Rhee Launches Student Advocacy Group

Rhee Launches Student Advocacy Group After stepping down as Washington D.C.'s public schools chief, Michelle Rhee has decided to create her own organization to lead, StudentsFirst. She is touting it as a national level platform with which to advance education reforms that put students first. A pledge to raise $1 billion has already been issued to support the organization. Critics and supporters alike have already drawn battle lines. Much remains to be seen as to whether Rhee can implement real educational advancements, or if she produces more rhetoric than action. Read more about Rhee's work in the Wall Street Journal article, or browse the StudentsFirst website.

5 Excellent Sight Reading Exercises for Singers

5 Excellent Sight Reading Exercises for Singers Megan L. Unless youre a career-chorister, the concept of sight reading music is probably going to at best make you slightly nervous, and at worst paralyze you with fright. However, at some point, probably when you join a choir or perhaps go to an audition, youre going to have to face that hurdle. Sight reading comes easier to some singers than others, but its not some mythical task akin to retrieving a golden fleece; sight-reading, even for the more able, is a learned skill, and there are several sight reading exercises you can practice to improve. Here are five sight reading exercises that will make a difference and help calm your fears: Familiarity Pick an octave that comfortably covers the middle of your voice. Sit down at a piano and play up and down that octave; as a major scale, harmonic and melodic minor scale, and as a chromatic scale. Listen carefully to each of the notes, and fix them in your mind and your ear. Next, play intervals to yourself within that octave and memorize the sound of the interval. The final stage a friend will be useful here is to play the home note, and then sing back a specific interval. Check your work thoroughly, as this sight reading exercise has as much to do with memory as anything else! Ear and Eye Once your ear has established what those intervals sound like, train your eye to recognize them on paper, as youre going to struggle in any sight reading exercises if you cant translate that knowledge from ear to page. Be aware that intervals dont always look how you might expect on paper, so use this as an opportunity to improve your general music reading skills as well. How Do You Eat an Elephant? The answer should always be a forkful at a time! It may feel overwhelming to be faced with a whole page of tricky music during sight reading exercises, but dealing with it one bar at a time will make it seem much less scary. If the whole page fills you with panic, put the brakes on for a moment and just deal with small sections at a time. Map Reading Think of a piece of music like a roadmap. Take careful note of key and time signatures, and pinpoint interesting landmarks like accidentals or key changes. Look ahead, and fix rest spots, i.e. half or whole notes where you can take stock and plan your strategy for the rest of the piece.  Dont be afraid of sight reading new pieces a little under tempo better to do this and keep going than practice with an error that you cant shake. Self-sufficiency Rules Nothing will give you greater confidence as a singer and a musician than being able to prepare your music yourself, and to know that youve prepared it accurately. There are many singers out there even working within the classical industry at the very highest level that cant read music, and need a voice coach to teach them every single note.  Being able to read songs as easily as you would a newspaper is a valuable skill that will carry you far. Now that you have all these tools to make you a confident and capable singer, there is one final, important thing to bear in mind over and above any exercise or other preparation rule: Without a well-trained, properly-produced instrument, all of your work will be pointless. Finding a good voice teacher is essential to take you beyond being a talented, untrained amateur singer with natural ability. Since we cant hear our own voices accurately, its important to find a good teacher to help you identify and correct bad habits as they happen, and show you the right exercises to practice to improve your skills. Good luck with your singing, and dont forget to have fun! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo  by Dave

