Protecting Kids in Social Media

Social Media has been dubbed as the future of communication and has become highly depended upon by our students. The social media experience of a student is much more different than that of an adult. While adults may turn to social networking as a way to stay connected with family and old high school classmates, kids place a different spin on usage of the networks. It is important for parents to know these differences to effectively monitor your child’s safety.

Although there are more social media platforms popping up every day, there are networks your kids likely frequent. Believe it or not, Club Penguin is available to children as young as five years old. Your kids are likely using platforms such as Twitter, InstaGram, and Oovoo. Kids love these platforms because parents are not using them. Parents tend to be more active on Facebook. How do you protect your kids if you are not a member of these sites?

Each of these sites requires an email address or cellular phone to set up. Ask your student to list the sites with login and passwords they have set up membership with. Email is a usual tell-tale for which accounts they have subscribed to. Mobile applications are also an indicator of membership. Do not be afraid to log in and see what is going on, whom they are friends with, and what they are communicating about. Many adults pose as students to gain the students’ trust.

Start with setting ground rules for social media usage. Club Penguin is a trusted site which prides itself in keeping the child’s identity private. However, profiles on other social sites such as those mentioned above can be found from a Google search. Review your child’s privacy settings. Ensure kids only connect with people they know. Limit the time spent on these networks. Establish what is appropriate to post. Log into their accounts to see what is not posted publicly. Check their accounts periodically. Social Media Couple’s has provided an in-depth Facebook agreement for families you can download here http://bit.ly/RuHv4o to help get the conversation started.

Blog submitted by Sharita J. Lee, MBA with JusSharLee Management, LLC www.jussharlee.com

Finding Structure in a New School Year

Every school year brings about a new type of excitement than the year before. Children are advancing to the next grade level, meeting new friends, and receiving additional responsibilities. Kids will waste no time exchanging phone numbers and online profiles, teachers have already written lesson plans, and some students are traveling to and from school alone for the first time. With all of this excitement, it is important to remember a few basic rules to ensure your student is successful this year.

Begin with a home ritual. Monitor the time your student arrives home. Connect with teachers’ resources to view assigned lessons. Many of these resources are available online. Designate appropriate times for television and social activities, such as social media and cellular usage, after homework and studying is completed. Children should receive at least eight hours rest to allow their minds to refresh and their bodies to rejuvenate. A hearty breakfast each morning will help jump start their minds and keep them alert in class. Most schools now even serve breakfast.

There should be rules and expectations developed with your student for the upcoming school year. Discuss the upcoming schedule, as well as any fears and goals the child may have. Write a mission and vision statement and post in a visible place. Develop a plan of action, should the student find difficulty staying on track. Add checkpoint dates and outside of progress report dates to help everyone stay informed.

We all know how exciting, yet frightening, a new school year can be. Parents are managing vigorous work schedules, focusing on bills, managing households, and raising future leaders. Adding a little structure to a bit of the upcoming chaos can help everyone breathe easier, focus on their tasks, and manage their time wisely. Setting attainable goals, with a viable support system, creates a win-win situation. Share your agreements and goals with us at www.facebook.com/aquantumleap.

Our Military Kids

Founded in 2004, Our Military Kids saw the need to aid children whose parents were serving our country overseas.  Because many National Guard and Reserves are geographically dispersed when they are stationed, families are not always centrally located around military bases that offer support services.  The lack of military base support causes many families to become financially stretched, and are no longer able to afford fees associated with sports, music and dance programs, tutoring programs or other activities that children enjoy and benefit from.  Our Military Kids fills this funding void by offering children/families grants which pay for these types of activities. See activities here http://www.ourmilitarykids.org/how-to-apply/eligible-program-activities/.

Applying is easy (http://www.ourmilitarykids.org/how-to-apply/apply-now/) but there are two important things you should know first.  A child may only be eligible if it is his or her first grant, and the grant may not exceed $500.  This is due to federal budget cuts (this revision was made May 1, 2011). If you believe your child is eligible, here are the three things needed in order to receive a grant:

1.        A copy of deployment orders which show that the child’s parent is in the National Guard or Reserves deployed overseas and has at least 60 days remaining on orders.

2.       Child’s military dependent ID card (see website for other accepted forms of identification).

3.       Documentation of clearly stated activity costs (flyer, letter from the organization, brochure, etc.). Note:  If the tutoring service is from an individual, proof of a teaching certificate must be available in order to receive a grant.

Because Our Military Kids is a non-profit organization, every little bit counts.  Our Military Kids has fortunately never denied a grant to an eligible child.  It is because of individuals, corporations and foundations that generously donate funds that keep this program alive.  More than 95 cents of every dollar donated goes directly into the activities or tutoring services because administrative and fundraising expenses are so low (Roughly three percent in 2010 revenue).  If you would like to help donate, a small contribution will make a big difference.  A child will be able to play ball, cheer for the peewee squad or excel at math again. Donate here: http://www.ourmilitarykids.org/how-to-help-our-military-kids/make-a-financial-contribution/

Online Education Services Open New Doors

The Internet has changed the way education can be taught in society. Online tutoring and online courses have expanded and opened new doors for the education industry. This option is beneficial to many people. Online education services give some students who never had the chance - an opportunity to learn. While online tutoring may not be the best option for every child, there are many children who have excelled due to the advantages that come with tutoring services via the Web.

Online tutoring is a great option for students who are introverts or auditory learners. Introverted children may be afraid to ask questions or voice their concerns in a subject. The computer provides them the space they need to relax and ask their questions. This environment helps mitigate the fear, “Is my question stupid?”   

