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Education Focus: American Education System, Part 4

Posted on 2012/02/06
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Today for our Education Focus, I want to take a quick look at a popular alternative to a four-year college or university: the community college, also known as a junior college.

A community college, or junior college, is a two-year institution that grants a two-year degree, also known as an associate’s degree. Like the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, one can earn an associate’s degree in arts (A.A.) or an associate’s degree in science (A.S.). Community colleges are typically local schools that are supported by the county or community, and as such do not have boarding students. With few exceptions, all the students are commuter students (students who live off campus – usually with parents, or spouses – and drive (commute) to school each day). A community college does not offer advanced degrees, but instead focuses on general education requirements that all students need to take as part of a well-rounded curriculum.

Community colleges are popular because they offer a less-expensive alternative to attending a college or university for a full four years. To save money, students will take lower-level classes at their community college, then transfer the credits to a four-year college or university. If a student is planning to transfer, he must consult with an academic advisor to make sure that all his credits will transfer to the school of his choice. Alternatively, the student can complete the community college’s degree requirements for the associate’s degree, and then he won’t have to worry about whether or not the credits will transfer – his associate’s degree will be accepted at most four-year colleges and universities.

Another reason why students might choose to attend a community college first before going on to a four-year college or university is that it can give him a chance to improve his transcript. Sometimes a student doesn’t do as well as he could have done in high school, which might hurt his chances in being accepted at the school of his choice. If he attends a community college and improves his academic record there, an admissions officer at a four-year college or university would be more likely to place greater emphasis on the community college academic record than the high school academic record.

A final reason why some students attend a community college rather than a four-year institution is simply because he is interested in a vocation that needs some additional training, but doesn’t need the rigorous academic training that a four-year college or university provides. Vocations like auto mechanic, cook/chef, and nursing or dental assistants would be in this category. These types of vocations are especially popular with what are called “non-traditional” students – students who are returning to school after having spent time in the workforce or raising a family. These students tend to have jobs already, and are looking for the extra classes to obtain certification or get a raise in salary.

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Education Focus: Report cards

Posted on 2012/01/30
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report cardMost high schools have recently finished the first half of the school year. We call this the first semester of the school year. Like colleges and universities, high schools base their courses on a half-year, or semester, system. Some schools (usually grade schools) use a quarter system instead of semesters. Either way, mid-January still marks the middle of the school year. The fall semester starts at the end of August (or, sometimes, the beginning of September) and ends either in December (for colleges and universities) or mid-January (for high schools). At the end of each semester, students usually take a cumulative final exam. This cumulative final exam tests the students over all the material that they were supposed to learn for that semester. After the students have taken the tests and the teachers have graded the tests, the teacher will calculate the semester grade and record it in the student’s report card.

Nowadays, report cards are generated by computer and mailed directly to the student’s parents. Before school had computers, student report cards were written by hand on a card. The card had lines on which were written the student’s name, the teacher’s name, the class, and all the subjects which the student had. Typical subject would be arithmetic (math, or mathematics), history, science, social studies, English, art, music, and PE (physical education).

The possible grades that a student could get in a subject were A (best grade), B, C, D, or F (worst). Letter grades could also be given a “+” or “–” to indicate “somewhat above” or “somewhat below.” Thus, the entire range of grades, from best to worst, would be: A+, A, A–, B+, B, B–, C+, C, C–, D+, D, D–, F. A grade of “F” indicates failure. A student who got an “F” is said to have “flunked.”

Sometimes, a report card might also have a separate space for “effort.” Here the teacher indicates how hard the student worked to earn his grade. This mark for effort is not really a grade. It is a comment about the student’s attitude to the parents. So, a student might have gotten a “C” in a subject, and an “A” or “1” for effort. This tells the parents that the student had put forth his best effort anyhow. On the other hand, a student might have gotten an “A+” in a subject and yet received only a “2” or even a “3” for effort. This would indicate that perhaps the student needs to be challenged more. Maybe the class is too easy for him!

