What Interested You Most in The Times This Week?

Was it the article about rising unemployment in the U.S.? The editorial about Derek Jeter’s 3,000^th hit? The correlation between SAT tutoring and improvement on test scores? Whatever it was, the New York Times wants to know what got your attention and why.

Every week this month, students (ages 13-25) will have the opportunity to share their thoughts with the world by participating in the Times’ Summer Reading Contest. Here’s how it works…

You see, hear, read, watch something—anything—that interests you in print or online. Articles, essays, editorials, photos, videos, podcasts, etc. are all fair game. You write about how it intrigued, irked or inspired you and submit your response. At the end of each week, the paper publishes its favorite submission(s) in a special post. Added bonus: winners are announced on Twitter and Facebook.

So, students, throw a little real-world, non-fiction onto your summer reading list. This is your chance to read and be read!

Click here to find everything you need to know about participating in the challenge.

An Insider's Perspective: Taking Community College Courses in High School

Launch Education's intern, Shawn Danino, shares how community college classes enhanced his high school education.

In my experience as a high school student at a public school in the suburbs of LA (Taft High School), one of the greatest experiences I had was getting to take courses at my local junior college (Pierce Community College). At my school - and many others across the country - there was a list of courses available to enroll at the community college that we would receive credit for and get the equivalent boost of an AP class. The subjects were diverse and interesting, from Business Fundamentals to Sociology, and the instructors were far more passionate and engaging than the majority I had in high school. In fact, my Introductory Sociology instructor is the man I credit with inspiring me to eventually become a Sociology Major at USC.

The experience of being on a college campus in high school was truly invigorating for me. In contrast to the overcrowded chaos that unfolded at my high school, (we had a shooting right outside the school my freshman year and a riot my junior year) going to a junior college offered a more mature, relaxed setting that was more conducive to learning. While many students opt into taking classes during the school year, I think the best time to enroll is over the summer. During the summer, you don’t have to worry about balancing coursework with as many other commitments.

Community colleges sometimes get a bad rap amongst folks aiming for a four-year school, but I think it’s an unfair bias. Honestly, many of the instructors I had at Pierce rivaled my more ‘reputable’ professors at USC. Furthermore, LAUSD actually pays the entirety of tuition for junior college courses taken during high school - so there’s really no excuse to not consider attending!

It gets better. The beauty of junior college courses is that they are often graded as college courses. At my high school, this meant that one extra grade point was added to my GPA. So essentially, an A was weighed as 5.0 GPA points and a B was 4.0. This was incredibly helpful to my cumulative GPA, which was negatively skewed by a couple B’s I had received in my high school classes. This takes off much of the performance-related stress that comes with AP tests and final exams, since there is much more of a cushion.

Without the regimented daily schedules and bells ordering us that we had 5 minutes to get to the other side of the school, going to junior college made me even more excited about going to a four-year university. The work load can be challenging, but taking two or three classes for a few hours a day makes planning to do your homework a lot more manageable.

Moreover, you have the opportunity to choose your classes, which allows you the time to figure out what you’re best at and what subject areas you enjoy most.

It might sound cliché, but it is a rare opportunity to have full autonomy over your schedule and what courses you take. Taking classes at junior colleges can give your application the edge it needs to get into your dream school. Also, my private SAT tutors not only helped me with scoring big, they taught me the value of time management.

Guest Blogger: David Montesano - Admission Strategist at College Match US

Last week, our Los Angeles office had the pleasure of meeting with David Montesano, Admissions Strategist and Founder of College Match US (http://www.collegematchus.com/). We were incredibly impressed by David's college admissions know-how and his unique approach to the school selection process.

Here, David shares more of his insight, explaining why it is a good idea to begin the college planning process during sophomore year.

Making the Case for Starting College Planning by Sophomore Year
Planning early for college can save you time and help ensure your student’s college admission success.

As the parent of a high school student, college admission is one of the most significant decisions that you and your child will make. Searching for the right college can be very time intensive. After all, you want to feel comfortable with your student’s choices about college admissions as you help your student transition into the next phase of his life.

