The Benefits of Peer Tutoring in the Classroom

The Benefits of Peer Tutoring in the ClassroomThe benefits of peer tutoring in the classroom are numerous. This is a great way to get all students at the same level working together and learn from each other. Students are usually so eager to get up in front of their classmates, and start learning. With a supportive teacher's aide, students learn to apply the lessons they are being taught in an advanced level and at a faster pace.It is also very important for teachers to be open to all kinds of students. The best schools will have all kinds of students coming through, all types of learning styles. There are even those who teach others. This type of school has the best benefits for students and the teaching profession as a whole.At a good school, the teacher is expected to create a good classroom environment. What better way to go about it than through the students? The more people that know the subject, the better the class will be. The easier it will be for the students to learn and the more effective the class will be.The classroom is a place where students will enjoy spending their time. They will be in close contact with the person they will be learning with. In this type of situation, it is much easier for students to get along with each other. That is not to say that teachers won't need to correct misbehavior, but it will be much easier to talk about it and to be there to listen.With peer tutoring, teachers can assign homework assignments for students. This can include reading for younger students or for older students. It can also include math, spelling, or any other subject students are struggling with. This can mean more attention and practice in the class.With peer tutoring, students learn from their peers, and that gives them an advantage over those who don't tutor with other students. When you put your money on the line, you want to see your kids get ahead. Of course, not everyone does well in school, but with peer tutoring in the classroom, there ar e a lot of advantages to it. A strong student will get more out of his experience, and a teacher will learn how to handle a whole group of students differently than he does.One of the biggest benefits of peer tutoring is that the student will feel like he is part of a team. The teacher and the student will work together towards the common goal. A teacher who will give his students a chance to make mistakes will see that learning process as worthwhile. No one can deny the benefits of peer tutoring in the classroom.

How to Create Study Guides That Actually Work

How to Create Study Guides That Actually Work Megan L. Effective study guides can make a huge impact on how you learn and retain material. Find out the best tips for success in this guest post by San Diego tutor  Natalie S Studying for an exam can be a stressful, daunting process. When youve got a textbook, a binder full of lecture notes, and a bunch of homework, it’s hard to know where to start! Study guides are great tools that make this process much more manageable and efficient. Check out the tips and suggested resources below to help you create study guides that will make you more effective and less stressed. 1. Start with the basics. In order to ace your exams, you need to do the work from the beginning. This may seem like a pretty silly statement, but it bears repeating anyway. It’s pretty difficult to create a study guide if you didnt do any of the homework or projects leading up to exam time. So, start off the right way: be present in class, do the required readings, complete the assigned homework, and engage in class discussions. If you consistently do this, the process for creating a study guide and acing your exams will be much easier. 2. Take notes. Take notes. Take notes. When you’re in class or reading on your own, make sure to always have a pencil, highlighter, and Post-it notes in hand. When you write something down, you internalize the information better, so even though it might be easier to just listen in class, it’s more beneficial to you in the long-run if you consistently take notes. Class lectures are designed to introduce you to the material, subsequent readings from your textbook are designed to have you review the same information again, and finally, this information is reinforced once more when you do your homework. When teachers give you a test, they want you to take all of those instances of hearing, reading, and writing about the information, and apply all of that to prove youve actually internalized the information. The best way to do all of this successfully is to write the material down over and over. 3. Take the right types of notes. This is a very important piece of the study guide puzzle. This may take some time and practice, but you have to find a balance between extracting the most important details and rewriting your entire textbook. A good study guide should be a combination of both the lecture notes and notes from the readings. Go through chapter notes and look for similarities in your lecture notes. If certain topics, names, or concepts appear more than once, underline or highlight them, and make sure they are prominent in your study guide. Something that appears multiple times is clearly important and will show up on an exam. Combine your two sets of notes into one, coherent study guide. 4. Ask your teacher for guidance. Before making a study guide, ask your teacher  if he or she is going to provide a list of terms, ideas, and even possible essay topics that will be on the exam. Sometimes teachers will offer this information to make it easier for you to create your own study guide. 5. Third time’s the charm. A great option for getting the most out of your study guide is to write it in three steps. The first step is writing the long version. This is a lengthy outline that includes a lot of detail on the major topics. In this first version, rewrite your class notes in a more organized outline, compile notes from the text, and include any additional ideas that you learned from class. In the second step, you cut this outline down by half. Write out the major headlines and include 5-10 of the most important details under each headline. In the third step, a couple of days before the exam, cut your outline in half again, and write down only the major bullet points. Once you’ve written those down, repeat out loud the details that pop up in your head for each bullet point. The goal in creating this type of outline study guide is to force yourself to rewrite the info in your own words more than once. Each time, youll begin to learn the material more thoroughly, and by the third time, you’ll be able to practically teach the material yourself! There are all kinds of ways to organize your study guides based on the subject you are reviewing and the learning style that suits you best. For more help creating and learning about different types of study guides, check out the following helpful resources: Quizlet Study Guides and Strategies Examples of Different Types of Visual Organizers Natalie S. tutors in English, ESL, History, Phonics, Reading, and Test Prep in San Diego, as well as through online lessons. She received her BA in English Education at the University of Delaware, and her MA in English Literature at San Diego State University. Learn more about Natalie here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by  English106

