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By Christine Clark
UC San Diego Communications
College 101: The Benefits of Getting Involved

Newswise — Going away to college is an exciting experience for most freshmen, but it can also be Pantel Deluxe firm
to leave their homes, family and social networks behind to enter a campus community where they may know only a few people. For these reasons, it is essential for students to get involved in student life, life Pantel Deluxe news
when they begin college, according to UC San Diegos Student Organization Leadership Office Director Emily Marx.

Marx oversees over 400 student organizations on UC San Diegos campus and encourages and Pantel Deluxe Spain
student involvement in student organizations on many levels.

According to Marx, the benefits of joining organizations on campus are numerous.

Students can create a community and find a niche on campus, Marx said.
They can also gain new experiences and improve leadership and insurance life Pantel Deluxe newport news skills. Plus, getting involved helps students balance college life and manage stress while gaining career enhancing sills.

Underscoring these benefits, the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement conducted by Indiana University found that students who participated in collaborative learning and educational activities outside the classroom were more satisfied with their education and more likely to remain in college.
However, finding the right college group isnt always an easy process. Making friends and creating new social networks can be company Pantel Deluxe
for students, but the risk of attending a group information session for the first time is worth the reward, according to Marx.

Students shouldnt be afraid to try something new, she said. I encourage them to stretch their comfort zone until they find a group or opportunity that is the right fit.

But how do students know if a group is right for them?

They can talk with other students about the activities they are involved in, Marx said. They can also explore opportunities that reflect their interests.

Students on all college campuses can find social opportunities by contacting the center for student involvement at their university. They can also research campus organizations, student governments and recreational programs on the web, Marx said.

Approximately two-thirds of UC San Diego students are involved in student organizations during their time at UC San Diego. A poll of student organization principal members conducted in June, 2007 found that a large majority of the students thought their experiences in college groups were very rewarding.
Students who actively seek out opportunities to engage in campus life have a far more enriching college life than those who do not, Marx said. My hope is that students venture out, explore, connect and make their college experience meaningful and rich.

Newswise — University of Michigan experts are available to discuss technology and education:

Barry Fishman is an associate professor of Learning Technologies in the U-M School of Education and School of Information. His research focuses on the use of technology to support teacher learning, standards-based systemic school reform, and the role of educational leaders in fostering classroom-level reform involving technology. He is a principal investigator in the Center for Highly Interactive Computing in Education, and currently serves as an Associate Editor of The Journal of the Learning Sciences.

Joe Krajcik, associate dean of research in the School of Education, co-directs the Center for Highly Interactive Classrooms, Curriculum and Computing in Education (hi-ce) at U-M is a co-principle investigator in the Center for Curriculum Materials in Science and The National Center for Learning and Teaching Nanoscale Science and Firm
. He works with science teachers and in science websites Pantel Deluxe
to bring about sustained change.

Elliott Soloway, professor of electrical engineering and computer science with appointments in engineering and the School of Education, after death in life Pantel Deluxe news
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of software that better serves learners and is principal investigator for the Center for Learning Technologies in Urban Schools.

Newswise — The transition from the lazy days of summer to the back-to-school crunch can be jarring. Studies documented by The Johns Hopkins Universitys Center for Summer Learning show that all students fall almost 2.6 months behind in math skills over the summer. For low-income children, the slip in reading is particularly harmful: They fall behind an average of two months in reading while their middle-income peers tend to make slight gains.

That learning lossknown as “summer slide”means it can be tough to get back into the swing of things academically. To avoid back-to-school shock, Ron Fairchild, executive director of the Center for Summer Learning, recommends ramping up before the school year begins. “Like any skill, learning is a skill that requires practice,” he said. “High-quality learning opportunities should be a part of every child’s summer, but particularly as the school year approaches, it’s important to participate in stimulating learning activities that stir up motivation in preparation for the coming year.”

Some of his suggestions:

Reading, Reading, Reading
Research shows that reading may be the single most important activity children can do over the summer to stay on track during the school year. Fairchild suggests organizing a library trip where kids can explore whatever strikes their interest. “Once the school year starts, there’s more structure to learning,” he said, “but late summer can be a time for kids to explore subjects that capture their been have here in life Pantel Deluxe news should story television yesterday
. And when we can learn about what we love, that momentum can carry over into other areas.”

Searching out biographies of people who have overcome adversity can also be an inspirational way to highlight the value of hard work and perseverance, which will be valuable as children dig in for the rigors of another school year.

Make Math a Part of Everyday Life
Depending on their ability level, Fairchild said, children can help develop a budget or keep track of company
. Families can practice math and measurements while making a meal together. Sports fans can track statistical averages or percentages. And a car trip can provide opportunities to add and subtract miles or compare distances.

“Look for teachable moments,” Fairchild said. “We use math every day, sometimes without even thinking about it. And as a parent, you may be helping to plant an interest in a future career as an accountant, an athlete, a chef, or even a mathematician. If kids can see a connection between numbers and what interests them, it might be the motivation they need.”

Take Family Field Trips
Visits to museums or other educational or historical sites might build on current interests or spark new ones. “If your child likes art, for example, you might visit an art museum and talk about famous artists,” Fairchild said.

