PopSugar

Would You Enroll Your Child in a Kindergarten Prep Program?

babysugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:30:58 -0800

The Princeton Review for 3-year-olds? It may sound a bit crazy but many parents are signing their tots up for prep programs to help their offspring gain admission into the top public and private elementary schools of their choice. That's right, elementary. Often the trendsetting city, New York has a handful of tutoring companies like Bright Kids NYC that will coach children in learning visual analogy, reasoning and other "gifted" talents. If their child scores well, their chances of getting into a public school "gifted" program are increased. Prices range between $90 - $145 a session, which may seem outrageous but when compared to a $20K kindergarten tuition at a private school, it's a bargain.

Quick to follow in New York's footsteps, many other cities are starting to see these types of businesses taking off. Many argue it creates an unfair playing field as some parents can't afford to partake in such programs. Others believe it's ludicrous to put that kind of pressure on such a young child. What's your take on such programs?

Guess Which College Costs More in 2009-2010

SavvySugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:30:04 -0800

College prices are continually on the rise, and this year's numbers have a lot of families nervous about the big tuition checks to come. Can you guess which college costs more during this new school year? Note: Cost includes tuition, room and board.

Question 1 of 6

Which college is pricier?

Tell Mommy Your Thoughts on Paying Cash For Extra Credit

babysugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:30:52 -0800

Would you work a little harder on a task at the office if your boss offered to give you a bonus upon completing it? Many would answer that question with a resounding, "Yes." What if that same situation was applied to schools with teachers and their students? Kids earn extra credit points a number of ways but one North Carolina school came under fire for offering its pupils 20 test points (10 points to be used on two tests of their choosing) if they brought in a $20 donation to the school.

Like many schools across the country, Rosewood Middle School is facing tough economic times and was looking for innovative ideas in fund-raising. After the parent advisory board came up with the concept and then the principal endorsed it, it looked like the fund-raiser was a go, but it never actually took off. The state education officials got wind of the practice and stopped it before it was ever set in motion. They believe it is teaching children the wrong lesson - that grades can be bought. Instead of cash, they insist the students should be rewarded bonus points for knowledge gained, not green paper. In defense of the program, Principal Susie Shepherd made the point that two test bumps won't make a difference in a student's final grade but that the money would have been helpful in upgrading the computer lab and their classrooms.

Do you agree with the state education officials or do you think the fund-raiser was a legitimate way to get kids involved in the school's improvement efforts?

Have You Taken Any Courses From iTunes U Yet?

GeekSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:44:56 -0800

iTunes U has been around for some time now offering up cool courses from schools around the country that you can download straight to your iPod Touch or iPhone. I don't know what took me so long, but I just took a few free courses on video editing over the past week and I gotta tell ya: it's pretty awesome.

I take public transportation every day to work, so being able to brush up on math, grammar, and even astronomy during my commute seems like time well spent. And you don't have to spend a dime, since all the courses are free. There's been quite a bit of content added since it launched last year, so tell me - have you taken any iTunes U courses yet?

Would You Take a Stanford Class on iTunes?

SavvySugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:00:10 -0800

Maybe you're wondering if it's even possible to take a class on iTunes. It is now - and not just from Stanford, but from Yale, Wharton, Berkeley, and more. In a relatively new move, prestigious colleges and universities are making lectures, classes, and even written materials available online.

The experience isn't exactly like taking an actual course. For one, you won't be awarded any credits, but considering it's all online and free, it seems a fair trade. You may not have access to everything from the class, but that's not really the point - as Money Magazine's Pat Regnier might tell you. He downloaded Berkeley's American economic history course on iTunes last year and a Yale professor's lecture series on the Civil War.

He wasn't seeking a secondary degree, but the lectures satisfied the urge to sharpen his intellect, without shelling out cash for grad school or a costly MBA. Just check out iTunes, Academic Earth, or OER Commons to find out what's available. So, what do you think? Would you take the time to give your intellect a boost with a little free online education?

What's Next For Abstinence-Only Sex-Ed Programs?

TresSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:30:00 -0700

When Obama decided not to renew the Title V grant program that funds abstinence-only sex education programs in his 2010 budget, places like McLennan County in Texas found their coffers, already depleted when their $800,000 grant ran out in 2007, dwindle from $1 million to zero.

Since 1997, $1.9 billion in government funding ($1.5 billion of it federal money) has gone to abstinence-only education, turning it into an industry unto itself. Although the Senate Finance Committee voted to restore the funding 12-11 last month, the measure needs to pass the full Congress, which is unlikely. At this point, it looks like private donors will have to cough up the funding if these programs want to survive.

Abstinence ed flourished in the late '90s and early 2000s and federal funding doubled from $80 million in 2001 to $200 million during the Bush years in spite of research that showed sexual behavior didn't change among those who had received the education.

So what's the future of abstinence-only education? Its advocates like Director Tracy Cousins of the McLennan County Collaborative Abstinence Program (MCCAP) in Texas considered tweaking their programs in order to get some funding. But they decided in the end that showing students, for example, how to put a condom on compromised their message of abstinence only. "We believe," says Tracy Cousins,"the best approach [for students] is they should not engage in sexual activity."

Geek Tip: Expand Your Vocabulary With a Little Online Help

GeekSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:10:37 -0700

I've heard that the key to mental longevity is to always keep your mind open to learning new things. One easy way is to adopt a few new words and use them in your daily conversations. Surely you don't want to sit around all day, flipping through a thesaurus, so let me introduce you to Save the Words.

This website is not only cool but pretty funny. Scroll around inside the white box, and words will jump out at you, just begging to be used in your next speech or convo. Click on one that looks interesting, get the definition, and sign up for an optional "pledge" that sends you a reminder to use the word as much as possible every day. It's a fun way to expand your vocab, and create those coveted knowledge wrinkles in your brain!

Front Page: Unemployment Might Create a Lost Generation

TresSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:00:22 -0700

The job crisis is hitting young people just out of college especially hard, which could have a long-term negative impact on an entire generation. - Business Week
American Elinor Ostrom has become the first woman to win the Nobel prize for economics. - BBC News
Iraq's National Theater has opened again for the first time in six years, as nightlife begins to return to Baghdad. - Telegraph
Hillary Clinton says President Obama's attitude toward America's role in the world won him the Nobel Peace Prize. - AP
Couples Retreat starring Vince Vaughn had a big opening weekend to come in first place at the box office. - BuzzSugar

Women With College Degrees Help Their Partners Live Longer

TresSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Well-educated women have more to offer than interesting conversations. According to an extensive Swedish study, a woman's education and social status has more impact on her partner's lifespan than his own education.

The study, involving 1.5 million working Swedes, found that a man whose partner only had a high school education had a 25 percent greater risk of dying early than a man whose partner holds a university degree. Of course, a woman's education also impacts her own lifespan - a woman with no college education is 53 percent more likely to die early than a woman with a higher degree.

Those behind the study reason that the more educated a woman is, the more likely she is to understand her family's health needs. This conclusion suggests that a woman has a big impact on her partner and family's lifestyle. Perhaps this means that many highly educated women still have the primary responsibility for cooking, shopping, and other household needs. Does that surprise you?

News Flash: Texas Says Abstinence-Only Doesn't Work

TresSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Putting facts - like rising teen pregnancy and STD rates - together with some common sense, Texas school districts are beginning to ditch abstinence-only education programs.

Texas has the third-highest teen pregnancy rate in the US and it also spends the most on abstinence-only education. One school district official explained the decision to step away from an abstinence-only approach:

"We don’t think abstinence-only is working. . . Both approaches to sex education teach that refraining from sexual activity is the safest choice for teens. But abstinence-only gives limited information about contraceptives and condoms and tends to downplay their effectiveness, while abstinence-plus stresses the importance of using such protection if teens are sexually active."

Focusing on "abstinence-plus" education sounds like a healthy compromise that will keep students, well, healthy and help them avoid unwanted pregnancies. Do you agree?