Your experience making strategic business decisions has yielded positive results for your company. Don’t leave those skills at work. College admissions planning, beginning sophomore year, can help your student find the best college. Competition for college is at an all time high with 100,000 new students applying each year for college until 2014. The average high school counselor serves 300 students, but your student deserves more attention. Timing is everything. By starting to plan sophomore year you can improve your student’s chances of finding and getting in to the right school for him. Here are things that you can do:

Start early – in college admissions timing is everything. Begin planning for college admission sophomore year with your student to develop his talents and interests. Colleges' admissions representatives want to see leadership and depth in a student’s out-of-class involvement. This doesn’t mean that they have to do a lot of different activities. The best tactic is to focus and start at the beginning of high school. By starting early, your high school sophomore may develop leadership and depth rather than breadth. Colleges form a well-rounded class by choosing individuals with depth in their activities and interests.

Identify your student’s strengths. Is your student a community-builder? An inventor? An entertainer? Nuturing and developing special talents takes insight and understanding about what college admissions officers are looking for. Some want poets, others want dancers or musicians. Working with your student to develop their unique talents should be an organic and natural process. By reviewing the credentials of accepted students you can gain insights into what different colleges are looking for. Keep in mind that for some competitive colleges this may include national and state competitions and prizes such as the Intel Science Competition or playing an instrument in the local junior symphony.

Become knowledgeable about college admissions trends — dance, for example. Among the usual performing arts that students take part in outside of class, dance is now one of the most sought after among college admission offices around the country. For the first time, a number of colleges are reporting dance statistics among accepted students. Pomona and Occidental Colleges in Los Angeles now record the number of accepted students involved in dance among their freshman class profiles (5 % to 8% of freshman classes). Echoing this trend, construction is underway on new dance studios at Vassar College – one that seats 244 people. Additionally, new facilities have been built at Emory University in Atlanta, Hamilton College in NY, University of New Mexico and Tufts University in Boston this year. College Match’s dance team consists of nationally-recognized dance coaches and a choreographer. You may wish to get help from a college admissions consultant familiar with performing arts to guide your student.

Seek advice from qualified experts: finding an ACT/SAT test prep tutor and a college admissions consultant with strong track records of past successes may be like finding a needle in a haystack, but in the end it is worth your time. By working with a SAT tutor you will be able to maximize your student’s scores. High scores by fall of junior year will also qualify your student for National Merit Scholar status—something that is very helpful for college admission. Working with a college consultant as well may also improve your student’s chances of getting into the college of their dreams, but make sure you find someone that can point to past success; College Consultant Reviews is a great place to start. Counselors on this site rated by their clients on the site. Here is our review for example: http://bit.ly/mTZ0en.

Families who start sophomore year and work with a test prep tutor and a college consultant improve their chances of finding the best college fit. Gaining admission may come down to something as simple as the fact that a college needs a cellist or soccer player. For parents of freshman and sophomores, important decisions about college admission loom on the horizon. The good news is that you can relax because there are steps you can take to eliminate stress, save time, and find the best college match for your student.


David Montesano is an admission strategist with College Match US. For a copy of David’s “Ten Strategic College Admission Steps” go to www.collegematchus.com.

Guest Blogger: Betsy Brown Braun - Parenting Expert and Educational Consultant

This week, we are privileged to post the insights of Betsy Brown Braun, parenting and education guru. Betsy weighs in on the merits and costs of 'toddler tutoring' after the recent introduction of Junior Kumon.

Toddler Tutoring?

They’re getting younger and younger! Now there’s Junior Kumon, a program to teach your two year old academics. Seriously! In a recent New York Times article, Fast-Tracking to Kindergarten, author Kate Zernike highlights the proliferation of the new Kumon (and other) tutoring programs designed to jumpstart toddlers’ academic career.

Are they kidding? Sadly, they are not. And more and more parents are drinking the Kool Aid, believing that this is actually a good idea. The poop at the park is that force feeding your toddler academics before he has even started preschool is the key to getting your child into the “best” preschool, which is the ticket into the “best” elementary school, which will lead to the “best” high school and in turn, the Ivy League. And then what? The best life? If only there were such guarantees.

Child development experts throughout our country are mourning the shrinking role, if not the disappearance of play in early childhood programs as well as in kids’ lives. Most parents associate play with not work (and in their minds not learning). They conjure up images of toys and mud pies and wildly running around. But play is the work and business of childhood. It is precisely how children learn. It is through play of all kinds that children gain the foundational experiences that will enable their meaningful learning of academics later on when it is developmentally appropriate. It is through play that children develop language, pre literacy, thinking skills, mathematical concepts, social skills, self control, self confidence…to name just a few of the direct outcomes. We know, too, that drill and kill (the tutoring that Kumon type programs offer) is not aligned with the young child’s neurological development. The right hemisphere of the brain, which thrives on sensory and emotional input, plays the dominant role in the young child’s learning, later and gradually joined by the left hemisphere and more traditional academic pursuits.