How To Assess Teachers

How To Assess Teachers Students who like their teachers learn more, according to a new report cited in the New York Times. This study, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is seeking to distinguish the good teachers from the bad. Students who described their teachers as skillful at maintaining classroom order, at focusing their instruction and at helping their students learn from their mistakes learned more than their fellow classmates, as measured by their outperforming them on standardized test scores, according to the report. This report is part of a larger, two-year project that the Gates Foundation is funding to enhance education. This two-year project includes scores from social scientists and around 3,000 teachers in Charlotte, N.C., Dallas, Denver, Hillsborough County, Fla. which includes Tampa Memphis, New York, and Pittsburgh. The larger Gates Foundation project is a $335 million effort to overhaul and improve the teachers and personnel in the aforementioned districts. This effort began last year as statisticians ranked all teachers using a value-added method, which calculates how much a teacher has helped his/her students learn by changes in achievement tests from year-to-year. Researchers are now comparing teachers value-added scores with questionnaires that students filled out, giving their opinions of their teachers. The results are not surprising, and researchers found strong correlations between teachers value-added ratings and students evaluations. Teachers whose students agreed with statements like, In this class, we learn to correct our mistakes, and, My teacher has several good ways to explain each topic that we cover in this class rated much higher on the value-added program than teachers who did not receive positive evaluations. Surprisingly enough, this study marks one of the first times researchers have actually asked students what they think about their teachers. Why? Maybe it was too obvious to ask the students themselves if their teachers were good or bad. Previously, most public school teacher evaluations were performed by the principal as he/she would sit in on a teachers class lecture for the day. The Gates Foundation well equipped with common sense is now being considered a thought leader on overhauling education. Over 20 states education administrators and policymakers are seeking input and information from the Gates Foundation on how to measure teacher effectiveness. This report is more concerned with how to measure teacher effectiveness, and it offered very few suggestions on how to improve it. However, a director of education at the Gates Foundation, Vicki Phillips, told the New York Times that teachers who constantly berate students to prepare for the standardized tests have lower value-added measures than teachers who slowly and methodically work their way through literary or mathematical concepts. Teaching to the test makes your students do worse on the tests, Phillips told The New York Times. It turns out all that drill and kill isnt helpful. Currently various organizations, ranging from the Obama administration to the Gates Foundation to other smaller, grassroots organizations are all attempting to be the organization that saved Americas education system. With this arms race, students can greatly benefit with better education systems.

