Education is often addressed through standards, but often these standards fail because children are individuals with unique personalities and needs. The educational system is structured, and children must be sorted within that structure, most often according to age rather than ability.

When abilities are figured into the sorting, students contend with labels which bog them down in their pursuit of learning. The discouragement and difficulties that plague such a system lead many to the alternative of home schooling.

Home education, however, is not a quick fix to the educational ills of society. Committing to bringing your child home for schooling involves a commitment to managing curriculum and activities while continuing with your daily responsibilities.

There are lots of benefits in home schooling, but there are also some challenges that need to be considered in the decision making process. It’s important to weigh these considerations before diving into your home education experience: [Read more…]

Math has gone through a lot of phases. In the 1960s a lot of children received lessons in advanced topics to compete with Russian engineers later in life. Fast forward to today, and a whole new kind of “new math” has emerged that could be considered tricky.

New Math goes by a couple of other names, including “reform math” and “inquiry-based math,” and is a revolutionary change from how students have been taught for hundreds of years. It’s still based in global competition, but this time it makes a lot more sense.

How Things Used to Be

For generation after generation, schools taught children by way of what was called rote memorization. You may have reviewed something like the multiplication tables with the rest of your class, as one, in a monotone. The idea was to simply drill the information into your brain until it would never come out, whether you understood what it was for or not. Understanding and creativity never even entered the mix. However, this method of math instruction has led the US to a disgraceful place on the global standardized testing stage. [Read more…]

Living (and loving) Life

Whether or not you have previously considered the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program for college, it is worth taking a look at some of the reasons why it is a solid way to move through your college education.

Here are ten benefits of ROTC for a college student:

1 – Financial Aid

The prospect of paying the high price of college tuition can be daunting. With tuition costs constantly rising, don’t let it be the thing that prevents you from going to college. The ROTC offers a wide range of scholarships, some of them full rides, meaning money is one less thing for you to worry about. [Read more…]

In Freshman English, I sat next to a kid named, tragically, Sebastian.  Living up to his name and his parents’ expectations, he was a pretty quirky kid.  For example, Sebastian told me, in no uncertain terms, that he was going to write every one of his class papers on pizza.

I thought he was joking; this was college, after all.  At least, I did until he turned in his first paper: “Pizza – The Metaphor Of Modernization”.  Sebastian went on to write paper after paper about pizza.  He argued various pizza styles, used toppings as metaphors, even wrote a thorough review of “Pizza Making – The Sport.”

Even more stunning than his bravery, was Sebastian’s grade – a solid A+.  This was in college.  They don’t exactly hand out A+’s.  I was in awe.  Seeing as I was facing a probably C, I asked Sebastian to teach me his skills.  So, he taught me his 3 not-so-simple tricks for getting an A+ paper in college: [Read more…]

Starting your own business is a life-changing decision. Many people make the leap into self-employment to break free from the constraints of an over-bearing boss or to pursue the dream of making their own business decisions. Whatever your motivation, there are pros and cons of working for yourself.

Managing your Finances

One of the biggest challenges of being self-employed is managing your own finances. To someone not familiar with profit and loss, balance sheets and book keeping, it can be a daunting prospect. However, this should not be a deterrent.

Uncertainty in financial affairs can be overcome by using the expertise of accountants for contractors and small businesses. These financial experts can provide practical advice and accounting services that will keep you on top of your finances. [Read more…]