Pigs, Relativity, Statistics and What Sells

#1. Pigs, Relativity, Statistics and What Sells

Pigs, Relativity, Statistics and What Sells

I am blown away by the psychosis going on worldwide about this new flu virus that very sadly killed a number of people in Mexico.  It is not at all my intention to undermine the danger or the gravity and tragedy for the families who lost their loved ones to this virus. 

Pigs, Relativity, Statistics and What Sells

However, I would like a little bit of relativity and perspective in media coverage and allow people to live a normal life, without the phobia of some obscure virus.
Here are some statistics:

In 2007, there were 41,059 road deaths in the US.  This, by the way, was the lowest since 1994.  It is a pretty high number really if you bring it back to the reality of distraught families, children, parents, husbands and wives.  Everybody can somehow relate to that.  I lived in the Cayman Islands for 7 years.  That number is more or less the population of the island I lived on.  So in one year, it would be like almost an entire -albeit small - country destroyed.

Now let's look at it from another perspective:  There are just over 300 million inhabitants in the US.  Going back to my 4th or 5th grade class (or was it later or earlier?), let me see if I can come up with a percentage.  Please correct me if I am wrong: 41,059 out of 300,000,000 comes to about 0.013% of the population.  It doesn't seem like a lot any more, does it?

Cancer deaths are in the 500,000 yearly.  That's approximately 0.17% of the population. Cardiovascular diseases claim around 900,000 lives on average, i.e. 0.3% of the population.  The total death rate in the US in 2008 was 8.27 per 1000 population, in other words 0.8%.  The average death rate in Africa is about 13 or 14 per 1000, which is almost double.  Some African countries reach the sad record of close to 30 per 1000.

So back to the US:  As I am writing this, the airwaves are raving all over the world about 40 cases of a new form of flu that has not killed anyone yet in this country.  40 cases!!!!  Out of 300 million people living in the US!  Do you want to know what percentage that is of non-dead people?  0.00013%!!!  Since when is that an epidemic?

Why have we been hearing about this constantly over the last few days?  Airlines are cancelling flights to Mexico, people are cancelling their vacation...  We have created a phobia!  There are, as I write this, about 1600 alleged cases of the swine flu in Mexico, 149 confirmed deaths.  There are almost 110 million inhabitants in Mexico, about 20 million of which are in Mexico City.  Do I need to do the math? 

Can we focus on the fact that 99.99987% of the American population does not have the swine flu?  Can we focus on the fact that, this year, 99.2% of the American population is actually going to live and enjoy life?  Can we remember that thousands of people drive their car every day and come back home safe?  Can we be aware of all the life around us and enjoy it?

I would like to dare the media, just for one week, to show only positive news, to show the reality of the world and not just the drama, blood and twisted news that they always show.  For each car crash that makes the headline, there have been thousands of safe trips in the very same spot.  For each case of the swine flu, there are thousands healthy and happy kids in schools' playground.  Let's put things into perspective and carry on living life!

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What is the Value of Private Instruction?

#1. What is the Value of Private Instruction?

What is the Value of Private Instruction?

Many parents might ask the question: If my child receives academic instruction all day at school, how could he possibly benefit from instruction private instruction from a tutor? If my child plays the clarinet in the beginner band at school, why should I enroll her in private music lessons? There is much value for students who undertake private instruction, either for academics or for music. These may be divided into two categories - learning benefits and social/emotional benefits.

What is the Value of Private Instruction?

Learning Benefits

The first and most obvious learning benefit for students in private instructional situations is the individualized attention that they receive. Tutors are able to provide specific, individualized help. An algebra tutor may be able to quickly determine that a student lacks the understanding of factoring, for example, and address that first, so that students can take that new learning back to the classroom. A private music instructor may recognize that a student's fingering technique on the clarinet could be improved easily, and provide suggestions to the child for improvement. Because tutoring is most often a one-to-one teaching and learning situation, a private tutor is able to tailor his or her instruction to the child's dominant learning style, and address the child's specific learning needs.

In fact, one of the main strengths of private tutoring is the tutor's ability to immediately identify student errors and correct them. Consider a typical classroom setting; a teacher has 20 students. She has just taught an initial lesson on long division, and has given her students 25 practice problems. Michael did not completely understand the division process, but completes all 25 problems. Incorrectly. That means that Michael has just practiced the process WRONG 25 times. This procedure is now somewhat ingrained in his memory as the way to divide. A tutor who sits one-on-one with Michael would be able to stop him immediately - right at the point he is making a mistake. That will "break the chain" of misunderstanding, and allow Michael to begin to re-learn the procedure correctly.

