How To Tell A Test Quiz Before It Bites You On The Nose

Q. My teacher says that we are going to have a test quiz next week. Isn’t that term a bit redundant? What in the world is a test quiz?
A. Ah, the wiley test quiz. It’s an odd creature indeed and it is very rarely encountered in the wild. In fact, you are a very lucky student to have a teacher that even knows what a test quiz is much less is wiling to administer one.
A test quiz is a preparatory quiz that is given in advance of a major test. Its purpose is to familiarize you with the type of questions that are going to be asked on the major test without revealing the actual questions that will be asked.
For example, if you’ve ever taken the PSAT test, then you’ve taken a test quiz. The PSAT test is designed to prepare you to take the actual SAT tests that many colleges require high school students to take before applying for admission.
The fact that your teacher is willing to give you a test quiz means that he or she truly cares about you and wants you to do well on the actual test that will soon follow. If you read between the lines, you might also see where your teacher is saying words to the effect of “the actual test is going to be tough folks so I’m going to give you a test quiz, in advance, so you’ll have a better idea what you’ll need to study.”
There aren’t many teachers who are willing to take the time to write a test quiz and that’s the reason why most students will never see one in the “wild”.
Take advantage of you teacher’s generosity and study well for your test quiz. The chances are you’ll see the same concepts in the actual test that you saw in the test quiz. If you do well on the test quiz then you’ll probably do well on the test itself. If you fail the test quiz, however, you’d better hits the books harder and leave the partying until after the test.

How To Design A Map Quiz That Even A Cartographer Would Love

Q. How can I design an interesting map quiz?
A. You can’t. At least you can’t if you intend to design a map quiz where you draw some geographical areas and then ask “Where is South America?”. While that would definitely qualify as a map quiz, it wouldn’t make the grade of an “interesting” map quiz.
There is a thin line between geography quiz and map quiz. Once you cross that line, and get away from the simple geography, you can make a map quiz downright interesting.
For example, you might design a map quiz that asks questions about how maps are actually made. A lot of people don’t realize the magic that is needed to represent a round world on a flat piece of paper. Questions along this line could be very enlightening.
Another great set of map quiz questions could deal with how to navigate a ship using charts and a pair of dividers. You could ask them to determine how many nautical miles it is between two points.
Maybe you’d like to combine a map quiz with a scavenger or treasure hunt. Bury something valuable somewhere and then create treasure maps. The map quiz could ask questions that can only be answered by reading the map. As each question gets answered the person gets closer to finding the prize.
Another great idea would be to present a complex problem that has to be solved by being able to read and understand a map thoroughly. Here’s an example:
You have 10 days vacation and decide to take a car trip around the United States.
You can drive no more than 10 hours per day and you can drive no faster than 55 miles per hour.
Your trip must start and end in the same State. Other than that, you may not visit any state more than once.
You must exit a state at the opposite border that you entered it from. For example, if you entered a state from the North, you must exit from the South. if you entered from the Northeast, you must exit from the Southwest.
At the end of each 10 hour period you must spend the night (14 hours) in a town or city whose name contains the letter “e”.
Using the map, mark your daily route, including the number of miles driven, and circle the name of the town or city that you spent the night in. Be sure to write the day # as well.
The person who visits the most states in the 10 day period wins.
That ought to be a map quiz that will be remembered for some time to come.
Remember, a map quiz doesn’t have to be dull and boring; use your imagination to develop a map quiz that challenges and stimulates.

Teachers! Do you want to stop the Cheating?

It is really very simple. Just turn the clock back to a time before technology gave them the ability. I am talking about way back when we had to use pens and pencils to do our school work. Allow me a moment to further explain.
Before technology gave use the world of information, we had a world of information. But, it came in books. Sure we could plagiarize a little. However for us to plagiarize, we had to physically write the information. With today’s technology a simple “cut-n-paste” from two or three different sources, and you don’t even have to read to have your term paper given an “A.”
If the student is required to hand write school work, they still have to read it. If they have to read it, (god bless their little sponge brains) they at least have a fifty-fifty chance of learning something. The neat part is the requirements to hand write schoolwork, also improves the student’s comprehension, teaches them how to spell, increases their vocabulary, and believe it or not . . . teaches the student how to write legibly.
The additional benefit of being able to recognize when students have others do their work, by the differences in handwriting should also be a consideration. Sure Bart can still turn in his sister Mary’s report from a few years ago. But, not without reading it.
If you really want to help your students do not try to catch them cheating, try to prevent them from cheating. And, the best way to prevent them from cheating while making them at least expose their minds to the material is to ensure they read.
Oh, before you say, “that doesn’t work with math . . . Yes, it does. Require the student also turn in their scratch sheet with their work. If the student that has a blank scratch sheet is not able to do the same math on the white board at the front of the class, then you know.
The only time in a person’s life to instill in that person the need to learn is when they are young. After that, they have already chosen the path their life will follow. Teaching is one of the noblest professions, and one of the most difficult. But, I believe Teachers chose the job out of love for knowledge and children. Keep striving to teach that one student that doesn’t seem to get it. And, if you haven’t yet tried it, make them read it.

