Education in India

India has been a major seat of learning for thousands of years. While some of the country's universities (BITS, ISB, IITs, IIITs, NITs, IISc, TIFR, ISI, IIMs, AIIMS) are among the world's well-renowned, it is also dealing with challenges in its primary education and strives to reach 100% literacy. Universal Compulsory Primary Education, with its challenges of keeping poor children in school and maintaining quality of education in rural areas, has been difficult to achieve (Kerala is the only Indian state to reach this goal so far). All levels of education, from primary to higher education, are overseen by Department of Higher Education (India) and Department of School Education and Literacy, and heavily subsidized by the Indian government, though there is a move to make higher education partially self-financing. Indian Government is considering to allow 100% foreign direct investment in Higher Education.

Structure

Indian Education System comprises stages called Nursery,Primary,Secondary,Higher Secondary,Graduation & Post Graduation. Some students go in different stream after Secondary for 3 Years Technical education called Polytechnics

The system is divided into preprimary, primary, middle, secondary (or high school), and higher levels. Preprimary is usually composed of Lower Kindergarten and Higher Kindergarten, where primary reading and writing skills are developed. Primary school includes children of ages six to eleven, organized into classes one through five. Secondary school pupils aged eleven through fifteen are organized into classes six through ten, and higher secondary school students ages sixteen through seventeen are enrolled in classes Eleven through twelve. In some places there is a concept called Middle schools for classes between six to eight. In such cases classes nine to twelve are classified under high school category. Higher Education in India provides an opportunity to specialize in a field and includes technical schools (such as the Indian Institutes of Technology), colleges, and universities.

In India, the main types of schools are those controlled by:

• The state government boards like SSLC, in which the vast majority of Indian school-children are enrolled,
• The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board,
• The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) board,
• National Open School and
• "International schools." These schools mimic the schools in the West in pattern and syllabi and are considerably more expensive than regular schools. The exams conducted have the syllabus of anyone of the above-mentioned Councils or Boards.

Preprimary Education

In India, kindergarten is divided into two stages- lower kindergarten (LKG) and upper kindergarten (UKG). Typically, an LKG class would comprise children 3 to 4 years of age, and the UKG class would comprise children 4 to 5 years of age. After finishing upper kindergarten, a child enters Class 1 (or, Standard 1) of primary school. Often kindergarten is an integral part of regular schools. In most cases the kindergarten is run as a private school. Younger Children are also put into a special Toddler/Nursery group at the age of 2–2½. It is run as part of the kindergarten. There are some organized players with standardized curriculums such as the Shemrock Preschools

Elementary Education

Primary school in the remote Kanji village of the Kargil district.

During the eighth five-year plan, the target of "universalizing" elementary education was divided into three broad parameters: Universal Access, Universal Retention and Universal Achievement i.e., making education accessible to children, making sure that they continue education and finally, achieving goals. As a result of education programs, by the end of 2000, 94% of India's rural population had primary schools within one km and 84% had upper primary schools within 3 km. Special efforts were made to enroll SC/ST and girls. The enrollment in primary and upper-primary schools has gone up considerably since the first five-year plan. So has the number of primary and upper-primary schools. In 1950-51, only 3.1 million students had enrolled for primary education. In 1997-98, this figure was 39.5 million. The number of primary and upper-primary schools was 0.223 million in 1950-51. This figure was 0.775 million in 1996-97.

In 2002/2003, an estimated 82% of children in the age group of 6-14 were enrolled in school. The Government of India aims to increase this to 100% by the end of the decade. To achieve this the Government launched Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

The strategies adopted by the Government to check drop-out rate are:

• Creating parental awareness
• Community mobilization
• Economic incentives
• Minimum Levels of Learning (MLL)
• District Primary Education Programme (DPEP)
• National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (Mid-day Meals Scheme)
• The 86th Constitutional Amendment Act was passed by the parliament to make the Right to Elementary Education a fundamental right and a fundamental duty.
• National Elementary Education Mission
• A National Committee of State Education Ministers has been set up with the Minister of Human Resource Development as the Chairperson of the committee.
• Media publicity and advocacy plans.
• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

Non-graduation market

Each major Indian city and town has plenty of government-funded high schools catering to the working classes, who form the majority of the population. Government high schools are sometimes English medium schools (this is often true in large cities) but students are usually taught in the regional language. These institutions are heavily subsidised. Study materials (such as textbooks, notebooks and stationary) are sometime but not always subsidised. Government schools follow the state curriculum. There are also a number of private schools providing secondary education. These schools usually either follow the national curriculum or provide an international qualification. Many top secondary schools offer an alternative international qualification, such as the IB program or A Levels.

Higher Education

Higher education in India has evolved in distinct and divergent streams with each stream monitored by an apex body, indirectly controlled by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. and funded by the state governments. However, there are 18 important universities called Central Universities, which are maintained by the Union Government. The increased funding of the central universities give them an advantage over state competitors.

The private sector is strong in Indian higher education. The Indian Institutes of Technology were placed 50th in the world and 2nd in the field of Engineering (next only to MIT) by Times Higher World University Rankings although they did not appear in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Ranking of World Universities. The National Law School of India University is highly regarded, with some of its students being awarded Rhodes Scholarships to Oxford University, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences is consistently rated the top medical school in the country. Indian School of Business, Hyderabad and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are the top management institutes in India.

Accreditation

Accreditation for universities in India are required by law unless it was created through an act of Parliament. Without accreditation, the government notes "these fake institutions have no legal entity to call themselves as University/Vishwvidyalaya and to award ‘degree’ which are not treated as valid for academic/employment purposes." The University Grants Commission Act 1956 explains,

"the right of conferring or granting degrees shall be exercised only by a University established or incorporated by or under a Central Act carlo bon tempo, or a State Act, or an Institution deemed to be University or an institution specially empowered by an Act of the Parliament to confer or grant degrees. Thus, any institution which has not been created by an enactment of Parliament or a State Legislature or has not been granted the status of a Deemed to be University, is not entitled to award a degree."

Accreditation for higher learning is overseen by autonomous institutions established by the University Grants Commission:

• All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
• Distance Education Council (DEC)
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
• Bar Council of India (BCI)
• National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)
• National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE)
• Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI)
• Medical Council of India (MCI)
• Pharmacy Council of India (PCI)
• Indian Nursing Council (INC)
• Dental Council of India (DCI)
• Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH)
• Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM)

Graduation market

This is a chart of graduation market of India as per Census 2001.

