Common Core State Standards

Common Core State Standards here is a video describing the USA Education Standards http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5ktLyHDjL4

National Center for Learning Disabilities and Common Core Standards: Here is a short note about this topic and there is a link to the above video. http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/common-core-standards?utm_source=newsletter__17_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=ldaction

On the same NCLD site there is an article on Common Core Standards and Tests http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/common-core-standards/common-core-state-standards-assessment-test

Study Skills

Study Guides and Strategies http://www.studygs.net/index.htm This is a very useful site for many reasons. For example, if you are a student with ADHD, this site offers helpful hints on how to study with ADHD. This site had over 10 million visitors in 39 languages in 2011! That’s right this site has a translation component into languages such as Spanish, Afrikaans, and others. Another category is called “Thinking” part of Thinking and Memorizing; test preparation and taking – fabulous ideas. Enjoy!

Educational Apps

Forty IPad apps for homeschoolers is found on the website TeachThought.  http://www.teachthought.com/apps-2/40-ipad-apps-for-homeschooled-students/ 

Free Audio Books!

Open Culture is a site that offers some free downloadable audio books, movies, and language lessons. Review the “free” information carefully, it is usually listed after the title of the book or movie. All the classic audio books are free to download. This is a great site for those students who have difficulty reading or who enjoy multi-tasking.  http://www.openculture.com/freeaudiobooks

Schooling in India

Here is a table which shows the educational system in India.  For more information see the website from which this table was taken:

Structure of School Education System in India

Pre-Primary   School	Primary   School	Middle   School	Secondary   School	Higher   Secondary School
Grade   LKG & KG	Grade 1   to 5	Grade 6   to 8	Grade 9   and 10	Grade   11 and 12
Age of   entry: 4 to 6	Length   of program in years: 5	Length   of program in years: 3	Length   of program in years: 2	Length   of program in years: 2
Length   of program in years: 2	Age   level from: 6 to 11	Age   level from: 11 to 14	Age   level from: 14 to 16	Age   level from: 16 to: 18

http://spice.org/htm/Schooling/Schooling/EducationStructure.htm

There are national and private schools available for educating you children in India.  The curriculum of  a particular school may be the national curriculum, the British one, or the Amrican.  In addition some families homeschool their children.

Expat Arrivals  http://www.expatarrivals.com/india/education-and-schools-in-india has more information which may be helpful as you consider educating your child overseas.  The site indicates that th public schools have a class ratio of 40 to 1, and do not necessarily use the English medium to teach.  The private schools all use the English medium in which to teach.  When considering a school, remember to consider the distance needed to be travelled each day coupled with the congestion.  These schools are costly with the most expensive being about $30,000 (US) per year.  The international schools are the ones recommended for foreign students.  I undertand that homeschooling is considered under the term Alterative Schooling in India which includes Montessori type schools.  For more details, please check the website.

Teachers Needed in Schools Overseas

Teachers Needed

If you are a teacher and wish to teach overseas, here are some current openings (as of March 21, 2012).

See SIM’s website http://www.sim.org/index.php/career/international-schools-and-mk-education

Asia Educational Resource Center

Asia Education Resource Consoritum  https://www.asiaerc.org/aercj/index.php  Joining this group, maybe beneficial for families educating their children overseas in Asia.  There is a minimal fee to join.  Here is an excerpt from the website home page.

“Membership fees for families: The annual family membership fee is $90 per family or $65 per family for members of sponsoring agencies. This provides families with:

• Access to AERC consultants in several Asian countries
• Resources located in AERC resource centers in Asia – on a library lending system
• Discounts when attending Family Education conferences
• Discounts on testing services
• Access to the members only section of the website:
• Key articles on education and TCK issues
• Announcements about conferences and events
• Connections to other helpful websites
• Information about consultants, resource centers and how to connect with them

Teachers/Tutors Membership: As a support to families, we want to enrich and support teachers that teach in remote locations and unique settings. Therefore, AERC is pleased to invite teachers of one-room schools or homeschooling co-ops to join AERC and receive member benefits. Cost is the same as above for families” (retrieved as of March 21, 2012)

Science – Electricity

Understanding Electricity for Kids

noeK12  http://www.neok12.com/Electricity.htm  This site has video’s, quizzes, games and puzzles, as well as vocabulary related to learning about electricity.

Physics for Kids http://www.physics4kids.com/files/elec_intro.html.  This site has a more indepth discussion on electricity as well as other physics topics.  In addition, there are games and quizzes on the site.  The first question on the quiz section is:  What type of electricity is making your desk top computer run?  This is a fun question for children to think about in the technological world.  Children are asked what powers their brain.  Such stimulation!

Kids Connect http://www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/15-science/72-electricity.html.  This site has the facts related to electricity clearly laid out in numbered sentences 1 – 10.  There is even mention of Thomas Edison.  The Links section is a great resource.

You Tube Videos on Electricity for Kids http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE5iadS9cqc.  This link will bring up one video (1 – there are 6 in this particular series) and then you are able to click on other videos such as Introduction to Electricity.  How to Create a Lemon Battery http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY9qcDCFeVI&feature=channel is a video which the children may enjoy watching and then creating for themselves.  Be sure to have the right equipment.  There are potato and vinegar batteries, too.  So much to see and to learn!

Learning to Type

Learning Games for Kids: http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/keyboarding_games/typing-course.html This site allows students to learn keyboarding through various games and it includes a self-paced course to learn the keyboard.  There are different categories which students can choose as they learn there spelling and keyboarding.  For example, the sports selection includes spelling of swimming, golf, basketball, football and others.  Once a student reaches the 10 spelling within the time limit the challenge continues until time runs out.  This is a great way to learning spelling and keyboarding.

Encouraging Learning

Quotable Quotes in Education

“If we succeed in giving the love of learning, the learning itself will follow.”  Sir John Lubbock

“What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.”  George Bernard Shaw