Education Reform Debate

Education Reform Debate President Barack Obamas proposal for education reform has been receiving strict opposition from many education administrators, according to an article in The New York Times. Recently, teachers unions and educators are leading the debate against lawmakers over Obamas Race to the Top education reform plan. Some state officials in California privately told The New York Times that Obamas proposed plan has a 50-50 chance (at best) of gaining the necessary approval to pass. The plan also needs $700 million from Washington. Obamas Race to the Top plan features a massive overhaul of Americas public school system. The plan sets to eliminate teacher tenure, expand charter schools and link teachers salaries directly to student performance. Teachers unions are strongly opposed to this new plan because they believe it is a direct attack on teachers. The California Teachers Association is a major player in the opposition to Obamas education reform plan. It is very influential in the area becaus e it regularly donates money to select politicians election campaigns. The California Teachers Association recently donated $7,800 to each Assemblyman Tom Ammiano and Senator Leland Yee, which is the maximum donation, according to The New York Times. Both are San Francisco representatives. Ammiano recently wrote bill that was passed by the California Assembly that limits the number of state-sanctioned charter schools at its current 1,450 schools, which is a direct opposition to Obamas plan to expand charter schools. Carlos Garcia, the San Francisco superintendent and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are also opposed to this bill. However, neither can deny that California and San Francisco need the money that bill could offer them. The San Francisco Unified School District is currently facing a $113 million deficit. The Race to the Top plan would bring $20 million to the San Francisco school district. Garcia said that the plan is a strong-armed approach to education reform that is very similar to the Bush Administrations No Child Left Behind policy. Were tired of all that stuff, Garcia told The New York Times. Even if we get the money, Im not sure if we can implement all of that (the plans proposed policies). Garcia said that San Franciscos schools badly need the money, but he strongly opposes the bill. This is the type of dilemma that school officials and superintendents are facing throughout the nation. Many believe that this dilemma could be widespread enough to boost enough approval to pass the bill. Educators and students can only hope that the politics of money do not pollute policy makers decisions on Obamas Race to the Top. Most believe that the plans policies alone will not be enough to pass the bill. However, politics and money could sway opinions on the bill, which would reform Americas public education system.

The First Thing Beginners Should Learn on the Guitar

The First Thing Beginners Should Learn on the Guitar Madalyn Danielson Whether youve just started guitar lessons or youre teaching yourself, the best way to learn guitar is by starting with this one, basic thing. Guitar teacher  Jerry W.  explains The first thing a beginner needs to learn on the guitar is how to tune. An out-of-tune guitar will  make even the best player sound bad. The best way to learn guitar is to first learn how to tune it. Then, everything you play will sound better, and the whole musical world will thank you! I recommend you tune your guitar before every guitar lesson, practice session and certainly before any  performance. In the end, training your ear to know what it sounds like to play in tune is the best way to learn guitar. In this post, I will  show you three ways to tune your guitar. 1. Using a Tuner The easiest tuning method is to use a tuner. There are many types of tuners, including ones  designed specifically for the guitar. If you have a smart phone, you can simply download an  app for tuning your guitar. I personally use PitchLab on my phone. When using a tuner,  make sure you are tuning to the correct pitches. The strings, from lowest to highest,  should be tuned to E2, A2, D3, G3, B3 and E4. I recommend that you also learn to tune your guitar  by ear. Why is this important? Because  you can still tune your guitar if you forget your tuner or your phone is dead. Even more  importantly, it will help develop your ear for pitch. There are two methods of tuning the guitar by ear. Both methods require having the lowest-sounding string in tune. To do this, find a piano or someone who is already in tune and match  your bottom string to their E pitch. If you are just practicing, then you can tune the E2 string  using your tuner. In fact, if you are just practicing on your own, you can simply tune to the  lowest-sounding string. Even if it isnt perfectly on pitch, at least the guitar will be in tune with  itself. 2. The Fifth Fret Method 1. Play the lowest string (E2) at the fifth fret, and then tune the A2 string to this pitch. When tuning to a note, it is best to loosen the tuning peg until you are below the pitch, and then bring it up until both strings sound like one pitch. 2. Play the A string you just tuned at the fifth fret, and then tune the D3 string to this pitch. 3. Play the D string at the fifth fret, and tune the G3 string to this pitch. 4. The next string is different from all the others. Play the G string at the 4th fret, and tune  the B3 string to this pitch. 5. Finally play the B string at the fifth fret, and tune the E4 string to this pitch. 3. The Harmonics Method 1. This method requires being able to play harmonics. To play a harmonic lightly, touch a  string at the fifth fret, and pull your finger away as you pluck the string. This should  produce a higher, more bell-like sound. It usually takes some practice to get this to  work well. Harmonics can be easily produced at the fifth, seventh and twelfth frets. 2. Play the harmonic on the fifth fret of the lowest string (E2). Then, play the harmonic on  the seventh fret of the A2 string, and tune it to the E string. Due to the pure sound of  harmonics, it is easier to hear whether you are perfectly in tune. 3. Repeat this for each string, using the fifth fret harmonic to tune the seventh fret harmonic of  the next string, except for the B string. You will have to tune the B string using either  the fifth fret method or a tuner, because the harmonics method does not work for this string. Now that you have learned to tune your guitar, go out and make the world a better place for all  music lovers by always playing with an in-tune guitar! Jerry W. teaches classical guitar, composition, trombone and  trumpet  in Grosse Pointe, MI.  He received his Bachelor of Music in Theory and Composition from  Cornerstone University and went on to receive both his Masters and PhD in Music Composition from  Michigan State University. Jerry has been making music and teaching students for over thirty years.    Learn more about Jerry W. here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by A Klar