Educational level	Holders
Total	502,994,684
Unclassified	97,756
Non-technical diploma or certificate not equal to degree	386,146
Technical diploma or certificate not equal to degree	3,666,680
Higher Secondary, Intermediate, Pre-university or Senior Secondary	37,816,215
Matriculation or Secondary	79,229,721
Degree	Holders
Total	37,670,147
Post-graduate degree other than technical degree	6,949,707
Graduate degree other than technical degree	25,666,044
Engineering and technology	2,588,405
Teaching	1,547,671
Medicine	768,964
Agriculture and dairying	100,126
Veterinary	99,999
Other	22,588

History

India has a long history of organized education. The Gurukul system of education is one of the oldest on earth but before that the guru shishya system was extant, in which students were taught orally and the data would be passed from one generation to the next. Gurukuls were traditional Hindu residential schools of learning; typically the teacher's house or a monastery. Education was free, but students from well-to-do families payed Gurudakshina, a voluntary contribution after the completion of their studies. At the Gurukuls, the teacher imparted knowledge of Religion, Scriptures, Philosophy, Literature, Warfare, Statecraft, Medicine Astrology and "History" ("Itihaas" — actually mythology). Only students belonging to Brahmin and Kshatriya communities were taught in these Gurukuls. However, the advent of Buddhism and Jainism brought fundamental changes in access to education with their democratic character. The first millennium and the few centuries preceding it saw the flourishing of higher education at Nalanda, Takshashila University, Ujjain, & Vikramshila Universities. Art, Architecture, Painting, Logic, Grammar, Philosophy, Astronomy, Literature, Buddhism, Hinduism, Arthashastra (Economics & Politics), Law, and Medicine were among the subjects taught and each university specialized in a particular field of study. Takshila specialized in the study of medicine, while Ujjain laid emphasis on astronomy. Nalanda, being the biggest centre, handled all branches of knowledge, and housed up to 10,000 students at its peak. British records show that education was widespread in the 18th century, with a school for every temple, mosque or village in most regions of the country. The subjects taught included Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Theology, Law, Astronomy, Metaphysics, Ethics, Medical Science and Religion. The schools were attended by students representative of all classes of society. Traditional structures were not recognized by the British government and have been on the decline since. Gandhi is said to have described the traditional educational system as a beautiful tree that was destroyed during the British rule.

But scholars have questioned the validity of such an argument. The village pathshalas were often housed in shabby dwellings and taught by ill-qualified teachers. Instruction was limited mainly to the three Rs and the native mahajanilzamindari accounts. Printed books were not used, and most writing was done on palm leaf, plantain leaf, or on sand. There was no fixed class routine, timetable, or school calendar. There was no annual examination, pupils being promoted whenever the guru was satisfied of the scholar's attainments. There were no desks, benches,blackboards, or fixed seating arrangements. The decline probably started in the mid- 1700s. By the 1820s neither the village schools nor the tols or madrasas were the vital centers of learning. In 1823, Raja Rammohan Roy wrote to the governor-general, Lord Amherst, requesting that he not spend government funds on starting a Sanskrit College in Calcutta but rather employ "European Gentlemen of talent and education to instruct the natives of India in Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, Chemistry, Anatomy and other useful sciences."The current system of education, with its western style and content, was introduced & founded by the British in the 20th century, following recommendations by Macaulay.

Up to the 17th century

The first millennium and the few centuries preceding it saw the flourishing of higher education at Nalanda, Takshila, Ujjain, & Vikramshila Universities. Art, Architecture, Painting, Logic, Grammar, Philosophy, Astronomy, Literature, Buddhism, Hinduism, Arthashastra (Economics & Politics), Law, and Medicine were among the subjects taught and each university specialized in a particular field of study. Takshila specialized in the study of medicine, while Ujjain laid emphasis on astronomy. Nalanda, being the biggest centre, handled all branches of knowledge, and housed up to 10,000 students at its peak.this is

Education under British Rule

British records show that indigenous education was widespread in the 18th century, with a school for every temple, mosque or village in most regions of the country. The subjects taught included Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Theology, Law, Astronomy, Metaphysics, Ethics, Medical Science and Religion. The schools were attended by students representative of all classes of society. But scholars have questioned the validity of such an argument. They argue that proponents of indigenous education fail to recognize the importance of the widespread use of printed books in the West since the sixteenth century, which led to a remarkable advancement of knowledge. Printed books were not used in Indian schools till the 1820s or even later. There were institutions such as Gresham's college in London that encouraged scientific learning. In fact, there were a number of such academic and scientific societies in England, often supported by Puritan and non-Conformist merchants, the like of which probably did not exist in India. The entire claim of indigenous education proponents is based on the thesis advocated by Dharampal which says that there was a general decline in Indian society and economy with the coming of British rule. In the process, indigenous education suffered. This, however, is too broad a generalization, and the exact impact of British rule on different regions at different times has to be studied more carefully before we conclude that the curve everywhere steadily declined. He argues that pre-British schools and colleges were maintained by grants of revenue-free land. The East India Company, with its policy of maximizing land revenue, stopped this and thus starved the Indian education system of its financial resources. Again, we need more detailed evidence to show how far inam lands were taken over by the government. More often, military officers, zamindar.~,and talukdars were deprived of revenue-free land rather than temples, mosques, madrasas. Recent research has revealed that inam lands continued to exist well into the nineteenth century, much more than was previously suspected.

The current system of education, with its western style and content, was introduced & funded by the British in the 19th century, following recommendations by Macaulay. Traditional structures were not recognized by the British government and have been on the decline since. Gandhi is said to have described the traditional educational system as a beautiful tree that was destroyed during British rule.

The British established many colleges like St. Xavier's College, Sydenham College, Wilson College and Elphinstone College in India.

According to Prof. Emeritus M.G. Sahadevan, F.R.C.P. (London), the first medical college of Kerala was started at Calicut, in 1942-43, during World War II. Due to shortage of doctors to serve the military, the British Government decided to open a branch of Madras Medical College in Malabar, which was under Madras Presidency then. After the war, the medical school at Calicut was closed and the students continued their studies at Madras Medical College.

After Independence

After independence, education became the responsibility of the states. The Central Government's only obligation was to co-ordinate in technical and higher education and specify standards. This continued till 1976, when the education became a joint responsibility of the state and the Centre.

Education Commission

The Education Commission under the Chairmanship of Dr. D. S. Kothari, the then Chairman, University Grants Commission, began its task on October 2,1964. It consisted of sixteen members, eleven being Indians and five foreign experts. In addition, the Commission had the benefit of discussion with a number of internationally known as consultants in the educational as well as scientific field----.

After 1976

In 1976, education was made a joint responsibility of the states and the Centre, through a constitutional amendment. The center is represented by Ministry of Human Resource Development's Department of Education and together with the states, it is jointly responsible for the formulation of education policy and planning.

NPE 1986 and revised PoA 1992 envisioned that free and compulsory education should be provided for all children up to 14 years of age before the commencement of 21st century. Government of India made a commitment that by 2000, 6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will be spent on education, out of which half would be spent on the Primary education.

In November 1998, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee announced setting up of Vidya Vahini Network to link up universities, UGC and CSIR.

Recent developments

The Indian Education System is generally marks-based. However, some experiments have been made to do away with the marks-based system which has led to cases of depression and suicides among students. In 2005, the Kerala government introduced a grades-based system in the hope that it will help students to move away from the cut-throat competition and rote-learning and will be able to focus on creative aspects and personality development as well. iDiscoveri education started by Alumni of Harvard, XLRI is a pioneer in this field. This organization has already developed 5 model schools.

Outdoor Education in India

is relatively new to schools in India, though it is quite well established abroad. Acceptance is slowly increasing with a few schools advocating outbound adventure based programmes among students, to enhance personal growth through experiential learning and increase awareness about various subjects like the environment, ecology, wildlife, history, archaeology, geography and adventure sports. Some organisations that currently offer such programmes for schools are OETS and Wide Aware in Mumbai.Youreka& Ozonewho offer open summer programs based out of Delhi in north and Bangalore in South.

