Dr Stephen Jones  

Throughout my life I’ve been a rookie.  I’ve been a  rookie high school student, football player, college student  and a rookie at marriage.  Each time there was an uncanny excitement about all of the new things that I expected to learn.  It seems that there is always someone there to give me advice about how to navigate the ropes.  I’ve found that keeping an open mind to new opportunities has been a key to my success. 

So now I find myself once again a rookie at social networking.  What a fun journey it has already been.  I have found people on social networks who are jumping in to help someone who is new.  It appears that thousands of people are joining these networks everyday.  I admire all of the people who are sharing their wisdom to save people time, money and energy.  The social networks are full of articles, blogs, business information, individual profiles and areas of special interest.

 I have received immediate responses to questions that I have been pondering for months.  The social networks give you an opportunity to explore what others around  the world are doing and to reconnect with friends from high school and college.  This week I reconnected with students that I’ve taught over the last twenty-five years on Facebook.com.  I have been so inspired that I started my own education social network at myedunetwork.com.

I have my own business and joining Sta.rtup.biz.com has been an invaluable resource.   When you are a rookie you look for every opportunity to get out on the field to play.  Therefore, I recently started my own radio social network at  blogtalkradio.com.  It appears that people are looking for an opportunity to here from experts any time of the day.  People who are in your network also get special information directly because they are your members.  If you are looking for exciting news and hear what your peers are thinking than you cannot continue to wait on the sideline.

You have the flexibility to determine who you want to participate as a member of your social network web page.  People all over the world will express a desire to communicate with individuals in the social network.  Sometimes people offer the right encouragement at the moment that you need it.  I have noticed an overwhelming amount of words of congratulations that are passed from individual to individual.

I recommend that you choose a social network that meets your specific needs.  There are social networks for individuals who are interested in reconnecting, business, marketing, and personal videos.  People are involved in social networks because they have decided that it will provide answers  to a particular challenge they are facing.  For example networks like linkedin.com offer a personal and business networking opportunity.  I have asked questions and received an immediate response.

I’m a rookie all over again and I’m enjoying the ride.  Since I am a rookie I expect to learn something new every day.  Just like exercising to become fit you must participate in your social networking sites every day to establish your footing.  There is a bottomless amount of information to comprehend.  The social networks have inspired the next internet revolution.  Get on board the social network train and enjoy the ride.

Study skills are a subject that is breezed over by students around the world. Each student has a different learning style that needs to be optimized.  When you compare two students one seems to naturally grasp the importance of good study skills.  Another student may face challenges because they don’t know were to start.  Students need to get their minds focused on learning something new every day.  It’s easy to see why students are distracted because study skills are taking second place to all of the technology. Students make sure that their ipods and cell phones are working. They offer a more convenient way to mentally escape from their obligation to study..

Teachers complain about their students poor study habits.  Their student’s lack of study skills is clearly evident on the first test of the school year.  Many students and parents struggle with having a good study plan.  Of course most parents would love for their son/daughter to earn an A+ in every class.  Most parents know the value of good study skills but they struggle to convince their student of its importance.

Good study skills begin with the altitude in the attitudes of students.  A student with good study habits realizes that it takes time to memorize information and to give it a personal meaning.  They know that studying for 20 minutes after school will not lead to success.  Students need a study guide that will teach them how to study.  Books such as the “Seven Secrets of How to Study” offer effective study skills strategies. Students need test taking tips that will launch them into a successful academic year.  There are seven ways to optimize your study skills:

1.         When you read the assigned text book write notes about important points. 

            Review your additional notes everyday.

2.         You can improve your study skills memory by using 3 x 5 cards to review

            important terms.

3.         Create study skills activities that you will use every week.  For example have a weekly session where you write down important facts on a sheet of paper using your memory alone.

4.         Start your own study skills lesson plan for each subject.  Your study skills lesson plan should include test taking ideas that you will use for each class.

5.         Don’t allow test anxiety to creep into his emotions.  Reduce your test anxiety by spending more time preparing for each test.  Spread your test preparation time out over five days.

6.         The main helpful study skills resource is your teacher or tutor.  Don’t be too prideful to pursue help when you need it.

7.         Write down notes on important facts so that you can review them the morning of your test.  If you are involved in a math or science course write out all of the important formulas on one sheet of paper and review these formulas the morning of your next test.

Study skills as a way of life is the key to your success in school.  Prepare a list of questions before you go to class.  If your questions are not answered during class meet with your teacher or send an e-mail that contains your questions.  You need to be pro-active in using creative study skills activities that tap into your own learning style.

Lastly, maintain a positive attitude and don’t let test anxiety overcome you.  Expect to have success on every test and you will.  A belief that you will fail will lead to failure.  Develop a new study skills list each day and follow it.  Implementing all of these study skills strategies will lead to a successful learning strategy and the best grades possible.

Educators have said active parent involvement raises a student’s academic performance.  Yet school districts have witnessed a steady decline in parent participation.  Gone are the days when a mother stayed at home to raise children and participate in school activities.  Parents are happy when they are not called to the school regarding their son/daughters behavior.  Something needs to be done to make parent involvement in K12 schools a high priority on their list of daily activities.

Parents need more information about how K12 education is changing.  Most parents are not aware of the financial challenges that school systems are facing.  Many schools are underfunded when compared to school districts within their own states.  Parents can play a role in encouraging their local legislators to get involved in changing their states school funding formula.

What the educators are saying about parent involvement is true.  Parents who read to their children early develop children who enjoy reading.  Children are like sponges absorbing new knowledge at a tremendous rate.  Today parents are too concerned about keeping their children entertained.  Parents are great role models for their children’s love for learning.  If the majority of the parent’s time is spent in front of the television then it becomes their child’s main source of information and learning.  A student’s enthusiasm for learning should begin in the home then spreads to a child’s school instruction.

Some governors are saying we need more standardized tests to resolve the student achievement gap.  Parent involvement is an alternative that costs fewer dollars to implement.  The resources that are allocated for testing could be spent to increase the number of parent leaders who are in the schools.  Some schools are finding ways to get parent’s involved in the daily activities of their schools.  Parents who are involved can learn about instruction methods that other parents can use in the home.  They are the catalyst to get parents who are not involved to volunteer for special projects.

Parents sometimes reflect on the bad experiences that they had when they were in K12 schools.  Student achievement can be raised when parents know that their active participation will make a difference in their child’s learning capacity.  Some parent’s are looking at their child’s achievement level to see if there are any differences.  They need to know more about the benefits of looking at the value of education from a different perspective.  Some parents do not know what a good education looks like.  School administrators and teachers must continually advocate for increased communication with parents.

Some parents are raising the bar on their expectations for their student.  They are often interested in identifying resources that will prepare their child for college.  They participate in after school and weekend programs right along with their child.  They sign up because of their belief that their program will serve us a link between high school and college.

The United States is steadily slipping in terms of its edge in graduating students from high schools, trade schools, and colleges.  Starting a national campaign to help parents to understand their role in student achievement is a solution whose time has come.  New and innovative organizations are needed.  These organizations must take into account the changing trends in family structures.  Parents are looking for solutions to the achievement gap.  The solution lays in a combination of community and K12 schools working toward alternative education activities which are easily implemented in the home.