Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Boosting Science Scores in Massachusetts

JogNog Launches the American Science Challenge to Boost Standardized Test Scores in Science

Science Teachers Use Competitive Video Games to Help Students Prepare for MCAS Tests

Quote startJogNog is extremely compelling to the kids, because it incorporates the strong appeal of video games.Quote end
Lynnfield, MA (PRWEB) December 20, 2011
JogNog announces the availability of the American Science Challenge (ASC), a revolutionary program to boost students’ understanding of Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) science, technology, and engineering concepts.
Developed in collaboration with Regional Leaders of the Boston Museum of Science National Center for Scientific and Technical Literacy (NCTL), this new program leverages the JogNog educational game to engage students in an entertaining series of educator-developed quizzes. With JogNog reports, teachers quickly see a consolidated summary of the problem areas for their students and discover where to focus review efforts. This approach reduces the time spent by teachers for student assessment and test preparation.
Efficacy tests have shown JogNog takes less time than traditional test prep methods and produces better results. Moreover, nearly all students say they prefer using the JogNog video game over traditional studying methods and, because of this, they spend more time studying with JogNog than other conventional methods.
"Re-energizing science education in the United States is fundamental to ensuring the long-term competitiveness of our students and our country, and we’re excited to roll out the American Science Challenge specifically to help science teachers," said Stephen Smith, CEO and co-founder of JogNog.com.
“JogNog is extremely compelling to the kids, because it incorporates the strong appeal of video games. That is its major strength,” said Douglas Shattuck, Applied Technology teacher at Concord Middle School, and one of the American Science Challenge founders. "I've seen its effectiveness in instruction in a growing number of applications, including MCAS prep."
Teachers interested in using competitive video games to raise their students’ MCAS Science scores can sign up for the American Science Challenge here: http://www.jognog.com/study-guide/american-science-challenge.html.
About JogNog
JogNog provides competitive learning games that motivate students to study in an engaging and fun way. JogNog is specifically designed to meet teachers’ needs for teaching the state and national standard curricula for grades 2 through 8. JogNog incorporates the latest educational research in providing over 40,000 educator-created review questions to its players. For more information about JogNog visit, http://www.JogNog.com.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

High School Graduates Can't Apply to UC or CSU

What may be very hard to believe is that there is a large percentage of high school graduates in California who are not able to apply to the University of California system nor to the California State University system.  These are the graduates who cannot apply, not those who did not graduate.

Why?  Because they may have graduated, but they did not take the correct courses at the correct time.

Here are the percentages by county in California of those who have graduated and can apply because they did take the correct course on time.

Marin  59.3%
San Francisco  53.9%
Santa Clara  48.9%
Alameda  47.5%
Contra Costa  47.5%
Santa Cruz  42.4%
El Dorado  41.9%
San Diego  41.7%
Los Angeles  41.3%
San Mateo  38.4%

As for the state average, only 35.6% of all California public high school graduates can apply to UC or CSU systems because they have met the course requirements.  Meaning, less than half of all California high school graduates are eligible to apply to a four year California university.  The remainder are able to apply to other schools and universities, just not the schools that are funded by the state of California.  Of course out of state tuition and private universities are more expensive.

In speaking with teachers and school administrators, they tell me that there is no baton that is passed between California universities and California high schools to make sure students are taking the required courses timely.  And with fewer guidance counselors than ever before, the possibility that more graduates who are hopeful to attend California state colleges and universities, will be turned away even though they have a California high school diploma.

sources: Silicon Valley Educational Foundation, CA department of Education 8/11

Data Quest
http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/stgradnum.asp?cChoice=StGrdEth2&cYear=2009-10&cLevel=State&cTopic=Graduates&myTimeFrame=S&submit1=Submit

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Entrance into UC or CSU - what are the requirements?

California has two public university systems: Universities of California and California State Universities.  These two systems have the same course requirements to enter their Universities.