Expenditure on Education in India

The Government expenditure on Education has greatly increased since the First five-year plan. The Government of India has highly subsidized higher education. Nearly 97% of the Central Government expenditure on elementary education goes towards the payment of teachers' salaries.

Initiatives

Non-Formal Education

In 1979-80, the Government of India, Department of Education launched a program of Non-Formal Education (NFE) for children of 6-14 years age group, who cannot join regular schools. These children include school drop-outs, working children, children from areas without easy access to schools etc. The initial focus of the scheme was on ten educationally backward states. Later, it was extended to urban slums as well as hilly, tribal and desert areas in other states. The program is now functional in 25 states/UTs. 100% assistance is given to voluntary organizations for running NFE centers.

Bal Bhavans

Bal Bhavans centers, which are operational all over India, aim to enhance creative and sports skills of children in the age group 5-16 years. There are various State and District Bal Bhavans, which conduct programs in fine-arts, aeromodeling, computer-education, sports, martial arts, performing arts etc. They are also equipped with libraries with books for children. New Delhi alone has 52 Bal Bhavan centers. The National Bal Bhavan is an autonomous institution under the Department of Education. It provides general guidance, training facility and transfer of information to State and District Bal Bhavans situated all over India.

Distance education

India has a large number of Distance education programmes in Undergraduate and Post-Graduate levels. The trend was started originally by private institutions that offered distance education at certificate and diploma level. By 1985 many of the larger Universities recognized the need and potential of distance education in a poor and populous country like India and launched degree level programs through distance education. The trend caught up, and today many prestigious Indian Universities offer distance programs. Indira Gandhi National University, one of the largest in student enrollment, has only distance programs with numerous local centers that offer supplementary contact classes.

Education for special sections of society

Women

Under Non-Formal Education programme, about 40% of the centers in states and 10% of the centers in UTs are exclusively for girls. As of 2000, about 0.3 million NFE centers were catering to about 7.42 million children, out of which about 0.12 million were exclusively for girls.

In engineering, medical and other colleges, 30% of the seats have been reserved for women.

SC/STs and OBCs

The Government has reserved seats for SC/STs in all areas of education. Special scholarships and other incentives are provided for SC/ST candidates. Many State Governments have completely waived fees for SC/ST students. The IITs have a special coaching program for the SC/ST candidates who fail in the entrance exams marginally. Seats have been reserved for candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes as well in some states like Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The struggle for reserving seats for students from OBC categories in elite institutions like IITs, IIMs and AIIMS and Central Universities is still going on. The Supreme Court of India is obstructing this reservation for the reason that there has been no caste-wise census since 1931 and the population share of OBCs cannot be based on 1931 census. The Department for the Welfare of SC/ST/OBC/Minorities introduced the SC/ST tuition-fee reimbursement scheme in 2003-2004. The scheme applies to SC and ST students of Delhi who are enrolled in recognized unaided private schools and who have an annual family income of less than Rs. 1 lakh. It provides a 100% reimbursement of the tuition fees, sports fee, science fee, lab fee, admission fee and the co-curricular fee if the student's family income falls below Rs. 48, 000 per annum and a reimbursement of 75% if the family income is greater than Rs. 48, 000 per annum but less than Rs. 1 lakh. The subsidy provided by the scheme covers between 85% and 90% of the beneficiary's total running expenses in studying in a private school.

Post Graduate Classes at Correctional Homes

The Government of West Bengal has started the Post Graduate teaching facilities for the convicts at the Correctional Homes in West Bengal. The first of its kind has already started at Alipore Central Correctional Home, Kolkata where Utthan Paul, a life convict is pursuing his Post Graduation in Political Science from Netaji Subhas Open University. Dr. Imankalyan Lahiri , Lecturer in Political Science of Netaji Subhas Open University is taking his classes.

Chronology of main events

• 1935: Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) set up.
• 1976: Education made a joint responsibility of the states and the Centre.
• 1986: National Policy on Education (NPE) and Programme of Action (PoA)
• 1992: Revised National Policy on Education (NPE) and Programme of Action (PoA)
• December 17, 1998: The Assam Government enacts a law making ragging in educational institutions a criminal offence.
• November 1998: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee announces setting up of Vidya Vahini Network to link up universities, UGC and CSIR.
• September 2006: Education Reforms In India

The World Does NOT Revolve Around You

“Listen, you spoiled little cretins, the world does not revolve around you,” I patiently explained.

“You’re kidding right?” hooted my students derisively.

“Pick up your instruments, start together on the downbeat and count carefully.”

How many music teachers have had the first part of that conversation? Almost none, at least not out loud. The second installment is an every day plea for many.

Our youth-obsessed culture seems to make a liar out of me, but lest you think your work is in vain, let me present you with a few ideas.

One of the things adults commonly complain about in their later years looking back on school, aside from a lousy prom, was that they felt ‘alone’ and like an ‘outsider’. The band and orchestra students that I have canvassed don’t often feel that way. Isn’t that interesting? I’m lobbying to have my son do a graduate research project on this issue. I’d love to see the results, wouldn’t you?

Common sense, that harbinger of things ‘everybody knows’ insists that if you learn to be part of a group that needs you in order to get something done, you will feel valuable and worthwhile. Anecdotal evidence supports this concept.

Our sports-mad country feeds us with stories of the scrawny child who becomes Mr. Olympia seven times, makes multimillions in movies and then governs California. What is often overlooked is that music serves many valuable parts of the maturation process that sports do not.

Let me elaborate briefly. Most people involved with music know the statistics. Music makes you brighter, helps you focus in all areas of study, gives you greater mastery over fractions than heretofore thought humanly possible, etc.

But here’s a thought for all those guitar players strumming alone in their garrets. When you have to listen and fit in, when there is the tyranny of a written part to play you are going to find yourself learning new musical concepts at light speed. Why? For the same reason that learning say, mathematics, is easier with some formal guidelines. Reinventing multiplication or discovering every formula newly takes a few lifetimes of inquiry, just check your history texts. Solitary inquiry is necessary and good and I hope it has a place of honor in everyone’s intellectual pantheon, but it cannot be the only method of realization.

One thing ensemble music instruction teaches you is that you must ‘make nice’ with others in order to get the job done. “So what?” you say. It gets back to the heart of both of our issues.

One of the signs of maturity, which my adorable dumplings in the lower grades find difficult to exhibit, is one’s place and involvement in an activity. In spite of what our youth worshipping culture and media would have you believe individuals are generally not the most important things on the program. In music you learn that you can have a part that is vital to the results, but so are the other parts. Together you all help to create a whole that is satisfying to everyone.

This is something that musicians learn and team players discover, but many other people miss completely. Unlike sports where there can be a competitive factor to be the ‘best’, music requires everyone be good to make the whole creative performance satisfying. This is an even higher level of sophistication than sports because creating your part well and thoroughly gives you no personal glory but makes the whole experience better for all the other players and the audience. And all without someone else having to ‘lose’.

A good musician must practice alone but still be able to play with a group to create something larger than themselves. The product of this collaboration? All of us have favored pieces of music associated with the times
of our lives, and a majority of those pieces were created within a group, rather than by a solo artist.