When report cards were written by hand, the teacher passed out the report cards for the students to take home. The students had to take the report cards home to show their parents. One of the parents had to sign the report card. Then the student brought it back to school and returned it to the teacher. At the end of the school year, the parents did not have to sign the report card. Since school was over, the student could keep the report card. For the final report card, the teacher would write at the end something like “Promoted to Grade 5” to indicate that the student successfully finished Grade 4, and could start the next school year in the next higher grade.

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Education Focus: American Education System, Part 3

Posted on 2012/01/23
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This time, we’ll take a brief look at the American Educational System and graduate school. Last time, we saw that post-secondary education generally involves attending a college or university and earning a B.S. (Bachelor of Science) or a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) degree. For most students, this represents the final stage of their education.

Others, however, choose to continue by attending graduate school. Certain areas, such as law, medicine, and other academic pursuits, require an advanced degree such as an M.S. / M.A. (Master of Science / Master of Arts) or a Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy). In particular, a Ph.D. is required to teach in a tenured position at most colleges and universities. Furthermore, anyone who is interested in doing research at a major company almost certainly needs a Ph.D. as well. Likewise, earning a master’s degree gives one the advantage of having a higher salary in the workplace, and opens up doors of opportunity that might otherwise remain closed.

To earn a master’s degree, one typically takes courses for two years beyond the bachelor’s degree. The exact courses required depends on what area the master’s is in. One significant difference between courses at the bachelor’s level and those at the master’s level is that the focus is exclusively on the student’s concentration – students in the mathematics master’s program will take classes in upper-level mathematics (statistics, algebra, or analysis, depending on the particular emphasis), students in the law school will take upper-level law classes, and so on. Another difference is that classes at the master’s level and beyond are much more rigorous, and therefore require much more study. Accordingly, most graduate students take only 3 three-hour classes, or perhaps 4 classes per semester. Upon completing the requirements for a master’s degree, the student generally has two options:

1) Take comprehensive examinations. These exams (“comps”) provide a complete testing of all that the student was required to learn in the course of his master’s studies. To earn a degree, the master’s student must pass his comps – 60% for passing is typical. If the student doesn’t pass his comps, he has up to one year to study again and retake the test. Failing the comps means that the degree will not be awarded.

2) Write a master’s thesis. Instead of taking comps, the student may choose to write a thesis. The student consults with his faculty advisor, who helps him by suggesting suitable topics and guiding him through the various stages of writing the thesis.

Earning a Ph.D. typically requires two years beyond a master’s degree, or a total of four years beyond the bachelor’s degree. Doctoral students take many of the same courses that master’s students take, plus additional courses as required by the college or department he is enrolled in. In the first few years, doctoral students concentrate on taking the core courses necessary for passing their qualifying examinations (“qualifiers”). Once the doctoral student has passed his qualifiers, he has completed one of the major steps towards earning his Ph.D. After the qualifiers, his next hurdle is to write his doctoral dissertation. Like a master’s student writing his thesis, the doctoral student receives guidance and assistance from his faculty advisor in researching, writing, and preparing his doctoral dissertation. Once the dissertation is completed, the doctoral student must defend his dissertation in front of a panel consisting of certain members of the faculty. If he has defended his dissertation to the satisfaction of the panel, he has successfully completed the requirements for a Ph.D., and will be recognized as a Doctor of Philosophy.

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Education Focus: Snow Days

Posted on 2012/01/16
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snow dayMany places in the United States get snow in the winter. If it is very cold, like this year, even states like Texas or Florida can get snow. Sometimes there is so much snow that is it difficult or dangerous to drive. If this happens, schools often declare a “snow day.” When a school has a snow day, classes are canceled for that day, and children don’t have to attend.

How much snow is necessary to get a snow day? It depends. In southern states like Texas or Florida, drivers are not used to driving in snow. Also, most southern towns would probably not have snow plows or other equipment to clear the roads of snow. Consequently, even only a few centimeters of snow would create dangerous driving for most drivers in southern states. Children living in these states would most likely get a snow day if there were only a few centimeters of snow.