GPA of 3.0 for UC
GPA of C for CSU

High School Course Requirement Minimums:

  • History/Social Science - 2 years
  • English - 4 years
  • Mathematics - 3 years, 4 years recommended
  • Laboratory Science - 2 years, 3 years recommended
  • Foreign Language - 2 years, 3 years recommended
  • Visual & Performing Arts - 1 year
  • College Preparatory Electives - 1 year

Friday, November 25, 2011

Navigating Grocery Stores for Healthy Choices

Whenever you shop and make choices for your family, your grocery store collects data.  One of the most famous data mining discoveries was done collecting your data so that stores could sell more products.  They discovered that on Thursdays fathers were sent to the store to pick up diapers but while they were there they also picked up beer.  By Thursdays, moms had run out of diapers and since dads were in the stores anyway, they picked up some beer.  Stores decided to place the diapers closer to the beer to make dads trip more efficient.  In addition they added some quick snacks that dads would choose such as chips and dip, pretzels, and some other salty beer drinking foods.  With this arrangement everyone was happy.  Dads spent less time in the store, got beer even though they also had to get diapers and the stores got more sales because of the close proximity of diapers, snacks and beer.

Grocery stores have thin margins and are willing to work the angles in order for you to buy more.  Sometimes this works in your families favor.  Sometimes not.  Just be aware.




What Your Supermarket Knows About You

As the recession lurches on, retailers have adjusted their marketing tactics to appeal to your hoarding instinct
Chuck Keeler / Getty Images
CHUCK KEELER / GETTY IMAGES
Lindstrom's latest book isBrandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy.
The global financial crisis of 2008 hit consumers hard. Two years later, and they’re still reeling. Spending is down across the board, and even the more affluent are watching their pennies. In this fearful climate, retailers are applying ever more scientific and psychological tactics to lure them back. This was made clear to me on a memorable day in 2010 when I visited the laboratory outside of Chicago of one of the world’s largest consumer goods manufacturers.
After driving for nearly two hours, I reached my destination: a huge, imposing warehouse, with no outward signage, and a vast parking lot full of cars. A friendly receptionist checked my identity, had me sign all sorts of paperwork, and directed me through a door labeled Control Room. It was massive, and resembled images I’ve seen of NASA’s operations area — row upon row of people staring intently at hundreds of screens, only they were monitoring shoppers pushing carts around the aisles of a supermarket that had been designed to test their responses to different marketing strategies. “Take a careful look at this lady,” said one of the monitors, pointing to a middle-aged woman on the screen. “She’s about to enter our latest speed-bump area. It’s designed to have her spend 45 seconds longer in this section, which can increase her average spend by as much as 73%. I call it the zone of seduction.”
This particular section of the market was different from the usual aisle. For a start, it had different floor tiles — a type of parquetry imparting a sense of quality. And instead of the cart gliding imperceptibly across nondescript linoleum, it made a clickety-clack sound, causing the shopper to instinctively slow down. The shopper’s speed was displayed at the top of the screen, and as soon as she entered the zone, her pace noticeably slowed. She began looking at a tall tower of Campbell’s soup, and then plucked a can off the top. Bingo! The sign in front of the display read: “1.95. Maximum three cans per customer.” Before the shopper slowly sauntered off, she had carefully selected three cans for her cart.
Sophisticated as we may be, there’s no getting away from our more primitive survival technique of hoarding food to see us through lean times. So when we come across a deal that appeals to this ancient instinct, dopamine is released in our brain, giving us an instant rush of pleasure. My guide explained the exercise: “Yesterday we ran exactly the same offer, with two distinct differences. There was a dollar sign in front of the price, and no ‘Maximum 3 cans per customer’ line. We also gave the shoppers smaller-sized carts and changed the floor tiles.” These seemingly small changes translated into big differences. On the first day of the experiment, only 1 in 103 purchased Campbell’s soup. Today, however, it seemed that 1 in every 14 succumbed — a sevenfold increase.
Over several months of experimenting with signage, the team noticed that using a dollar sign in front of the price decreases our likelihood of making the purchase. The dollar sign is a symbol of cost, rather than gain. Removing the sign helps the consumer sidestep the harsh reality of outstanding bills and longer-term financial concerns. No doubt the larger cart and the changed floor tiles also played their part, but what was most surprising was our need to hoard. The dictum allowing only three cans per customer that sealed the deal.
The next time you go grocery shopping, take a look at the signs, the type of floor, and even the carts. Everything has been designed with an eye towards getting you to grab those three cans of something that was not on your list. The more attention you pay to the details, the more aware you’ll become of how you’re being manipulated. One thing is for certain; whoever made those three cans will be watching you just as closely.
Lindstrom is a marketing consultant and the author of Brandwashed. The views expressed are his own.