Children who are injured, have a contagious disease, or are bedridden benefit immensely from online education.  This allows them to keep up with school while healing. Students who are bullied in school are also great candidates for online courses. The emotional distress that bullied children go through can severely damage their perception of school and cause them to lose focus in class. Students with busy schedules due to extracurricular activities can now squeeze in tutoring time when it fits their schedule.

While online education is in many ways conducted the same as traditional courses, you have the capacity to learn at times which are best for you in virtually any location. With the advantage of teacher collaboration, an endless amount of educational resources, and the opportunity to choose a top-notch, qualified tutor, online tutoring is a route worth considering.

As long as your child takes this format seriously, like any traditional course or help session, you will see proven results. Opportunities are limitless because you now have a larger span of educators at your fingertips in any subject that may challenge your child. 

Sources:

http://www.skill-guru.com/sat/benefits-of-online-tutoring/

http://ajaodegaard.hubpages.com/hub/onlinetutoring2

Math: Taught Differently Than When We Were Kids

Your child comes home from school, takes out his math homework and immediately asks for your help.  “Sure,” you say.  You think, “He’s only in 5^th grade.  I’ve got this.”  You look over the questions, open the book, glance over the examples and realize, “This is not how I was taught in school.”  Immediately you feel discouraged because your 5^th grader’s math assignment is foreign to you, and you can’t help him.

We have good news for you: you’re not alone!

As a tutoring company, we hear this all of the time.  The way mathematics is taught in school has changed tremendously over the past decade and it is safe to say that you are not the only one puzzled by your child’s multiplication homework.

Today, mathematics is taught to emphasize algebraic thinking.  Keith Devlin, Weekend Edition’s math guy says, “The way it's taught now is you get to the multiplication tables by understanding the number system and understanding what numbers mean.”

For example, we were taught multiplication this way.

And today, students are taught to add 4 products.

So, the next time you feel bad with numbers because you can’t help with your child’s math homework, take a deep breath in and remember, it’s not you, it’s the new way math is taught.

At A Quantum Leap Tutoring, we can tutor anyone, anywhere, anytime in the state of Florida. We have quality tutors who will assist you in the learning process, will work within your personal schedule and will do so at a location that is convenient to you. Call now for your free consultation: 1-877-295-LEAP.

We can help anyone, anywhere throughout the state of Florida.

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Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/05/134277079/the-way-you-learned-math-is-so-old-school

Earth Day With Your Family

Earth Day, which began April 22, 1970, is a special day for every generation to remember and understand the importance of keeping our environment clean. Each year, schools celebrate this day with our children because they are our future.  This year, Earth Day falls on a Sunday, so what better way to celebrate this special day than with the whole family!

First, teach your children simple steps to conserve energy and reduce waste.  On Earth Day, advise your children to turn off the lights as they leave a room, switch off appliances (like the TV) after use and make a point to recycle everything!  Add a fun twist to these activities by singing “Recycle songs”* while being conservative! All these steps help our environment by conserving energy and reducing waste - keeping our planet healthy. 

Now that they’ve got the basics down, set out on an Environmental Cleanup** with your family, friends or neighbors in your community.

Items that you will need:

·         work gloves

·         trash bags

·         shovel & bucket (for sharp objects)

·         first-aid kit (always be prepared!)

·         camera

Pick a location to clean-up in your area.  This can be your neighborhood, local park or nearby riverbank.  Create a competition to see who can gather the most garbage and be sure to take photos of everyone’s hard work!

End your Earth Day with a pizza party and photo viewing session to reward your family and friends for supporting the planet.  Remember, every little bit counts!

Recycle Song* http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/earth/rrr.htm
Environmental Cleanup** http://www.education.com/activity/article/Hands_On_Environmentalism/ 

Bullying: No Child is Exempt

1 in 3 children are either a victim or perpetrator of bullying.
  
While this fact is startling, there are steps you can take as a parent to help address this issue.  With parents in the position of authority, they become the hub for bullying interventions - a necessity to stop this behavior before it goes too far.

Bullying can begin in children as young as toddlers. Bullying does not discriminate in age, race, gender or economic status.  While some parents may think “it’s just kids being kids,” it is time for these parents to step up and take action to rally against bullying.

Here are three steps to conquer this problem head on and stop bullying in its tracks:

1. Learn the signs of bullying.  Most children do not immediately tell their parents they are being bullied; however, there are tell-tale signs to look for.  Many victims will want to avoid recess or school activities in which there is no structured classroom setting.  Children may complain of headaches, stomachaches or have unexplained bruises and cuts.  Other signs include getting to school too early, too late or taking an illogical long route to class.  Trouble sleeping, low self-esteem or depressive behaviors are also potential signs of those being victimized.
2. Communicate and become involved in your child’s life.  It is important to talk with your child on a daily basis. Research shows that parents are the last to know if their child is being bullied or is the perpetrator.  Ask open ended questions about their social life when you pick up your child from school.  A simple “What did you do at recess?” or “Who did you eat lunch with today?” may be all it takes to find out if your child is a victim of bullying.  Engaging in topics about your child’s peers will make them feel comfortable to come to you with issues if a bullying event arises. 
3. Be a leader and set a good example for your child. Most bullying is the result of an observation from how you as an adult communicate in your own power relationships.  If your child consistently sees you handle situations poorly with waiters, cashiers or drivers on the road, they are picking up poor ways to communicate.  You should also initiate a conversation and let your child know that they too can be a leader and set a good example for others.  Most children that oversee a bullying event feel powerless.  Tell them that it’s okay to stand up to their peers and say “Stop, that’s not cool,” or to tell a teacher or authority figure.

