Carol J. Carter

Remember those comprehension questions on SAT tests that ask, “Rudder is to ship, as bridle is to _________ (correct answer: horse)? Well, a similar analogy can be applied to high school and college… High school is to college as gym class is to team sports. In gym class you get exercise, just as you do when you play sports. But playing on a team involves a deeper, more focused commitment.

Likewise, what you can expect from college is a different kind of experience than high school. It’s more intense, and – for many students — more rewarding because it relates directly to their future. One thing’s for sure, knowing what to expect can help you make a smoother transition between the two worlds.

A is for Academics – Original thoughts count more in college. While you’re still in high school, strengthen your study habits. If you’re having trouble in a subject, don’t delay in getting help. And when you get to college, attend classes regularly and visit your professors during office hours.

I is for Independence - In college, you will become more independent than you were in high school. This means you need to make wise choices about your personal safety, finances, and overall well-being. You need to know when and where to get help in case you get sick or have trouble with a class.

M is for Marketability – The only goal of most high school jobs is to earn a little extra cash. But in college, you’ll need to think more strategically about work. You’ll want to look for internships, work study programs, and summer jobs that relate to your field of interest. Talk to someone who works in that field, and/or set up an appointment with a guidance counselor at school. Find answers to questions such as: Which college majors are ideal for this career? What kinds of skills are needed? What are the personal traits of people who are successful in this job (enjoy details, like to work alone, able to lead, etc.)?

Now, armed with a clearer picture of what will be expected of you in college you’ll know how to take AIM.

Carol’s Summary:
Several colleges and universities nationwide are dealing with an increase of problems associated with plagiarism—the act of using information without giving credit to the source, largely due to students’ use of the internet while doing research for essays. Students at schools like DePaul and the University of Maryland have recently been caught plagiarizing, after their professors noticed that their text was copied verbatim for websites like Wikipedia.

A professor at Rutgers University found that 40 percent of 14,000 undergraduate students surveyed from 2006 to 2010 admitted to copying a few sentences from sources when writing essays for school. Only about 29 percent students today feel that taking information from the internet is a serious offense and should be considered “serious cheating”. Some professors believe that plagiarism inhibits student’s creativity and writing skills.

In education, plagiarism is a serious offense, and students who are caught “stealing” information usually have to take a failing grade for the classes in which they plagiarized, and some may even be suspended from school altogether. Although it may be a tedious process, professors must be more aware than ever of plagiarism. Many colleges nationwide utilize computer software that tracks plagiarism attempts from students when they turn in their essays.

Our book, Study Skills for High School Students, talks about plagiarism and how serious of an offense it is. Plagiarism not only robs the original source of the credit they deserve but also takes creativity and credibility away from the student who plagiarizes. For more information about Study Skills for High School Students and other LifeBound books, visit www.lifebound.com.

Article:
Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age
By TRIP GABRIEL
At DePaul University, the tip-off to one student’s copying was the purple shade of several paragraphs he had lifted from the Web; when confronted by a writing tutor his professor had sent him to, he was not defensive — he just wanted to know how to change purple text to black.

To read the full article: www.nytimes.com

Carol’s Summary:
At Skyline High School in Oakland, California, there is a program that provides students with a focus on careers in the education field. The program, called Skyline education academy, provides students with classes that focus on the education field. It includes a college-prep style learning system, and field trips to elementary schools, where students have the opportunity to act as student-teachers for the day.
Skyline is one of a growing number of schools in California that is working to increase high school graduation rates through an initiative called Linked Learning. Linked Learning merges high school courses with work experience based on the career subject of the program. It has been found that students are more engaged in their coursework when they can apply it to real life. The career-based academy gives the students an in-depth view of various industries to study, such as education, architecture, and graphic design.
Skyline and other schools that use Linked Learning have reported higher attendance and graduation rates as well as better test scores. Programs such as Linked Learning could definitely benefit other states nationwide, because they will enable students to not only apply what they learn to their futures, but also to see just how many possibilities are out there career-wise.
When students are goal-oriented and know that the purpose of their education is to prepare them for success in career and life, they will be more motivated to strive for the best. Books like Sophomore Guide to College and Career are geared towards getting high school students to think about potential careers and what happens after high school ends. To learn more about this book and other LifeBound books and materials, visit www.lifebound.com or e-mail contact@lifebound.com.