Acing the SAT Exam

Don’t cheat. This goes without saying for 999 out of 1000 students (hopefully even more!) but cheating is not the way to score high on the SAT exam. Not only do you sacrifice your integrity and trustworthiness, you do yourself the huge disfavor of taking something you did not earn, and I guarantee that it will catch up with you sooner or later.
Prepare ahead of time. If you fully grasp the importance of the SAT exam in determining your admission to colleges to which you will be applying, you’ll spend a little bit of time preparing before the test and I don’t mean the day before the test. Begin a few months in advance to review concepts you know you’re having trouble with.
Study on a regular basis. You’ll get a lot more mileage studying for the SAT if you set a day and time each week (or more often if you want) to study. This will also help your mind and body prepare for the test by getting them used to sitting and focusing for a long period of time.
Take practice exams. The more you are exposed to actual exam questions, the easier time you will have dealing with the real test. Simulate the testing experience (timed, sitting in a desk, etc.) to make sure that when exam day comes around, the situation is not new to you. This will help you relax and perform to the best of your abilities.
Make flashcards to help you study. If you play on a sports team or are involved in a school club, making flashcards can be a great way to find time to study even though you are busy. Just keep the flashcards in your backpack or sports bag and pull them out when you’re on the bus or you’re waiting for your ride. Math formulas and concepts are especially good for flashcards; so are vocabulary words.
Get a good night’s rest the night before the exam. Going to bed before midnight might sound impossible to you, but trust me on this one. Your mind is going to be pushed and stretched to its limits during the test, so the last thing you want is for your body to be tired and groggy. Remember: early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy and wise.
Show up to the exam site early. The SAT alone can get you pretty flustered, so the last thing you want is to show up late and not have plenty of time to get settled in and relaxed. Check the night before to make sure you have everything ready that you’re going to need in the morning. Then, when you wake up the next morning, rather than run around the house frantically looking for the things you need, you can take a nice hot shower and relax. Obviously the end goal of all of this is to make sure you’re able to do your absolute best work on the test.
Read all of the directions. Even if you think you know what you’re supposed to do, take a few seconds to at least skim over them. Taking 20 seconds to read the directions will make you lose much less time than if you complete the section of the SAT and realize at the end you did it all wrong.
When you’re taking the test, don’t get bogged down on one question. If you come to a question that you can’t work out right away, do not get flustered. Just skip it and come back to it. Unless you find yourself skipping a lot of questions, on the SAT it is usually best to skip the question rather than guess and then come back to it. You are penalized for every wrong answer you give, whereas leaving a question blank really has no huge impact on your score. Again, don’t leave very many questions blank as that lowers the score that you can potentially earn.
Review your answers with the extra time you have left at the end. You might not have time to review all of the questions you had trouble with, but at least go over as many as you can. Be careful not to second-guess yourself too. It seems that more often than not our first impressions are correct, so don’t change an answer unless you have good reason to.
Eat ice cream. But wait until after you have taken the test and done your best. Hard work and effort on your part should almost always be awarded with some kind of frozen dessert with high concentrations of sugar and fat.

Making Science Less Abstract for Preschoolers

A simple experiment that can help preschoolers discover and enjoy the wonders of science.
Most childcare businesses supervise children for more than three hours a day, five days a week. Such long hours in care can have a serious impact on a child’s growth and development. Businesses that offer educational curriculums help children grow academically and help prepare them for school. Science plays an important role in the learning process and should also be included as part of the curriculum. Science encourages preschoolers to ask questions, make predictions, and find answers to some fascinating questions. Here is an interesting experiment that can help teach science to preschoolers. We came across ideas for this experiment on PBS Kids Website (www.pbskids.org). We tried it ourselves, at Young Achievers Inc., and it was an extreme success.
First, we had circle time with the kids and recited some classic nursery rhymes. One of the nursery rhymes was the age-old rhyme, Little Miss Muffet. After singing in our circle we asked the kids some questions about Little Miss Muffet. We discovered that they knew what Little Miss Muffet sat on, what she ate, and what frightened her. We then posed a thought-provoking question to the preschoolers. “Can the curds be separated from Miss Muffet’s curds and whey?” The children responded with interesting answers. Their answers became our scientific hypotheses. We documented all responses in large text on our chalkboard so that the children can see and value their predictions. We then headed to the kitchen “laboratory” to see whose prediction was true.
We had the kids sit at the table and measure the milk and vinegar portions for the experiment. They counted how many cups of milk were needed and how many tablespoons of vinegar to add. It was now time to blast the mixture into the microwave for two minutes. We recommend that an adult perform this part of the experiment to avoid placing children in harms way. After two minutes, the mixture was ready to be taken out of the microwave. We allowed it to cool for several minutes and then the children compared two samples of the mixture before and after it was placed in the microwave. They observed that the mixture was lumpier after being heated in the microwave. The children then strained the mixture by using kitchen towels. What remained was a white, rubbery substance – the curds. They were excited. They saw first-hand what Miss Muffet ate. Then they discovered through experimentation that curds can be separated from Miss Muffet’s curds and whey.
The children dyed the curds different colors using food coloring and made their own rubbery type of play dough. They loved touching the curds and feeling its texture. Some children even shaped the curds into cool looking dinosaurs and flowers with our help. At the end of the day the children were enlightened and had a great appreciation for science. They were all proud to show their parents what they had done. They were truly young scientists!
If you would like to try this with children at your childcare business we recommend the experiment for children ages 3 and up. The following materials are needed:
3 cups of Skim Milk
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
Microwave-safe bowl for mixing and heating
Kitchen towels for straining

