Education for Leaders: The IB and its Growing Influence on Education
In 1968, a group of educators from Switzerland created the International Baccalaureate Organization, a foundation that promoted a hands-on approach to learning for students between the ages of 3-19. The Geneva Organization strives to provide students with the tools to not only think critically but promote service and peace around the world. Since its inception, schools throughout the globe have integrated the IB philosophy into their own curricula. In New York City, for example, schools such as Brooklyn Latin, a New York City Specialized High School, use the IB principles to create unique learning environments.
The IB curriculum is centered on two predominant principles. TOK, or theory of knowledge, is a set of required curriculum in the Natural Sciences, Human Sciences, Arts, Mathematics, History, and Ethics. Students are required to take courses in all of these fields in order to graduate. Furthermore, students must complete projects and courses to fulfill the IB’s core principle of CAS. (Creativity, Action and Service). CAS focuses on the skills students need to apply their knowledge and to enact change. Both TOK and CAS are unique to high school curriculum in that they require teamwork, creativity, and community leadership: three areas that may be lacking in the uniformity and independent work promoted in public schooling.
As with other Specialized High Schools, IB focused schools like Brooklyn Latin are highly selective and difficult to get into. In New York City, the SHSAT is an achievement test that measures a student’s ability to think critically, and is the principle factor for admissions into a Specialized High School. Here at Five Points Learning, we offer an intensive SHSAT test prep course that focuses on achieving the result needed to gain admissions into one of these competitive schools. Our SHSAT tutors hail from Ivy League institutions, Specialized High Schools, and other esteemed schools and universities. Their insider knowledge is a key to helping our students achieve success.
So if the IB philosophy interests you, or if you desire the challenges and reputation of a Specialized High School, why not try to prepare early? Five Points Learning has summer SHSAT prep classes still available. Sign up early for discounted class rates today!
Read MoreCan Assigned Papers Actually Hurt Your Writing Skills?
Have you ever heard your English teacher say this? “I want a three page paper double spaced. If it’s any less than three pages, I will take points off.” The conscientious student would have no problem completing this assignment, but the lazy or unmotivated student may worsen their writing in their efforts to procrastinate. This all has to do with our methods of increasing page length. The obvious techniques involve widening page margins, changing font size, or using charts to take up space. While these are often inadvisable, an even greater deficiency begins when students make attempts to lengthen their writing rather than focusing on quality.
One of the top grammar issues present in American student’s writing is a run-on sentence. Run-ons are two or more sentences that are improperly punctuated. They can be very long or very short, but they have a tendency toward being quite long. Students often create run-on problems while attempting to add more words to their sentences without knowing the proper rules of grammar. If they are not very careful, one extra verb can throw their writing off and create this error.
Similarly, the passive voice is an increasing issue in American schools. In an effort to extend verb phrases and sentence lengths, students will change the order of a sentence to conform to the passive voice. For example, if I were to write a sentence like: George Washington sailed across the Delaware. This is in the active voice because George Washington, the subject, occurs first while sailed, the verb, comes immediately after. A student who wants to add more words will likely change the sentence to say The Delaware was sailed across by George Washington. Although subtle, this slight variation opens the door to a vast number of grammatical and syntactical errors.
At Five Points Learning, our writing tutors focus on teaching students core writing skills rather than mere assignment based learning. While schools are not entirely to blame, the process of shortcutting through assignments can cause major learning gaps at an early age. If we can focus in on such areas, students will build the confidence necessary to tackle difficult tasks and think critically. The summer is a great time to work on these skills. Check out our Summer Writing Programs here for more information.
Read MoreCognitive Learning through Ancient Gaming
It’s raining outside. The electric just went out in your apartment and you have nothing to do except stare at your younger brother all day. What to do? Well if your mind turns to the old board game closet, you may just have a game that improves your math, verbal, and reasoning skills. According to a recent study by Doctor Robert Ferguson Jr., the ancient game of chess is not only a constructive use of your time, but may be a viable curriculum for schools. In this comprehensive study, students were given sets of tests in the fields of critical thinking, creativity, and logical reasoning.
In all of these areas, students performed significantly higher after receiving instruction in Chess strategy.
Ferguson suggests gaming allows for a unique method of critical thinking that goes beyond our regular math or verbal curriculum. Unlike staid material, each game presents a new problem, one that requires creativity and adaptive techniques to succeed. Additionally, the added impulse for competition challenges students to achieve personal and relative goals. These goal sets are founded on previous gaming experiences that require the use of cognitive memory for adapting to one’s opponent.
Although Ferguson’s study is founded through the lens of professional chess instruction, private schools around the world are now considering chess as a part of their daily curriculum. According to a CNN article, a parochial school in Birmingham is using chess to teach critical thinking in order for students to fulfill a math requirement. This unique program involves testing based upon past and present methods for adapting chess strategies in correlation to mathematical data analysis.