A second learning benefit is that children often feel that private instruction provides a "risk-free" environment, so they are willing to "go out on a limb", even if they are unsure. Often, in classroom settings, students are reluctant to raise their hand to ask and answer questions. They are worried that others may think they are asking a "stupid question", and they do not want their peers to think they do not understand. However, private tutors and instructors are able to establish that it is all right for the student to admit he or she does not understand. Tutors are able to address any misunderstandings of academic content or music performance in private - a situation to which students are very responsive.

A third learning benefit is that students are able to advance at their own rate of learning, free of competition. In academic classrooms and music classrooms, there is always an undertone of competition, as there are some children who always want to have the highest score on the timed math fact test or who want to be first-chair in the flute section of the band. A student who plays trombone in the 5th grade orchestra, for example, may exhibit difficulty with scales, exercises, or music pieces. Working with a private instructor will allow him to improve his technique gradually, as he masters skill after skill at his own pace. The student is then able to take those mastered skills and apply them in the classroom or band room.

Social/Emotional Benefits

In addition to the learning benefits of private tutoring or private music lessons, there are also several social and emotional benefits. First, private instruction allows children the opportunity to develop relationships with another adult who is knowledgeable in the area of study. The tutor is just like another teacher, and the instructor giving private voice lessons is just like another chorus director. These relationships provide another facet for rich and meaningful learning of the content.

A second social/emotional benefit to students who undertake private instruction is that they often experience improved self-esteem, confidence, and attitudes. Think how much better Julie's attitude would be toward math if the "gaps" were filled in for her, and she went from making D's on her math tests to B's? These gains in self-esteem and confidence often results from the increased feedback, praise, and encouragement that they receive in one-on-one learning situations.

Perhaps the most significant benefit of all is the ability of a private tutor and his or her student to focus on the mere process of learning, rather than only the outcome. Instead of emphasizing the completion of a project or the grade earned on a paper, the child can focus on HOW to do things: how to solve problems, how to set goals, and how to be proud of his accomplishments.

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SSAT Preparation Test - Taking the SSAT

#1. SSAT Preparation Test - Taking the SSAT

SSAT Preparation Test - Taking the SSAT

Thinking about sending your child to a private school? There are a lot of options across the country for parents to consider. From Boarding Schools, to Military Schools, along with a host of other excellent private schools to choose from. Once you and your child select the right school, it's time to focus on the admission requirements. Along with prior school transcripts, grades, and any personal recommendations, you're son or daughter will be required to take an admissions test. The two most commonly used tests are the ISEE, and the SSAT. We will be discussing the SSAT (secondary school admission test) in this article.

SSAT Preparation Test - Taking the SSAT

The SSAT test is available in two different levels. The lower level, for students in the middle school range (5th to 7th grades), and the upper level for the high school years (9th to 12th grades). The test can be taken at several locations throughout the US and Canada.  The SSAT test is administered during the Fall and Winter months (October thru June). Total test time is 155 minutes. Test components consist of 1 writing element and 4 multiple choice sections.

 Writing Element Students are required to write an essay on 1 topic. They are provided 25 minutes to complete the work. This portion of the test will not receive a grade, but a copy of the essay will be sent to the school.

Reading This section consists of 40 questions with a 40 minute time limit. The reading element is designed to measure the student's ability to comprehend what he/she reads.

Verbal The verbal section has 60 questions and is 30 minutes in length. This element will test the student's knowledge of vocabulary. There are 30 questions on synonyms and 30 questions on analogies.

Quantitative /Math a total of 50 questions with a 60 minute time limit. The math portion of the test is divided into two 25 question sections with 30 minutes each. The questions include basic mathematics, algebra, and geometry. The quantitative section measures the student's basic math skills similar to those he/she would use in everyday life.

The SSAT test is designed to be used in conjunction with a student's transcripts, gpa, and any personal recommendations to determine whether they are a good fit for a particular school. This test measures how your child stacks up against other student's taking the exam. It also serves the purpose of observing each potential student's learning curve in regards to the academic studies taught at the school of choice. 

Having the basic knowledge of what is on the SSAT test will go a long way in helping each student begin their preparations for the exam. These preparations should begin months prior to scheduling and taking the SSAT test. Success rates are proven to be much higher for student's who take a practice SSAT test 2 to 3 times prior to the real test. There are many different editions available making it unlikely a student would ever see the same test twice. SSAT Review

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