Sources:

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Warning_Signs_that_Your_Child/

http://www.education.com/reference/article/ten-actions-to-eliminate-bullying/

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Volunteering at Your Child’s School 101

We know you are a busy parent and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it! Career moms (and dads!) tend to struggle to find the time to volunteer at their child’s school.  This can be due to time constraints or a busy work schedule.  With that said, it is important your child perceives that you take an active role in their education. 

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics,

"School-aged children are more likely to get mostly A's, to enjoy school, to participate in extracurricular activities, and are less likely to have ever repeated a grade and to have ever been suspended or expelled if their fathers or mothers have high levels of involvement in their schools.”

As you understand the importance of being involved, let’s learn how a busy mom (or dad!) can play a role in their child’s education at school.

1.       If you have 15 minutes:

a.   Volunteer to use this time to send reminder phone calls or emails for field trips, fund-raisers or parties in the classroom.  You may not be able to take part in the actual event, but a simple reminder to the parents of your child’s classmates will play a huge role in making the event run smoothly.

b.   If you’ve noticed a lack of crossing guards, a policy issue or other initiatives you may want to see implemented at the school, take this time to voice your opinion and ask other parents to weigh in.

2.       If you have an hour: (Or lunch break!)

a.   Volunteer to read at the school. Even if it’s not in your child’s classroom, many students with reading disabilities need the opportunity to work one-on-one with an adult who can give them the attention they need to learn new reading skills. Just be sure to pop your head into your child’s classroom to show that you’re there and that you care.

b.   Use your lunch break to eat with your child at school. Bring them food! It’s a great way to make them feel special and make their school day.

3.       If you have no time available during the school week:

a.    Ask your child’s teacher if there are any out-of-classroom projects you can assist with. This shows the teacher that despite your 9-5 job, you are putting forth the initiative to be a part of your child’s education. This can also strengthen the relationship between your child and their teacher.

b.   Plan ahead and take a day off at work when you are already planning a half-day.  At the beginning of the year, find out when there is a field trip or party, and plan ahead.  If you’ve needed to schedule a doctor or dentist appointment, schedule the appointment early in the morning or late afternoon on the day of the event. Then you can plan to spend the rest of the day at the school.

c.   Join the PTA/PTO. These meetings are generally at night to accommodate working moms and dads.

So, despite your busy schedule, there’s always a few minutes  you can give to your child to ensure their education and show that you care.  Just make sure to let your child know what you’ve done or how it will affect them and their classmates if you are not directly volunteering in your child’s classroom. All types of help count and he or she will love you for it. 

Sources:

http://www.parenting.com/article/school-volunteering-ideas?page=0,2

http://www.parentssource.com/volunteer.article.asp

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Five Fun Activities to do With Your Kids During Spring Break

Spring break is fast approaching, and while the kids are ecstatic, parents are doing the panic dance.  If you haven’t planned a week’s worth of activities, don’t freak out just yet.  We have five excellent ideas that will keep your children busy during their time off of school.

1.    Head to the beach!  While this may seem like an obvious choice, it’s relatively inexpensive and you can make a day of it.  Pack a cooler with subs and sodas, grab the car keys and head out!  If you live in Florida, you should have little to no trouble traveling to the nearest beach with the kids.  Just don’t forget the sunscreen and sand toys!  For a list of Florida beaches, refer to this directory.  http://www.awesomeflorida.com/beaches-of-florida.htm

 
2.      Tour a local attraction or theme park!  Plan a trip to your local museum, aquarium, planetarium, zoo or park.  Many attractions have kid discounts and can be a cheap way to offer a fun, educational experience that kids will surely love.  “Hands on” learning is one of the best ways for children to be involved and understand science, nature and history.  For a list of Florida attractions, select the area in which you live, and start planning your trip from there. http://www.touristflorida.com/
 
3.      Plant a garden and get outdoors! Head to your local nursery and pick out seeds such as carrots, tomatoes, eggplant, and cauliflower that bloom nicely in the northern parts of Florida in the spring.  Pick a sunny spot in your back yard, grab a shovel, and line your garden with rocks or stones.  Plant seeds that are in season and watch your children learn the science behind vegetable growing.  They’ll love enjoying their home-grown veggies after they’ve sprouted!  For more information about home vegetable gardening, follow the link below. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021
 
4.      Volunteer for a day!  Give back to your community by signing up at a local soup kitchen, nursing home or animal shelter.  It will be a rewarding experience for your child, and helping the less fortunate can help ground children and help them appreciate the smaller things in life.  It will teach them not to take anything for granted and maybe they’ll change a life. http://www.volunteerflorida.org/volnow/index.html
 
5.      Theme a rainy day “SPRING” and craft, bake, and play spring activities!  It is highly likely that at least one day during spring break will be rainy.  Take this day to stay indoors, craft spring arts and bake springtime snacks and dinners. For a list of spring-themed food and fun, check out the following site. http://familyfun.go.com/spring/                                   

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Build an A+ Study Nook

Every child deserves a homework or study nook where they can focus on school and learning.  While your child may think he/she can multitask by watching cartoons, drinking a soda and completing their math homework, it is not exactly the ideal atmosphere for focusing.  Even if your child’s room or home office has little space, that is all it takes to create the study nook needed to reel in better grades on their report card.