Article: Linking courses to careers improves grad rates
James E. Canales
Sunday, July 25, 2010
When Cynthia Gutierrez arrived four years ago at Skyline High School in Oakland, she was neither an academic superstar nor someone who struggled with school. Like most kids, she says, she was “somewhere in the middle.” Bored with her classes, she’d left behind a trail of C’s and D’s, and with some bad luck, she might have even lost interest in school altogether. “I didn’t know what I was doing,” she says.
Instead, Gutierrez had a stroke of good fortune. During her freshman year, a teacher told her about Skyline’s education academy, a small school within the school centered around careers in education. When she heard the program included regular field trips, she signed up. Gutierrez and 25 of her classmates spent the next three years taking classes together on education-related topics like child development and how people learn, combining a rigorous college-prep curriculum with student-teaching trips to local elementary schools. In the close-knit environment of the academy, Gutierrez found new motivation, and she discovered a love of teaching.

To read more: www.sftimes.com

Scientists refer to the freedom of total absorption in an activity as “flow,” an almost euphoric state of concentration and involvement. Flow happens when an artist loses himself entirely in his work, or when a soccer player enters a mental zone where it seems every kick she makes will result in a score.

One expert on the theory of flow is University of Chicago psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. In his bestselling book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, he cites eight key principles that, when applied, can create flow experiences in any realm of life:

1. Consider what is expected. Do you have a specific sense of what you are trying to accomplish? Are the outcomes and goals clear?

2. Perceive personal progress. How well do you self-manage? Do you have feedback or a process whereby you can gauge your results against your goals?

3. Discern the right fit. Is your enterprise or job a good match between the challenge required and the skills, knowledge, and abilities you have? Can the challenge keep you stimulated and interested as time goes on? Can you add your own sense of ingenuity to create new opportunities?

4. Learn how to focus. Can you keep distractions to a minimum? Can you maintain your focus over time when the novelty of the project wears off?

5. Exercise faith. Everyday issues and challenges can be overcome. Keep looking towards what is possible, when dealing with obstacles.

6. Activate choice. Be accountable for your actions and exercise conscious choice.

7. Release the opinion of others. There is no reason to be self-conscious or defensive because you are so committed and involved in your mission that the views of others don’t hinder you.

8. Experience time transformed. You may have heard the expression of “work being play” for people with a passion. This is true for people in the flow.

Ultimately, being in the flow produces a desire to take your gifts and talents to a higher level.

Carol’s Summary:

The Generation Y population (those born in the 1980’s and 1990’s) is entering one of the worst job markets since the Great Depression. Students are graduating from college with Bachelors and Masters degrees with debts ranging anywhere between $15,000 and $100,000 from school loans, and finding a job that pays minimum wage if they are lucky.

Although the recession has affected workers of all ages, the unemployment rate for those aged 20-24 is 15.3 percent, which is more than double the rate of the other age groups not to mention a great deal higher than the overall unemployment rate of 9.5 percent.

Even though the Millennials’ population is seemingly the best-educated generation to date, the recession could in fact cause these people to delay their careers by up to 15 years and in turn lower their lifetime earning potential significantly. With this grim outlook ahead of them, what can the Generation Y population do to more effectively push themselves into the career they had hoped for upon graduation? The following are some suggestions:

1. Work for free. Many companies may not currently have a position available for hire, but a good way to get to know a company and the work they do is to participate in their internship program. If you work hard and get involved with the company, you are more likely to get hired when a position does become available. Even if you don’t get hired at the end of the internship, you are walking away with valuable experience and in most cases a valuable recommendation.

2. Outsource. If a company is unable to hire you full-time, offer your services on a contract or project basis. This will give you the opportunity to get real work experience and to stay connected to the professional world while you are looking for a full-time job.

3. Find a coach or a mentor. A good way to learn more about the career you are seeking is to find a seasoned professional to mentor you or if you can, hire a coach. Connecting with a mentor allows you to learn the “tricks of the trade” as well as get an inside look into your field of interest, while connecting with a coach can help identify as well as work on your weaknesses. A mentor can also help you get in touch with other professionals in which you can network with.