Both musician and listener profit from this synergy. With recordings you can hear your favorites repeatedly extending the memories for a lifetime. So, although the world doesn’t revolve around any one of us, the extended fruits of our conspiracies are definitely worth striving for. Go forth and make music for yourself and for all of us.

Homeschool And College Acceptance What Works And Doesn’t Work In Homeschooling

How Homeschooling Parents Can Assure their Homeschooled Students Gain Acceptance into America’s Well-Known Colleges and Universities.

Homeschool and College Acceptance What Works and Doesn’t Work in Homeschooling

How Homeschooling Parents Can Assure their Homeschooled Students Gain Acceptance into America’s Well-Known Colleges and Universities

You’ve all heard the mixed reports about college acceptance of homeschooled children. Some say colleges will not accept homeschooled students; others say they desperately want them. But what is the truth? Can homeschooled students have their choice of colleges and universities or is it a struggle to find one that will accept them? You will find most colleges and universities “homeschool friendly” if you prepare your homeschool student in advance.

The following report will outline for you several strategies that homeschooling families must use in order to assure that their homeschooled students are sought out by the best colleges and universities in America. And it’s not just about taking tests and completing applications for college enrollment. It involves the home school courses you choose, your extra-curricular activities, your community involvement and much more to meet today’s college requirements!

Bottom line is, colleges want the best students out there. As screening processes become more and more intense, homeschooled students must learn to begin the college enrollment preparation process as young as middle school. Don’t wait till high school to prepare for the necessary college requirements.

The courses you select can make or break your admittance into the best colleges and universities.

Let’s face it. A homeschooled student with a transcript full of vocational or general academic courses will not stand a chance against a homeschooled student with college preparatory classes. Furthermore, a homeschool student who waits until tenth grade to begin college preparatory math and science courses is already a minimum of a year behind other college candidates.

Begin in Middle School.

If your student has the ability to handle higher-level math courses in middle school, by all means start them then. At the minimum, you should aim to provide Pre-Algebra in 8th grade in order that your student can move on to Algebra I in high school. However, avoid the temptation to push a student into higher-level math if he or she is not ready. This will only set up a student for struggle and/or failure in the future, which will not only affect a student’s overall picture, but also his confidence to continue.

Select Courses that Prepare your Homeschooled Student for the Rigors of College.

The courses you select in high school can not only make or break your college acceptance but can make or break a student’s ability to succeed in a college course. Not only do you want to select courses that fit in with a college preparatory course of study, but that are also accelerated enough to challenge your student at a higher level. Finding the easiest Algebra course you can find will not prepare your homeschool student for success in a college atmosphere. Choose wisely.

Bridgeway Academy offers a variety of high school courses from vocational to honors and Advanced Placement.

A good self-instructional course is ideal for your homeschooling program since it will require less expertise on the part of the parent and more independence on the part of your student. The ability to work independently is one of the greatest assets that homeschool students bring to a college or university.

Access a typical college preparatory course of study at Bridgeway Academy’s high school site.

Advanced Placement courses are also ideal for the homeschooling student. Advanced Placement (AP) courses not only give students the opportunity to pursue college-level studies while in high school but also to vamp up their college applications. There are currently thirty-four courses in 19 subject areas offered as AP courses. Scores on AP exams may help colleges predict which students are more likely to graduate on time and therefore cost the college less in student aid (and for that matter cost you less in college tuition costs).

Research conducted by the University of California, Berkeley, indicates that correlations exist between success in AP courses and success in college. Students who earn an AP exam grade of 3 or higher are more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree in four years than their peers. Since AP courses are becoming more and more important in the college screening process, I encourage you to pursue at least one AP course in your student’s high school career.

Extra-curricular Activities add to your marketability!

Another critical element to your home school program is your student’s extracurricular and volunteer activities. To a college counselor, these are an absolute must! And to your student, they are an incredibly valuable addition to his or her development as an individual.

Not only will these extras strengthen your home school student’s college applications, the skills learned from volunteer work, sports and other extracurricular activities are essential for enhancing social skills, building confidence and enriching your student’s life. Therefore, no matter what your student’s aspirations, I strongly recommend you engage him or her in extracurricular pursuits and volunteerism.

In that case of building your college applications; however, students should choose activities they enjoy and stick with them. College admission counselors aren’t interested in seeing students ‘do it all.’ Instead, they are looking for a commitment and passion for an activity outside of the classroom.

Keep track of all activities and awards and include them on your student résumés. Look for leadership opportunities and activities that will impact your community for the good. Find a contribution that will set you apart and allow your student to stand out. College admission counselors like to see students who are leaders. . .in and out of the classroom.

Applying early puts your name at the forefront!

One major disadvantage for homeschooling students is the fact that they do not have a guidance counselor breathing down their neck to get their college applications in the mail. Most colleges and universities have early admissions programs, which will allow your students to get ahead of the game of college applications. Take advantage of early admission deadlines! Better yet, get those applications in as early as possible—don’t wait until the due date to put them in the mail.

Many students find this to be a very intimidating process; however, since this is your opportunity to put your best foot forward, it is not something you want to wait until the last minute before beginning the college enrollment process.

Some basic Do’s and Don’ts that will help make your college application and acceptance process a success!

DO:

Read applications and directions carefully.

Make sure that everything that is supposed to be included is enclosed.

Fill out your own applications. Type the information yourself to avoid crucial mistakes.

Start with the simple applications and then progress to the more complex ones.

Make copies of applications, and practice filling one out before you complete the original.

Type or neatly print your answers, and then proofread the applications and essays several times for accuracy. Also ask someone else to proofread them for you.

If asked, describe how you can make a contribution to the schools to which you apply.

Be truthful, and do not exaggerate your accomplishments.

Keep a copy of all forms you submit to colleges.

Be thorough and on time.

DON’T:

Use correction fluid. If you type your application, use a correctable typewriter or the liftoff strips to correct mistakes. Better yet, fill out your application on line.

Write in script. If you don’t have access to a computer or typewriter, print neatly.

Leave blank spaces. Missing information may cause your application to be sent back or delayed while admission officers wait for complete information.

Be unclear. If the question calls for a specific answer, don’t try to dodge it by being vague.

Put it off

College is an exciting time that can be very rewarding! Preparing yourself early will keep you competitive, while acting proactively is essential to obtaining admission into the college or university of your choice!

Get a comprehensive blueprint to prepare your student for college or university acceptance. What Colleges and Universities Look For, see ADMISSION CRITERIA below.

Incredible college search engine that allows students to navigate 100’s of homeschool friendly colleges and universities all across the United States! These colleges and universities want your homeschooled student because they have invested advertising dollars to be listed at homeschoolfriendlycolleges.com, take a look!

Attention Parents: Do You Make These Ten Mistakes In Homeschooling? Free Report Reveals How To Avoid Them

Everyone approaches homeschooling with a different perspective. Some approach it with fear and trepidation; others with excitement and enthusiasm; others feel backed into a corner with no other options; and still others look forward to homeschooling as a way to invest more into their children.