Dos and Donts When Encouraging a Child in His or Her Academic Endeavors

Dos and Don'ts When Encouraging a Child in His or Her Academic Endeavors Without a doubt, students flourish when they have the support and encouragement of their parents, but there are a number of ways that well-meaning parents unintentionally discourage their children. Eileen Huntington, co-founder of Huntington Learning Center says that providing children the right type and level of support can make all the difference in their motivation and self-esteem. Encouragement must be genuine and positive, and although a parents intentions might be good, certain types of comments can send the wrong message, says Huntington. She offers several dos and donts for parents when encouraging their children in school: Do celebrate progress and successes. There are subtle differences between praise, which is more of a subjective expression of approval, and encouragement, which inspires a childs self-confidence through fact-based observations. Instead of complimenting your child for earning that A, point out that his or her hard work and diligent studying paid off. Always focus on your childs efforts, which will help build your childs self-assurance and pride. Dont overreact about mistakes. Keep in mind that for every mistake your child makes, he or she has done many other things right. On a 25-question test where your child answered four wrong, you might be tempted to jump right into dissecting incorrect answers, but dont forget to congratulate your child for any successes or improvement. Also remember that mistakes are an essential part of life and learning. Do believe in your child. Studies show that children do better in school when their parents and teachers expect them to and communicate those expectations to them in positive ways. Tell your child regularly that you believe in his or her ability to learn and youll always be there for support. Dont be unrealistic in your expectations. High expectations are good, but holding your child to a standard that he or she is unable or unlikely to ever reach does more harm than good. Similarly, comparing your child to another student may only cause feelings of inadequacy or embarrassment. Children generally lose motivation when they feel they have no chance of achieving parental expectations. Do give your child tools to problem solve. From an early age, children should be encouraged to attempt to solve their own problems. When a challenge ariseswhether a math problem or another dilemmayou can help your child think through solutions or next steps by asking reflective questions, soliciting ideas and encouraging your child to try out different solutions. Dont take the drivers seat on homework or projects. Giving your child too many tips and suggestions on how to solve a problem or do an assignment is not only aggravating, it tells your child that you dont trust his or her ability to do things. Step back, and give your child the chanceand the supportto attempt tasks independently. When you encourage your child the right way, you build your childs self-esteem and positive attitude. Just as importantly, you teach him or her that school takes effort and persistence. Huntington adds, Parents can make a tremendous positive impact by pointing out to their children when they are working hard and making progress. Those children will believe that learning is their responsibility, and if they also feel encouraged but not overpowered by their parents, they will be far more likely to give school their best effort and actually enjoy learning.

