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Category: High School

  • Meet the Teachers: Susan Spivey

    This is our second installment in our series of teacher interviews. Susan Spivey currently teaches British Literature and will be adding American Literature for the 2016-2016 school year. In this video she describes her teaching style and many of the projects in her class.

  • 3 Things to Know About the Redesigned SAT

    SAT Math PrepFrom Kathryn Gomes, AIM Academy math teacher

    1. The new test launches March 2016.
      The PSAT aligned with the new SAT this fall. Students can take the current version of the SAT until March (and if you are a senior, it might be wise to take your last SAT exam before then). Beginning with the March test dates, the SAT returns to the 1600 point scale and the essay becomes optional. The change is major—the content and the format will change so educate yourself now and start making a plan.
    2. You have to complete one math test without a calculator.
      The test is short with only two math sections; however, one of them prohibits the use of a calculator. This section is no joke. . . I was shocked when I took the practice test. The test makers didn’t shy away from fractions, decimals, and really large numbers on this section. Don’t sit for this exam without brushing up on your basic arithmetic skills.
    3. It is an exam you can prepare for.
      The College Board hasn’t just revamped the test; they’re reshaping the way we think about test preparation and college-ready assessment. With their twitter campaign #skilledit, they repeatedly emphasize that anyone can succeed on the test if they put in the time and the hard work. There are practice problems, full length tests, and details on the College Board’s website. If you sign up through Khan Academy, you will be given videos to watch and practice problems to work through that are tailored to your needs. And all of this is now free.

    My redesigned SAT math prep course, which incorporates all the changes, begins January 4, 2016. Registration is open now. After a pretest, students receive a customized study plan for the course. In addition to the helpful tools at Khan Academy, my students have access to more than twenty of my own videos that address all math topics in depth and review foundational skills students may be lacking. Additionally, the weekly live sessions provide students with immediate feedback and help them pinpoint their weaknesses. With 7 weeks of accountability and guided study my students are confident when they sit for the test. For more information and student reviews visit my site:

    https://www.kathryngomes.com/sat-math-prep/

     

     

  • Homeschool Teacher Appreciation Week

    Hi Everyone! It is Homeschool Teacher Appreciation Week and to celebrate we have several free resources and a giveaway.

    Our Spanish teacher David Nance has written a book on learning a language and it is free on Amazon now thru Sunday. In this short but insightful e-book David talks about what it really means to be proficient in another language and how to attain that.

    SAT Math instructor Kathryn Gomes is offering this free graph paper printable. This surprisingly simple resource can make a world of a difference for an algebra students. She developed and designed it while working with struggling math students in the public schools. Additionally, if you are wrapping up math for the year you can find a great end-of year project also created by Kathryn Gomes here. Student use their knowledge of systems of equations to determine whether it is cheaper to fly or drive to a destination.

    Finally, for English students (and their parents) Debra Bell has created this helpful writing rubric. The rubric is based on the six traits of writing that she used to develop the Writers in Residence curriculum.

    Traits-of-Great-Writing-for-Teens-Download

    Last but certainly not least we are giving away a free Ultimate Homeschool Planner and student planner this week. Click here to enter. Keep in mind that you get 3 additional entries every time you share the giveaway with others.

    And Happy Homeschool Teacher Appreciation Week!

     

  • How to Help Your Teen Succeed on the SAT Math Exam

    Kathryn (Bell) Gomes
    Kathryn (Bell) Gomes

     

    By Kathryn (Bell) Gomes

    As a senior in high school I was guaranteed a full-tuition scholarship to Eastern University before I even officially applied.  It wasn’t because of my rigorous course load, well-written application essay, or volunteer service.  The scholarship was based solely on my SAT scores.

    You might disagree with this snapshot approach to accepting and awarding students, but it should convince your high schooler to study.

    The SATs are challenging, but it is realistic to think students can dramatically improve their scores.  Here are the three main reasons a student doesn’t score well and all of these can be addressed:

    1)     They forget. The math on the SAT is not that broad, it only includes the most essential concepts of Algebra I, geometry, and Algebra II.  But most students have moved well beyond these courses and need to brush up on the basics before the test.

    2)     They don’t prioritize preparing for the test.  Both the SATs and PSATs are normally taken in the fall.  Classes have just started and there are always countless assignments to be completed.  How do you balance AP courses, volleyball tournaments, and that hefty Gruber’s SAT Guide?  It’s difficult but in the long run earning a better math score might be more important than an “A” on that next English exam. (My mom found a way to count my SAT prep work towards my math or English credits for the year.)