Examine each point carefully and look honestly at yourself and your teaching style. Not every mistake will apply to you—that will depend on your personality and approach—but all can easily occur without warning!

1.Over Scheduling

I will never forget my first year of homeschooling. My children were involved in art classes, gymnastics, classes at the zoo, science center classes, chorus, piano lessons, physical education classes, and community sports. On the one day per week that we did not have scheduled events, we would get together with fellow homeschooling families for field trips, writing classes (which I taught), and/or just for a fun time.

I have never been so frazzled in my life! We would cram in our studies in the morning, then load up the car to head out to our daily routine.

I can’t remember who burned out first—the kids or me, but I do know we burned out. Soon those creative moments of science experiments, creative writing fun, and history projects were a thing of the past and we became a slave to our activities schedule.

The key: limit yourself to one or two activities at a time and make schooling a priority. When you have more time to commit at home, schooling can become much more enjoyable!

2.Under Scheduling

Over scheduling can be a nightmare, but under-scheduling can also have its detriments. Kids need variety and opportunities to be with others their own age. There are so many learning opportunities out there!

Find what activities work for your family and take advantage of them. There are many opportunities out there through local museums, art schools, YMCAs, support groups, colleges, churches, and historical sites.

A great idea that worked for us was to get together with several other homeschooling families and plan out a year’s worth of field trips—one per month. We then assigned one to each parent to organize, picked the dates (which we all reserved), and looked forward to our once a month outing. On occasion, we would also get together at a local playground or state park for another day of fun or learning.

This smaller network allowed us to support each other on a more personal basis and to feel free to call on another when we needed encouragement or ideas.

3.Unrealistic Expectations

It is so easy to fall into the trap of unrealistic expectations. I have met many a homeschool Mom who was upset because her three-year old was not reading yet or because her sixth grade son was not succeeding in Algebra I. I have watched as families tackle huge projects trying to cram a whole year of World History into one quarter and plan a World History Fair to culminate the experience. These are the same parents and kids who are burned out by Christmas and struggling to make it through each day!

One the other hand, I have also seen families who decide to home school with no direction, no formal home school curriculum, and no real goals in mind.

Students will live up to your expectations and if none exist, they will quickly adapt and really enjoy themselves for a time. However, by Halloween, kids long for the structure of school and parents are thinking that the ghosts and ghouls knocking on their door look much more appealing than their bored and antsy children.

The individualized instruction that homeschooling provides opens up the door for students to master concepts much quicker than in a classroom full of distractions. However, it also makes it very easy to coast through the year without really accomplishing anything.

The answer to this struggle is planning.

4.A Disorganized School Room

There is nothing more frustrating than the inability to put your fingers on what you need when you need it. This is especially true when you are trying to keep your children current with their schoolwork.

The inability to find a pencil, a working eraser, a textbook or workbook, dictionary, calculator . . . . you get the picture. These are all extremely frustrating and when piled up can make for a very difficult start to a day.

I recommend you commit an entire day at the beginning of the school year to organizing your home school room. Engage your children in the task—let them decide how to organize their supplies.
Store away your teacher’s guides and answer keys—preferably in a file drawer so they are always at your fingertips and organize the curriculum in a sequence that makes sense.

The more time you devote ahead of time to organizing, the less wasted time throughout the school year searching for items you know “are around here somewhere!”

5.Avoiding Breaks to Allow for a Shorter Day

This is a biggie! We all do it—it seems like such a wonderful thing to tell our kids. “Hey, if you can just get this all done this morning, we will have all afternoon with no school!” Guess what? Across the board, homeschooling kids are saying, “We’d rather have a break!”

Let me share some personal experiences. I am ashamed to say, I fell into this one very badly my first year of homeschooling. At the beginning of the school year, I was really good about taking breaks—even heading outside with my children to play baseball, catch, soccer, volleyball, tag . . . you name it. My favorite time for one of these breaks was when one of the kids was struggling, grumpy or looking tired, or when I found myself overwhelmed with the mess around me.

I would announce, “RECESS TIME!” and we would head outside for a good 20 minutes of fun. It never ceased to amaze me how easy it was to get back to a difficult task after a quick breather.

Suddenly, it was essential for my kids to finish up their work in the morning so we could have the afternoon free and breaks became a thing of the past.

I never realized just how frustrating this must have been for my kids until a recent homeschool graduate put it on her top ten list. Sure enough, my kids hated it! To them the tradeoff was not worth it. A “free” afternoon after a grueling morning was not of value to them.

To avoid this one: schedule regular breaks and take them whether you think you need them or not and be sure to spend at least one break enjoying your kids!

In the end a more relaxed longer day is better than a crammed short day any day!

6.Becoming a Slave to Your Home School Curriculum

Another big mistake I made my first year of homeschooling was to allow my curriculum to drive me. Even on days when it was obvious that my kids just weren’t getting it, I would push them to complete the assignments we had determined were appropriate for that day.

When I finally learned to back off, our homeschooling became much more effective. On days when my fifth grader just could not quite figure out how to reduce fractions to the lowest common denominator, we would take a break and move on to something else. Although in some cases, we did not even return to math that day, more often than not, we found that waiting until the evening when the hustle and bustle of the day was over worked much better! At that time, she could sit down and breeze through the math concepts that were impossible just a few hours earlier.

In some cases, you may need to abandon an entire course and try a different approach. Now, don’t be too quick to make this decision—too many of these decisions can be costly. Take the time to really evaluate whether it is the homeschool curriculum or your misuse of it that is causing the struggle.
Sometimes it just takes a fresh look or slowing down a little to make a course work better for you. But if you find that something just does not work, don’t be afraid to set it aside or pass it on to someone else.

On the other hand, don’t make the mistake of rushing your children through a study that they are passionate about! Take the time to allow them to pursue it further.

Bottom line: watch and learn from your kids and adapt as necessary. Don’t become a slave to your home school curriculum.

7.Doing it Alone

So many homeschooling Moms try to do it alone. Once the curriculum decisions have been made and the curriculum is in their hands, they begin the process of schooling . . . on their own.

Sometimes pride keeps them from asking for advice when things get tough; sometimes just the overwhelming task of schooling the children makes it difficult to seek out socialization opportunities; sometimes, it is the misperception that “That is the way it is for homeschoolers.”

This is a huge danger! Irrevocably, Moms who try to do it alone become frustrated and very lonely. Do you find yourself keeping the telemarketer on the phone as long as you possibly can? Does your UPS man find it difficult to escape from your front door after delivering a package? YOU NEED SOCIALIZATION!

IT is just as important for you as it is for your kids.

Socialization for a homeschooling Mom means a sounding board for ideas, advice from those who have been through it before, friendships that allow us to be ourselves, an easy way to share or access information and ideas, a terrific venue to pass on newly discovered educational events or opportunities . . . all absolutely necessary for Moms who are investing so much into their children.
Support groups, homeschool publications, seminars, homeschool conferences, memberships, classes . . . all of these are terrific ways for homeschooling families to socialize with other children and adults.

Don’t ignore this! This will make or break your homeschooling endeavors.

8.Super Mom Syndrome

This was probably the most difficult part of homeschooling for me. Days when my friends would say, “Walking into your home is like walking into an Ethan Allen Showroom” were long gone.