Read more: http://ideas.time.com/2011/10/21/what-your-supermarket-knows-about-you/#ixzz1ekRgZhQb

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Fluoride in the water - impacts on health


Your parents have said it, you've said it to your kids.  "If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do that too?"

Across the country cities are taking sides as to continue fluoridating their water or stop and others are deciding whether to consider fluoridating.   Even though the CDC says that fluoridated water is safe, if you ask your child to think about it, is it safe?  Putting a chemical in the water that is difficult to remove - is that safe?  Putting a prescription drug into the common water supply to protect teeth when nutrition counseling or dental clinics would be less impactful on the environment - would your thoughtful child say this is safe?

Fluoride is not a vitamin.  Fluoride is a chemical ion and how it is manufactured is of great concern for those who have fluoride placed into their water.  Investigate the standards for fluoride manufacturing in your city.

The chemicals most used to fluoridate drinking water are silicofluorides, contaminated waste product of industry, that were never safety tested on humans or animals. Meanwhile we are conducting a massive toxicological experiment. Our children are the test subjects.

Silicofluorides are linked with children’s increased lead absorption. Studies link fluoride chemicals to bone fractures, lowered IQ, thyroid dysfunction, cancer, allergies and more.  For those with thyroid conditions, they should not drink fluoridated water.

On your toothpaste it says 'if swallowed contact poison control immediately'.  And yet we put it in the water to drink?

If you wanted to get fluoride at Walgreens you would need a prescription.  We are putting a prescription drug in the water to prevent tooth decay.  Should we put antibiotics in the water to prevent flu?

The CDC recommends that we drink fluoride and that it does no harm.  Fluoridation is in their top 10 successes.  The CDC does not have the best track record and ask yourself what you ask of your children.  If everyone did it would you do it too?
Although CDC succeeded more often than it failed, it did not escape criticism. For example, television and press reports about the Tuskegee study on long-term effects of untreated syphilis in black men created a storm of protest in 1972. This study had been initiated by PHS and other organizations in 1932 and was transferred to CDC in 1957. Although the effectiveness of penicillin as a therapy for syphilis had been established during the late 1940s, participants in this study remained untreated until the study was brought to public attention. CDC was also criticized because of the 1976 effort to vaccinate the U.S. population against swine flu, the infamous killer of 1918-19. When some vaccinees developed Guillain-Barre syndrome, the campaign was stopped immediately; the epidemic never occurred.  The CDC makes mistakes, as does everyone.  http://digitaljournal.com/article/313892

We have the technology that if we choose to take a fluoride pill we could do so.  Why not respect individual choices to take a fluoride pill or not and trust that individuals, when given the correct information, will make responsible decisions.  Why medicate the entire population when only the wealthy will have a true choice to obtain reverse osmosis ionized water purified of fluoride?

Sign the professionals petition to ban fluoridation

EPA Professional Scientists Oppose Fluoridation

City of Austin finds Fluoride Too Toxic

10 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation

Cities that have Stopped Fluoridation

50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation

Pineal gland disrupted by fluoride

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Early Skin Care


Dear parents and friends,

I have written often about the different types of sunblocks and how the FDA has not regulated SPF and that we should be looking for the percentage of zinc as a measurement of effectiveness rather than SPF.  And now after numerous skin cancer surgeries I continue to lather-up.  This was from sun I received as child between the ages of 10 and 20 and I should mention I was not a sunbather as I learned early on my two color choices were really red or really white.

However, my personal struggle has been to find a daily sunblock (not the surf-all-day type) with sufficient zinc that doesn't make me look incredibly pale and make the application of make-up a disfiguring nightmare.  I am delighted to report that I can now recommend a product which is also on the EWG recommended list getting a 1 out of 10 where 0 is the best.  I will actually get my daughter to wear this sunblock on her face!!!

DeVita
http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/finding-the-best-sunscreens/116119/Devita-International-Daily-Solar-Protective-Moisturizer/

Found at Amazon for $15 plus shipping or at Whole Foods for $25 and immediate gratification ...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q8R7KW?ie=UTF8&tag=ewgsunscreen2010-20

Here are some of the EWG websites:

Sunblock ratings
http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/
Best sunblocks
http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/best-beach-sport-sunscreens/

Cosmetic Safety database (skin, makeup, hair, nails, etc)
Skin
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/browse.php?maincat=skincare

I highly recommend getting the free newsletter.  They ask for a donation but it is not required.  They work only off donations.