First, you should communicate with your child and let them help you create it.  This will allow them to feel involved in their success and can make for a fun weekend project.  Here are the basics of what your child’s study headquarters needs:

1. A calendar:  This will help your child stay organized with homework due dates and test dates.  Planning is essential!
2. A desk:  If you cannot afford a brand new one, turn an old table into a fun, creative project, and your child will be more inclined to use it.  After all, they helped personalize it!
3. A simple setup: When choosing desk toppers like a lamp, pencil holder or other school supplies, try to keep it simple and clutter free.  Simplicity creates fewer distractions for your child while studying and will allow them to focus on their homework.
4. A clock: This will help enforce homework time or can be used as a tool to allow a specific amount of time to study for each test.
5. Extra fluff: This is where you can get creative. Help make your child’s study space feel cozy and inviting.  Though you should keep it simple, adding a pillow to the back of the chair or clearing space on the wall to display your child’s great work will keep this area fun.

We know homework time can be a struggle, but giving your child their own homework station while involving them in the process can improve their study and homework habits.  It will also show them that you care about their education and success in school.  So cut the bad habits now and create a quiet space that allows them to focus and learn. 

Sources:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-and-why-to-set-up-a-homework-space_67872.bc

http://www.parents.com/kids/education/back-to-school/how-to-create-homework-hq/?page=1

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Tips for Selecting a Tutor for Your Child

Independent Tutors vs. Structured Organization Tutors

There are two main types of tutoring services.  The first is an independent tutor who operates on their own.  They market themselves as individuals and may have limited teaching resources.  The second type is a structured learning organization which employs a variety of licensed and qualified tutors to work on a student’s needs. A Quantum Leap Tutoring is considered a structured tutoring organization.  

While an independent tutor may charge less per hour, they may not have gone through the extensive background checks or sexual predator screenings that structured tutoring organizations normally conduct. Independent tutors may not have the ability to offer special needs tutoring or work with students who are diagnosed with learning challenges like ADHD, Autism, or TBI. At A Quantum Leap Tutoring, we understand the difficulties and challenges presented to students who have learning, behavioral, and developmental conditions. We further understand these challenges can be overcome and most students will become successful in school and in life with the proper assistance.

A Quantum Leap’s approach begins by completing a thorough interview with the family and the student to identify the unique challenges faced by that particular student. We review the student’s grades, records, and Individualized Education Plan (IEP), if needed, to determine the proper services and/or programs that are of interest to the family, and then develop a course of action based on that conversation. The assessment could include pre-assessment testing in reading comprehension and/or mathematics.  Then, we consult with the parent to get a better understanding of their child’s personality.  Getting to know your child along with their strengths and weaknesses enable us to match a tutor we feel will be the best fit. This includes forming relationships with people of different backgrounds and offering a variety of teaching styles.

While any tutoring is better than no tutoring, the great thing about A Quantum Leap is that our tutors offer supplemental materials on top of the textbooks used in the classroom, which will give your child additional assistance in weak areas. Our tutors will also accommodate your family’s schedule and offer in-home tutoring sessions at your convenience.  In short, a structured organization can best fit your needs because they normally have the wealth of experience that is necessary to allow success to happen for your child.

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It’s a New Year. Help your students set goals and reaffirm their learning habits.

As a teacher, we start out each year with certain expectations. Often, by the Christmas break, we are flustered with some of the plans we made which went awry. We notice that some goals we have for our students have not worked out, and often student progress is nowhere near where you had planned it to be. What if you used a system that produced superior goals to reaffirm and/or reset your plans for you and your students? What if you could quickly get back on track? Would that help you out? This article will provide you with an easy to understand set of rules, that when followed, will help you create foolproof goals that will lead to success every time.  Read on and make the second half of your year better than the first!

I always start my New Year by reaffirming or resetting my goals that I set at the beginning of the school year.  If I feel my plan was not working, I may even scrap the whole program and create a new plan and goals from scratch. Often, if your plan is not working it is because you did not use realistic or measurable goals in the first place.

During my college days, I discovered a method for creating goals which served me well for more than 30 years. This method is called using “SMART” goals. “SMART” is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-driven and Time-bound. The primary advantage of using this method for me was this: I could create goals and plans that resulted in success and I would reach my goals in the desired amount of time that was available.

I want to take a few moments and explain the importance of each part of a “SMART” goal. The letter S stands for Specific. If your goal is specific, it will have a higher chance of being obtained than if it were less specific. For example, if I say I want to earn $100 mowing lawns, I am more likely to achieve my goal than if I say I want to make more money doing some-odd jobs. The reason for this is quite simple: being specific gives you focus and focus empowers you.

As a matter of fact, all the letters that make up the word “SMART” are related to being specific in some way. The letter “M” stands for Measurable. If we have a specific number to measure against, your efforts will produce feedback when gauged against your stated goal.

The letter "A" stands for Attainable. Setting realistic goals is very important. If, for example, I set a goal to raise the average FCAT reading score for students in my class by 50% in six months, I’m probably going to fail. It’s an unrealistic goal. On the other hand, if I set my goal to raise the average student score by 8%, I probably have a pretty good chance of obtaining or exceeding this score. Judging what is realistic is somewhat an art. However, if you use prior experience and prior test scores, you can come up with an attainable goal and even a stretch goal for that project or student.  Most of us have heard the saying "shoot for the moon, and if you fail you will still reach the stratosphere". However, the reality is this: if you fail to reach your goal by a large margin, you will find that you become extremely unmotivated and thus will fail to complete the goal.