Trying to keep those same standards is like trying to rake leaves into a pile in the middle of a tornado.

Face it: your home will never be the same. Your meals will not always be healthy, your errands will not always be run, your bills may be late, and your bathrooms may not always sparkle.

But take a deep breath and remember:

1. You live in your house all day

2. Your kids are in your house all day

3. You school in your house

4. You use your walls as a display for charts, projects, lessons, maps, time lines, motivations, and more.

5. You do not have a large classroom to keep all of your studies in—books and educational materials will naturally take over your home.

6. You use your desk for more than paying bills, checking e-mail, and surfing the net.

If you are going to survive this homeschooling experience, you must learn to lower your standards!

9.Ignoring the Input of your Children

It is so easy to get so wrapped up in your plans and ideas that you forget to check with your children. This can be especially challenging for Moms who were teachers or who served in a managerial role. Part of the beauty of homeschooling is that it can be a two way street.

You set up the boundaries, then, allow your kids some freedom within those boundaries.

Your willingness to bounce ideas off of your kids and to really consider their input will mean so much to them . . . and you might be surprised at what they come up with!

10.Fear of the Internet

Let’s face it—the Internet can be dangerous! There is so much out there that we do not want our children to see and so many people out there we do not want them to meet!

However, there is also a wealth of information out there that is absolutely invaluable to any homeschooling program. From educational and interactive games, to live cam pictures of our solar system, the possibilities are endless.

And if you know where to go, you can tap into homeschool resources and instruction that will never run dry!

The Adopted Child: Trauma and Its Impact

Adopted at the age of six months, Joseph was a fussy and sometimes hard to soothe infant. Feeling as though this was just normal infant difficulties with the adjustment of adoption, Pat and Robert paid it little attention. When Joseph reached the age of two and began to bite the other children in daycare, they chalked it up to the dreaded two-year old stage of which everyone assumes to be okay. Though the biting never quite ceased that year, with a few modifications, Joseph made it through the year. The teachers raved about how smart he was. By the time he was six, the increasing duration of the school day seemed almost more than he could bear. Sometimes screaming for hours at a time, Joseph would do no work and then would spend the remainder of the day in isolation. Prone to striking out when others attempted to soothe him, Joseph had now grown accustomed to attempting to runaway from the school personnel when his behavior would escalate. On many occasions this would lead to Joseph being restrained by the security guards, principal, or coaches. Eventually Joseph began to stack up a list of schools attended and suspended from. By the time Joseph had hit the 5th grade, his increasingly violent outburst coined with outward defiance had gained him two different stays at local residential treatment centers. Not knowing where else to turn or what else to do, and after failed attempts at therapy, and more than eight psychiatric medications had proved of little benefit other than causing Joseph to appear "zombie-like," Pat and Robert felt their only other option was to send Joseph to a boys boarding school.

Unfortunately, the above story is not an uncommon plight that adoptive parents face. Though not always leading to a disruption or out-of-home placement, many adoptive families struggle for years to create the peaceful family of which they had dreamed. Regrettably, one of the main barriers preventing such family harmony is one of the least understood when it comes to understanding the plight of the adopted child. The barrier is trauma.

Whether adopted from birth or later in life, all adopted children have experienced some degree of trauma. Trauma is any stressful event which is prolonged, overwhelming, or unpredictable. Though we are familiar with events impacting children such as abuse, neglect, and domestic violence, until recently, the full impact of trauma on adopted children has not been understood.

What Science Is Now Revealing

Scientific research now reveals that as early as the second trimester, the human fetus is capable of auditory processing and in fact, is capable of processing rejection in utero. In addition to the rejection and abandonment felt by the newborn adoptee or any age adoptee for that matter, it must be recognized that the far greater trauma often times occurs in the way in which the mind and body system of the newborn is incapable of processing the loss of the biological figure. Far beyond any cognitive awareness, this experience is stored deep within the cells of the body, routinely leading to states of anxiety and depression for the adopted child later in life.

Because this initial experience has gone for so long without validation, it is now difficult for parents to understand. Truth be told, the medical community still discounts this early experience. Nevertheless, this early experience is generally the child's original trauma. From that point forward many more traumas may occur in the child's life. These include premature birth, inconsistent caretakers, abuse, neglect, chronic pain, long-term hospitalizations with separations from the mother, and parental depression. Such life events interrupt a child's emotional development, sometimes even physical development, subsequently interrupting his ability to tolerate stress in meaningful relationships with parents and peers.

An important aspect of trauma is in recognizing that simply because a child has been removed from a traumatic environment, this does not merely remove the trauma from the child's memory. In fact, stress is recognized to be the one primary key to unlocking traumatic memories. Unfortunately for both the adopted child and family, the experience of most traumas in the child's life is that the traumatic experiences typically occur in the context of human relationships. From that point forward, stress in the midst of a relationship will create a traumatic re-experiencing for the child, leading the child to feel threatened, fearful, and overwhelmed in an environment which otherwise may not be threatening to other people.

10 Keys to Healing Trauma in the Adopted Child:

1. Trauma creates fear and stress sensitivity in children. Even for a child adopted from birth, their internal systems may already be more sensitive and fearful than that of a child remaining with his biological parents. You must also consider the first nine months in which the child developed. These early experiences as well could have major implications.

2. Recognize and be more aware of fear being demonstrated by your child. Be more sensitive and tuned in to the small signals given such as clinging, whining, not discriminating amongst strangers, etc. All are signs of insecurity which can be met by bringing the child in closer, holding, carrying, and communicating to the child that he is feeling scared, but you will keep him safe.

3. Recognize the impact of trauma in your own life. One of the single greatest understandings parents can have is a self-understanding. Research tells us that far more communication occurs non-verbally than verbally. Understanding the impact of past trauma in your own life will help you become more sensitive to when your reactions are coming from a place other than your existing parent/child experience. Re-experiencing past trauma is common when parents are placed in an ongoing stressful environment.

4. Reduce external sensory stimulation when possible. Decrease television, overwhelming environments, number of children playing together at one time, and large family gatherings. When necessary that these events take place, keep the child close, explain to him that he may become stressed and he can come to you when needed.

5. Do Time-In instead of Time-out. Rather than sending the stressed out and scared child to the corner to think about his behavior, bring him into to you and help him to feel safe and secure. Internally, this will then permit him the ability to think about his actions. Though time-in is not a time for lecturing, it will allow your child an opportunity to calm his stress and then think more clearly. Another effective key is to let the child decide how much time-in he needs.

6. Do not hit traumatized children. Doing so will only identify you as a threat. The biblical verse spare the rod, spoil the child speaks to the raising of sheep. A rod is used to guide the sheep and the staff to pull him back into line when he strays. Hitting children, just like sheep, will cause them to become frightened of you and in many instances to runaway or hit back.

7. There is never enough affection in the world. A very simple technique for time is the affection prescription 10-20-10. Give a child 10 minutes of quality time and attention first thing in the morning, 20 minutes in the afternoon, and 10 in the evening. Following this prescription of time has proven to have a great impact on the most negative behavior.

8. Encourage an IEP in the classroom to develop an understanding of the child's stress and fear. This may assist in addressing such vital areas as homework, playground, peer interaction, lunchtime, and physical education. All are common areas of reduced structure and increased stress.