While instructive, chess is not the sole game catching the attention of schools and teachers. Other games such as Monopoly, Scrabble, and Boggle are known for their use of critical thinking, writing, vocabulary, and mathematical uses. Through its summer programs in brooklyn and summer math programs, students at tutoring centers such as Five Points Learning in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, are given the opportunity to challenge their minds in fun and creative ways. Five Points even provides an organized analysis of educational games and offers a rewards-driven program for achieving personal goals. Beyond the staid curricula of math and English lies the opportunity to enjoy learning. We hope to traverse this realm as we find new and exciting ways to help students succeed.
Read MoreThe Benefits of Summer Classes
Let’s see… What to do this summer. Well, I could devour lots of ice cream and catch up on Season 6 of Family Guy on Netflix. But then what? Why is it that every summer starts out fun and then suddenly gets boring? Why is it that every time I start a new year of school, I feel like I’ve forgotten everything from the previous year’s classes? Maybe there is something else I can do, something useful for a change.
While the thought of more schooling may not seem like a fun idea, think of the possibilities. No grades. No pressure. Just think of all those things you were too embarrassed to ask your teacher about in class. How about that math concept everyone seemed to think was so easy, but caused you to bomb the algebra midterm? What about that book you had to read in English class and never finished?
What makes school “boring” may not have anything to do with classes. More likely, it’s the pressure, the homework, and the workload that weighs you down. If learning could be fostered in a fun environment: one that focuses on what you need rather than what you’re already good at, maybe… just maybe summer classes could be useful. Not to mention, you’d get to hang out with kids who actually want to learn. Why else would they be there?
At Five Points Learning we’re providing summer programs that focus on education in a fun and collaborative environment. That’s because we believe in catering to your needs above all else. In our small-classes, we can help every student by creating an exciting pathway to learning. We know that summer is a time to relax, but it’s also a time to catch up; it’s the perfect time to study for the SAT, or review Math before it gets way harder next year. Check out our brooklyn summer programs or our summer sat prep and give us a try. After all, there’s still plenty of time for relaxation. This way, you won’t have to dread going back to school. You’ll be way ahead of the game.
Read MorePeer Influence on Student Performance
Can my fellow classmates make me a better student? Or worse, does that class clown bring down my own performance? A recent Stamford University study seeks to answer this question by monitoring students in elementary schools, high schools, and universities based upon their interactions with fellow classmates. In the 2002 study by Eric A. Hanushek, John F. Kain, Jacob M. Markman, and Steven G. Rivkin, researchers found that students are greatly effected by their peers, and in most cases such influences overwhelm the teacher/parental influence. However, in the case of positive influence, it does not matter how well a student performs; he or she can still improve another student’s motivation. This suggests that while lower-performance schools can adversely effect a child’s education, there is still hope for positive peer reinforcement.
The study goes on to reveal this set of peer influences is a reciprocal event. One child can poorly influence another, while the other child can add a positive influence. Some might think this is obvious, but we should garner a lot of hope this finding. After all, if we can reach just one child, they have the power to pass on their education and motivation to a whole classroom of fellow students.
Parents may then ask, “But what if my kid doesn’t have good friends? What if they’re peers don’t care about school?” When both the school and the student performances are lacking, outside influences become increasingly important. This is why positive mentors are key to student success. If, for example, our tutors can act more like peers than teachers, our sphere of influence is far greater than the sum of our educational system’s parts. We must believe in encouraging forward thinking, analytical exercise, and positive reinforcement. All of these factors lead to better education. In small ways, this supplementary encouragement can offset negative biases and influences each day.
Here, at Five Points Learning, our energetic team of instructors not only care about student progress; we seek to improve students’ outlook on education. Quite simply, learning is cool. We firmly believe this because all of us have benefited from our own paths to education. If we can instill this same perspective in our students, we can better entire classes one student at a time. For assistance with homework help and how to motivate students, contact Five Points Learning today!
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Can Skipping Questions Improve SAT Scores?
Oh, the infamous SAT. How on earth do people grade this thing? 450? Sure that’s average for some kids, but what’s the difference between a 450 and a 460 when it comes to correct answers? How can I drudge through four and a half hours and still do well?
Let’s start by getting to know this test. The SAT is scored on a 200-800 point scale. Combined Math, Writing, and Reading scores equal a perfect 2400. These scores are tabulated using a raw score conversion chart. Check it out below:
Now that we’ve sifted through the obvious, let’s talk about a more important detail: you get 1 point for every question you get right and a ¼ point deduction for every question you get wrong. Here’s the weird part; you will get NO points off for questions you skip.
So now you may be wondering, “Well how do I take advantage of this?”