The letter “R” stands for Results-driven. After each and every test you receive results. These results are then measured against your original goal, which in turn keep you on track. In other words, you test, get results, measure against your goals and then make corrections to move you closer to your goal. This is done over and over again until you run out of time or achieve success.

The last letter is “T” for Time-bound. It’s extremely important that time constraints be placed on your goals. If the timeline for completing your goal is too far away, the chances of being motivated to complete the goal goes way down. Having a realistic (attainable) timeline can make or break your chances of succeeding.

In school, we need to create lesson plans, S.E.P.’s and I.E.P.’s that meet “SMART” criteria.  If we fail to make every effort to use “SMART” goals, we take a grave chance that we will fail at helping our student obtain the knowledge and skill they trust us to provide them with.

When I first became a teacher, I found that using “SMART” goals actually took the pressure off me, so I could concentrate on helping my students learn. By spending the time needed to create specific, measurable, attainable, results-driven and time-bound goals, I was able to significantly improve my lesson plans. More importantly, I could gauge whether I was making progress with my students or just spinning my wheels.

Do yourself and your students a favor by using “SMART” goals. Use them in your classroom and personal life. Better yet, teach your students how to create and use SMART goals themselves. You know the old saying, “give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day; teach him how to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime.” Give your students a skill that they can use for a lifetime. Teach your students SMART goals and their work will gradually get smarter.

There you have the process for using “SMART” goals to make sure you and your students stay on track. Armed with your new knowledge for making plans, you will be able to create “SMART” goals that have the greatest chance for success. Make sure you show this method to as many students and friends as you can. It will make their life easier and undoubtedly increase their ability to achieve success - something we all want more of in our lives. We welcome your thoughts on this subject. Please leave your comments in the designated area and let us know what you think. I use “SMART” goals every day. Using them has had an enormous impact on my life. I know it can make a huge impact on yours, as well.

Thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts. Happy New Year to you and yours from us here at A Quantum Leap. We hope 2012 will be your best year yet!

Until next time, Hector Cisneros

What do you think is an appropriate holiday gift for a Teacher?

It’s the week before school lets out for the Christmas break. Your kids are coming home and talking about buying a gift for their favorite teacher/s. What do you do? Go out and buy your child a gift to bring in? Do you help your child create a personalized gift, or do you just buy a gift card at Target and pack it in a Christmas card to bring to school?

Every year my wife and I are confronted with this dilemma. Over the years, we have solved this problem in many different ways. In this article, I will discuss several of the answers we came up with. I will also discuss how much we spent, how we came up with the amount to spend, why we made those purchase decisions and how we engaged our son in a process to learn how to select gifts for others.

I have a special needs child (he is a high functioning autistic child). I only mention this because I believe that the teaching method I described in this article will work for typical kids, as well. They will learn just a little faster, will require less input from you, and learn at an earlier age than my son did.

Anyway, when my son was young, he did not fully understand the concept of gift giving to others. This is typical of most children. If they embrace the idea of giving, they usually chose gifts that they like instead of gifts the other person would like. My wife and I decided that we would help our son choose a gift by staying within a specific price range. We selected the 10 to 20 dollar range because it is often considered reasonable for most type’s gift giving events. This is also enough money to buy craft supplies to make your own gifts.

We would also go through the trouble of asking other parents and teachers at his school what his teacher liked. This also would help narrow our focus and lead our son to choose the right type gift. The final decision would always be our sons, but we wanted to make sure his teacher would always enjoy their present.

As he has gotten older, we have asked him to set the dollar limits himself. After learning to set the dollar limits, we then taught him to use his own money to buy gifts. Our goal was to help our son learn about the joy of giving to others instead of him just getting gifts for Christmas.

Most years, the 10 to 20 dollar limit was perfect. In most cases, he would choose items in that range. When he started using his own money he always seemed to spend a little more, (about $25).

Over the past 10 years, we have helped our child select many different gifts. Here, is a partial list of what was chosen, (to the best of my recollection). The selection was based on something that was unique to that teacher, that year. The explanation of why that gift was chosen follows the gift description.

 A coffee mug; His teacher that year loved coffee. A picture frame; his teacher that year loved taking pictures. A gift card to Target; he would often see his teacher shopping at Target that year. Created and painted, and fired ceramic turtle; his teacher loved figurines. A gift card to Home Depot; his teacher that year just moved into a new apartment. A gift card to Babies R Us; his teacher that year was pregnant and due in May. Movie Tickets for two; that year his teacher started dating one of the other teachers. A fleece blanket and a book; his teacher loved reading, and he felt that the blanket would help in winter. A gas card; his teacher that year was always complaining about the cost of gas. A fancy blue pen and pencil set, (which he had engraved); his teacher that year liked the color blue and had her initials on everything she owned. A coffee mug with a picture of his classmates on it; that year my son genuinely felt connected to the other students and felt his teacher would like remembering the class as a whole.

The point I’m trying to make here is that we emphasized the importance of selecting a gift that would bring his teacher joy. We did not emphasize the cost of the gift. We only used the price range to create focus and help learn about money.  We knew that by sticking to this method, that his teachers would also associate the selection process with the joy of our sons giving.

Now my son is 15, and he selects the gifts for his favorite teacher/s himself. We have expanded on this gift giving “lesson” by having our son buy a gift for Toys for Tots each year. He now buys the gifts with his own money. He even wraps the gifts. We have also been able to extend this lesson to all gift giving.  He now picks out and buys birthday gifts and cards for his friends and classmates, all with his own money.