9. Educate yourself regarding the impact of stress and trauma on families. Try not to scapegoat your child for their difficulties, but rather take responsibility for creating the environment necessary for healing his hurtful experiences. There are many resources available. A few of note are: www.postinstitute.com ; www.parentingtheadoptedchild.com ; and www.postfamilysystem.com

10. Seek support. Parenting a child with trauma history can take its toll on the best of parent. Seek out a support system for occasional respite care, discussing of issues, and the sharing of a meal. Such small steps can go a long ways during particularly stressful times.

In closing, never forget that you are a great parent. During times of stress you won't always feel like it, but both you and your child were meant to be together. Your child will teach you far more about yourself than you may have ever realized without him. Give yourself time to refuel, connect, and communicate. And finally, a secure parental relationship is the single greatest gift you can give your child. When the parental relationship is secure this will permit the child a foundation to grow from.

Teachers are Faced With Teaching Students Whose Parents Were Drug Addicts

As a teacher, I have found it harder for my co-workers to teach at the same level they did several years ago. The curriculum hasn’t changed, the hours haven’t gotten longer and the teacher-student ratio hasn’t changed; so why is it more difficult?

Teachers are having to mainstream (putting children disabilities in the general education classes) children who are in some terms addicted themselves to the drugs of their parents.

Where do the children of drug addicts go? To public school. Mothers who have been using drugs during their pregnancy have children who have special needs. Some drugs are alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, crystal meth, or any combination of drug.

What’s unfortunate is these children do not go to rehab, they come to learn at our public schools. Some schools have codes for these children with health problems which are: 403, special education, limited availability or at-risk. Many schools placed these children in special education classes to help them better adjust to life at school.

As teachers we must be able to help these children get the quality education they deserve. We cannot judge these children by why their parents did.

I experienced this myself, and the student grew each and every year.

Learn a few tips on how to handle this situation;

1. Be open minded. Don’t prejudge how the child will act in school.

2. Be extra sensitive to the student’s needs. A lot of times you may be the only stability in their life.

3. Find out about the student’s history, family life, grades in other classes and previous years, and who the student lives with currently.

4. What other languages do the student speak.

5. What are the educational needs of the student.

6. Follow the student’s Individual Education Plan or Individual Behavior Plan.

7. Make sure others are involved to help the student in all areas of his/her school experience.

8. If the student has a social worker, get to know who it is and how to contact the worker.

9. Let counselor know about the student and that the student may need support.

10. Let the student know you care.

11. Treat the student like any other student in your class.

12. Give the student extra time to finish work, explain to the student what is expected more than once and offer help during class.

Teachers face difficulties everyday, just make sure you are making it a littler easier for the student who has a difficult life everyday.

The Truth About Special Ed: Part I

This a perspective of public education, special education, and critical issues encountered as a teacher or paraprofessional in the field. Part I of this article intended to portray this special educators view of some of the ugly truths that we as new educators can attempt to right, as well as paint a realistic landscape for the general public to take notice of its eye sores. The second installment of this article addresses the importance of reform and discusses key areas of impact. This is not to say that the state of special education is hopeless, but that without remedy, we’re looking to create yet another savage inequality.

Special Education in context

Special education is intended to make education as accessible to students with special needs as their general educated peers. In short, to afford any student the opportunity to perform at their potential. Before you can truly understand the legitimacy of special education as well as its issues, you much first understand the context in which it is presented. Like any other public service institution, school systems reflect societal ideals. Unfortunately, a tenant of our society is individual success and our educational system has adopted a similar focus. This is also a society that has been guilty of clumping homogeneous groups together. Staying true to form, schools have also developed class systems, encourage segregation and thrive on competition. Special education has become a thorn in the side of the educational system. Special education represents a minority group that this institution must recognize, but only to the extent to which they are held accountable. It represents a minority group that does not fit any of society’s molds and for a long time had been neglected. Education reform requires society to demonstrate “fair and appropriate” provision of public services as described in our governing documents. Society at large is slow to create level playing fields and the educational system has inherited the same selfishness. This context is important to what makes special education “special” instead of just education.

Competing perspectives

“Whose job is it”? “Who is responsible for providing accommodations or modifications”? “I am not a special education teacher”. These are the very things discussed in teachers lounges across the country. There are competing perspectives about who actually is responsible for providing an educational program for students with special needs. It is the author’s belief that many educators unknowingly choose a side, but make their stance known in their practice and preference in the classroom. It’s the classic debate of the special educator vs. the general educator and who is supposed to do what. This is not a conspiracy theory attacking the general education teacher or vice versa, but instead another indicator of misinformation and inadequate training. Remember that a teacher’s effectiveness is measured in test scores (so says regulation) and students with special needs are tested at their age-appropriate grade level.

Furthermore, a close relative of the “responsibility” debate is the inclusion debate. Inclusion, as its name suggest, involves the provision of special education services within the general education classroom. This issue has much more history than the former as it actually stems from regulations created to provide equal opportunity for individuals with special needs. Special education had become the scapegoat for removing difficult to teach students (whether academic or emotional). Differentiated instruction has always been difficult and requires lots of training for teachers to do effectively; it has been much more convenient and inexpensive to remove the minority and create a different classroom. The best interest of the other students actually has served as adequate rationale in many cases, stating their progress to be inhibited by students with learning differences. Conversely, advocates of inclusion would champion that very diversity to be in the best interest of classroom. The most interesting aspect of all the debates was that there has been no real solution, merely ongoing discussion and disservice to students with no real policy to stand behind. Special education as a right of the disabled has been defined, but its best method of provision has not. Educators struggle with integrating individualized education plans (IEP) into classroom curriculums and tying them to grade level standards. General educators juggle differentiating instruction to meet diverse learning modalities/levels and meeting grade levels standards and standardized test scores. You won’t find many districts that have solved this riddle and perform both well. What you will find are misdiagnosed children (more on this later), inconsistent practices and burned out educators.

Special Education today

What does special education look like as a system? The guidelines for each area of exceptionality have always been under scrutiny. Some laws state eleven categories while other regulations state thirteen. Additionally, exceptionality areas are often “fine tuned” by individual districts and what may qualify as a student having mental retardation in one district may be diagnosed as a learning disability in another. The discussion of how labels can effect more than the labeled is also very intriguing. While labeling a child disabled could be a ticket to more a more appropriate education it also shapes people’s expectations and justifies prejudice for many people. The very label used to provide for a more appropriate education can often times carry a stigma that places a child on a track of mediocre services. The type of tracking that used to channel students away from college is still alive and well. We still track students; only now tracking is not as overt. Special education labeling in our current system could be viewed as tracking when poorly done and in the best interest of anyone other than the student.

Our trend today is more toward, inclusion where all students are kept together and provided for within the same classroom environment. However, many classrooms still employ a pullout system (resource) where the exceptional student is pulled out to receive his or her services. In order for an inclusive classroom to work, communication and planning for students must be clear and expectation must be understood. Additionally, more than just special needs students should be served; otherwise the same issues will arise as with a pullout classroom. Other placements such as self contained classrooms and full-time residential placements also come under scrutiny when it comes to effectiveness versus senseless tracking. Mainstreaming provides an opportunity for a self-contained classroom student to earn passage into the classroom, but this too must come with lots of teacher communication and planning in order to be effective. All of the above have very fuzzy lines and that kind of discretion is dangerous in the presence of political agendas.