Hearing your child recite letters, regurgitate number facts, and essentially “dance for grandma” (to steal a phrase from A Chorus Line), bursts these parents’ shirt buttons. Here is proof of their child’s so-called advanced learning. He is in the running! But what does it really prove? That your child can memorize? Memorizing is not necessarily learning. And there is absolutely no sound data demonstrating that the performing child remains at the front of the class beyond the kindergarten years or the correlation between early rote learning and later achievement. None.

We weep about what our young children are not developing as they are subjected to early academics, twice weekly visits to the private SAT tutor, and nightly homework (twenty minutes for math and reading skills required by Kumon!) But parents don’t know any better. Everyone else is doing it. Welcome to competitive parenting. Whose kid will reach the “top” first?

The drill and kill skills will not give your child any advantage in his life pursuits let alone get your child a job. In fact, it’s the kids in India who will get those jobs! It will rob him of the time needed to explore and discover, to cultivate his social, independent, and personal skills, to learn to think outside the box in ways that will set him apart from the number crunchers in far off lands.
I can promise you that force feeding letter and number recognition to the two or three year old child will neither hurry his learning nor get him into Harvard. It might make you feel like you’re keeping him in the parentng race, but at what cost? Where is David Elkind’s The Hurried Child when we need it?

-Betsy

Betsy Brown Braun, M.A. is a Child Development and Behavior Specialist (infants to teens), a Parent Educator, and Multiple Birth Parenting Specialist. She has taught in both public and private schools, has been a school director, and was the founding director of Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s Early Childhood Center in Los Angeles. Betsy consults with parents privately, runs parenting groups, seminars and workshops for parents, teachers, and other professionals. She is the award winning author of the best selling, Just Tell Me What to Say: Sensible Tips and Scripts for Perplexed Parents and You’re Not the Boss of Me: Brat Proofing your 4 to 12 Year Old Child, both in their fourth printings. Betsy has been featured on the Today Show, The Early Show, Good Morning America Now, Dr. Phil, The Rachael Ray Show, Fox and Friends, has been a guest on NPR and radio stations nationwide, and is a contributor to Parents Magazine, Twins Magazine, Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, and in numerous city specific newspapers and family magazines. Betsy and Ray Braun are the parents of adult triplets.

Staying Smart This Summer

In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell stresses the importance keeping your mind fit over your summer break. He describes research that shows that students who continue to engage their mind and learn in some capacity over the summer come back to school with way fewer cobwebs than those who don’t. And coming back to school fresh or rusty can prove to make a huge difference on the report card down the road.

There’s just one problem—students work really hard all year with private SAT tutors and other knowledgeable aids, as the beauty of summer is right around the corner to take time off. Students don’t want to work hard to x learning over the summer.

The solution is fun learning. Easy, relaxed, enjoyable learning that doesn’t require too much effort and doesn’t feel at all like work.

Here are some ways to keep learning this summer that I consider “fun.” Check them out and see what appeals to you:

Books: Nearly all reading—fiction or non-fiction—is a great way to engage your brain, learn things, and beef up your vocabulary. But my personal favorite category of book is what I would call “fascinating, user-friendly non-fiction,” and this is one of the best ways to learn. Here are some of my favorites:

• All four of Malcolm Gladwell’s books: The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw. These are addictively fascinating and so fun to read.
• Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner
• A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
• How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker
• Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond

Magazines: Go to the store and browse the magazine rack. Find something that both interests you and is reasonably educational. No matter what interests you, there’s a magazine out there that focuses on it. Make a pledge to read each issue of it this summer.

TV: Like magazines, there is TV that helps your brain and TV that, well, doesn’t. You know the difference. Browse around channels like The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and National Geographic, find a new show that looks fascinating to you and get into it this summer.

• Personal recommendation: How the Earth Was Made on The History Channel. I’m totally hooked on this show…

Documentaries: Google a list of “best documentaries,” find something that looks interesting to you, and watch it. Simple as that!

The Internet: The Internet can be a phenomenal way to engage your brain and learn new things. One way to start is simply think of something you’d like to understand better. It can be anything from, “What is the history of computers?” to “Why is Alexander the Great so famous?” to “Which countries have the highest populations?” to “How big is the universe?” If you’re in a reading mood, dive into a Wikipedia article about the thing you want to learn. If you’d rather sit back and have someone explain it to you, head to YouTube and you’ll find someone to do just that.

