coming from. However, one should make an effort to learn and teach correct English. Therefor, the following is a tutorial, explaining the differences between the words “principal” and “principle.”

Principal

Principal can be used as both a noun and an adjective.

As a noun, it commonly means “administrator” or “sum of money.”
As an adjective, it means “most important.”

Examples:

- Billy got in trouble at school and had to see the principal. (as a noun)
- To get out of debt, you must pay down the principal of your loan. (as a noun)
- He finally addressed my principal concern. (as an adjective)

Principle

Principle can only be used as a noun.

The noun principle means a “rule” or “basic truth”

Examples:

- Susan practices the principles of her religion.
- John is a man of strong principles.
- There are basic principles that we follow when teaching children.

A good way to remember this is by recognizing that both “rule” and “principle” end with the letters “le.”

 

Fractions

We need fractions so we can figure out how many pieces are in a whole. The word fraction actually comes from the Latin word “fractio”which means to break. Whole numbers can be broken down into fractions that represent a part of a whole number. Fractions are used in everyday life to measure ingredients, divide the hour when we tell time, interpret gas prices, and understand the value of money. We begin to learn how to use fractions from a young age and advance on those skills throughout grade school. However, some children find it difficult to understand fractions, so a firm foundation of learning the basics is highly important.

A fraction is the ratio of two whole numbers. It is one whole number divided by another whole number. The top part of a fraction is called the numerator and the bottom is called the denominator. In the fraction ½, the numerator is 1 and the denominator is 2. Normally the numerator is smaller than the denominator. This is called a proper fraction. When the numerator is larger than the denominator, it is called an improper fraction. Example:7/2.

Children usually begin to learn fractions in about the second or third grade. A good visual lesson on understanding fractions is to take a whole pie and cut it into pieces. Children also learn fractions by equating them with money. There are 4 quarters in a dollar, so one quarter is ¼ of a dollar. By the fourth grade, students learn to compare fractions with common denominators. They should be able to shade a portion of a circle to represent a fraction. In the 5th grade, student learn to add fractions and understand uncommon denominators and equivalent fractions. It is important to understand the concept of fractions from a young age, because as education progresses, fractions are used to teach more and more complex math skills.

 

Homeschool Health and Nutrition

Teaching health and nutrition is a particularly important part of homeschool curriculum. There are general national guidelines that direct the way that health and nutrition should be taught in the home. In addition, most states also require that a certain curriculum is explained to children. State requirements can be found by contacting your state department of education. This should be your first step in teaching health and nutrition curriculum in your home. Teaching proper health and nutrition to your children is essential for optimal condition and strength of body and mind. The ideas and habits that children create in their youth will often continue into their adulthood, determining their future ideas and habits as adults. With the rising concerns of obesity, eating disorders, substance abuse, and their related health deficits, a strong education in health and nutrition acts as a defense against what could become life altering mistakes.

The national guidelines for teaching health and nutrition have been developed by the Center for Disease Control and the American Cancer Society. They were designed to help children to discern between healthy and unhealthy practices, to teach them the importance of being healthy, and to encourage them to set goals and make appropriate health enhancing decisions. There are eight standards that are listed as follows:

1. Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to promote health.
2. Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behavior.
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid informations, products, and services to enhance health.
4. Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks.
5. Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision making skills to enhance health.
6. Students will demonstrate the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health.
7. Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.
8. Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.

In addition to meeting the homeschool curriculum requirements for the nation and the state, there are more ways to teach your children to have good standards for health and nutrition. Most importantly, set a good example in the home by having nutritious meals at regular intervals. It may be a good idea to include your children when planning or preparing food. Also, Children who come from families who do not use tobacco or drink in excess are less likely to develop those problems as adults. Talk to your kids early about these important health topics and encourage good sleeping habits and exercise. A proper education on health and nutrition can influence your child for a better life.

 

Middle School Principal

Principals are responsible for the overall operation of their schools.  They organize structure, act as an instructional leader, and solve problems by directing school reform.  Middle school principals have a particularly difficult job, as they work with middle school aged children.  The responsibilities of a middle school principal require someone with strong credentials and a special set of skills. 