I hope all this is helpful to you and that our children can avoid some of my struggles.  

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

One moms journey with autism - Guest writer

As a parent it is hard to take the first step to get your child evaluated for autism.  It’s easy to fall into hoping your child will outgrow symptoms.  Whether your child is not speaking and/or obsessing with a toy or with a texture, we as parents hope that eventually this too will pass.  

Starting the evaluation process forces you to admit that there may be something wrong with your child.  This may seem a difficult step to take until you try to actually set up an appointment and facility after facility have over a six month wait.  As you begin reading about autism you find out that the earlier your child gets help the better chance your child has to be mainstreamed.  But taking the first step of getting an evaluation and then waiting for an appointment dashes your hope for a quick intervention.  The wait can seem eternal and you may feel hopeless but there are important steps you can take while you wait. 

Start working with:
National Program called Early Intervention in (California Early Start)
Applied Behavioral Analysis – therapy
Pediatric Occupational Therapy
Your insurance company
Apply for gap insurance

After you do go through the autism evaluation process you are faced with not only grieving for dreams that you had for your child but you begin realizing how daunting it is to navigate the insurance process.  In the end, all you want to do is help your child but getting help, especially subsidized help either from public organizations or your insurance, can be a maze that you will need to master and navigate.

My story is about Hunter.  Hunter at 12 months said his first words '1,2,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8'.  Yes his first words were numbers.  At the time I thought 'my son is going to be mathematician' and the pride in me oozed as I shared my son’s ability to count with others.  Hunter did everything the same as other children; he crawled at six months, walked 12 months, and had a very healthy appetite.   Hunter did not seem different to me until 18 months when he continued learning to count and added the alphabet to his repertoire but refused to call me “mommy” or respond to his name when we called him.   Hunter also became enthralled in books and musical toys; we were not able to distract him from these items.  By the age of two, Hunter still had a very limited vocabulary and he then regressed to experiencing the world through his mouth.  It was at 2 when we thought Hunter might have a version of autism.  Our doctors reassured us that boys learn to speak slowly and that he would likely grow out of it.  We even went to a speech and language pathologist who also reassured us that Hunter was just a stubborn kid and that he was not autistic.  Relieved my husband and I carried on but at two and half Hunter became even more closed in.  He refused to make eye contact and Hunter was simply in his own world.  

We did not know that there is a National Program called Early Intervention in California (Early Start).  Early Start serviced through SARC should have been the place we started when Hunter was 18 months.  It’s a very affordable program that sends a therapist to your home or child’s school to get them “up to speed” with their peers.  Early Start helps your child until the age of 3.  We found this out when Hunter was 2.9 years of age too late to really benefit the program.  We also found out that the wait list for an appointment to get an official diagnoses was 8 months long.  We were only able to get Hunter diagnosed with autism when he was 3, about one year and quarter after our first suspicions.  Once we received the diagnoses we found the one therapy our child needed, and from which all children with autism benefit called ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis), is not covered by most insurers in California.  We were told by our doctor that Hunter needed 40 hours of therapy a week and the cheapest service we could find was for $30 per hour or $1,200 per week.  Additionally we found out that Hunter needed Pediatric Occupational Therapy and yet our insurance company did not have any pediatric OTs in our area.  How is it possible? The California Bay Area has the highest cluster of autism in the USA and no pediatric OT with our insurance?  We found that we needed to apply for gap insurance with our insurance company which delayed again the services we could obtain for our son.  This same story continues and continues for many families battling the Autism Maze.

Hunter’s story did not have to be this way but it was only because there is so little information out there on how to manage the system.  We are on the other side now, and I can tell you there are ways to avoid paying out thousands of dollars to get the therapy your child needs.  They are neither easy nor fast but they do exist.  There are people, genuinely good people, who are willing to help you in the process.  You just need to sift through them until you find the diamond.  

If you are about to embark on this journey, know that it is a journey and stay positive and relentless, never settle and bring people along your journey.  If there is anything I can do to help don’t hesitate to contact me through this blog.
Marianne