Tuesday, December 17, 2013

No Flu for YOU!!!

Get ready... It's coming along with Santa and the snow.... Flu season. The aches, the fever,  the sniffles.  Don't want the flu, get the flu shot. I am not a doctor but it makes sense to me. My primary care recommended it and I trust him completely. He has been with me for 25 years and  I value his opinion and judgment.

I  had my flu shot. A little preventative maintenance goes a  long way. Yes. I hear the opposition against injecting my body with those chemicals. As my mother would say, "hogwash." The flu shot is beneficial with few side effects. It's the smart thing to do. It is recommended for everyone over 6 months old and,yes,including pregnant women. The flu shot does not give you the flu and remember you are vulnerable for two weeks.

Wash your hands often. And make sure you kids wash their hands when they get home  from school, sports, work, music lessons, and all activities! Hope you have a flu-free winter!


Thursday, December 12, 2013

No More Dummies!

A recent study released by the ACT testing group suggest that 75% on new college students will NOT be able to master these basic freshmen courses: college algebra, English composition, introductory social studies and biology without remedial help!!! This disturbs me and I hope it troubles you, too. You, the parent, will end up paying for remedial classes in college and your child will receive NO credit for them.

Barely half (52%)of high school  graduates met the reading benchmark.
Only  (45%) demonstrated proficiency in math  and science (30%). 
28% of the ACT test takers (49% of the nation's graduating seniors) took ACT --- failed  to reach any of the  benchmarks!!!

The Program of International Student Assessment (PISA) ranked the  United States ranked 36th out of the world's richest economies.  Shanghai tops the list in  math, reading and science.  In China and Shanghai, nine out of 10 students say, "It depends on me. If I invest the effort, my teachers will help me to be successful."  These students have the drive and the confidence. The biggest surprise from Shanghai is these students are very, very  good in higher order thinking skills.

How are our students able to compete in the global economy?  We are becoming a nation of dummies! I am embarrassed and furious. Let's stop making excuses and value education.  

Invest  time and money now to teach your child  the higher order thinking skills necessary to be successful. We can teach your child reading strategies required to synthesize and  analyze so they can construct meaning, think strategically,  and problem solve.  Time to get serious about education, stop making excuses,  and act now!

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/03/world/asia/pisa-education-study/index.html.





Saturday, December 7, 2013

Where the Jobs Are... STEM

STEM... a new buzz word. What does it mean? It means JOBS!!! STEM stands for Science, technology, engineering and math. These are the courses that will make you well-rounded, smarter, and lead to better job opportunities! Your assumptions about math and science can disappear!

Because technology is dramatically altering our lives, businesses and consumers need to evolve to keep up with the  needs. STEM skilled workers are in high demand but in low supply! According to Stan Usovicz of Verizon, 80% of the fastest growing jobs careers in our country require STEM skills. U.S. is not graduating enough students  to meet this demand. STEM jobs have grown  3 times faster than any other job!!

Students who complete algebra II in high school more than double their chances of earning  a four year college degree (Source: Achieve  Inc.)  Two out of three (66%) of high school students who completed Algebra II  felt they were  well-prepared  for the demands of college and the workplace.  Of those who took less than Algebra II, only 4 out of 10 (40%)  felt they were well prepared. Hummmmmm.... Get prepared, get smart, and get a rewarding job and career.