PLUS Loans it’s never too late to subsidize your child’s education cost

PLUS Loans it’s never too late to subsidize your child’s education cost
Rising. Soaring. Skyrocketing. These are the words that seem to begin every article about college tuition costs and they are words guaranteed to make every parent cringe. According to the College Board, costs for the 2004-2005 school year at four-year private colleges are up 6%, while costs at four-year public colleges are up 10.5%. Scary? Yes. Impossible to handle? No!
The good news is that there is more financial aid available than ever before. One of the most interesting financial aid options is the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students, or PLUS Loan.
What is a PLUS Loan?
PLUS Loans are federal loans taken out by parents to help pay their children’s college costs. PLUS Loans offer several advantages:

Interest rates are adjusted each year, but are consistently kept low. For the 2004-2005 school year, the interest rate is 4.17%. It is capped to never exceed 9%.
Financial need is not a determining factor in receiving a PLUS Loan.
No collateral is required.
There is no penalty for early repayment.
Loans can be consolidated.
If you are eligible, up to $2000 in interest may be tax-deductible under the Hope Education Tax Credit.

Who is eligible for a PLUS Loan?
If you are a parent with dependent students attending college at least part-time, you are eligible to receive a PLUS Loan. You do need to have a good credit history. The following credit issues will reduce your chances of getting a PLUS Loan:

Bankruptcies
Defaulted loans
Payments overdue by 90 days or more
High debt-to-income ratio

If you are turned down for a PLUS Loan because of poor credit history, you can find someone to co-sign the loan with you and then apply again.
How much can I borrow with a PLUS Loan?
You can borrow up to the total cost of undergraduate education expenses, minus other financial aid already received. Expenses can include tuition, room and board, supplies, lab expenses, and travel.
How do I apply for a PLUS Loan?
You can apply for a PLUS Loan through the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program. FFEL loans come from private lenders or loan servicers, such as your bank. PLUS Loan applications are available from your school or your lender. To apply for an FFEL PLUS Loan, you complete the application and then submit it to your school. The school completes its portion of the application and sends it to the lender for approval.
Direct loans come from the U.S. Department of Education’s Direct Loan Servicing Center. To apply for a Direct PLUS Loan, you complete a Direct PLUS Loan application and promissory note and submit it to your school’s financial aid office. This form is available from your school’s Financial Aid Office.
You can take out one loan per enrollment period for each eligible student in your family.
PLUS Loans do require an application fee of up 4% of the principal of the loan. These fees are deducted from the loan principal, so no up-front money is required. The fee includes a 3% origination fee charged by the federal government and a guarantee fee of up to 1% charged by the guarantee agency. However, most guarantors waive the guarantee fee.
How are PLUS Loan funds disbursed?
Funds are sent directly to the school’s financial aid office for scheduled payments over the course of the academic year. As with other federal loans, there are usually at least two disbursements, one for each school term.
The funds are first applied to tuition, fees, room and board, and other school charges. If any money remains, you can receive it as a check or you can put it in your student’s school account. This remaining money must be used for education expenses.
When do I repay PLUS Loans?
You start paying back PLUS Loans 60 days after the final disbursement of the school year. So, if the final disbursement is made in January, as is typical, repayment generally begins in late February or early March. PLUS Loans are the financial responsibility of the parents, not the student. If the student agrees to make payments on the PLUS Loan but fails to make the payments on time, the parents are held responsible.
What is the difference between PLUS Loans and other student loans?
The other student loan generally available to students is the Stafford Loan. The table below illustrates the similarities and differences between these two loan programs:
PLUS Loan
Federally guaranteed
Made to parents of dependent students
Interest rate is low, but not as low as a Stafford (currently 4.17%)
Repayment begins 60 days after final disbursement for the academic year
Loan borrowing can be up to 100% of college education costs
Stafford Loan
Federally guaranteed
Made to students themselves
Interest rate is lowest available (currently 3.37%
Repayment begins six months after graduation or leaving school
Loan borrowing is capped:

$2,625 for first-year undergraduates
$3,500 for second-year undergraduates
$5,500 for third- and fourth-year undergraduates

Loan can be needs-based and requires a FAFSA
Interest charges do not begin until repayment begins, after graduation
This article is distributed by NextStudent. At NextStudent, we believe that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and we’re dedicated to helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding as easy as possible.