Tips for Boosting your High School Students Reading Comprehension

Tips for Boosting your High School Student's Reading Comprehension Tips for Boosting your High School Student's Reading Comprehension Reading comprehension is one of the most important skills high school students can develop, and it's also one of their most common weaknesses. It can't be improved overnight it requires discipline, and often that discipline starts with the parents. If you manage to improve your child's reading fluency and the amount of information that is gleaned from reading a book, he or she will be equipped with one of the most important skills for taking standardized tests, getting into college, and being proficient in a new career field. On the flip side, a struggling teen reader has poor chances of achieving high SAT skills and will quickly become discouraged. A parent only has so much influence on how well their student absorbs reading material but it's important to make the most of the opportunities you have to help. Encourage More Frequent Reading As with anything, practice makes perfect. Help your student find out what he or she likes to read whether it's sports coverage articles, fantasy novels, or biographies and have him or her read on a regular basis. When a student reads material that is on par with their reading level, they can fully understand the majority of the words and learn a few new ones. If he or she tries to read material that is too difficult for your child, they won't understand a lot of it and it will be a lost cause. Reading material that introduces a few new words here and there is the best way to build up to a higher level and improve your vocabulary. Talk About It Get interested in what your student is reading. Have him or her explain it to you. Paraphrasing content forces a reader to truly think about the meaning of what was read, and not simply focus on the fact that they completed the task. Ask questions about why a character did a certain thing or what they think is going to happen next. Develop a Strategy The time will come when the student will be assigned material that he or she finds difficult, so preparedness is important. Rereading portions of the text and breaking it down sentence-by-sentence are the most common and useful strategies. Using context clues to figure out the meaning of foreign words is also a very useful skill. In essence, teach your reader to break passages into smaller, more manageable chunks to decode meaning. Hire a Professional Sometimes, you as a parent are simply not equipped to teach your child new skills. As long as you are making the effort to foster improvement, you are doing your job. Hiring a professional reading tutor has been proven to be successful in improving grades and teaching new, useful skills.

International School of Africa Djibouti

International School of Africa â€" Djibouti International School of Africa â€" Djibouti The International School of Africa (ISA) is a PK-Grade 8 International school serving local and international families in Djibouti. The school is adding a grade level each year (9-12)with our first graduating class in 2024. Our curriculum is based on US CCSS, with the program growing into an inquiry model of teaching and learning. The school campus is a purpose built facility, with a Strategic Plan involving 4 phases; phases 1 and 2 are complete.ISAs mission is to promote academic excellence with an international focus. We are a culturally based partnership of students, parents, staff and community that strive to inspire students to become lifelong learners and critical thinkers engaged in an ever-changing society. Our vision views us as a pioneering educational community committed to academic excellence, innovative practice, community service and global citizenship for Africa. As ISA successfully progresses through the phases of the Strategic Plan, our vision is becoming reality. View our Brochure

The Making of a Video Game Easy for Everyone

The Making of a Video Game Easy for Everyone The Art of Video Games 2012 by: Blake PattersonQuote on wall: Games are a toolkit we use to create. -Henry Jenkins Wiley, who created his own video game studio called Hot Trouble, encourages all to create their own game with the help of friends. “No experience is necessary,” he said. “[You] just have to love games.” And consequently, know what you like in games â€" what works for you and what doesn’t. He said that you don’t have to be a programmer or an artist to create a game, since modern technology, and program-sharing people, have made it entirely possible to create a video game without prior knowledge. Wiley knows. With no previous programing knowledge, he made his own recognized game, “Lumpy Space Chess,” based on the Cartoon Network program “Adventure Time.” Who wants to play video games? by: JD HancockThis is Beemo, the friendly video game console from the TV series Adventure Time. Classically trained programmers are not needed for all types of video games now, thanks to the Internet. Wiley listed platforms that could be used to make games without knowing traditional game programming. They are: GameSalad, the worlds fastest game design engine where you can learn to make and publish hit games for free, with no coding; GameMaker: Studio, used for fast, cross-platform game development for non-programmers and programmers; and Flixel, a open source game-making library and coding community. Wiley also named where people with unsatisfactory art skills could obtain game art â€" not everyone is an artist â€" and a place to get game audio.   They are: OpenGameArt(.org), a place with high-quality, appropriately licensed, 2D and 3D  artwork; and Bfxr(.net) a flash-based sound generator used for game sound effects. He said there are many avenues to get involved, like game jams such as “the Global Game Jam” or “Ludum Dare.” The Art of Video Games by: Ryan Somma (Because Wikipedia can word it 10x better than a girl with no gaming knowledge can, “A game jam is a gathering of developers, artists, and other creatives over a short time during which a collective effort is made to make one or more games.” Thanks Wiki.) Wiley also said there are various meetings people can go to, to get connected to the gaming community â€" one being “Juegos Rancheros,” an independent gaming community based in Austin, Texas. “It’s the golden age of video games,” Wiley said. “Games are art, art creates culture and culture determines your life.” Go game.

