More and more school districts are bringing financial literacy into the classroom to teach a new generation how to be financially successful and stable adults. However, many students graduated from high school without an education in finances before the implementation of financial literacy courses and many still aren’t getting it today.

Miranda Marquit recently shared her “7 Financial Moves to Make in Your 20s,” on the personal financial blog Money Ning. The following are a few of Miranda’s tips for those who might have already made young financial mistakes and how to dig out of them.

Live within your means

Miranda says she spent her early 20s engaging in instant gratification, which came back to haunt her in her later twenties as debt. Making a budget is an easy way to stay within your means. Every month you should compare your income and expenses and see if there are any areas where you can whittle down the spending.

Pay down debt

Did you know the average college student has $4,138 in credit card debt alone? When you get the monthly bill, don’t set it aside if you can’t pay it in full. Make at least the minimum payments on all your cards. If you have multiple cards with multiple interest rates, pay off the one with the highest interest rate first by making that payment higher than the rest.

Develop a savings habit

Old habits die hard. If you’re not saving in your 20s, you probably won’t be saving in your 30s, 40s, 50s, etc. Miranda suggests making your monthly savings deposit part of your monthly budget.

Establish credit

Do you want to buy a house? Do you want to RENT a house? A good credit score is important step to getting you in the door. Did you know more employers are looking at prospective employee’s credit score? A credit score can say a lot about people’s lifestyle and priorities. If you want to increase your credit score, consider getting a credit card or taking out a small loan. The rule is that you have to pay everything back in full every time the bill comes. If you don’t, loans and credit cards will have an adverse effect on your credit score.

What is some of the best financial advice you’ve received? Do you have any experience using any of these tips? Share your story in the comment box below.

Sources:

Marquit, Miranda. “7 Financial Moves to Make in Your 20s.” February 16, 2010. Money Ning. Accessed on August 25, 2011. <http://moneyning.com/life-style/7-financial-moves-to-make-in-your-20s/>

Carol’s Summary:

 The Center on Education Policy released a report in March, addressing the fact that on average, boys in all grade levels have lower reading test scores than girls do. The data from the independent, Washington D.C. based organization has been accompanied by another report, which was released by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

It has also been found that girls not only have been scoring higher in reading than boys, but that girls also tend to fare better academically overall. The exception is mathematics, which has generated varied results amongst boys and girls. On average, girls also have higher grade-point averages than boys in their grade level, and are likelier to graduate high school and go to college.

Although gender gaps in education have existed for decades, it is now becoming a global problem. In 2006, a study was released with data from fourth grade reading tests in 40 countries; the results showed that girls scored higher than boys in every area where data was collected properly.

Education experts and schools around the nation are now coming up with ideas for “boy friendly” teaching, which would engage boys’ interests in a way so that they would be likelier to succeed, particularly in literacy. There are many kinds of achievement gaps that need to be reduced and eventually closed, from gender to economic background and ethnicity.

There are as many different teaching styles as there are learning styles, and every child is different.  LifeBound books and curriculum provide teachers with different strategies and learning activities that engage different kinds of students. It is important that all students are on a level playing field, so that all children have an equal opportunity to succeed in school and in the real world. To learn more about LifeBound’s books, curriculum and other materials, visit www.lifebound.com or e-mail contact@lifebound.com.

Article:

Putting the “Boy Crisis” in Context

Finding solutions to boys’ reading problems may require looking beyond gender

By MICHAEL SADOWSKI

Putting the “Boy Crisis” in Context, continued

Putting the “Boy Crisis” in Context: Finding solutions to boys’ reading problems may require looking beyond gender

Putting the “Boy Crisis” in Context

“The Boys Have Fallen Behind.” “Girls Lead the Nation in Reading Scores.” “Are Teachers Failing Our Sons?” Earlier this year, newspapers across the country ran these and other headlines in response to a March report by the independent Center on Education Policy (CEP) in Washington, D.C. The report, which outlined results on state accountability tests, raised alarm by noting that the percentage of boys scoring “proficient” or higher in reading was below that of girls at all grade levels tested and in every state for which sufficient data were available.

To read more: Harvard Education Letter

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

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

The massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is providing a “teachable moment” for science teachers nationwide. With environmental issues likely to continue throughout the summer, more lessons are expected when schools starts back up in the fall. The spill provides the opportunity to study the delicate balance of nature through hands-on simulations and to role play as government officials and scientists.

Teachers note that their students are extremely interested in how the situation is being handled and many express the desire to help. Leading some teachers to challenge students to devise solutions on how to plug the leak and brainstorm strategies for cleaning up the oil.

Real life examples of topics learned in school are essential to helping students relate content to their own lives and allow students the opportunity to put their classroom knowledge to work. That is why Critical and Creative Thinking for Teenagers provides cross-disciplinary real-world examples of each step to becoming an effective critical thinker and creative thinker. To request a free review copy or learn more about LifeBound’s materials, visit www.lifebound.com or email contact@lifebound.com.