• Personal recommendation: Go on YouTube and search for Richard Feynman. I’ve learned a lot about how the world works from watching him explain things on YouTube.

Ted Talks: Ted Talks are short, excellent presentations by really interesting people on all kinds of topics. They’re superbly inspiring and educational. Visit Ted.com and browse around!

"Smart" Games:  Get into Scrabble, or Chess, or Sudoku, or crossword puzzles this summer, and it'll help keep you sharp.  Or head to Sporcle.com, though I warn you now—it is addictive.

For Dummies Books: I love the For Dummies line of books. They’re easy and fun to read and super user-friendly. Head to the bookstore (or to Dummies.com) and browse through their titles. You might come across one that makes you say, “I’d really love to learn about that” or “I’d love to learn how to do that.”

Not all of these suggestions will appeal to everyone, but the thing they all have in common is that they’re easy, relaxing, and fun.

Have a great summer, and stay sharp!

Math Anxiety?

Of all the SAT tutoring or tutor requests I receive on a daily basis, the most common would definitely have to be the "I need a math tutor." In addition, the most widely used explanation for such a need would also have to be the "...because I'm just not good at math" reason, which is referenced as a description far more than I've ever heard for any other academic subject.

Sound familiar? Don't fret, you are not alone. "Math anxiety" has become so prevalent in academia that researchers have gone to work to suss out what is going on and how we, as educators, can help ameliorate the problem. Check it out!

Researchers Probe Math Anxiety

Do Something!

Right now you’re probably focused on getting through final exams. But summer is around the corner, and if you’re thinking about watching TV every day, think again.

Don’t just sit there. Do something!

Step 1: What’s your thing?

If you don’t already know what gets you fired up, DoSomething.org offers a wealth of information on all sorts of causes from education to the environment, poverty to politics. Read up to figure out how you’d like to get involved.

Step 2: Act now!

Browse for places to volunteer near you. You can search for projects by interest, key words or through the Projects Matchmaker. And if none of the existing projects pique your interest, start your own, like interning or volunteering with private SAT tutoring! DoSomething University provides number of online video tutorials and written guides on how to start, grow and maintain your project or organization. You can even apply with DoSomething.org to get your project funded! Starting a club is a great way to take initiative, and it’ll bulk up your college application. On top of that, you’ll be able to take pride in the fact that you've contributed to a worthy cause, whatever it may be.

Visit DoSomething.org today!

Hola! Ciao! Ni-hao! Dual-Language Immersion Programs in LA

Learning a foreign language does not come easily for most. I know that my four years of Spanish classes did little to set me up for fluency. I will, however, take most of the blame. I was too shy to speak up in class for fear my amateur Spanish accent would butcher any attempt at the correct pronunciations. This, along with my skepticism of ever being fluent, lead to the decision to stop taking foreign language classes as soon as my high school requirements were met. Needless to say, I will not be having any type of meaningful conversation in Spanish any time soon.

However, when I came across an article in the LA Times this week on the rise of dual-language immersion programs, I was immediately intrigued – and a tad jealous I wasn’t a part of such a program. The dual-language programs are yielding positive results in Glendale Unified Schools, like many their SAT tutoring programs. Unlike bilingual education, Dual-language immersion programs offer the opportunity of learning a second language to immigrant students as well as native-born American students. The article highlighted a number of advantages these students will receive as a result of these programs.

Benefits of a Dual Language Programs
--Studies of English-Language Learners suggest that learning to read in a child’s first language boosts reading achievement in the second language
--Early bilingualism has been found to aid memory, problem-solving, decision-making and other brain functions
--Children in dual-language immersion programs usually lag in English skills at first, then tend to surpass their counterparts in English-only classes by fifth and sixth grade

For a list of Dual-Language programs in Los Angeles County, visit the links below.

Glendale Unified School District
Pasadena Unified School District
The California Department of Education
For the full Los Angeles Times article click here.

Applying for an Internship - Pointers from an Employer

Internships for high school and college students are becoming more and more popular with good reason – they give students a great opportunity to explore their interests and learn real world skills in a safe environment.