4. Get involved. Joining a professional association related to your field of interest can give you many opportunities to network with working professionals. This kind of networking can help you find jobs that are not listed for the public, as well as give you an inside scoop on how to get hired.

5. Maximize your resources. Many students fail at finding a job because they do not take advantage of the resources available to them. For example, a school’s career center is a great resource that is often underutilized. Many companies will work with career centers to find new hires instead of posting public job announcements because they know what they are getting when a school refers a graduate to them. In addition, a school’s career center is aware of student programs with the government and many other companies.

6. Do not give up. The most important thing to remember when looking for a job is not to give up. One must realize there are many people in their same position and it may take a while to find a job, but it will be worth it when you do.

The Generation Y population may have many obstacles to overcome, but there are just many opportunities for them to take advantage of. In addition to the suggestions above, LifeBound provides professional coaching for those who need some extra help finding their place in the professional world. For more information about LifeBound’s professional coaching, visit www.lifebound.com or email us at contact@lifebound.com.

Article:
Gen Y: No jobs, lots of loans, grim future
Millennials’ delay in starting their careers could wallop long-term finances

They are perhaps the best-educated generation ever, but they can’t find jobs. Many face staggering college loans and have moved back in with their parents. Even worse, their difficulty in getting careers launched could set them back financially for years.

The Millennials, broadly defined as those born in the 1980s and ’90s, are the first generation of American workers since World War II who have cloudier prospects than the generations that preceded them.

To read full article: www.msnbc.com

If you’re looking for work, it’s tempting to inundate the job market with your resume and take the first offer you get. But as a career seeker, you need to think strategically, while keeping your options open. You’ll have more success with landing a job—and being happy once you’re there—when you’ve assessed your needs, as well as the company’s, in advance. Following are ten things to consider before accepting a job offer.

1. Company culture. Does the company’s dress code, leadership style, and overall mission fit your personality and work habits? An interview can confirm your instincts and help you make an informed decision.

2. Salary. Be realistic. For most companies, the slow economic recovery doesn’t permit high starting salaries. However, after you’ve been offered the job, you have the chance to prove your worth.

3. Benefits. Does your employee package include medical and dental benefits? Are other benefits included in the employee package such as profit sharing? Is there a retirement plan or tuition reimbursement?

4. Opportunities for career advancement. What are the projected timetables for promotion? If the job doesn’t lead to advancement, does it offer an opportunity to sharpen your skills or meet people in your field? Think creatively to determine alternative ways that the job can bolster your career.

5. Training program. Will you receive formal training? Who will train you and for how long? Find out what tools the company offers to help you perform optimally.

6. Travel. Many corporate positions, particularly in sales-related fields, require travel. How often must you travel? What is the company’s policy for reimbursements? If travel is local, will you have use of a company car?

7. Commute. How much time will it take to get to and from your job each day? Is this acceptable to you? Is public transportation an option? Is there someone you can carpool with?

8. Evaluations. How often are evaluations given? What skills and qualities are rated on the evaluation? How does the company measure success within your position?

Most people travel during the summer. Some will head to foreign lands like Nepal, Peru or Tanzania while others will stay close to home for financial or other reasons. If you are staying in America this summer, there are many ways you can bring the world to you. Here are some suggestions:

1.) Visit your local museum. Summer is often a time of special tours at your local museum. Exhibits allow you to learn and explore other cultures, countries and times in history.

2.) Visit a cultural neighborhood. Many cities have neighborhoods that are known for their ethnic and cultural crafts, foods and special attractions. Often in the summer, neighborhoods will feature a special event or an entire weekend like Cinco de Mayo or Celebrate Africa.

3.) Try a new type of dancing. Have you ever been tango dancing? As you listen to the music, you can almost feel yourself in the San Telmo district of Buenos Aires where tango dancing was born. How about salsa dancing? How about Celtic dancing? If you don’t like to dance, you can certainly go watch people who do this well. It is awe-inspiring.

4.) Go to some ethnic restaurants. Have you ever eaten Morrocan food with your fingers and had your hands washed for you by the waiter at the table? Ever tasted the wine they serve in Ethopian restaurants? Have you had fresh tabouli and couscous at Mediteranean restraurants? Have you had the spinikoutpita at a Greek restaurant? It is fascinating and you will gain global experience!