California International Academies

California International Academies California International Academies About usCalifornia International Academies (CIA) is an educational organization that offers a US Kindergarten, primary and secondary school education, including high school diploma programs in cooperation with partner schools in China. CIA promotes knowledge, innovation and global understanding through a unique, international approach.CIA students will complete their program of study in China at one of several CIA partner schools throughout China. In addition, CIA provides opportunities for US students to study in the program for all, or part of their high school education, creating a unique and truly international educational experience. CIA views US students as ambassadors who will return to their home states with intimate knowledge of the Chinese culture and history.As a college-preparatory school organization, CIA’s curriculum is a Western, US based curriculum, specifically designed to meet the US Common Core Standards, as well as State of California graduation requirements. In addition, the secondary school curriculum is aligned with the University of California A-G curriculum.Mission VisionCalifornia International Academies provide a unique and exemplary educational environment that focuses on preparing each student for the challenges of adulthood in the 21st century, offering a more effective school environment by integrating smaller class sizes. Our graduates will be skilled communicators, critical thinkers, and will demonstrate a commitment to values of self-discipline, integrity and responsibility, with the guidance and care of schools, ardent educators, staff and families. California International Academies California International Academies About us California International Academies (CIA) is an education organization that offers a US Kindergarten, primary and secondary school education including high school diploma programs in cooperation with partner schools in China. CIA promotes knowledge, innovation and global understanding through a unique, international approach. CIA students will complete their program of study in China at one of several CIA partner schools throughout China. In addition CIA provides opportunities for US students to study in the program for all or part of their high school education creating a truly international educational experience. CIA views US students as ambassadors who will return to their home states with intimate knowledge of the Chinese culture and history. As a college-preparatory school organization, CIAs curriculum is a Western, US based curriculum, specifically designed to meet the US Common Core Standards, as well as State of California graduation requirements. In addition, the secondary school curriculum is aligned with the University of California A-G curriculum. Mission Vision: California International Academies provide a unique and exemplary educational environment that focuses on preparing each student for the challenges of adulthood in the 21st century. Our schools offer a smaller school environment by integrating smaller class sizes. Our graduates will be skilled communicators, critical thinkers, and will demonstrate a commitment to values of self-discipline, integrity and responsibility. The Schools will foster our students to higher achievements by creating a partnership of ardent educators, staff and families. Global Campuses: California International Academies currently has three campuses in China and plans to open additional schools in the near future. 1. California International Academies Tianjin Campus The California International Academies Tianjin Campus is hosted at Tianjin No.14 High School, located at No. 45 Shuichanqian Street in Hebei District, with a beautiful campus covering an area of over 6 hectares, is an institution of junior and senior education. It includes an available building area of 50,260 square meters. Currently the school has a total enrollment of over 2,500 students in 61 classes. There are 267 faculty and staff, among whom 244 are full-time teachers. The school has complete facilities and elegant environment. The multi-media teaching appliances are equipped in all the classrooms. The Internet is accessible on every corner of the campus, and the school library has a collection of over 60,000 books and journals. The school also has biology labs, physics labs and chemistry labs for experiment teaching. There is a playground and a gymnasium with a swimming pool, a badminton court and a basketball court in the school. 2. California International Academies Nanjing Campus California International Academies Nanjing is hosted at Nanjing No.3 High School Founded in 1902, Nanjing No.3 High School is a four-star (highest possible ranking) high school in Nanjing. In the 1920s, Mr. Tao Xingzhi, a great educationalist of China, served as principal of this school for six years. After more than 110 years of development, the school has divided into two sub-schools, high school and junior high school. The school is now located in the historic downtown Qinhuai district in Nanjing. Coming in 2016: 3. California International Academies Beijing Campus California International Academies Beijing is our premiere school located in Chinas capital. Hosted by Peking University Affiliated Experimental School, our Beijing Campus is located inZhong Guan Cun, the heart of the Chinas RD center for science and technology and is located close to Peking University, a college known for its pursuits in democracy and science. CIA-Beijing has an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students.