    3)     They don’t learn time-saving strategies.  Many of the most difficult SAT problems can be answered quickly if students know certain tricks.  The questions are designed to be solved in a minute or less. Students who use an elaborate formula or work through 15 different steps have missed an easier method.  However, many popular math programs homeschoolers use do not take time to teach these strategies.

    I treated test prep as a part time job in high school. I took the SATs/PSATs a total of 5 times. (A bit obsessive?  Perhaps.) But considering the scholarship money my SAT scores earned me it was definitely a “well-paying” part time job.

    Kathryn Gomes teaches SAT math prep online for Aim Academy. She is in her seventh year as a high school math teacher outside of Philadelphia. She was a presidential scholar at the University of Pittsburgh, where she was awarded 36 credits for her AP and SAT exam scores earned during high school.

     

     

  • College Prep Science at Home? Here’s What We Did.

    Vicki-Dincher-300x160My kids love to needle me by telling me the best teacher they had in high school was Vicki Dincher. She was also the coolest (she played bass guitar). Her science classes at our high school co-op were always the most popular — and they still are.

    Well, I know how to capitalize on a good thing when I see it: I convinced Vicki to join me in teaching online after we both finished homeschooling. And didn’t she just go and beat me at that game, too! I’ve never seen anyone master technology faster than Vick. Her lectures are punctuated with illustrations, video clips, live demonstrations, PowerPoint presentations with animation and, starting this year, a state-of-the-art microscope that she and all her students can look through simultaneously — no matter where they are in the world! Wow, I never thought teaching online could compete with a live classroom, but technology allows a teacher to do some things you just can’t do in person — and in some ways online instruction can be a better context for learning. For one thing, Vicki records all her classes and stores them in the cloud where her students can watch them repeatedly as they prepare for SAT, AP or CLEP exams.

  • Creative Writing: Interactive and Aware

    by Lilianna Serbicki, Aim Academy English Teacher

    While there are a myriad of writing guidelines and “best practices”, creative writing in particular has a very intuitive element. A delicate balance between discipline and individual expression is required. This is why detailed critiques – from both myself and student peers – are such a vital portion of my Creative Writing course. My students’ imaginations are given free rein and then continually “pared down”, with elegant and succinct writing as our goal.

    My creative writing class has a three-pronged focus: literary analysis, student writing, and peer critiques. Each section of the course focuses on a different element or genre: Character, Dialogue, Setting, Tone, Conflict, Point of View, Plot, Science Fiction, Realism, Poetry, Drama, etc. As we explore each topic, we analyze a work that highlights the appropriate element, complete a creative piece, and participate in peer critiques. We study short pieces by authors such as Flannery O’Connor, Stephen Crane, Jack London, Katherine Mansfield, James Thurber, Tennessee Williams, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut, T. S. Eliot, Dylan Thomas, and others.

    The goal of isolating literary elements is to help students write with a greater awareness. All of my recent students were bright, enthusiastic, eager readers. However, even a well-read high-schooler who is working independently may not consider how individual elements such as tone, point of view, and dialogue enrich a piece of fiction. A writer must deliberately use each of these elements to tell their story in the best way using the best choice of words; last year we often worked through several drafts of a single short story to experience how writing evolves. As we added new elements to our repertoire, students were able to “build upon” the skills learned in each project.

    I am immensely proud of my creative writing classes the past few years. My students were able to build a full writing portfolio for use in their homeschool portfolio, contests applications, literary magazines, and other venues. Several students have won  Scholastic Art and Writing Awards; others have won college scholarships for their writing.

    I look forward to a wonderful 2013-2014 year! I will close with a few words from Creative Writing student Carmen Paddock. Carmen’s sympathetic analysis of human nature and keen ear for dialogue made her pieces uniquely poignant!

    “Mrs. Serbicki’s Creative Writing class is a must not only for those students interested in fiction and poetry, but for any student wanting to expand their writing horizons beyond the research paper (and have a great time while doing so)…Covering both the elements and forms of fiction made it unique and well-rounded among the other online creative writing classes that I’ve seen.

    While there was some variation in the structure, we read and discussed a famous piece of fiction one week and then worked on a related fiction project the next; while prompts were (thankfully) often provided, there was a lot of leeway to pursue our own ideas and plot lines!  We also had weekly Skype chats which were wonderful for that jolt of inspiration – chatting with Mrs. Serbicki and classmates was a great way to free writer’s block!  Over the course of the year my favorite projects were the character study, the dialogue study, the speculative fiction assignment, and the poetry weeks…I feel that Mrs. Serbicki’s instruction helped me get past my fear of writing fiction – under her guidance I actually finished stories – and fine-tuned my narration and plot development, steering me away from melodrama into honest, engaging tales.  I highly, highly recommend this class to any high school student interested in honing storytelling skills or just looking for a fun alternative to traditional English courses.”