5.) Host foreign students in your home. There are many opportunities to host foreign exchange students in your home through Up With People, AFS or any
other organization which works with foreign exchange students at the high school and college age. This is a great way to share your hospitality and learn first-hand about their culture and life.

6.) Go to a Lecture. Many libraries and museums feature summer lecture series from people who have been to interesting, though oft-thought of places. You can hear about a climb to K2 in Pakistan. You can listen to the details of excavating for 4,000 year old clues to life in ancient Egypt. You can discover what it is like to go diving off the coast of Kuala Lumpur in Asia.

7.) Read. Whether you get a subscription to National Geographic or read one of Michner’s classics, you can travel in depth in one country or get a sense of many countries without leaving your arm chair. Many novels and non-fiction books capture the heart and soul of people in countries around the world.

8.) Volunteer. Many wonderful global organizations like World Wild Life and
Habitat for Humanity work world wide to bring consciousness and relief to animals and low income people, respectively. You can join their local affiliates and meet people who have traveled the world and are now working here in the states.

There are many ways to experience the richness and the splendor that the world has to offer. Enjoy and have fun!

Carol’s Summary:
For the first time, is has been reported that Americans’ creativity is on the decline. Even though Americans grow increasingly intelligent, creativity scores have been falling since 1990. The College of William and Mary collected data in the form of creativity test scores from 300,000 children and adults nationwide, and found the scores from children in kindergarten to sixth grade were most troubling.

The creativity test was created by Professor E. Paul Torrance in the 1950s, and has been administered to people by psychologists worldwide. No one knows exactly why creativity has declined in younger generations, but it is suspected that television, videogames and other forms of technology may have something to do with the problem. Children aren’t as often encouraged to exercise their creativity at school nor at home.

Some researchers believe that “creativity training” programs may be able to help adults and children who struggle with creativity. In creativity training, people would be asked to perform tasks such as creating music on a keyboard, and finding different ways to solve common problems, such as how to reduce noise vibrations in a library.

Creativity is just as much, if not more important than conventional intelligence. Many of the world’s greatest leaders, inventors and other historical figures were and are people who thought outside of the box of conventional thinking. Creativity fosters innovation, which brings about new ideas and products for the masses and enables nations to evolve and grow.

Despite the fact that people are becoming more intelligent, the fact that creativity is on the decline is quire worrisome, especially for children since they are our future. As educators and parents, it is our responsibility to foster children’s creative abilities; Critical and Creative Thinking for Teenagers is a book that presents students with the opportunity to use their imagination, be inquisitive, and create new ideas. To learn more about this book and Lifebound’s other books, visit www.lifebound.com or e-mail contact@lifebound.com.

Article:
The Creativity Crisis
Back in 1958, Ted Schwarzrock was an 8-year-old third grader when he became one of the “Torrance kids,” a group of nearly 400 Minneapolis children who completed a series of creativity tasks newly designed by professor E. Paul Torrance. Schwarzrock still vividly remembers the moment when a psychologist handed him a fire truck and asked, “How could you improve this toy to make it better and more fun to play with?” He recalls the psychologist being excited by his answers. In fact, the psychologist’s session notes indicate Schwarzrock rattled off 25 improvements, such as adding a removable ladder and springs to the wheels. That wasn’t the only time he impressed the scholars, who judged Schwarzrock to have “unusual visual perspective” and “an ability to synthesize diverse elements into meaningful products.”

The accepted definition of creativity is production of something original and useful, and that’s what’s reflected in the tests. There is never one right answer. To be creative requires divergent thinking (generating many unique ideas) and then convergent thinking (combining those ideas into the best result).
To read the full article: www.newsweek.com

Carol’s Summary:
An estimated one in five middle school students has been affected by cyberbullying. Bullying has always been an issue that teachers and principals have had to handle. However, in middle and high schools lately, the problem has evolved to involve technology. Schools are now finding ways to cope with issues of cyberbullying, in which children are harassed through text messages and social networking websites.

Much of cyberbullying occurs after school and on weekends, when children are not under the guidance and care of the school system.