The interview and application process is a new experience for most students, and as a veteran hirer of interns, here are my key pointers for all the prospective interns out there:

Cover Letters and Resumes. Employers don’t expect students to have robust resumes or years of experience to reflect on in a cover letter. What they DO expect is that students display professional maturity:

• Spelling, grammar, and formatting should be impeccable – it shows attention to detail and polish. If you have not graduated from college yet, your writing and grammar are most likely much worse than you think they are (seriously). Get someone more experienced to proofread!
• Cover letters should be SPECIFIC to the particular internship and company. Well-articulated enthusiasm for the company and position is impactful, generic personal statements are not.

The Interview. When evaluating interns (particularly younger ones who are not entering their senior year of college), there are a few key factors that employers look for:

• Maturity – candidates show up on time, look presentable, and acknowledge the fact that they are in a professional environment. Bring a pen, a copy of your resume and cover letter, don’t chew gum, etc.
• Enthusiasm – employers want interns that are genuinely excited to work at their company, not interns whose parents are forcing them to do something “productive” for the summer.
• Personality – an intern’s ability to seamlessly blend into the company environment is very important. No one expects an intern to be a polished professional, but they do expect them to be fun, positive, excited to be working, eager to learn, and easy to work with.
• Intelligence – almost by definition, interns come to the job with little prior knowledge or skills. Employers expect interns to be bright, resourceful, and learn quickly at a wide variety of tasks.
• Volunteerism – Working alongside private SAT tutors and passing on the knowledge you previously learned speaks miles on your resume and interview.
• Etiquette – send a thank you note! It shows maturity and that you care about the internship.



This guide certainly does not cover ALL facets of internships, but hopefully it will give students a better idea of what employers are looking for!

Treadmills in the Classroom

With about eight different internet windows open on my screen and feeling like a computer going into sleep mode, it’s safe to say that I’m struggling in the concentration and energy department. Luckily, my lack of concentration led me to find an article about a school for students with learning disabilities called City Park High School in Saskatoon, Canada where they put treadmills and exercise bikes in their math classroom. Beforehand, over half of the students had ADHD, couldn’t sit still, and struggled to concentrate. However, after 5 months of doing 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise before doing any math, the students were able to sit and focus. Almost all of the students had jumped a full grade in not only math, but reading and writing as well. Several of the students got off Ritalin and many of the students reported feeling happier, smarter, and much more confident. To read more go to Trusted.MD.

According to Dr. Charles Hillman’s research at the University of Illinois, similar results were found in students without disabilities who showed a 10% increase in their problem solving abilities after spending 30 minutes on a treadmill. "It's good for attention, it's good for how fast individuals process information, and how they perform on cognitive tasks," says Hillman. Meanwhile, students at Naperville Central High School in Chicago who go to PE first thing in the morning and often ride on treadmills in their reading classes have experienced significant reading score increases and math scores up by a factor of 20. To read more about these schools, go to ABC News.

While it is extremely unlikely that all classrooms catch onto the treadmill trend, there are many small adjustments students, parents, tutors and teachers can do in order to reap the benefits of exercise. According to Trusted.MD, it takes at least 20 minutes of sustained activity three times a week to make the difference in behavioral and academic performance.

Students: If playing outside for 20-40 minutes means improving your concentration and your grades, would you do it? Now that spring is here, it is the perfect time to get out and get moving! Also, if you are studying and feel tired or unable to concentrate, take a 5 minute brain break to run around the block or shoot a couple of hoops..just be sure to get back to studying ASAP and don't be afraid to ask for help from your private SAT tutors!

Parents: In most P.E. classes, 80% of the kids are standing around waiting for their turn, or simply trying to avoid participating. Although you may be a firm believer of having your child immediately sit down and do their homework the second they get home from school, you may want to re-consider. According to Trusted.MD, taking 20 to 40 minutes a day for sustained physical activity improves learning and grades in academic subjects as much as actually using that time for the academic subjects themselves. For more information and activity ideas check out ABC News
Tutors/Teachers: Although you probably don’t have treadmills in your classrooms or in students’ living rooms, you can definitely incorporate activity during lessons. I remember learning from a psychology professor that the average person’s attention span is about 2 times their age. For example, a 10 year old can concentrate for 20 minutes. Keeping this in mind, incorporating brain breaks such as jumping jacks or yoga poses every so often can help students re-energize and re-focus rather than struggling to teach an entire lesson without a single break. For brain break ideas read tips from a Naperville Central High School teacher and actual videos of students in action at http://brainbreaks.blogspot.com/