4 Alternate Guitar Tunings for Beginners

4 Alternate Guitar Tunings for Beginners Maile Proctor Whether you just started guitar lessons or youve been playing for a while, you may be itching to learn some new songs and take on some new challenges. You might be wondering: where can I go from here? Thats where alternate guitar tunings come in! With this guide from Michael L., youll learn how alternate guitar tunings can take your playing to the next level One of the amazing things about the guitar is its versatility. Not only can you play rhythm and/or melody in different genres, but you can also change the tuning (or the key) to create different atmospheres. Heres the deal: Not all songs are written to be played in standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning, so if you want to expand your range as a guitarist, you need to learn play some alternate guitar tunings. Alternate guitar tunings, or open tunings, allow you to play new songs and explore new music styles. Essentially, alternate guitar tunings will expand your range and skill set. If the only alternate tuning you know is  Drop D tuning, then this tutorial will introduce you to some new concepts. We will focus on  three open  tunings: Open G, DADGAD, and Open D. Alternate Guitar Tunings for Beginners Drop D Tuning You may already be familiar with  drop D tuning:  Take your low E string and tune it down a whole step to D. In this tuning, you can play power chords by barring the low three strings. Drop D tuning is usually  associated with metal music, but you can also play other songs like  the Foo Fighters Everlong and I Might Be Wrong by Radiohead. Open G Tuning Open G tuning requires three strings to change notes. Tune the E strings down a whole step to D, and the A string down a whole step to G. Now when you strum the guitar, youll  play a G chord. This tuning makes the guitar resemble a banjo, except with  a banjo, the low G string is a high G string and the low D is not there. You can play some banjo songs in this tuning, substituting the high G with the low G offers a new sound on some traditional banjo songs. I primarily use this tuning for blues, folk, bluegrass, and rock, but Im sure you can find other genres to play in this tuning. A couple of songs that use this tuning are Poor Black Mattie by R.L Burnside and Death Letter by Son House (or covered by White Stripes). The beauty of open G tuning  is that you can strum the bottom five strings together and play a melody with any of the strings as long as the note is in the key G. You can also get any major chord you like if you barre the fretboard on the corresponding right fret (the chord is based off the notes on the G strings). If you want a minor chord, barre the fret but play a half-step lower, on the B string. Alternating between the low G and D strings gives you fun bass lines, too. If you would like to learn more chord shapes simply look online for banjo chord chart and apply those shapes to the guitar in this tuning. DAGAD Tuning DADGAD is very similar to open G.  For this tuning, just tune the fifth  string back up to A and the B string to A. This tuning opens the door for some really neat sounding modal music. You can play folk music, like Paul Simons version of Scarborough Fair and Armistice Day, some rock music like Led Zeppelins Kashmir, or even nu-metal like Slipknots Circle. Open D Tuning Open D tuning requires four strings to change notes. Tune the E strings down to D, the G string to F#, and the B string to A. Now, when you strum the guitar, youll get a D chord. Again, I mostly use this tuning for rural music (blues, country, bluegrass, ragtime, etc.) This tuning is also my favorite to  play the slide guitar. Go ahead and  strum steadily on the low D string while playing melody notes on the high D and A strings, and tell me thats not one of the most sultry sounds youve heard! A couple of my favorite songs in open D are Blind Willie McTell by Statesboro Blues and Bob Dylans Corina, Corina. As with open G, you can find any major chord by barring the corresponding fret (the chord is based off the note on the D strings). If you want a minor chord, play a half-step down on the F# string. Here are a couple of open D chords, besides barre chords, to get you started. G7 A7 3 2 2 0 1 1 0 2 2 0 0 2 I hope this gives you some new ideas on how to approach the guitar. Have fun with these alternate guitar tunings. They changed the way I think of guitar and I hope they do  the same for  you, especially if youre a fan of delta blues and folk music! If you need help with any of  these alternate guitar tunings, ask your guitar teacher to go over them during your next lesson! Want to ramp up your guitar skills at home? Try one of our free online group classes!   Post Author:  Michael  L. Michael teaches ukulele, guitar, drums, and music theory in Austin, TX. He studied music theory and vocal performance at the Florence University of the Arts in Italy. In addition to private lessons, Michael teaches music to special education students in Austin public schools and foster children with Kids in a New Groove.  Learn more about Michael here! Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher

Ambitious Introverts 7 Simple Insider Tips to Get You Promoted - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / Ambitious Introverts 7 Simple Insider Tips to Get You Promoted - Introvert Whisperer Ambitious Introverts: 7 Simple Insider Tips to Get You Promoted Introvert or not, most of us are ambitious even if we don’t openly admit it. Certainly, the majority of us are always looking for more pay and growth. However, sometimes a promotion seems elusive for us Ambitious Introverts, and we’re left not knowing exactly what to do next. Does that sound like you? If you’re pondering what your next move is to get promoted, consider following these tips. Just so you know, I’ve had hundreds of people reporting to me over the years, which mean evaluating them for possible promotion was ongoing. Tip #1: Know Your Performance Expectations All too many people are clueless about what is expected of them and how they will be measured. Rest assured that you are being measured even if it is only in the mind of your management. If you are barely meeting their expectations, you can’t expect a promotion until you get this basic in place for a while. Tip #2: Know What It Takes to Get Promoted Again, a simple task but overlooked by most. Go ask your management specific skills they would like to see from you to get you to that next level. Tip #3: Take On More Take on a task or project typically performed at the next level. This will not only show you have initiative but it will show you can perform at the next level. Tip #4: Get Visibility to Your Accomplishments It’s not enough to simply work hard and get great results. You need to ensure that your results are visible to the decision makers. Consider doing a status report or presentation if appropriate. If not those things, at least stop by their office and give them an update. Tip #5: Take Responsibility As you go up the food chain, you usually take on more responsibility. Demonstrate you are responsible for yourself and others by asking to lead a project or train someone. Tip #6: Speak Up A tough one for introverts many times is contributing to discussions. You can gain visibility by simply speaking up, but also it shows you’re engaged. No one likes to promote someone that doesn’t show interest or engagement in the work. Tip #7: Get a Mentor We aren’t always objective about what or how well we do things. It may not be any easier to hear improvement input from the boss. A well-chosen mentor should be able to tell you how you are doing in such a way that you will “hear” it and do something with it. Your mentor should be at a higher level than you and have enough experience and insight that they can help guide you toward your goals. A third party is seriously helpful to your career. Make sure your expectations of a promotion are realistic to the business situation you are in. If the business is struggling or just had a layoff, it may be a while before anyone feels inclined to pay you more. If you do a few simple things on a consistent basis and keep the lines of communication open with your management, you are well on your way to a bigger paycheck. Go to top Bonus Tip: Let me emphasize that Self-Promotion doesn’t have to be obnoxious to be effective.  But, if you don’t Self-Promote you, who will?  If you ever want to get ahead, you have to learn how to Self-Promote. I want to help you accelerate your career by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my video that shows you simple, yet effective ways to Self-Promote.    Start watching now! What one thing will you do next to reach for your next promotion? Image: Photobucket

To or For English Prepositions - Video and Exercise

To or For English Prepositions - Video and Exercise This weeks video exercise is about using the prepositions to and for. All languages seem to use their prepositions a little differently, and the rules can be hard to understand at first. Try some of the exercises below to see how you do with to and for, then watch the video for the answers.1. Im going (to/for) New York in March.2. It is a quarter (to/for) 5 pm.3. I work from 10 am (to/for) 7 pm every day.4. The ship left (to/for) England.5. I lived in Argentina (to/for) two years.6. I made the appointment (to/for) Thursday.7. I gave the present (to/for) my grandmother.8. The cake is (to/for) Paul because it is his birthday. Ok, we hope that helped you! If you have any questions or comments, or suggestions for our next video, please write us in comments. Thanks!