ARTICLE:

Educators Using Gulf Oil Spill as a “Teachable Moment”
Role Playing, Cocao Powder and Cooking Grease Used To Study Disaster
By AL PRIETO
June 21, 2010

Science teachers nationwide are using the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as a “teachable moment” as the school years ends, with most saying environmental issues will likely continue throughout the summer and spark even more lessons when school starts up again.

Using everything from role playing of government officials and scientists to hands-on models of cocoa and cooking grease (to simulate crude oil), teachers are tackling the disaster with students who are demanding answers and a chance to help find solutions.

“This is science at its best,” said Dianne Haberstroh, a 7th Grade teacher from Orefield, PA. “When they can actually live it and feel like they’re living it.”

In her classroom, she built a long table with water and sand to recreate the water and beaches in the Gulf. Students pumped cooking oil into the water to see how it would react

To view this entire article visit www.abcnews.com

Developing emotional, social and cognitive intelligence is important to understanding and becoming a great leader according to Dr. Richard E. Boyatzis. Professor of Organizational Behavior and Psychology at Case Western Reserve University and Professor in Human Resources at EASDE in Barcelona, Dr. Boyatzis sees leadership as the ability to connect emotionally with others and inspire them. He states in a recent podcast that “Adults can improve their emotional, social and cognitive intelligence competencies—those that distinguish outstanding performance in management, leadership and other professions, by as much as 70%!”

Emotional and social intelligence is at the center of LifeBound’s mission to prepare students for college, career and life success because these skills are not only important in the world of work, but also throughout school. Students need to be able to form strong relationships with others in order to function effectively in teams, participate in study groups and join extracurricular activities. Life success requires not just book smarts, those who struggle academically, do better when challenged emotionally and socially which teaches them how to persist.

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ARTICLE:

The Hay Group posted a 4 part podcast by Dr. Richard E. Boyatzis titled, “Developing emotional, social and cognitive intelligence in graduate, undergraduate and executive students.”

To listen to all 4 podcasts visit http://www.haygroup.com/ww/Media/Details.aspx?ID=27430.

Indianapolis Public Schools Teacher of the Year, Michael Anderson, 31-year-old math teacher at Howe High School, shares the method behind his success. Now in his third year of teaching, Anderson is a strong advocate of becoming a strong educator through an emotional connection with students and according to the Indy Star article below, “Anderson says his recipe for success in the classroom is simple: Earn students’ respect, create an environment where it’s safe for them to try and even fail, and then make the material relevant to their lives.”

Anderson makes math come alive with real-life examples relevant to his student’s lives. Recently, he asked students about their cell phone bills while teaching systems of equations. These real-life connections are the basis for LifeBound’s materials and build on making emotional connections with students so that they become interested in the material and invested in mastering the skills. To learn more about LifeBound’s materials visit www.lifebound.com or email contact@lifebound.com.

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ARTICLE:

IPS teacher goes from mutiny to best in class
Indy Star
By Andy Gammill
May 21, 2010

Michael Anderson says his recipe for success in the classroom is simple: Earn students’ respect, create an environment where it’s safe for them to try and even fail, and then make the material relevant to their lives.

It’s a method Indianapolis Public Schools applauded Thursday when it named Anderson, a 31-year-old math teacher at Howe High School, the district’s Teacher of the Year.

To view this entire article visit www.indystar.com

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

According to a new study, “eighty-five percent of poor 4th graders in predominantly low-income schools are failing to reach ‘proficient’ levels in reading on federal tests.” Prompting the Annie E. Casey Foundation to lead a 10-year initiative to improve 3rd grade reading levels.

“EARLY WARNING!: Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters,” reports that “It’s crucial that children master grade-level reading by 3rd grade, because that’s when instruction moves from a focus on learning to read to reading to learn.”

LifeBound’s books, designed for grades 5-12, encourage reading by starting with topics such as self-awareness and building from there. Students are naturally interested in themselves and when students read about something they are interested in they enjoy it and ultimately read better. To learn more about LifeBound’s books visit www.lifebound.com or email contact@lifebound.com.

ARTICLE:

Education Week
May 17, 2010
Analysis Ties 4th Grade Reading Failure to Poverty
By Debra Viadero

Eighty-five percent of poor 4th graders in predominantly low-income schools are failing to reach “proficient” levels in reading on federal tests, according to a new study by a national foundation that is gearing up to lead a 10-year effort to raise 3rd graders’ reading proficiency.

“The evidence is clear that those students who do not read well have a very tough time succeeding in school and graduating from high schools and going on to successful careers and lives,” Ralph R. Smith, the executive vice president of the Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation, said in an interview. “The Casey Foundation is putting a stake in the ground on grade-level reading by the end of the 3rd grade.”

To view this entire article visit www.edweek.org

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

Career-changers currently account for one-third of all new teachers in the U.S. Despite massive budget cuts in education, according to the Hechinger Report article below new teachers are in high demand and, “both President Obama and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, unhappy with the quality of teachers trained in traditional education schools, are pushing new models to attract career-changes into the field. In a series of speeches last fall, Secretary Duncan criticized education schools for not adequately preparing teachers for a global economy, saying they must focus on helping teachers learn the practical skills of running classrooms.”