Learn Maths Online with These Resources

Learn Maths Online with These Resources Let the Internet be Your Online Maths Tutor ChaptersBeing Critical of Your Maths ResourcesOnline Maths Resources: Advice from a Maths TutorTake Your Learning FurtherMaths Video TutorialsThe Relationship Between Online Resources and Formal EducationAccording to a study by the French organisation, INSEE, around 86% of young people between the ages of 15 and 29 use the internet  on a daily basis.This statistic is hardly surprising as we become more and more dependent on technology.What is remarkable, however, is the change in opinion toward the usefulness of the world wide web. The same survey found that only 27% of those who did not use the internet said it was because they did not find it useful, compared to 50% in 2008.This marks the true scale of the digital revolution we are experiencing, where the internet will continue to grow as it gains more relevance in people's lives.Of course, we should not ignore the way in which this tool is used. The INSEE tells us that in 2010, around 70% of the same age group had used the interne t in the last three months for the sole purpose of learning and enriching their knowledge.Why Not Mix the Useful With the Enjoyable When it Comes to Maths?The era when the internet served only to distract has come to an end.Now, the nature of the world wide web  has inspired developers and educators, as they see people searching for answers to their maths questions and using it to widen their knowledge.The Internet: a tool with infinite uses ¦ source: Pixabay - twinquinn84In addition to the recent interest in the internet as a tool, school pupils and university students need to find out how they can use it as an effective means of remedying their personal difficulties in maths through interactive games and tutorials, for example.Students can find free online math help relating to math problems about triangles, trigonometry, Pythagorean Theorem, algebra, geometry, area and volume, graphing, probability and statistics, turning fractions into a decimal, and polynomial functions, for e xample.The internet can be particularly  useful for math lessons in either delivering them or providing access to revision materials. Online tutors make a living on the internet, advising students in the run up to exams and giving them tips on how to not fall into traps placed in maths test papers. MyriamMaths Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £200/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Dr parikhMaths Teacher 5.00 (8) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KamalMaths Teacher 5.00 (9) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PetarMaths Teacher 5.00 (8) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GowsikaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RubenMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ConorMaths Teacher 4.75 (4) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsBeing Critical of Your Maths ResourcesFinding Maths Worksheets and Maths Tutorials OnlineT he internet is bursting with maths websites dedicated to providing revision and learning material in the form of math worksheets and solutions.If you're looking for step-by-step guides to certain topics, have a look at BBC Bitesize maths. BBC maths  has useful resources for learners from all parts of the UK, including learner guides with 'class clips' (video tutorials to walk yo through solutions).There are online resources for every level. From getting used to counting along the number line and adding and subtracting to long division, algebraic equations and even advanced math concepts such as pre calculus, finding the integral and differential equations, there is something for everyone.If you're preparing to sit GCSE, AS or A Level exams, it's very easy to find PDF files of past exam papers from specific exam boards for different levels of qualification with a simple search.Be careful that you don't get distract by the bright colours and appeal of some of these types of websites, though. Whilst playing online math games can be an incredibly effective way of learning and testing your knowledge of maths concepts, they carry the risk of becoming distracting and actually counter-productive in some cases.Maths Exercises with Answer Sheets OnlineWithout answers, what would be the point of exercises and worksheets?Of course, it is important to verify that you have arrived  at the correct answer to the question, but you must be critical of the available resources.What if your answer is incorrect? A useful answer sheet will not just have what the correct final answer is supposed to be, but, just as maths students are requested to do in tests and math quiz questions, they should show their working.Developing good mathematical and problem solving skills is all about trial and error and revisiting your mistakes to learn from them.Understanding where you went wrong is the first step to finding the correct solution and setting yourself up for success in the future.There i s also value in the variation of different exercises. Redoing the same kind of questions over and over again can be useful to begin with, but this method is not so effective when it comes to revision as there is a risk of predictability.There is value in making mistakes, but only if you understand why you made them ¦ source: Pixabay - NOSTIf you're serious about developing advanced math skills, you need to catch yourself off-guard. Try to find questions which are presented differently to how you are used to, or make yourself a compilation worksheet from all kinds of mathematical topics.The greater the heterogeneity of training, the better the learning of mathematics. In other words, by working through diversified exercises, the student will improve their level of competency and therefore increase their chances of maths mastery.The internet offers a vast amount of exercises which can offer refreshment from the limited resources of the classroom as they move away from textbooks. Only having access to revision materials prescribed by their maths teacher can leave pupils feeling unprepared for exams.Online Maths Resources: Advice from a Maths TutorTaking maths lessons online or following math courses are excellent ways to teach yourself maths.The reasons why people choose to follow these online maths courses vary from person to person, but sometimes, schools and colleges fail  to provide sufficient support for students, which leaves them behind the math curriculum and sometimes even behind their peers.Due to the often fast-paced nature and one-size-fits-all approach