My son now looks forward to gift giving opportunities, (when he has money). Yes, there are times when he has no money and mom and dad pitch in helping him out. However, it’s gratifying to know that he now has a better understanding of the value of money. When he needs it, he will ask for it, and we can now have him “earn” it by doing other chores.  More importantly he also understands the joy of giving, and that is the true reward from this lesson.

I have told you how my family met this challenge. We turned an ordinary gift selecting chore into a learning process for our son. First we set a limit on how much would be spent. Second we investigated what the teacher interests were that year. Third all three of us would select a few gifts that met our selection criteria and then we let our son make the final select selection. Who knew that choosing a gift for the teacher could be this educational?

We would love to hear from you. How does your family choose a Christmas gift for the teacher? Tell us how you solved your gift giving dilemma. Let us hear your ideas. Please post your thoughts and comments in the comment section of this blog. We want to thank you for being with us during the holidays. We wish you and your family a Happy Holiday and a Merry Christmas.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

This is Hector Cisneros for A Quantum Leap, until next time.

Create Great Memories with Thanksgiving Crafts

If you’re a teacher, you know your students are preparing for the Thanksgiving break.  Soon there will be Christmas/New Year’s break and… wow, the school year is almost half over! Some of my fondest memories are from all the fun crafts we created during the holiday seasons. 

I distinctly remember how my school days would be spent as a child the week before Thanksgiving. In class, we would create lots of Thanksgiving crafts, projects and art work. I particularly remember making turkey drawings by tracing our hands and then coloring them in to look like turkeys. Sometimes we even made turkey cut-outs or puppets this way.

Having said this, I decided to do some research and find craft website sites that have a lot of Thanksgiving crafts and project ideas.  My last blog provided my 12 favorite teacher resources websites, so finding a few exceptional craft sites was easy.  Here are three that I particularly like:

My favorite is from EnchantedLearning.com  -  http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/thanksgiving/  - It has a large number of cut-out crafts and printable items.  Many of the printable items include lessons on Thanksgiving so your kids can color and learn at the same time. This site is best for K-3^rd grade.

My next favorite site is “Familyfun” by Disney - http://familyfun.go.com/thanksgiving/ - Their Thanksgiving section is filled with a wide variety of projects ranging from Thanksgiving recipes to crafts, printables, games and traditions. Everything on this site is first class and fun to explore.

My last choice is Educatation.com Thanksgiving Central. - http://www.education.com/seasonal/thanksgiving/ -This site has lots of kitchen crafts showing you how to make a table runner, table fruit art and more. There are printables, coloring pages, activities, and a Thanksgiving history section that is concise. The last item worth mentioning is a section called “How to Make the Most of Thanksgiving.”  It’s filled with ideas for creating Thanksgiving traditions.

There are numerous websites that include Thanksgiving materials for teachers. What I have included is just a small portion of what’s out there. However, these three sites have the most, and best that I have found to date. Best of all, every craft and printable idea they offer is free.

Do you know of a terrific Thanksgiving website that offers free crafts? Are you willing to share them with us? Please provide your comments, and tell us about the resources you use. I’m sure our readers would love to know.

Until next time, this is Hector Cisneros for A Quantum Leap, wishing you and your family many Thanksgiving blessing.

My Top 12 Picks for Educational Resources Websites

As a former teacher, I always found myself looking for great material to use when teaching my students.  I found that I had to perform a lot of research when preparing new curriculums for my classes.  I also wanted to keep up with current events and news in my profession.  This kind of research is much easier now because of the wide-spread use of the internet.

Today, I still tutor math, reading and science part time (as I love teaching).  I do a lot of writing both in education and in many other fields.  My current profession as a writer requires me to do a lot of research.  One of my duties is to post cool, useful and interesting educational websites I find to Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites.  The purpose of this article is to share with our readers my top picks for useful educational resource websites.

I actually use hundreds of sites on a monthly basis.  I easily investigate about 1000 sites each year.  With so many websites to choose from, I found myself with a selection dilemma.  Knowing of so many sites made my choices even harder.  Therefore, I came up with a selection criterion to narrow my choices.  My choices are based on these criteria: the information needs to be free, it needs to be useful, and it needs to stand out in some way.  I will provide the reader a short synopsis of each of the sites along with its URL so you can check them out personally.

My top 12 picks cover a variety of categories, including news, curriculum planning, class management, student material sites, craft sites, article sites, and blogs.  I hope you take a few moments to visit and explore these sites.  Please comment on the sites you liked.  Tell us about any site you know of that we should add to this list.  Your insight will be shared with our readers and could provide them the help they are looking for.

General Educational resources:

1) Teacher Link - http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/ - This website provides free lesson plans for teachers covering a wide range of subjects.  The material is specific and compressive to each subject listed.

2) Study Guide - http://www.studyguide.org/teacherlinks.htm - This site also provides free material for teaching and classroom management.  Particularly, I like their resources for writing strategies and idea creation.

3) Sites for Teachers - http://www.sitesforteachers.com/ - This site provides a large list of teacher resource links.  Here, you will find links to just about any imaginable subject, craft or lesson plan.

Crafts for the home and classroom:

4) The Crafty Classroom - http://www.thecraftyclassroom.com/ - This site has numerous craft projects covering all the seasons and a multitude of events - all free!  The crafts include paper crafts, modeling, and much more.  I think you will like it.

5) Disney Family Fun - http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/ - This site is owned by Disney and provides plenty of free craft ideas and projects.  You can look up ideas by age, type, material and more.  Did I say it was free?

