Colleges are spending time and money remediating reading skills for incoming freshman — even those who graduated from high school with four years in a strong program. Why? Because K-12 students read and write almost exclusively fiction, while college students read and write nonfiction. This “disconnect” between K-12 and college takes a big toll on college readiness. Here’s a fun article College Readiness in the Age of Talking Dogs and Zombie Beauty Queens your school can use to nudge students, teachers and parents into including more nonfiction in their reading
INTERVIEWS
In a recent interview, Mike Rose, a professor of education at UCLA and author of Why School? discusses the importance of a college education, not entirely in terms of monetary benefits, but for the personal and intellectual growth that a college education provides.
LINKS TO STUDIES AND REPORTS
See also: “Putting Middle Grades Students on the Graduation Path: A Policy and Practice Brief” by Dr. Robert Balfanz and associates at the Center for Social Organization of Schools at Johns Hopkins University and the Philadelphia Education Fund. This report illuminates the critical role the middle grades play in the national goal of graduating all students from high school prepared for college, career, and civic life. It confirms that in order for schools to keep students on the graduation path, students must be taught organizational and self-management skills, such as study and work skills, time management, note taking and assignment completion strategies. The full report and Executive Summary can be accessed on the NMSA website at www.nmsa.org.
TIPS FROM TWEEN PUBLISHING – GREAT FOR YOUR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER OR WEBSITE
Tip! A Look But Don’t Cite WIkipedia Policy is Best for College Readiness
Tip! Follow up on matters that affect your grade.
Tip! Start the new semester out the right way. Update your planner!
Tip! Did you know that in middle school, what you do and how you do it can be just as important as what you know?
LINKS TO EXCELLENT HOMEWORK HELP WEBSITES
Fact Monster Homework Center: www.factmonster.com/homework
Yahooligans!-School Bell: www.yahooligans.yahoo.com/school_bell/
Jishka Homework Help: www.jishka.com
Multnomah County Library Homework Center: www.multcolib.org/homework
Yahooliogans! Reference: www.yahooligans.yahoo.com/reference
Math
Dr. Math Middle School Archive: www.mathforum.org
Math.com – Homework Help: www.math.com
Check back every month for new organizational tips!
Webmath: www.webmath.com
Language Arts
The Grammar Slammer: www.englishplus.com/grammar/
MS: A Language Arts Website: www.studentsresa.net
Miriam-Webster Dictionary & Thesaurus: www.m-w.com
IPL Teenspace A+ Writing: www.ipl.org/div/aplus
Science
Earth Science Explorer: www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/explorer.html
S.C.O.R.E.: www.score.k12.ca.us
Cellular Biology: wwide.w.library.thinkquest.org/12413/index/html
MadSci Network: www.madsci.org
World Languages
Language Guide: www.languageguide.org
Babelfish Translation: www.world.altavista.com
Learn Spanish: www.studyspanish.com
Jishka Homework Help: www.jishka.com
History
A&E Biolgraphy: www.biography.com
Encyclopedia Britannica Online: www.britannica.com
Hyper History Online: www.hyperhistory.com/online