to classroom teaching, this kind of damage is difficult to repair.Address your maths problems with the help of the internet ¦ source: Pixabay - janeb13This is where online study comes in. Supplemental instruction from an online study programme or one on one online maths tutoring can bridge this gap and provide the necessary support on the way to academic success.One to one tutoring is particularly us eful for homework help and offering alternative teaching methods as well as different explanations to those of school math teachers. Learners can benefit from seeing a math problem from a different perspective that suits their way of thinking and a maths tutor use the strengths and weaknesses of the learner to provide tailored support.Avoiding repetition is particularly important when it comes to learning. Although this is difficult to do when it comes to topics like multiplication and division or addition and subtraction, what makes maths an attractive subject to learn is that is can be learnt by many different methods. So if you don't like the method the teacher uses, you can find an alternative one, or simply attempt questions of a different style out of curiosity!When it comes to learning online without private maths tuition, students may find a website that suits their specific learning strategies and choose to use this alongside their studies.Keeping the subject interesting an d exciting is key to learning success.Remember that you must be critical about your resources. Don't solely rely on a website or programme you find since this risks missing valuable content that may pop up on the exam. MyriamMaths Teacher 5.00 (13) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MarkMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £200/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors Dr parikhMaths Teacher 5.00 (8) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors KamalMaths Teacher 5.00 (9) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors PetarMaths Teacher 5.00 (8) £40/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors GowsikaMaths Teacher 5.00 (5) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors RubenMaths Teacher 5.00 (1) £15/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors ConorMaths Teacher 4.75 (4) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsTake Your Learning FurtherThanks to the wonders of the world wide web, students are free to access as many resources as they please. This includes small children who wish to practice maths through playing online maths games and A Level maths students looking for solutions to past exam papers.Smartphones and tablets are in the hands of every teenager and they are fantastic for maths practice. There are also many free apps designed to help students prepare for exams.These apps offer maths revision games for kids as well as maths quiz questions and maths tests to track progress.Having a way to learn math topics on the bus or while in a waiting room can be a fantastic way to revise maths.Getting in that extra bit of math practice without the heavy textbooks can lead to a greater fluency in maths and reasoning as students can practice everything from basic math such as arithmetic, rounding and estimation to more advanced concepts including quadratic equations and vectors.Find out about mathematical vocabulary and how integers are the same thing as whole numbers or scientific notation.Again, students should be wary of any national curriculum topics which m ay be missing from these websites or apps.Thankfully, many of these online resources cater for specific exam boards. So whether you're preparing for an AQA A Level maths exam or the Edexcel GCSE maths higher paper, you can feel free to become a true mathematician through practicing your maths skills and broaden  your understanding on-the-go.Maths Video TutorialsAnother relatively recent development in the world of revision materials, video tutorials from maths teachers on Youtube are increasingly popular among students looking for maths help.Certified teachers such as Mr Hegarty and Mr Barton  (who also has materials for teachers) upload math videos of themselves working through maths problems at an easy pace, explaining every step along the way.This type of learning is particularly attractive to those who prefer to watch and listen rather than read from a textbook. Also unlike the textbook approach, Youtube channels can be updated with new content responding to comments from subscr ibers.Perhaps interactive learning owes its success to the involvement of learners in their own progress by facilitating an exchange between student and educator or technology.Maths videos act like a second math lesson on top of what has been taught in the classroom. Learners can pause, rewind and fast forward parts of the question according to their understanding - this makes for a nearly personalised approach to learning which motivates the student.However, as always, be critical! Don't settle for a math teacher or Youtuber you find boring just because they cover the right topics - engagement is key!The Relationship Between Online Resources and Formal EducationThe internet is undoubtedly a fantastic tool for finding a varied and relevant selection of learning resources.It can be used to download worksheets, play interactive math games online, answer maths quizzes and find answers to maths past papers from various exam boards.The tools you need to help you while you're learning mat h are at your fingertips. Play math games such as Sushi Monster and learn to multiply as you lay the foundations for understanding square roots and how to divide. Learn about math and its applications by attempting world problems, or even find yourself a math tutor to help improve your number sense.Head to Youtube and learn about math for your upcoming exams. Solve problems with a teacher before looking straight at the answers.This impressive range of uses demonstrates the way in which new technology can open up a new world of learning to students.But although fun maths games like math puzzles and video lessons on Youtube can provide excellent support alongside classroom teaching, it should not be used to replace it.By solely relying on online math resources, you could run the risk of missing out on important course content which is critical to an exam, or misusing your time to learn about maths concepts which do not feature on the curriculum.Going beyond formal mathematics educatio n can be interesting and shows dedication, but be careful to dedicate enough time to what you're being taught in class to ensure the best learning experience.