Cyberbullying can affect a child’s academic success, self-esteem, social skills and emotional growth. While this is a relatively new problem that students, school officials and parents must deal with, it is spreading fast and has proven to be dangerous.

Many school districts are conflicted with whether or not they have the right to inspect students’ cell phones and social networking accounts, unless the issue deals directly with a conflict within the school. There are legal issues involving privacy which makes many school officials either nervous or leery about doing so.

Many administrators are concerned about the possibility of looking through a child’s cell phone and finding compromising photos and text messages that could bring about child pornography cases. There is also the issue of how students should be punished if they are cyberbullying other students.

Cyberbullying is growing into a major conflict in today’s schools, and not only for the students involved. Teachers and parents are finding themselves concerned for the well-being of children, but are not always able to get involved since technology is the medium for these behaviors.

LifeBound’s Making the Most of High School, 2nd Edition and the accompanying curriculum shows students how to use technology in a beneficial and safe manner. To find out more about Making the Most of High School and other LifeBound materials, visit www.lifebound.com or e-mail contact@lifebound.com

Article:
Online Bullies Pull Schools Into the Fray
By JAN HOFFMAN
June 27, 2010

The girl’s parents, wild with outrage and fear, showed the principal the text messages: a dozen shocking, sexually explicit threats, sent to their daughter the previous Saturday night from the cellphone of a 12-year-old boy. Both children were sixth graders at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood, N.J.
Punish him, insisted the parents.
“I said, ‘This occurred out of school, on a weekend,’ ” recalled the principal, Tony Orsini. “We can’t discipline him.”
Had they contacted the boy’s family, he asked.

To read the full report: www.nytimes.com

College graduates are facing the worst unemployment market in a decade. Today’s grads find themselves competing for entry-level jobs against laid-off workers with M.B.A.s and years of experience. Plus, war jitters have kept economic recovery from moving into it’s natural next phase. Yet with a little tenacity, college grads can keep their career goals on track and their emotional equilibrium in tact.

1.) Get Help. Whether you pay a personal career coach or you have a role model you admire who is willing to work with you, it is useful to have objective advice as you continue your job search and build your professional skills.

2.) Work as an intern. If there is a company or field in which you ultimately want to work, apply for an internship. Getting your foot in the door and proving what you can do can often land you full time employment after a few months.

3.) Use on-line resources. There are many on-line resources, like Monster.com, which provide job leads and expert advice to help you weigh the pros and cons of job options. If you are interested in working for a specific company, do online research about that company and follow the business decisions being make online and in the newspapers. Continue to look up job opportunities on their web site.

4.) Develop a Supportive Cadre of Friends. Thousands of college graduates are unemployed right now. Take the time to cultivate friendships with people who are positive and up beat despite the challenges in the economy. These people will make the most of this opportunity, and they will give you encouragement when you need it.

5.) Take a Leadership Role in a Volunteer Organization. If you aren’t the leader you have always wanted to be, change that now. Join a volunteer or non-profit organization and volunteer to do something significant to make a difference. You can parlay this experience to your advantage when the economy turns around.

6.) Keep Expenses to a Minimum. While you are working two jobs, one of which may be non-paying, keep your costs down. Be creative with how you can save money. Cook at home and entertain yourself on less.

7.) Network. Meet as many people as you can who may be able to help you in the job search—friends, neighbors, grandparents and anyone else you may meet. Ask crucial questions and enlist their help and advice on the job search.

8.) Interview. Call the company or business where you would like to work and ask if you can interview someone with your dream job. Ask that person relevant questions about how they got started and what are the pros and cons of their job. These people will often be flattered that YOU want to spend time interviewing THEM out of respect, and can therefore be very helpful and perhaps give you some connections or people to contact. Again, this is NETWORKING!

9.) Continue to Learn. Employers value employees who are self-directed learners. So be aware of current events and know your industry by reading trade publications. Be disciplined about keeping your learning alive, especially after you have graduated.

10.) Keep the Faith. The economy will turn around. Until that happens, keep upgrading your skills even if you are not in your dream job. Have a resilient attitude and ask yourself what the lessons are in this time period. If you can answer that in some future interview, your prospective employer will know that you create opportunities no matter how tough the situation.