If It Weren't For Add, We Might Not Have The Theory Of Relativity

Were you a question machine when you were a kid? How come dogs can poop outside, but you won't let me? Why do raspberries have seeds? How do you know for sure that Santa Claus is watching me every single day? Doesn't he have more important things to do?

If you were lucky, your parents made up some kind of answer, if they didn't know it already. But, more often than not, kids that ask a lot of questions are told to keep still. If you have ADD, this was probably you, and it probably made you feel weird because people just got so exasperated with all your questions.

I know I was just determined to figure out how things work--everything. My brain wouldn't rest until I knew why things are the way they are.

With many kids, ADD doesn't just go away when they grow up. So, ADD adults are still asking questions, wondering about everything from their job to their baby's development. The whole thing about that is that our questions make other people uncomfortable. When we ask a whole bunch of questions, it just throws them off track. But we see things from so many different angles! Yet, because there are so many more linear-thinkers than adults with ADD, we're the ones who feel out of place.

Why?

That's because most people just hate to ask questions at all. They feel stupid, and get embarrassed. When we're there asking tons of questions, it frustrates them and throws everything out of whack.

Yet, getting answers to questions that nobody else really thinks about can be very empowering. Not only are you able to spark new ideas that lead to bigger and better plans at the office, and you may get a million-dollar plan of your own. You need to take that idea and get started with it immediately! Right away, not sometime... Now.

So, what if it's not a million-dollar idea, after all? What if it kind of sucks? Oh, well. Finish what you started anyway. Never put the first thing away because you're already thinking about the second and third things that you want to work on.

Just don't do it! Finish your first idea, and maybe use parts of the 2nd and 3rd ideas that work with what you're already working on. You'll have a gazillion more ideas after these, so don't worry about losing just a couple. You really aren't losing them at all. You're using them to make your original project stronger.

Here's the thing: Never stop asking questions, even when the people around you are fidgeting and uncomfortable. Then, be sure to implement your great idea, even if you find out later that it sucks. Trial and error is what it's about, not trial and abandon.

Think about this: If it wasn't for Einstein's ADD, were would we be in the development of the theory of relativity?

Volunteerism for Teenagers: A Great Character Builder

Volunteerism among high school and college students is at an all-time high; many school systems actually build volunteer work into their curriculum. Young people are building homes for Habitat for Humanity, working in National Parks for the Conservation Corps, and involving themselves in political, environmental, and social causes.

It's certainly admirable for young people to take an active part in these causes; but it may be even more important than routinely recognized.

Unfortunately, the United States is a materialistic society. Teenagers - many of them the same teenagers lining up to volunteer their time - have access to more discretionary funds than any previous generation, and they're spending it. CDs, DVDs, iPods, cell phones (and the accompanying bills), designer clothes, shoes, and bags - all of these material goods are in easy reach of many of our teenagers. Beyond the danger that these kids will grow up with unrealistic expectations when it comes time for them to move out, get a job, and support themselves, there's a real question as to whether these young folks, used to having anything and everything they want, will be able to relate to those less fortunate than they are.

This is not a frivolous issue. The high school and college students of today are the voting citizens of tomorrow; some of them will become the leaders of tomorrow, charged with making decisions about people from all walks of life, from the most privileged among us to the desperately poor. How are these often privileged middle class kids to develop empathy for those less fortunate than they are, if they never interact with them?

Volunteerism is a way for kids to cut across social and financial boundaries and connect with people different from them. Upper middle class kids from the suburbs of Malibu can work side by side with poor kids from rural West Virginia and urban Brooklyn, clearing trails in a national forest and in the process experiencing an environment beyond the screaming product ads on TV and in magazines billboards. Young people who sign on with Habitat for Humanity can develop an understanding of the difficulties involved for a low-income family when faced with finding decent affordable housing. Locally, kids who volunteer as companions in nursing homes can get a sense of the loneliness and isolation many elderly people experience when cut off from family and friends.

Teenagers who involve themselves in volunteer work can develop valuable skills and a sense of responsibility that will stand them in good stead when it comes time for them to enter the work world. But perhaps more important than job-related skills is the opportunity for these young people to develop empathy and a sense of compassion for those who have been wounded by life. Perhaps for these future leaders and citizens, developing compassion is the paramount and most essential benefit of the volunteer experience.

Teaching for 'Social Justice'?

The decline of mass media and the rise of the blogosphere have blurred the distinction between the consumer and the producer. Unlike their parents, who grew up as recipients of television wisdom, today’s youth upload writings and videos, in addition to downloading them. Don’t mistake this as a new fad, following hoola-hoop, bell bottoms, slap bracelets and pokemon. This shift empowers all citizens to speak freely, truthfully and recklessly; and it demands that teachers expand their idea of “teaching for social justice.”

Two ninth grade girls in my school took a picture of another ninth grade girl, posted it on the web, wrote “call me for a good time,” and posted the girl’s phone number as well. That night, this unsuspecting student received dozens of calls from men two and three times her age. On the face of it, this is nothing new. Adolescents are cruel and men are lecherous. Yet, the implications of this behavior are far graver than ever before. Who knows whether or not those men will be cyber stalkers, choose to find her home address, and pay her a visit? The dangers of blogging and uploading abound, from the publication of uncensored libel, to revealing the private information of others, to giving all forms of potential tomfoolery a public stage. None of this is news to anyone.

What on earth does this have to do with teachers? Can they be held responsible for the rumors and practical jokes of their students outside the classroom? That’s a stretch.

However, it does mean we need to place heightened emphasis on developing an ethical consciousness at an early age. Before the consequences of student mischief were inherently limited by rudimentary information distribution networks: passing notes by hand, graffiti scrawled on the wall of the bathroom stall, announcements at a school assembly, late night telephone gossip sessions. Now, students have the virtual publication power of professional journalists.

From that perspective, we’re training journalists. Don’t we need to teach ethics, as well as academics? As teachers, we need to promote social justice by not just teaching respect and appreciation for the multiplicity of cultures, races, genders and socio-economic classes, but by using the classroom context to develop the students’ sense of right and wrong.

I’ve attempted to do this by creating emotionally meaningful experiences. In one activity exploring segregation, I gave each student a playing card and told them that they weren’t allowed to look at the cards. Students had to put their respective playing cards on their foreheads and mingle with their peers, treating each other according to the value of their card on their foreheads. The student with the King card, for example, was treated like royalty, while the student with two on his forehead was ignored.

One students responded, “That was mad wrong. Whites treated blacks like dirt for no reason.” Another replied, “It made no sense. Getting a two or a nine was random and then it was the biggest deal.” A more mature student countered, “It’s like the social groups in school. Jocks and pretty girls get treated like kings for no good reason. Then short and fat kids get picked on just because of the way they looked.”

My students not only knew what segregation was, but they could feel how wrong the Jim Crow laws were. And, if they can draw connections from ethical lessons in class to their own lives, they might wield their keyboards, mice, and video cameras more responsibly.