Volunteer Appreciation Month - Celebrating Double Dippers - Heart Math Tutoring

Volunteer Appreciation Month - Celebrating Double Dippers - Heart Math Tutoring Volunteer Appreciation Month Celebrating Double Dippers Volunteer Appreciation Month Celebrating Double Dippers April 5, 2017 April is National Volunteer Month! This month we celebrate all of our volunteers who support students each week!Throughout April we will highlight several of our “Double Dipper” volunteers who tutor at multiple schools. Thank you for your dedication to students! Thank you to Mike Dorsel who tutors students each week across two school sites Piney Grove and Greenway Park Elementary School. Thank you toour “Double Dipper” Laura McGinley who tutors at Billingsvillle and Pinewood! Thank you to Deborah Parman who tutors at Greenway Park and Piney Grove!

Newsletter December 2012

Newsletter December 2012 TutorZ.com is a nationwide network of tutors. We offer a fast and easy way to find quality tutors at affordable prices. The Christmas is in the air and in this magical time everybody are in a hurry looking for presents, decorations and passing midterm finals. TutorZ is on the watch connecting private tutors and  students seeking tutoring help. December was full of events for us here at TutorZ.com. Our team was reinforced with a new member,  Lilly Kuleshova, who is an active participant of our marketing work now. We have introduced some important technical updates and improved the social share  functionality of our site.  Now ony one click is needed to share a tutors profile in the popular social networks. This option is very useful both for tutors who want to find more students by making their profiles more visible on web search and for students willing to share profiles of their favorit tutors with friends. Another good news is that TutorZ now advertises on Craigslist and all our clients will benefit from the increasing popularity of our site. Find me a tutor Featured Tutors Shefali   New Hyde Park, NY Teaches: Chemistry,  Biology,  Algebra,  History,  Sociology, English,  Creative Writing, GED,  CLEP,  Geography, Meteorology,  Drawing I work in the field of education and my belief is that anyone who wants help deserves help and with patience, effort, and dedication, he or she can achieve his or her goals. Dr. Jenny Williams   Bremerton, WA Teaches: Elementary, Reading, Math, Algebra, Chinese, ESL, Biology, Anatomy, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Psychology, Piano, Flute, Voice Jenny moved to San Diego in December of 2005, and currently works as a tutor, respite worker and volunteers as emergency crisis/incident counselor for the city. Sacha Henderson, NV Teaches: Math, Algebra, Geometry, Statistics, Applied Math, Trigonometry, Elementary, Internet, Computer Basics I am a hard-working, open and intelligent minded individual who has a passion for math and sharing my knowledge and skill with others. Prof. BAM Brentwood, NY Teaches: Math, Science, English, Creative Writing, History, Geography, Physics, Computer Programming, Software Engineering, Web Page, Design, Communication Skills I focus on understanding of concepts and developing the students ability to solve problems rather than tedious drill and memorization. Mr. Kielbasinski   Somerset, PA Teaches:  Astronomy, Geography, Chemistry, Math, Accounting, English,  Proofreading,  Archaeology, Architecture,  Computer Science, Programming,  Project Management,  Sports Im dedicated to help students with disabilities, tutoring and helping others to succeed. Jared La Junta, CO Teaches: Elementary, Study Skills, English, Spelling, Writing, Science, Biology, Zoology, Chemistry, Physics, GED, Term Paper Our mission as a personal tutors is to not only teach the subjects needed but help build a student that knows how to learn. Read with TutorZ Best Articles from our Blog We invite tutors, parents and students to enjoy our articles on some interesting education-related topics: No Pain, No Math! How to Overcome Math Anxiety?    Math is a difficult discipline and many students are struggling while studying it. However, the recent researches revealed even more stressful evidence, for people with high levels of math-anxiety, the fear of solving math tasks activates brain regions which are responsible for pain perception. What can educators and parents do to release students from this pain? Minneapolis â€" a Paragon of Art, Culture and Intellect    Minneapolis is a bustling city which has a diverse mix of business, cultural and educational opportunities. This glittering metropolis offers something for everyone: prominent universities and colleges, thriving theater and art communities, historic museums, well-developed entertainment industry, numerous outdoor sports and activities. No Worries!  I had been out of touch with my good friends at TutorZ for a few years now. It was a great experience working with those guys but, with school ending and my internship ending, it seemed like a good time to move on. Now and again I would regret going separate ways, because the folks that developed and create TutorZ.com were good people and I missed them sometimes An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. ~ Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (1706 â€" 1790) was a noted American statesman, writer, philosopher, publisher, scientist, and inventor. He is best known as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, signer of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. We wish all our clients a Merry Christmas! Stay with TutorZ.com and keep us in mind for your tutoring needs. Sincerely, The Tutorz.com Team Email: contact@tutorz.com Phone: (805) 288-7338