Whats The Craic, Bhoy A Guide to the English Spoken in Cork, Ireland

What’s The Craic, Bhoy A Guide to the English Spoken in Cork, Ireland The province of Cork in the south of Ireland is known for its beautiful scenery, castles and the famous Blarney Stone, which, when kissed, is said to endow the person kissing it with the gift of the gab or eloquence. However, it is also known for its particular vocabulary which is unlike that spoken in the rest of the country or indeed anywhere else.Here is a guide to the English spoken in Cork.Social  Bhoy is a random term of endearment like mate.If someone says what’s the craic they are asking you how you are.If someone is brassed off, it means they are annoyed.If someone has no intention of doing something they will say, in an ironic fashion I will ya.  Comere timmy boi means come here.  If you do something very stupid, a Cork person will say nicewanbiy.To meet someone means to kiss them on a night out.If someone wants to tell you to go away they will say whistle on.Food and drinkIf someone has had too much to drink they are said to be langers.RandomAn attractive woman is called a bure.Policemen are called shades.  Money is called moolah.An idiot is called a muppet.An egocentric person is said to be septic.If something/someone is dirty, it/he/she is said to be manky.If someone thinks you are stupid they will call you an eejit.I was panned out means I was relaxing.If someone thinks you are particularly stupid they will say if you had two brains you’d be twice as stupid.If an event is very enjoyable it is said to be savage.You’re as useless as a Kerryman with a hurley means you’re pretty useless as typically Cork people believe that those from the neighboring province of Kerry can’t play hurling, the Irish national sport.While we are talking about the English spoken in Cork, let’s enjoy one of its most interesting musical exports, The Sultans of Ping with their classic Where’s Me Jumper.Did you find this blog helpful? Feel free to share it on Facebook and Twitter.

Anaheim SAT Tutoring SAT Essay Vocabulary - TutorNerds

Anaheim SAT Tutoring SAT Essay Vocabulary - TutorNerds Tips from an Anaheim SAT Tutor: Easy SAT Essay Tip: Vocabulary Tips from an Anaheim SAT Tutor: Easy SAT Essay Tip: Vocabulary  Though not a required section of the current SAT, the essay portion is a significant section that you can use to impress colleges and stand out by doing well.   The problem is that there isn’t much time to read and analyze the prompt, organize your thoughts and observations, and write and proofread your essay.   And since part of your grade is based on your writing skills, it can be stressful and difficult to execute a well-constructed and high-quality essay in only fifty minutes our Anaheim SAT tutors are the most experienced in SoCal. The solution to this problem is to practice writing many essays and mastering your process.   Every essay you write will be different, because every SAT prompt is different.   (for some advice about mastering the analysis of the prompt, click here.   However, there are a few tips that you can incorporate into your writing to help you boost your writing score every time, regardless of the prompt. The SAT is a standardized test and is administered at a massive scale, so graders must be very objective in their evaluations of your writing.   This keeps grading consistent across various graders and various students across the country. One of the criteria that graders are judging your essay on is your writing.   In the writing rubric, the highest score includes writing that “demonstrates a highly effective use and command of language” as well as “a consistent use of precise word choice.”   See College Board’s page on essay scores for more information. This means that graders are looking at your vocabulary and word choice and want to see appropriate uses of more advanced words.   This also means that you should not just be tossing big words into your essay without knowing what they mean. We can use this grading criteria to help boost our essay score in a similar way that we can think about sentence variety to boost our score (see SAT essay sentence complexity).   By researching a few choice vocabulary words and mastering them, you can more consistently find more impressive words to fit correctly into your essay. There are many places to find good lists of vocabulary lists, but let’s look at SATVocabulary.us as our source.   This list was made for when vocabulary was more specifically tested on the SAT back before 2016.   Students today don’t benefit as much from memorizing hundreds of new words, but the list still can help us find a few we want to remember for our essay. Look through the list and find words you already know.   They shouldn’t be new words, but they also shouldn’t be words you use regularly.   Words that you wouldn’t typically say or write, but that you understand how they should be used.   These are the words that you want to incorporate into your essay because you are less likely to use them incorrectly. Make a list of no more than around ten words and write them down.   When you do your next practice essay, have the list with you and check it to find a place to use two or three of your words.   Don’t force yourself to use the words, but chances are that if you have a list of around ten words that at least a couple will fit your prompt. Do this a few more times until you are used to these vocabulary words.   This way, on test day, it will be second nature to include this more advanced vocabulary and hopefully boost your writing score. Sign up for our private Anaheim SAT tutoring today. Michael C. is currently a private math, science, and standardized test tutor with TutorNerds in Irvine and Anaheim. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.