When a child struggles academically or has disciplinary issues, it is the principal who must interact with the parents to resolve such issues.  In addition, the principal works with the entire school staff in making decisions and resolving problems by leading school reform.  The job duties of a principal seem endless as they are responsible for the overall academic performance of their students, safety in the school, developing and enforcing discipline policies, supervising school personnel, and much more. 

Today, in the United States, there are nearly 9 million middle school aged children.  Inside of a middle school, there are students who experience some of the most awkward years of their lives.  Middle school children are especially vulnerable to multiple risks.  With the onset of puberty, social alienation, and growth into mental maturity, middle school students need strong leadership and authority.  Often, middle school principals have an increased number of responsibilities when it comes to dealing with the academic and disciplinary issues of their students. 

With the great number of responsibilities that the middle school principal’s job entails, it is important to have the right person for this position.  A middle school principal must have up to date knowledge about educational research and practice.  Typically, a principal has a master’s degree and multiple years of teaching experience.  It is also favorable that they have taken on smaller roles of authority such as that of the assistant principal.  On average, a middle school principal earns a salary of $59,000 per yearly, but can make up to $98,000 yearly.  However, most of them will tell you that the salary isn’t as relevant as the rewarding feelings that come from their type of work. 

In addition to being educated, a middle school principal must possess important qualities and skills to be successful.  They must have a love for the children and the ability to relate with them.  Also, they must have a clear vision of where their school is going and be inspired to continually improve upon academic achievements.  A middle school teacher needs to possess a strong knowledge of the curriculum and be able to motivate their staff members as well as their students.  Unfortunately, in addition, a middle school teacher needs a thick skin.  It is not an easy job by any stretch of the imagination.  Middle school principals need to be appreciated for their strong efforts and hard work.

 

Preschool Online

Thinking skills, motor skills, math and reading skills, and computer skills can all be taught from a very young age with an online preschool.  Online preschools are created to entertain your child while developing their imagination, teaching skills, and preparing them for entrance into kindergarten.  There are both formal online education programs that you can pay for and free materials that can be used right in your own home.  Online preschool programs can provide the building blocks that your child needs to excel in future schooling. 

Many of a child’s logical thinking skills can be learned by playing games.  Sequencing, matching, locating, guessing, and reasoning are all different activities that a young child can participate in, using an online preschool.  Also, it is important to teach your child some basic math and reading skills prior to enrolling them into kindergarten.  Look for online programs that consist of reading and math games.  Anything that involves numbers, counting, letters or small words will help a child advance in their skills and teach them that learning is fun. 

Disney, Fisher-Price, and National Geographic kids all offer online learning activities that are appropriate for preschool aged children. These sites are beneficial because they offer a variety of games that can meet the level of your child, even if they are a little ahead or behind in their learning.  They introduce your child to concepts and facts that will give them a skills advantage and bolster self esteem. 

Another great advantages of online preschool is that is familiarizes a child with the computer from a very young age.  As technology has become a very important aspect of life, it is important to allow children to experience it as soon as possible.  Plus, using the computer keyboard guarantees that your child will be able to practice their fine motor skills.  However, the internet can be a dangerous place, so take some time to preview the material that they will be exposed to and always remember to supervise their computer activities.

 

Declarative Learning

Declarative learning is obtaining information that one can speak about. memory learning It is the opposite of motor learning, which is the process of improving motor skills and different from procedural learning, which is often more gradual and less conscious. Learning the alphabet is an example of declarative learning, while learning to ski is not. Declarative learning is characterized as being memory dependent. In addition, it is language based and analytical. As a fundamentally important skill, declarative learning is how we acquire new information.

Declarative learning often works through memorizing information. It occurs consciously, however, the unconscious is also involved. According to a recent study, increased relaxation during sleep may improve declarative memory performance. Declarative learning uses the temporal lobe of the brain. This lobe of the brain allows an individual to recall information at will.