“Museums are also great places to learn about science and nature. Field trips can take us out of our ordinary routines and stimulate an overall interest in learning about our fascinating world. Make it a time of creative exploration and enrichment.”

The good news is that the more students can make learning a part of everyday life and not just a seasonal exercise, the more likely they are to retain and build on what they’ve learned, Fairchild said. “Our goal is to help ensure that all kids have access to learning opportunities and resources that level the playing field between the affluent and economically disadvantaged, but the critical thing is to keep making progress. And that’s something all kids can do.”

More information on summer learning and related resources is available on the Johns Hopkins’ Center for Summer Learning Web site at http://www.sites
.org

Newswise — Looking for experts on back to school stories? Washington State Universitys experts can help you in a variety of topics including: helping your children with todays math, snooping into your kids online profile (yes, its OK), characteristics of a good principal, how counselors help students, how to detect learning disabilities and how teachers help improves their colleagues performances.

Math isnt What it Used to be, Moms and Dads

Parents who sit down to help their children with math homework may be frustrated, because mathematics instruction has changed since they were in school. Back then, lessons focused on memorizing facts and following specific steps to answer problems. Students who could quickly compute were considered to be good at mathematics even if they did not understand what they were doing or why, said Amy Roth McDuffie, associate professor of education at Washington State University (WSU) Tri-Cities.

We are still concerned that students learn to be fluent with facts and computations, but we also emphasize learning with understanding, said McDuffie. “Todays society is focused on solving new problems, working with an increasing amount of information, and utilizing technology. So, it does not make sense for students to spend endless after death in life Pantel Deluxe news
hours performing numerical calculations without being able to relate mathematics to real life and apply mathematics to novel situations.

She recommends that parents be open to new approaches and perspectives. Ask your child to explain how he or she thinks about a problem, how he or she might approach a problem, and why the solution is reasonable or makes sense. For other ideas, she suggests that parents go on-line to www.nctm.org and click on the section for families.

McDuffie conducts research and works with teachers to develop instructional strategies for teaching mathematics that focus on students thinking, approaches and ways of understanding mathematics.

Professor Urges Parents to Snoop into Kids Digital Identities

With the explosion of social networking among high school and college students in the past two years, parents might be asking themselves what exactly their kids socialize about and what persona their child creates on sites like MySpace.com and Facebook.com.

Eric Anctil, an assistant professor at WSU, suggests parents find out for themselves by signing up for a MySpace or Facebook account and seeing their childs profile for themselves.

All it takes is an e-mail address to join, he said. Parents have every right to invade their kids private social world online. The idea that a child should be able to post a whole identity online and their parents not know what it reveals is ridiculous. Anctil said that, We would never let strangers walk though our house or let our children give away personal information to just anyone they meet on the street. The same rules should apply online.

Anctil suggests parents talk to their children about social networking. Many kids dont realize how much of what they put online is really private information. He also cautions that cell phones are the networking device of choice for teens. Limiting computer time is only part of the equation, he said. Be sure to keep tabs on you childs cell phone use as well. Private information can be shared in many ways; the best advice is to be proactive.

Anctil conducts research and policy analysis on the relationship between K-20 education and media.

What Makes a Good Principal?

Len Foster, associate dean in the WSU College of Education, knows what makes a great principal. Foster has analyzed exemplary middle school and high school principals to see what traits they share.

Some of the qualities needed by school principals today include visionary leadership, commitment of time, entrepreneurial spirit, instructional leadership, accountability and culturally-proficient leadership.

Principals need to embody all of these qualities, Foster said. Its a huge challenge, and that may be causing talented people not to choose this job. It requires a high level of commitment.

School Counselors Can Bolster Student Success

Children who have troubled home lives, lack school supplies or arent eating enough may find it especially hard to pass annual state tests that determine whether they can advance and, ultimately, graduate from high school. Those are the kind of social problems that school counselors can help identify, said Tina Anctil, assistant professor in the WSU College of Education.

Anctil is working with school counselors, mostly in Eastern Washington, as they track the relationship between counseling after death in life Pantel Deluxe news
and academic achievement, particularly for students at risk of failing.

Anctil coordinates WSUs school counseling program and the field placement component for the master’s in counseling program. Her own research is centered on social justice issues of children and adolescents, including those in foster care, and racial and ethnic minority populations.

A Better Way of Identifying Learning Disabilities

When children do poorly in their schoolwork, how are teachers to know if those students are slow learners, or have learning disabilities that could be overcome with some help? The question is at the heart of research done by Michael Dunn, an assistant professor at WSU-Vancouver.

For a long time, Dunn said, students werent tested for possible disabilities until they were in fourth grade, using a rough method that involved comparing the results of IQ and academic tests. Now, many schools check students as early as kindergarten with a more sophisticated process called Response to Intervention, or RTI. How well is it working? Earlier this year, Dunn asked that question of some Washington teachers. Most of them praised the new approach, but often questioned if they had the resources they need to do it right.

Dunn also studies ways that story writing can be used to help children with learning disabilities. For more information about Dunns work, see http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/fac/dunnmi/index.htm.