The 7 vital traits of a successful tutor

The 7 vital traits of a successful tutor Tutoring is a fast growing and often much needed addition to a child's education and comes with great responsibility. A private tutor is hired to provide a student with any extra support that they may need and to: Build a student's confidence Help improve study skills Provide relevant and necessary information Work closely with the student and build a strong, personal relationship Encourage progress Communicate with parents and students Provide students with the opportunity to ask questions Provide exam tips where necessary A successful tutor is someone that not only knows a great deal about their given subject but can relate the necessary information in a way that will ensure the student reaches their full potential and individual goals. First Tutors aims to provide parents and students with the best possible tutor match for their child. We have come up with what we believe to be the seven most vital traits of a successful tutor. 1. Builds a strong personal relationship with their student A tutor does not have the same role as a teacher and one of the main differences is that a tutor has the opportunity to build a strong, personal relationship with their child. Most tutors will work on a one-to-one basis (or in a small group) offering a fantastic opportunity for them to get to know the student and understand their strengths and weaknesses. A successful tutor will spend time listening to the student and building a relationship with them that will allow them to genuinely personalise the student's learning. The more comfortable a student feels with his or her tutor the easier it is for a tutor to help the student maximise their potential. 2. Communicates with the parents Tutoring is not simply a matter of attending individual lessons but of communicating their findings along the way. It is imperative that a tutor communicates well with the parents of their student to ensure their expectations are being met. Tutors that take the time to speak to the student's parents are often far more successful than tutors that do not. Parents can offer useful insight into their child's personal characteristics or learning styles that will ensure the tutor can better understand the student's needs. Also, a good tutor will offer feedback after every lesson so that a parent can keep track of their child's progress. This may be a small chat after each lesson or a follow-up email detailing what the student gained from their lesson. This feedback is vital for parents wishing to encourage their child to learn and progress until their next tutoring session. 3. Will have a professional manner It is essential that a tutor acts in a professional manner when working with their student. All information about their student should be treated in the strictest of confidence. Although each tutor-student relationship should be viewed as a partnership the tutor is present to supplement their classroom and individual study and ensure that the student progresses accordingly. A successful tutor will have a confident but friendly manner and act professionally both during the lesson and when communicating with parents. 4. Has an honest relationship with the student One of the most vital components of a successful tutor is the ability to establish trust and rapport with their student. If a student has not done as well with their work as they were hoping, a good tutor will go through it with them and ensure they have a good understanding before embarking on a new chapter. A student should feel at ease with their tutor and be able to confidently ask any questions they may have without feeling embarrassed or uneasy. 5. Is flexible and patient Two very important traits of a successful tutor are flexibility and patience. Being flexible means having the willingness to adjust certain techniques or teaching approaches to meet the requirements of each individual student. Patience is also a very important part of being a successful tutor. Understanding that certain subjects may be more difficult for a student to grasp and taking things slower for them is essential. A good tutor will not show annoyance but be willing to explain in further detail until they are sure that the student is ready to move on. 6. Meets the students needs All good tutors set goals but setting the bar too high can often backfire and leave the student feeling incapable and unhappy. Each lesson should be tailored to meet the student's needs, building up from easier exercises to more challenging ones. A successful tutor will aim to make sure they cover topics that are not too difficult at first and give the child praise and encouragement before moving on to more challenging topics. Keeping manageable goals is imperative to the success of a student's progress. 7. Makes the lesson real and relevant A good tutor will be an expert in their academic subject and therefore be able to custom each lesson to the student's needs using real-life examples and relevant content. It has been proven that student's engage far better with real-life scenarios and topics that they can relate to their own experiences. Relevant and real content will also increase a student's interest and allow them to express their own personal opinions about certain topics. To Conclude A great tutor is often the best way to ensure that your child progresses well ensuring a brighter academic future for them. When hiring a tutor always look for signs that the tutor is maximising your child's potential and encouraging them as much as possible. First Tutors is the best place to find a tutor that matches yours and your child's needs. We offer all the information necessary to make the best possible choice when seeking the help of a private tutor, from their teaching experience and qualifications to how much they charge and the distance from your home.