The sum of declarative learning is equal to everything intellectual that human beings know. Although it seems immeasurable, there have been two attempts at estimating the amount of knowledge that a person possesses. The first is a measurement of the size of a persons vocabulary or mental lexicon. There are more than 100,000 words in the English language. An adult with a college education generally knows between 40,000 to 60,000 of them. However, this measurement only represents a subset of declarative learning. The second estimate is a measurement of how much information that people can remember from a lifetime of learning. One expert estimates that by the age of 70, humans have acquired and retained 2×10^9 bits of information. However, these are rough estimates and only represent the size an information database. They are not precise for declarative learning.

 

Prison Education

Inmates who receive an academic education while in prison are less likely to return than those who do not.  Although we rarely think about prison in terms of the benefits that it provides to it’s residence, 100% of federal prisons offer multiple types of prison education programs.  The majority of state prisons are providing their inmates an education as well.   Prison education, also known as correctional education, involves an academic or vocational education program supplied to the prisoner as part of their rehabilitation in preparation for returning to life outside of prison. 

Although it has been determines that educated prisoners are less likely to return to prison, there is some controversy surrounding the prison education systems.  Critics claim that we are doing nothing more than creating “educated criminals.”  However, studies have shown that the more educational programs that are completed by a prisoner, the less likely they will be to relapse into criminal or delinquent behavior.  The population of inmates generally completes less education than the general population.  However, due to the educational programs available to inmates, by the end of 2007, 100% of inmates who where to soon be released had a GED. 

Although state prison education programs vary from state to state, federal prison education programs are fairly standard across the board.  They consist of literacy classes, parenting classes, wellness education, general education development (GED), English as a second language instruction, and adult continuing education.  These programs are significantly important to inmates because it is more difficult for them to obtain an education after they are released.  According to the Violent Crime and Law Enforcement Act, convicted felons are not eligible to receive Pell grants to fund their educations.  The Pell grant budget allocates less than 1% to inmate education.  However, if a prisoner is below 25 years of age and has a sentence of 5 years of less, they may qualify for post secondary or vocational training while in prison, due to the Higher Education Act’s Grant for Youthful Offenders. 

Not only do prisoners benefit from gaining an education, but the welfare of society becomes positively impacted.  Society sees a decrease in the amount of crimes and acts of violence that could have been.  Plus, there is a financial benefit for taxpayers who are less likely to be paying the bills of repeat offenders.  Being able to read, write, and adopt social skills have proven to be the most valuable assets that prisoners rejoin society with.

 

Testing Issues

There is a lot of controversy that surrounds testing.  People question whether or not a test can accurately measure an amount of knowledge.  Also, there are students who learn, but cannot test well due to a learning disability or test anxiety.  There are programs that rate the value of a teacher by the test results that their students produce.  It has been questioned by some whether or not this is ethical and have been suggested that teachers might push material specific for testing instead of what the students really need to be learning.  This is almost avoidable when an entire school is evaluated based  on a certain test’s results.  Standardized testing may have the ability to kill off the kind of education that really matters.  

In addition to the issues that surround testing, there are issues with the tests themselves.  Sometimes scantrons are not scored accurately.  One high school’s SAT test answer sheets where damaged from being left in a humid environment.  The moisture caused many of the tests to be scored incorrectly on the scantron.  As a result, lives where changes.  Some students failed to receive grades that were required for admittance into their choice universities.  Other students were robbed of scholarships that they had rightfully earned.  Another problem that becomes a testing issue is that of security.  When testing security protocol is not followed properly, tests can be tampered with and students may have the opportunity to cheat on an exam. 

The results of testing can be arguably inaccurate.  In many schools, a percentage of students will fail to be in attendance on the days of testing.  Usually these are students who choose to miss testing day because they feel they would do poorly and do not want to endure a long exam.  When there are groups of people who do not participate in taking an exam, it cannot be an accurate reflection of a school’s performance.  Plus, 79% of teachers who were surveyed said that they had spent a great deal of time teaching test taking skills.  Test preparation may improve test scores, but it does not mean that the students have learned more. Often test results are not a measurement of knowledge, but of how well students have learned to take tests. 

Although there are some major issues that surround testing, it is still the most widely used source for assessing knowledge.  It continues to be used universally, until we develop new methods for measuring success.