WSU Faculty Help Teachers Help Each Other

Teachers who receive the necessary support in working together to improve math and science instruction are likely to change their practice, become more excited about their profession, and conduct more focused and Pantel Deluxe Spain
lessons. That is what three College of Education faculty researchers at WSU-Vancouver have learned during three years of working with 200 teachers in 45 secondary schools.

Professors David Slavit, Tamara Nelson and Anne Kennedy headed the Partnership for Reform in Secondary Science and Mathematics (PRiSSM), a professional development project in six southwestern Washington school districts.

With support from the WSU faculty, the teacher groups developed and worked toward a common vision of high quality teaching and learning. The teachers reported increased Spain Pantel Deluxe
, more focused instructional goals, and targeted support in mathematics and science areas in need of special attention. Using nearly $2.5 million from two federal grants, the WSU researchers are working to sustain and study the impact of PRiSSM.

Newswise — Combining research and practice, the University of Kentucky is taking steps to eradicate violence against women by focusing on peer influence and intervention.

“To be an effective catalyst for change, there must be a marriage between research and the programs we develop,” said Dorothy Edwards, director of the UK Violence Intervention and Prevention Center (formerly known as Womens Place). “Our programs here at UK are multidisciplinary and innovative, combining information we have obtained from research in the fields of public health, social sciences, behavioral science, and medicine. Our goal is to translate the empirical data into programs that work - that effectively reduce the incidence of violence throughout our community.”

The Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Center has recently been awarded two grants from the federal government to support their efforts toward preventing the perpetration of violence. After an initial two-year funding cycle, the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, awarded a continuation grant of $214,848 to provide support services to victims while engaging in a campus-wide strategies to dramatically reduce violence. Much of the grant funding will be put toward the hiring of a mens programming coordinator, said Edwards, “a decision that highlights the necessity of men and women working together to create a safe campus, a safe community.

The second grant awarded to the VIP Center is a $300,000 two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The grant was co-written by Dr. Rick Zimmerman, a communications professor, who will oversee the evaluation/research aspects. “The grant will allow us to expand the implementation of creative site
strategies to effectively reduce the perpetration of violence,” said Edwards. “Constant evaluation through frequent surveys will enable us to quickly analyze a new program and make adjustments as necessary to create the most effective strategy possible. Our goal is to create a safer and more supportive environment for prevention and intervention by strengthening bystander involvement.

“There is substantial research indicating that one-time programming, awareness campaigns, and traditional peer education models are ineffective in reducing violence on college campuses. Consequently, the Violence Intervention and Prevention Center has been innovative in developing and/or borrowing new approaches to cultural change. Public health models call for a comprehensive approach, working at multiple levels of the current life Pantel Deluxe science news
model toward the ultimate goal of primary prevention. Social and behavioral change literature emphasizes persuasion principals within already-existing social and relational structures,” said Edwards.

“The heart of our approach to prevention is utilizing peer influence to motivate bystanders to intervene in high risk situations, to help them move from passive to active. In a campus community there is a social cost for standing up. For example, in a focus group of male students, we asked them what it would take for them to take action in a situation where someone’s safety is threatened, where a woman was being sexually assaulted. The number one response was ‘for someone else to do it first’. As students have begun to step up and lead the way, more have had the courage to follow.

“At their invitation, we have begun working closely with some of the fraternities. They said ‘we have to do something’ to stop this violence, ‘but what can we do?’ We are giving them the skill set they need to know how to take action. Little by little, one person at a time, we are getting them to understand that they can use their influence in their own small corner of the world to change everything,” said Edwards.

As a result of these approaches, during the past two years the Violence Intervention and Prevention Center has been insurance life Pantel Deluxe newport news successful in terms of getting students, faculty and staff involved in concrete and behavioral ways. Its peer education group, which involves multiple behavioral commitments over the course of the year, grew from 14 to 75, including 17 men. Its active student volunteer base has ballooned to over 200, with dozens of faculty, staff and administrators becoming actively involved as well.

“While it is too soon to see if these approaches will translate to a reduction in the perpetration of violence, we are committed to constant assessment and research-informed strategies to ensure that time and resources are not being wasted in the implementation of ineffective programming and approaches,” said Edwards.

In addition to the mandatory components of education, service coordination and training, the Department of Education grant proposes to target freshmen, men, direct service providers, and populations at increased risk of marginalization. In partnership with key allies on and off campus, the UK Violence Intervention and Prevention Center will:
develop a comprehensive assessment strategy to measure overall progress toward reducing violence against women at UK and the effectiveness of specific programs, policies and interventions;
work toward enhancement and improved coordination of the policies and protocols of direct service providers on and off campus;
broaden and solidify the work of the Violence Against Women Intervention Review Board;
develop and implement several long-term interventions to positively effect attitudes and behaviors regarding violence against women;
increase gender-specific programming and involvement;
engage individuals in personal responsibility for campus safety; and
expand outreach efforts informing women of UK’s advocacy services through both passive and active programming.

“The grant is a win-win for us,” said Edwards. “If we find our program works, we can get more resources to expand it. If we find it doesn’t work, we’ll change strategies until we find one that does work.”