Northern states like Minnesota or North Dakota, though, are accustomed to winter driving with lots of snow, so a few centimeters of snow would mean nothing to them. Snow plows come and clear the roads, but sometimes they only put out salt or gravel if it is a minor amount of snow. Children living in these states would probably not get a snow day if there were only a few centimeters of snow. It would have to snow a lot more – maybe 15 cm or so – before the schools would consider granting a snow day. If there is a lot of wind, though, the snow can form big drifts, which would make the roads difficult or dangerous to drive. So if there is drifting snow, children would probably get a snow day.

Sometimes a snow day is declared because the weather is very cold, instead of because of the snow. Some Januarys have several days where the temperature stays below -25 degrees Celsius. Even the high temperature of the day doesn’t get above -20 – that is extremely cold!! In these cases, it is too cold to walk to school, or to wait outside for a school bus to come. So sometimes schools will also cancel classes due to extreme cold.

Of course, most children enjoy playing in the snow and having a day off from school. And you can be sure that if a student hasn’t studied for a test as much as he should, he will fervently hope for a snow day to give him some extra study time!

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Writing Assignment: The Classroom (Solution)

Posted on 2012/01/14
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1. Who is standing at the desk in the front of the room?
The teacher is standing at the desk in the front of the room.

2. How many students are in the picture?
There are four students in the picture.

3. Are most of the students sitting or standing?
Most of the students are sitting at their desks.

4. Who is writing on the blackboard?
A girl is writing on the blackboard.

5. Is the girl writing in English?
Yes, the girl is writing in English.

6. Which subject are they learning in this classroom?
They are learning English in this classroom.

7. With what is the girl writing on the chalkboard?
The girl is writing with a piece of chalk on the blackboard.

8. How many blackboards are in the picture?
There are two blackboards in the picture.

9. Where is the clock? What time is it?
The clock is on the wall between the two blackboards. It is about 1:30.

10. Is the teacher standing in the front or the back of the classroom?
The teacher is standing in the front of the classroom.

11. What is the teacher holding in his right hand?
The teacher is holding a pen (or a pencil) in his right hand.

12. What is under the desk on the right hand side?
A wastepaper basket is under the desk on the right hand side.

13. Where is the ink?
The ink is in a bottle on the teacher’s desk.

14. Are the two books on the teacher’s desk opened or closed?
The two books on the teacher’s desk are closed.

15. In which hand is the teacher holding the box?
The teacher is holding the box in his left hand.

16. With what are the students writing on the school desk?
The students are writing with a pen (pencil) on the school desk.

17. Is the girl sitting to the right or the left of the two male students?
The girl is sitting to the right of the two male students.

18. Who is wearing glasses?
The teacher is wearing glasses.

19. What is the girl reading out loud?
The girl is reading a book out loud.

20. Do you like to translate from your mother tongue into English?
Yes, I enjoy translating from my mother tongue into English!

Paragraph: My English Class

Write a paragraph about your English class.

In our English class there are many people. Some are businessmen. Some have their own dry cleaning or nail shop. Some are retired and just want to improve their English. All of them had some English when they were in school, but they realize that they have to study more to be able to talk to their customers.

We practice English in various ways. Sometimes we read a book that is not too difficult, like a children’s book, and then translate it. Sometimes we read aloud to practice our pronunciation. Sometimes we write a letter or a short paragraph, like this exercise. Another good activity is to play a puzzle or a game, to get us thinking in English instead of our mother tongue. Sometimes we watch a TV program or a movie for listening practice. All these different activities help us to understand and use English better.

At the end of the semester, we have a little class party. In the summertime we can go somewhere and have a picnic. Otherwise, we just go out to a restaurant, or have a pizza party in the classroom. It all depends on what the class wants to do. No matter what, we learn English together and have fun doing it!