6) Enchanted Learning - http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/ - This site provides a list of free crafts for children of all ages.  Subjects are listed alphabetically, making it easy to find what you're looking for quickly.  You will find many crafts from A to Z, including seasonal crafts for Thanksgiving, Christmas and more.

Online News and Magazines:

7) News4Jax.com, Education Section - http://goo.gl/9x2fn - (I used a link shortener to save space).  For local educational news in Jacksonville, I like News4Jax.com.  If you’re not in Jacksonville, every city has news sites and most offer local educational news.

8) U.S. News and World Report, Education Section - http://www.usnews.com/education - For educational news on the national level, my pick is U.S.N.W.R.  Their educational section is second to none.  Check it out.

9) Education Week - http://www.edweek.org/ew/index.html - Education Week provides a wide variety of articles, topics, blogs and more that I always find interesting, current and comprehensive. It’s definitely worth looking at.

Educational blogs and Article site:

10) Buzzle.com - http://www.buzzle.com/chapters/archives-226.asp - Buzzle’s website is an article portal. It offers a wide variety of articles.  Their education section is chock-full of interesting articles that are helpful and useful in today’s ever-changing classroom.

11) Education.com - http://www.education.com/magazine/articles/ - There are more than a dozen educational article databases on the internet.  I had a tough time choosing my favorite in this category.  I had to close my eyes and pick one, and my finger landed on Education.com.  The other two websites I liked were http://www.articlesbase.com/ and http://www.edarticle.com/.  Here, you will find articles covering every subject imaginable.  Check them all out and enjoy.

12) Clear View Education - http://goo.gl/DgmEo - (I used a link shortener here to save space too).  I really could not pick just one blog, so I decided to let you choose from 100 different ones.  Clear View Education blogs' main purpose is to share what they believe are the top 100 blogs on the web. Here, you will find educational blogs covering resources for teaching, technology, blogging teachers, special-education blogs and much more.  If you're looking for good educational blogs, you will find them here.

There you have my top 12 educational resource websites.  These sites will provide you with countless links to literally hundreds of useful educational websites.  Enjoy exploring these sites.  Please take the time to tell us what you liked, and which ones are useful to you.  Add your favorite site to our list by commenting on this blog entry.  I sincerely hope you find at least one new website to help you with your educational needs.  

Until next time, this is Hector Cisneros for A Quantum Leap signing off.

It’s October. Help your kids have fun, learn about Halloween and create some new traditions.

It’s October and the kids are focused on fall, Halloween, and dressing up for trick or treat, so they can get lots of free candy. Wouldn’t it be neat if this year they learned how Halloween got started? Wouldn’t it also be neat if your kids participated in the giving of candy (instead of just getting and eating it)? What if you could address both these issues at the same time and start a family or classroom tradition of your own. Here are some suggestions which will engage your kids in some fun learning, help them experience the joy of giving, and at the same time create some traditions your kids will remember for the rest of their lives.

Before you get started, you will need to do a little planning. Pick a day about a week or two before Halloween when you want to have your fun day. Next, you will need to do a little research on the history of Halloween and Halloween snacks. Make sure you get input from your kids. Start by asking them what treats should be made that day and what activities they want to participate in. Give them a list to choose from. For example, hang decorations, carve a pumpkin, play a Halloween game, or watch a fun Halloween video. The point here is to get them engaged in the event.

To help teach your kids about the history of Halloween, search the internet or go to the library and check out a book on how Halloween got started. A Google search on the phrase “The history of Halloween for kids” brought up 92 million hits. This is more than enough information to provide a brief history of Halloween. If you are a teacher, you will even find lesson plans already created for you.

You can also use the internet to look up healthy Halloween snack ideas. A Google search on the phrase, “healthy Halloween snacks for kids" returned over 2 million results - more than enough healthy snack ideas for even the most ambitious parent or teacher.  

Once your fun day is scheduled, make sure everyone is ready to make it an enjoyable family/class event. On the day of the event, start by baking or creating your fun snack. At my house, we carve a pumpkin and roast the seeds for a tasty snack. In your home or classroom, you may choose to bake some Halloween cookies, cup cakes, create a spooky fruit display, or make some other snack. This is also an excellent time to decorate your home or classroom with some personalized or creative Halloween decorations.  

As part of your history lesson, I would discuss how and why candy is given out to kids during today’s Halloween celebration. Ask your kids this question: Do they think it would be fun to hand out candy to people visiting their family?

Coupling a brief history lesson with your Halloween snack or pumpkin carving project will make for a memorable tradition. It will probably be remembered for years to come and be passed on to your children’s children.

When Halloween night comes, get the older kids to participate in giving out candy to the younger kids who come for trick or treat.  In some instances, younger siblings will want to join in too (because big brother/sister is doing it).  This is an excellent way to help them learn and appreciate the joy of giving instead of just getting as much candy as they can.

By planning a fun pre-Halloween event with your family or classroom and coupling that event with a brief history lesson of how and why Halloween exists, you will start a new tradition that will be remembered by your kids for years to come.

If you have some exciting ideas for coupling fun events and learning, we would like to hear from you. Your ideas could help create new traditions for families around the world.  Please share your comments with us and our readers. We look forward to reading your ideas.  

Until next time, this is Hector Cisneros for A Quantum Leap signing off.

We Have a New Face of A Quantum Leap Tutoring!

A Quantum Leap just had a contest to choose our next model for our website and some of our print materials. Meet Zander! Here are a few things about Zander and his photo!

