Feb
16
I’m counting down the days until my Recycling and Waste Management classes begin at Irvine Valley College. What can I say…? My license plate spells out “love to study”! However, it occurred to me that I need to rethink how I use my weekly allotment of 168 hours. In addition to the 12 hours a …
Permanent link to this article: http://claritylearning.net/adult-learning/time-sustainability/
Feb
14
Watch this video to see how residents are lighting up their dark homes with plastic water bottles. Video Parents, I’ve used this concept as a science article summary with one of my summer tutoring students. There are various documentaries on this invention, but this video is the clearest one I’ve seen. Here are some ideas for using this video: …
Permanent link to this article: http://claritylearning.net/elementary-school/a-brilliant-idea/
Jan
29
This morning, my husband and I attended the open gym at CrossFit South County. I have a goal to be able to do two kipping pull-ups by early February. Just like some students just don’t “see” the math, or the logic of an essay, I just don’t get exercise. I don’t have that brain-to-muscle connection …
Permanent link to this article: http://claritylearning.net/adult-learning/just-not-getting-it/
Jan
25
I am so impressed with the California Community College online application system (www.cccapply.org). I have attended Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, and I amazingly still had my username and password stored in my BlackBerry. I entered my codes and there I was: the system still had my personal data. All I had to do, …
Permanent link to this article: http://claritylearning.net/adult-learning/its-so-easy-to-apply-to-a-community-college-online/
Jan
19
We had a fun time at today’s “Fun Phonics, Fun Facts” session held at Saige Nicole’s Baby and Toddler Boutique. (http://www.saigenicoles.com/cart.php?m=blog_post_detail&id=14). One mom shared that while her three-year-old is eager read her “Bob Books,” she randomly guesses when she doesn’t know a word or has lost interest in reading. For instance, if the word starts …
Permanent link to this article: http://claritylearning.net/uncategorized/strategies-for-the-super-guesser/
Sep
11
(This is from my reply to a September 7 article in the Omaha World-Herald titled “Schools Redefine Homework.” http://www.omaha.com/article/20110907/NEWS01/709079949/0&frompost=1) As a tutor, I agree that children sometimes have an eye-popping amount of homework. But what some call “homework,” I call “practice.” It’s the practice of the concepts taught in school, and those concepts are what …
Permanent link to this article: http://claritylearning.net/blog/for-parents/thoughts-on-the-homework-conundrum/
Apr
25
Students who are dismayed by unexpectedly poor test scores can avoid this disappointment! Take a practice test and pretend you’re on Test Island, that lonely place devoid of notes, books, and tutor body language and hints. These invaluable quizzes will help you work out those steps and pitfalls that you thought you could navigate. You’ll help yourself recognize …
Permanent link to this article: http://claritylearning.net/blog/for-parents/make-practice-algebra-tests-quickly-with-the-holt-textbook-companion-site/
Mar
04
Here’s a quick activity to help you study a collection of quotes that must be attributed to a few characters. Start with a master list of characters and their quotes. This example is based upon quotes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. I easily printed these off of Quizlet.com and cut out the cards, but you could write …
Permanent link to this article: http://claritylearning.net/uncategorized/quote-sort-game-idea-for-memorizing-which-character-said-which-quote/
Mar
03
Ah! I’ve been telling my students this for years, and now there’s proof: the best way to study for a recall test is to give yourself practice tests. The article “Getting tested is better for studying than concept mapping,” posted on TheNakedScientists.com, highlights research done at Purdue University. My favorite line: “So if you want …
Permanent link to this article: http://claritylearning.net/adult-learning/test-yourself-before-you-take-a-test/
Mar
02
While exploring the various podcasts on my new BlackBerry, I came across “Ask a Ninja.” I thought it might give me some bit of warrior knowledge that I could dangle in front of my elementary and middle school boy students. Indeed, I found an episode entitled “Call of Duty VS Halo.” http://www.askaninja.com/video/5628347-ask-a-ninja-call-of-duty-vs-halo Albeit silly, this …
Permanent link to this article: http://claritylearning.net/adult-learning/compare-and-contrast-essay-example/