Busy, busy, busy. That's how my friends and family describe me so it wasn't a big surprise when I announced that along with my business, dance classes, the gym, volunteer work and a handful of little projects, I was also going to learn to knit. And I did. I took my first class in November thinking that I would be able to make [...]
Today, the word 'college' is almost synonymous with the word 'online.' You can apply to college online, register for classes online, read textbooks online, and even take classes online. So it’s not really that surprising that many colleges are beginning to recruit students online. Gone are the days of college fairs in high school gyms, where recruiters speak to a handful of overwhelmed [...]
It should be no surprise that many new technologies are making inroads into schools and classrooms. Most every school has computers and SMART Boards, and many teachers receive answers to tests from students via hand-held wireless devices. Apple's iPad has been making its way into schools since it was released, but there seems to be a recent surge of these devices and their [...]
While government agencies and school administrators focus on standards, AYP, accountability, and other urgent issues in education, an oft-overlooked segment of students is receiving some welcome attention. The proposed federal budget for 2010 has assigned $50 million to be used for dropout prevention. The stimulus package includes $3.5 billion to help turn around low-performing schools, and presumably a portion of that will also be [...]
It looks as though the movement to adopt the Common Core Standards is gaining momentum. These standards, drawn up by state school chiefs and released this spring, will provide a set of Math and Language Arts objectives that will bring consistency to what our children are taught across the country. Pushing for these national standards will also discourage states from "weakening" their standards [...]
Back in the 1960's, linguist Noam Chomsky developed a theory called "Critical Period Hypothesis." Chomsky stated that the time before puberty is the easiest time for children to learn world languages. Once children go through the puberty stage it's more difficult to learn another language. Furthermore, Chomsky explains that while a child is going through puberty, his/her brain is more able to absorb [...]
PSG staffers were brought back to a time of Smurfs, slap bracelets and synthesizers as we hopped aboard an ‘80s party bus. We answered ‘80s trivia and listened to Wham! while we headed to Golf Country to play mini golf, hit a bucket of balls at the driving range and practice hitting in the batting cages. We finished the day at Richardson’s Ice [...]
The staff of PSG split into three groups and competed in a fun, team-building scavenger hunt. From Boston Common to the North End, we explored our city while searching for answers to questions about Paul Revere, Colonial-era cuisine and the Boston Massacre. The competition was fierce to the bitter end with the tie-breaking question about the height of the wave of molasses in [...]