"My Name is Zander I am 7 years old. My parents Mr. and Mrs. Eddie and Aquilla Redding. I have 3 Siblings, Lekelvis, Brandee, and Quenton. My favorite subject in school is Math. My favorite thing to do is play football. I have been playing pop warner football for 2 years. I also like to play soccer. Thanks to my BonBon (Carol Edwards) for telling us about the contest. I would like to thank all that voted for me and making me the next face of A Quantum Leap!"

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Lesson Learned??

We just celebrated my son's 5th birthday. Like most kids these days, he's already well-versed in technology. My husband and I are self-proclaimed techies. We each have an iPhone and an iPad so it wasn't unusual for my mother-in-law to offer her old iPhone as a birthday gift to my son.

Initially, I scoffed at the idea. What 5-year-old needs a digital device of that magnitude? However, after comparing prices on products aimed at his age range, we decided it was cheaper to just utilize the old iPhone and load it up with kid-friendly apps. We also included a couple of his favorite apps right now which are Angry Birds and Weather.com. What can I say? He's diverse.

Well, with electronics comes responsibility. Somewhere along the line, (not from his parents, of course) my son thought he needed to take the new phone into the bathroom with him. You can imagine the disaster that ensued. Yep, into the toilet went the phone. My son was traumatized. The morning was extremely difficult after this incident.

Of course, we put the phone in rice and we are "seeing what happens." Grandma and grandpa believe they should replace the phone because the event was his lesson learned. I lean toward the mindset that had he been following the rules where he must ask permission about using the phone, then the incident would not have happened. Grandma and grandpa believe we all make mistakes. What do you think?

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First Day of College

The first day of college is a big change, and preparation, organization and time management will be very important. Following are some tips for preparing for this huge milestone in your life. 

1.  Orientation.  One of the best things you can do is attend orientation. At orientation, there will be college students telling you what's going to happen and giving you guidance.  There will also be advisers who will assist you with your schedules and provide tours of the campus and the dorms/apartments.  Orientation helps to relieve a lot of stress for both you and your parents.

2.  Acclimation.  When you visit the campus, be sure to explore available parking, eating places, entertainment, etc.  Decide (with your parents) whether you will live in a dorm or apartment and make the necessary arrangements.

3.  Money.  Have a discussion with your parents regarding budgets and money management.  Set a clear understanding of their expectations and agree on a monthly budget.  

4.  Textbooks.  When you go to class on the first day, your professors are going to give you a syllabus, and tell you what you’ll need in the way of supplies and textbooks. 

5.  Supplies.  As far as supplies go, you need a durable backpack that can accommodate your laptop.  Other than that, some notebooks, pens and highlighters are the basics. 

6.  Accountability.  Probably one of the most important things you need to be aware of is that in college, you're on your own. You've got to stay on top of deadlines when signing up for classes and paying the tuition. 

So stay organized, manage your time, and be sure to meet your deadlines.  If you do these few things, you’ll be prepared for that first day of college and it won’t be so intimidating!

This is from a guest blogger, Jodi Okun of College Financial Aid Advisors (CFAA)

They help families with professional preparation, support and navigation of the college financial aid process. You can check our here website here. 

As always, check out our website for all your tutoring needs! We offer test prep for getting into college as well as college-level tutoring.

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Are You an Adult Going Back to School?

Study Skills for Adults

If it’s been a while since you were in school, a return to the academic life can be a big adjustment. College classes cram a great deal of information into a semester. When was the last time you had to remember so many details? Understanding some basic tenets of adult learning theory can help you develop the study habits you need to be successful:

Adult learners need motivation to learn. As children, we are naturally curious little sponges absorbing everything we can from our environment – unless someone comes along and kills our enthusiasm for learning. By the time we reach adulthood, we’re caught up in a world of work and responsibility that leaves little energy for learning. The first thing you need to do, then, is clarify for yourself your motives for going back to school. What short- and long-term goals do you hope to achieve as a result of going to school? How will you feel when you earn that degree or certificate? How can you benefit from what you learn in a particular course? Reminding yourself of your most driving motivation is critical when you need to pull yourself out of a slump.

Adult learners need the right study environment. This is Study Skills 101. Like children, we need a regular place and time to establish the habit. The space should be well-lit and organized. Whether you prefer quiet or listening to music, do what feels best for you. Television and talk radio are not recommended because conversation pulls too much of your focus away from the material.

Adult learners need to interact with the material. Listening to lectures and reading alone are too passive. You need to involve as many senses as possible, and take a more active role. Try developing a set of questions, or reading the ones at the end of the chapter, before you start to read. As you read, stop and reflect each time you find material that may answer one of your questions. You’ll get even more out of the study session if you actually write out the questions and answers. This brings a tactile element to your learning experience. Are you studying a complex theory or required to retain a great deal of facts and data? Try organizing the information visually; that is, draw a model, illustrate the idea with pictures, or create charts and graphs to show the relationships between the details. By thinking about your material in a structured way, you reinforce higher order thinking and create a visual aid in the process.

Adult learners need practice. In order to do anything well, we need practice. You should quiz yourself regularly, or enlist the support of a study buddy to quiz you. No cheating! If you do that you won’t discover the weak areas where you need to focus more. Keep track of your performance on each “quiz”. If you are truly applying the techniques described in this article, you’ll find your performance improves significantly with repetition. This will help build your confidence for testing day. 

If you need any help building skills before you return to school or even GED prep, give A Quantum Leap a call! 1-877-295-5327

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