5 Things to Know About Teacher Recommendations

5 Things to Know About Teacher Recommendations Tips from an Irvine Admissions Consultant: 5 Things to Know About Teacher Recommendations Tips from an Irvine Admissions Consultant: 5 Things to Know About Teacher Recommendations Most colleges and universities will allow students to provide two letters of recommendation on their behalf. A few larger universities will not look at recommendations at all and others will make it optional. Its important for applicants to know that “optional” is another way of saying “you should probably do this if you want to win a spot at this college”.   So if you do need recommendations from teachers, there are few things you should know before you ask. 1. Ask a teacher who has known you for at least a full year You may have met your very favorite teacher just this semester. Although that will make for a great senior year experience, a teacher who has known you for less than a year may not have as much to say as someone who has known you throughout high school. It’s always a good idea to ask teachers who can discuss that you have been a consistently prompt, intelligent, and involved student. Although teachers who have known you for two or three months might say lovely things, the recommendation may not carry the same weight (READ: 5 Things to do Before You Go Away for College). 2. Ask teachers who have given you consistent positive feedback It’s also important to ask teachers who have provided positive feedback over long periods of time. You may have gotten an A+ with excellent remarks on your latest assignment in Chemistry but received a C or D for the previous assignment. You dont want a teacher to say that you can excel some of the time to the college of your dreams. 3. One low grade doesn’t mean they wont write a good recommendation Although consistently good feedback is essential, one poor grade shouldn’t prevent a student from asking for a recommendation. If you have been in a teachers class for AP Language and  11th grade English, where you have received a 4.0 and excellent feedback, you shouldnt worry too much about that one C you got back in the 9th grade. Most educators know that students improve with time and that how they perform during junior and senior year is a better indicator than something that happened while they were transitioning to high school in the past. 4. Keep in mind that you wont see the letter of recommendation It’s important to remember that you won’t see the letter of recommendation written about you. Very few teachers will agree to write a recommendation if they know that students and parents are going to see their words. Colleges and universities require that recommendations be sent separately from the teacher to ensure that they are sincere and unbiased. If you have any doubts as to the specifics of the recommendation, it might be better to ask someone else (READ: Extra Curricular Activities For Your College Resume). 5. Give them ample time to write the recommendation One of the biggest issues teachers face is the amount of time students give them to write recommendations. Its important to remember that teachers may have dozens of students asking for references and that they will only be able to write so many in a short period of time. In fact, students who ask just a couple days before a due date may be denied the opportunity to receive a reference from an excellent educator. Additionally, even if the teacher is willing to write a last minute recommendation it certainly wont be as well written as if they had two or three weeks to thoughtfully sit down and review all of your contributions to the class or school (READ: College Application Crunch Time). In Short Asking teachers for recommendations can be nerve racking. Many students will be wondering what to do if the teacher declines or if the recommendation isnt as good as it needs to be. It’s a good idea to select who you will ask well in advance and make sure that you provide at least two weeks for each teacher to write and submit their letters. Many students get into college because of an excellent recommendation thus it’s a very important part of the college application process. Need help on your college application? Our experienced Orange County college admissions consultants have a 97% success rate. Call us today for more details. All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are written by Tutor Nerds. Are you an education professional? If so, email us at pr@tutornerds.com for guest blogging and collaborations. We want to make this the best free education resource in SoCal, so feel free to suggest what you would like to see us write.