Here’s how. Sentence Completions, Math, and Grammar are ordered according to difficulty. For example: in a ten question Sentence Completion section the first 2-3 questions will be easy, the middle 4 questions will be medium difficulty, and the last few will be hard. If you know that on average you do not answer difficult level questions correctly, where should you focus your energies? That’s right. Economize on your strengths. Students who spend more time on questions they are likely to answer correctly do better on the test.
Here’s even better news. Focusing on one’s strengths can also shorten the testing experience. If you skipped the last two questions of a section because of their difficulty, you are bettering your pace, and using time appropriately. Statistics show that difficult questions are answered roughly 10% of the time, with students spending nearly double the amount of time allotted to answer these questions.
The application of this method should vary according to a student’s strengths. If, for example, a student is better in math than verbal, they should answer more questions in the math sections and skip more in verbal sections. This requires diagnostic and sample testing to truly ascertain these strengths. Testing Centers such as Five Points Learning in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn offer diagnostic and sample testing through SAT Test Prep courses. By starting with this simple procedure, our SAT tutors can then help students focus on their weaknesses and make the most of their intellectual strengths. Throughout all standardized test taking, one truth remains constant: we must think like test takers and test makers in order to excel.
Brooklyn based SAT Private Tutors, SAT Private Tutor, and SHSAT Tutor
Re-Thinking Schools: How To Motivate Students Today
The G-Star School of the Arts located in West Palm Beach, Florida was recently showcased on NBC’s Today Show because of its innovative approach to education. Take a look:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Here is another video on G-Star from a local news story in Florida where the school is located.
G-Star is a progressive charter school that allows students to pursue areas of study they are ACTUALLY interested in, providing students an opportunity to learn real-world skills and to gain real-world experiences. For example, students interested in film are able to actively participate in the production of commercials and other film related projects.
Allowing students to learn real skills in areas they are interested in serves to not only improve overall motivation, but also to increase focus in school leading to improved academic performance and graduation results.
We should consider how our system of education can be improved to compete with increasingly competitive nations worldwide. Student motivation and passionate learning require specific skills that are fundamental for achieving higher academic performance. However, trying to apply a one-size fits all approach to education with increased testing separates students farther from their curriculum. Should we not stop to ask, “Is this really the best way?”
At Five Points Learning, our writing tutors and math tutors do an exceptional job of not only teaching students the critical skills necessary to achieve success, but also working hard to improve each student’s motivation and interest in both math and writing. They do this by making the subjects relevant and by providing real world examples and applications of the skills they are learning. Our tutors are enthusiastic and passionate about their subject areas, and our students feed off of this energy and passion. In some cases, helping students to “connect the dots” in an enthusiastic manner has inspired students to pursue more in-depth studies in a particular subject area. This is what we strive to do each and every day.
The following video raises some interesting questions about the impact and effectiveness of our current system of education. Please comment and share your thoughts and ideas. Cheers!
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Math Word Problems and Problematic Words
A recent study by Cecilia Kilhamn of the University of Gothenberg suggests that word problems and metaphors are muddling up our numbers. In one experiment, several students were asked to solve equations based on direct instruction and metaphorical explanations. Researchers found that many of these descriptions actually led students to over-think questions and set up problems incorrectly. Much of the issues revolved around the concept of positive and negative numbers. In most cases, students avoided setting up equations using negative numbers and attempted to change the problems to only work with positive integers. Kilhamn argues that this is not a simple error on the part of the student but a “reluctance to accept negative numbers.” She further explains that this “is closely linked to our desire to be able to concretise that which is abstract and understand negative numbers in terms of concepts such as debts, lifts or temperatures.” However, many of these “concepts” are difficult to convey to students who lack correlative experiences.
Kilhamn suggests a change in the way we explain mathematical theories. By focusing on numbers at an early age, students can better grasp the key concepts necessary to later approach word problems. The study further suggests that students recognition of symbology such as decimals or fractions develops faster than their perception of, say, a pizza pie cut in half to represent 1/2. Use of metaphors can further cause issues with the diversification of student experience and cultural distinctions. This is not to say that students should avoid understanding the implications of numbers on real life. Yet Kilhamn’s study recognizes that as kids develop their basic math skills, they should begin with standard symbology and later gravitate toward correlative experiences; only then can they fully translate these concepts into their day to day life.
This presents a unique challenge for teachers. How can we focus on this set of basic symbology and still make math fun? Repetition and game driven math equations can continue to build conceptual skills without distracting students from the problems at hand. Outside education and math tutoring can further reaffirm these concrete principles outside of the classroom. When students find certain problems challenging, math tutors can cater to a student’s set of experiences and change their approach accordingly. Here at Five Points Learning, we believe in the opportunity to create an adaptive learning environment and overcome the confusions that arise in the classroom. Perhaps vague words and metaphors are not the sole reason for confusion. Instead, how we use these tools to explain problems can make a huge difference in the way students retain information. After all, each child has their own method of comprehending material, and it is up to us to harness and foster this potential for learning.