Many believe programs similar to a doctor’s residency would help career-changers, as well as traditional students, make connections between classroom theory and real life application and practice. No matter the career field you choose, classroom knowledge alone is never sufficient and this is especially true for teachers. New teachers face differing student demographics, school cultures and varying subjects. That’s why at LifeBound we recommend academic coaches training. This hands-on training imparts the importance of asking powerful questions and holding students and co-workers accountable to encourage success – an invaluable skill for educators of any subject, in any environment. To learn more about academic coaches training visit www.lifebound.com or email contact@lifebound.com.

ARTICLE:

The Hechinger Report
May 12, 2010
Stumbling blocks remain for newly minted teachers, career-switchers
By Alexandra Moses

Ana Arroyo-Montano spent the first year in front of her class fearing she’d be fired.
After training in the Boston Teacher Residency program, the business major with five years’ experience in financial aid services wasn’t prepared for a room of kindergartners who didn’t speak English.

“Here I had all these kids and they’re lagging behind all the general-ed kids, and I’m wondering if it’s me,” she says. “José can’t count in English yet. Is that because it’s developmental? Is it because he doesn’t understand a word I’m saying?”

Career-changers like Arroyo-Montano are increasingly entering classrooms across the country. Their numbers have doubled over the last 20 years, in part due to alternative certification programs that welcome professionals from diverse backgrounds. There’s a new push to expand these pathways as states scramble to increase their chances of winning second-round money in President Barack Obama’s Race to the Top competition, which is aimed at reforming and improving U.S. education.

To view this entire article visit www.hechingerreport.com

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

Since February, Brevard Public Schools in Rockledge, Florida has offered two online evening tutoring sessions four days a week for Kennedy Middle School students. The hour-long sessions with teachers from Kennedy Middle offer extra help in math, science, language arts and Spanish. Officials say they are so impressed with the program, they want to expand it countywide.

According to the Florida Today article below, “Previously, about 10 percent of the school’s more than 700 students attended traditional tutoring sessions held after school on campus. About 37 percent of the school’s students have taken part in the online tutoring.” Developed and organized by Kennedy teacher Amanda Van Ess, she says “It brings out the students who are afraid to ask questions in the classroom. The kids are really loving the interaction not only with their teacher, but also with their peers. It allows them to learn in a way they are comfortable, using the computer.”

Students aren’t the only benefactors. The online tutoring program gives parents a break from costly tutoring programs and scheduling/transportation conflicts with work. Teachers involved in the program also enjoy the convenience of working from home instead of arriving at school early and/or leaving late.

Tutoring is an integral part of education and in order to encourage, inspire and motivate students to succeed in difficult subjects, coaching skills are a must. LifeBound trains educators, administrator and parents on academic coaching skills such as asking powerful questions. To learn more about how LifeBound’s academic coaches training can benefit you in your role as a tutor visit www.lifebound.com or email contact@lifebound.com.

ARTICLE:

Brevard school offers new take on tutoring
More students participating in online program vs. traditional
BY MICHELLE SPITZER
FLORIDA TODAY
May 6, 2010

ROCKLEDGE — Once a week at 7 p.m., Carolyn Phillips, a Kennedy Middle eighth-grader, logs on to her home computer, and her Spanish teacher’s face pops up on the screen.

“How many of you remember what tener means?” Leonardo Nicaragua asks Carolyn and about a dozen of her classmates who participate in an after-school online tutoring session.

Some students use microphones attached to their computers to answer their teacher. Carolyn types the correct response “to have,” which pops up on the screen for everyone in the session to see.

“This is much more fun than being at school, because I’m home, and I can take breaks or get a snack,” the 14-year-old said while her 2-year-old sister played behind her and her mom peeked in from time to time.

To view this entire article visit www.floridatoday.com

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

In the below Teacher Magazine article online at edweek.org, author and middle school math and science teacher, Marsha Ratzel, provides 10 tips for new middle school teachers on how best to prepare their curriculum and become acquainted with their students and school community.

Preparation is the key to first day of school and year-long classroom success. As Ratzel states in her Teaching Secret #1, working with an experienced teacher several weeks before school starts to discuss goals is a must for effectively teaching curriculum new to you. That is why at LifeBound we work with districts to train faculty for summer academies, advisory courses and provide professional development on academic coaching. To learn more about LifeBound’s materials and services visit www.lifebound.com or email contact@lifebound.com.

ARTICLE:
Teacher Magazine
Published: May 5, 2010
Teaching Secrets: 10 To-Dos for New Teachers
By Marsha Ratzel

College commencements are in the air, and while the thoughts of some new teacher graduates are no doubt turning to the beach or summer jobs, other freshly minted educators are already envisioning their first classrooms full of students, each with his or her own special learning needs.

It’s an exciting but also anxious time, as the experienced professionals in the Teacher Leaders Network know well. So for those early birds lucky enough to have found a teaching position in the current down-sized economy and eager to begin, we offer our first Teaching Secrets article of 2010, tailored to the particular needs of new teachers in the “tween” grades.

To view the entire article visit www.edweek.org