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Writing Assignment: The Classroom

Posted on 2012/01/13
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classroom

Vocabulary

1. pair of glasses
2. in the back
3. in the front
4. desk
5. book
6. textbook
7. box
8. classroom
9. student
10. late
11. English class
12. teacher
13. blackboard
14. white board
15. ink
16. to learn, study
17. to translate
18. in English
19. into English
20. most (of them)
21. subject (of study)
22. open
23. closed
24. clock
25. gladly, like to
26. to write
27. to write on
28. to write to
29. to read out loud
30. to hold

Use the above vocabulary to help you in answering the following questions. Try to write in complete sentences, as much as you can.

1. Who is standing at the desk in the front of the room?

2. How many students are in the picture?

3. Are most of the students sitting or standing?

4. Who is writing on the blackboard?

5. Is the girl writing in English?

6. Which subject are they learning in this classroom?

7. With what is the girl writing on the chalkboard?

8. How many blackboards are in the picture?

9. Where is the clock? What time is it?

10. Is the teacher standing in the front or the back of the classroom?

11. What is the teacher holding in his right hand?

12. What is under the desk on the right hand side?

13. Where is the ink?

14. Are the two books on the teacher’s desk opened or closed?

15. In which hand is the teacher holding the box?

16. With what are the students writing on the school desk?

17. Is the girl sitting to the right or the left of the two male students?

18. Who is wearing glasses?

19. What is the girl reading out loud?

20. Do you like to translate from your mother tongue into English?

Paragraph: My English Class

Write a paragraph about your English class.

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Education Focus: American Education System, Part 2

Posted on 2012/01/09
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Last week we looked at the American Educational System from Kindergarten through High School. Today we’ll take a brief look at post-secondary education in the U.S.: American colleges and universities.

After completion of high school, many students continue their education by attending a college or a university. Although most people use the terms interchangeably, there is a difference between a college and a university. A college generally has a smaller student enrollment and consists of one school (the college). On the other hand, a university usually has a larger student enrollment and consists of several schools: for example, a typical university can have a college of liberal arts and sciences, a college of engineering, and a college of education. For the student there is little practical difference; both colleges and universities are degree-granting institutions, enabling their graduates to have better job prospects than they would otherwise with only a high school education.

When a student attends college/university, he chooses a major, or area of concentration and specialization. Many different types of majors are available. Ideally, a student chooses his major first (or at least has some idea of what he’d like to concentrate on), and then chooses a school based on major he’d like to study. Typical majors would include: engineering (mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, electrical engineering, or chemical engineering), physics, chemistry, biology, pre-med, pre-law, history, English/literature, a foreign language, education, mathematics, statistics, computer science/IT, physical education, physical therapy, accounting, business, marketing, hotel and restaurant management, fashion design, fine arts (music, art, theater), and nursing. Each major has its own degree requirements in addition to the general education requirements of the college/university. Students can double major (complete the requirements for two majors simultaneously) or major in one area and minor in another.

Like high school, most students take four years to complete the degree requirements, and so we have the corresponding classes for college/university: first-year students are freshmen, second-year students are sophomores, third-year students are juniors, and fourth-year students are seniors. Freshmen and sophomores are underclassmen; juniors and seniors are upperclassmen. In reality, four years to complete the degree is an average. Some students may complete their degree early by taking summer school and interim classes; others may take longer than four years due to poor schedules, having to repeat courses, or by working on two majors. Consequently, in college, years are determined largely by how many credit hours one has. Each course is worth a set number of credit hours; for example, a course that meets three hours per week for the semester would be worth three credit hours. The more courses a student takes, the more credit hours he earns upon completion of the course. 12 – 15 credit hours are considered a normal (full-time) class load, and would be the equivalent of four or five classes of three credit hours each. In addition to the time spent in class, students are expected to spend a minimum of two hours study outside of class for every hour spent in class. Thus, 12 – 15 credit hours represent a minimum of 36 – 45 hours each week that a student should devote to his education.