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Musical Literacy: How Song Can Help You Read
The benefits of music education on math skills are now common knowledge. They also make sense. Counting rhythms, building spatial relationships, and dividing measures require analytical skills that can help students face similar math equations. So music is all about math, right? Wrong. Researchers are now finding that music can help build phonics, cognitive memorization, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.
Oddly enough, the foundations of music and learning lie in our earliest attempts at communication. Babies, for example, learn how to communicate through rhythm and sound repetition. Because of this, easy rhythmic words such as “mama” and “dada” are internalized quickly. Scientific research points to our earliest speaking attempts through a trial and error process, one that requires us to imitate rhythm first, then sound, then finally committing a word to memory.
Students who struggle with reading or are below average often move quickly through words and lose their meaning in the process. By slowing down this process, children can build their phonetic abilities and retain more information. How do we achieve this? Many new programs suggest that singing a word is the answer. A recent article by Laura Woodall and Brenda Ziembroski argues that singing a word is far better than speaking a word. When we sing, we pay attention to the rhythmic qualities of the language and better concentrate on the sound or pitch of the word.
Although this process of literacy education is widely accepted, few schools are willing to adapt this new system into their older methods of education. Students therefore must look to outside education centers who offer the technology necessary to assist with reading comprehension. One such center is Five Points Learning in Brooklyn, NY. Five Points Learning offers a unique reading tutoring program that integrates reading, vocabulary, video and song to assist students as they build their reading skills. Through this unique reading tutoring program and its dedicated and passionate reading tutors, english tutors, and writing tutors, students are able to make 1+ grade level improvements in just 9 weeks.
In our ever-growing technological world, multi-disciplinary approaches are necessary advancements in the field of education. While music in education are historically linked, creative instruction and multimedia technology will continue to harness the benefits of this useful method.
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Secret Standards: How the SHSAT is Graded
The SHSAT is one heck of a mysterious test. For one, it contains a format completely unique to other standardized tests of its kind. SHSAT prep is often hard to find compared to wider-known tests such as the SAT and ACT. Yet perhaps the greatest challenge is how little we know about the test. Much of the information available to students is based on content alone. Sure, we know what kinds of questions will be asked of us, but how will we be graded? How will we know if we can get into Stuyvesant or Brooklyn Tech?
Have no fear. Recent information suggests that while the cutoff changes every year, the SHSAT follows a particular formula and score conversion chart. According to a yahoo posting by Leah Yates, students can use the chart below to tabulate their scores:
- Count the amount of right answers per each section, and assign point values based on the numbers above. these 2 numbers, one for each section, are referred to as your ‘raw score.’ (it should be between 1 and 50)
- Use this conversion chart for each of your raw scores to see what you would get per section.Number out of 50-test score
1-16
2-30
3-44
4-58
5-72
6-82
7-90
8-98
9-107
10-129
11-138
12-145
13-152
14-158
15-164
16-170
17-175
18-180
19-185
20-190
21-194
22-198
23-202
24-206
25-212
26-214
27-218
28-222
29-226
30-230
31-234
32-238
33-242
34-246
35-250
36-254
37-258
38-262
39-267
40-272
41-277
42-283
43-290
44-298
45-308
46-318
47-328
48-339
49-350
50-4003) Add the “test scores” together from each section. this is your final score.
Content provided by: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101009145654AAh6BOT
After using this chart, students can then compare their scores to the previous year’s school admission reports. For example: in 2010, Stuyvesant’s cutoff for the SHSAT was a combined raw score of 569. While this may change in 2011, at least students will have a general idea of how high they need to score.
My suggestion is for students to consider having a grade-point cushion. That is, if you are looking to get into Stuyvesant next year, try to score around a 575. This overall goal will take into consideration the increasing competition each year. Generally, it is slightly harder to get into any specialized high school every year. Erring on the side of caution will help you make the all-important decision of stating your top-choice schools on test day.
Think about your practice test scores before sitting down to take the actual test. If you know you’ve never scored anywhere near Stuyvesant’s cutoff, maybe you should consider choosing Bronx Science or Brooklyn Tech as your primary choices. Remember, preparation is the key, and as I said earlier, few companies offer SHSAT tutoring. One that might work well is Five Points Learning in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Their team of SHSAT tutors are experienced in helping students achieve their highest scores on the exam.
No matter how you choose to get ready for the SHSAT exam, plan ahead and be prepared to study for many long hours. For most students, this is not the type of test that will allow for last minute cramming. Doing so will only lead to a less than optimal score. This highly competitive test requires forethought and intense preparation. Good luck all!
Brooklyn based Math Tutors, SAT Tutors, and SHSAT Tutors
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