After completing the degree requirements as set forth by the college/university, students are awarded a bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree is the lowest post-secondary degree awarded by four-year institutions like colleges and universities. A student typically earns either a bachelor of arts degree (B.A.) or a bachelor of science degree (B.S.). There is little practical difference between a B.A. and a B.S., as most employers are satisfied that their employees have a degree. Accordingly, completion of college represents the final stage of education for most people: after graduation, students look for a job and enter the world of work.

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Education Focus: American Educational System

Posted on 2012/01/02
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In this post I want to give you an introduction to the American Educational System. We’ll start off with some general information.

The United States has compulsory education. This means that children are obligated to attend school for a certain number of years, for a specific age range. The actual ages depends on which state you live in. Generally, children in Illinois must attend school from the ages of 7 to 17. The school may be public or private.

Some children attend a pre-school (nursery school) prior to attending Kindergarten. The pre-school format varies greatly, but generally is only a few hours a day, a couple days a week, since the children are as young as 3 or 4 years old. Pre-school is not mandatory, although some states are considering adopting “universal pre-school” legislation. This would make pre-school available for all children, but it would not necessarily mean that all children would be required to attend.

Most children begin attending school by entering Kindergarten at age 5 or 6. Like pre-school, Kindergarten not mandatory, and is not full-time. Kindergarten is generally only a half-day of school; some children attend in the morning, while others attend in the afternoon. The subjects that children learn in kindergarten vary, but the emphasis tends to be on social skills and reading readiness.

More formal education starts with First Grade. It is in the First Grade that children are required to attend school full-time – typically, about six hours a day, five days a week. Grades 1 – 5 are variously called primary grades or elementary grades, and a school that teaches these grades is typically called a grade school or an elementary school.

Children in Grades 6 – 8 are said to attend junior high school, or middle school. The term “middle school” is becoming increasingly more common. Junior high can be thought of as a transition from the lower grades to high school. In grade school, children stay in one classroom and are taught nearly all subjects by the same teacher. In high school, children move from classroom to classroom to take different subjects taught by different teachers. By contrast, in junior high, children move from classroom to classroom similar to high school, but the children all move together and take the same subjects.

High school represents the final stage of compulsory education. There are four grades in high school: Grades 9 – 12, with the students in each year (or class) designated according to which grade they are in. Ninth graders are in their first year of high school, and are called “freshmen.” Tenth graders, or second-year students, are called “sophomores.” Together, freshmen and sophomores are known as “underclassmen.” Students in their last two years of high school have the status of “upperclassmen”: third-year students are “juniors,” and fourth-year students are “seniors.”

Once a child has completed high school, or attained the age set forth in compulsory education laws (17 years old in Illinois), the child has satisfied the compulsory education requirements and is free. Many students, however, choose to continue their education by attending college or university.

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Education Focus: Winter Break

Posted on 2011/12/26
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Most American students are on Christmas break. This year, most students’ Christmas vacation (here in Illinois) is from 12/19 through 1/2. This means that their last day of school before Christmas was 12/16, and their first day back to school will be 1/3.
Having fun on Christmas break
Schools generally give about two weeks’ vacation around Christmas time. So most students get two weeks off to relax, get together with friends, and maybe go on a family vacation. Some families go to Florida or someplace warm for a Christmas vacation. Other families like spend their winter vacation skiing or doing some other outdoor winter activity. This year, because of the poor economy, most families probably stayed home and enjoyed time with one another and with friends.

College and university students usually have a longer Christmas break. Their semester ends around the second week of December. After they finish their final exams, they head home. It is very convenient to have the finals prior to winter break. Then students don’t have to study on their vacation. Some college students might take the opportunity to earn some money by working on their Christmas break. But many college students spend their winter vacation sleeping late (“sleeping in”), enjoying Mom’s home cooking, meeting with friends who are attending other colleges or universities, and relaxing.

Christmas vacation is a good time for students to relax and have some fun before they go back to school and work hard in the spring semester.

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