As summer begins again, students have been out of school for a few weeks and are probably embracing their feelings of freedom after a year at school. But after these few weeks are over and they begin to settle into a routine of relaxing, hanging out with friends, and generally spending their free time being “free,” it might be better to cut this routine short.
            Research suggests that during summer vacation, when youth participate in very little activity related to school or learning, they forget some or much of what they’ve learned during the school year. To combat this and keep students' skills and memories sharp, parents can do the following over the summer:

1.  Be sure your youth reads often and visits the library

Request the syllabus for next year’s English class to get ahead or ask the teacher for a list of books that are recommended to read to advance vocabulary and keep youths’ reading minds sharp. A syllabus from science or history class might also provide some topics that would be useful to read up on to get ahead before classes begin.

Research and find books that interest your youth to expand upon the reading list provided by a teacher, including fiction and non-fiction, to broaden your youth’s horizons and introduce material that he or she can take an interest in and read more of in the future.

If there is a particular subject or topic that interests your youth, the library is a great place for him or her to find out more about it.

2.  Make writing a must

Have your youth write letters to relatives to enhance his or her writing skills and keep him or her sharp for when essays come back around.

Encourage your youth to write down his or her thoughts about the books he or she is reading. Ask questions about the plot and characters often and demonstrate that writing about the books may help with reflection and understanding plots, especially if the books will be talked about next year at school.

Ask your youth to keep a journal. This is a great way for him or her to formulate thoughts without having to stick to a rigid format.

3.  Encourage your youth to volunteer

Volunteering is a great way for youth to play a part in their community, and the experience also looks great on job and college applications to show that the youth is interested in helping more than him or herself.

Some schools require students to participate in a set number of hours of community service. If this is the case for your youth, the summer is a great time to complete some of it while there is so much free time.

4.  Make math a priority

At home, play board games that might allow your youth to be the “banker” and calculate and dish out money, card games that may require tallying points and counting card values, and video or online games that focus on math.

Encourage work with fractions by baking or cooking and asking your youth to adjust the measurements of a recipe.

When shopping, ask your youth for help comparing prices or calculating percentages, and when going out to eat, have him or her calculate the tip.

5.  Help youth learn new skills

If your youth is interested in learning to do something, such as playing a sport or instrument, fixing cars, or doing a certain craft, help him or her learn that new skill. Fostering skills in areas that interest your youth may lead to an interest in an occupation related to that skill or may simply provide a valuable activity for him or her to engage in during free time.

6.  Enroll your youth in summer camp

No matter the nature of the camp, youth are bound to learn something from whatever programs and activities they are immersed in and may gain appreciation for new things that they can continue to learn about after camp.

7.  Set goals for next year

Help or have your youth make lists of goals he or she wants to accomplish next year, including when homework should be finished every night, how much time will be spent on studying, what grades will be achieved, and what will be gained from the year academically, socially, and otherwise. These lists don’t have to come to complete fruition, but setting goals will help your youth motivate him or herself over the summer and throughout the year, and routinely evaluating the success of these goals will help create new or better objectives.

8.  Allow for time to relax

It’s important for youth to keep their skills sharp so that they don’t fall behind next year, but it’s also important that they get a break from school, too. Summer should be a time for fun and relaxation to reward youth for putting in effort at school. Make sure to balance time spent learning and time spent relaxing so that there isn’t too much of either being done.

A study entitled ‘A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family, and Community Connections on Student Achievement’ concluded that “when schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and like school more.” So with Father’s Day approaching, I thought I’d explore how a dad specifically can make a difference in furthering their child’s education. 

Education.com defines the roles of a father by the 5 P's -- problem-solver, playmate, principled guide, provider, and preparer. All of these are important and surely not the end of the list, but 'preparer' is the role that references education. The description reads, “Fathers often see themselves as someone involved in preparing their children for life's challenges… fathers may advise their teenagers about educational and employment goals… They may guide their child about how to behave in school and work to ensure their child's success in those areas.” As you can see, a dad's guiding hand in a child's education shapes their educational and career path; a father's influence can help lead to a child's future achievements. 

As for examples of ways to get involved, a national survey revealed that the top ways parents currently participate is by attending school meetings, such as parent-teacher conferences, and fundraising. Several articles also pointed out that parent involvement decreases as a child ages, leading to a lack of involvement while the youth attends high school. But involvement is important at all levels of development. The Center for Public Education reveals, “Teachers, parents, and students have little understanding of each other’s interests in children and schools…Most teachers do not know the goals that parents have for their children, how parents help them learn, or how parents would like to be involved. Most parents do not know much about the educational programs in their children’s school or what teachers require of them.” If fathers, mothers, and teachers work to be on the same page and communicate openly, the student will benefit from it.

So dads, keep on sparking your child’s curiosity at home (by reading a story aloud or provoking a fun debate for example), setting realistic expectations for them to strive for, and encouraging them. You have a very special opportunity to make a difference in your child's education and therefore the rest of their life. Happy Father’s Day! 

-Samantha Phillips

Please comment here to share how your dad has helped you with school or any other thoughts this post brought to mind! 

Nelson Mandela said, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." This philosophy is reflected in the latest move of Akon Lighting Africa, an endeavor to bring electricity to rural Africa. The founders of the initiative – Akon, Thione Niang, and Samba Bathily – were recently honored at the second United Nations Sustainable Energy for All Forum in New York for their work.

Akon Lighting Africa goes beyond short-term philanthropy. Rather, the driving force behind it is long-term goals of sustainability. The project is meant to be a stepping stone for the development of future infrastructure while also providing jobs for locals. Beyond even that though, Akon Lighting Africa will not only capitalize on resources readily available in the environment (Africa has 320 sunny days per year, making it an ideal place for solar power initiatives), it aims to tap into human capital as well. The project recognizes that education is the best way to lead to self-sufficiency and therefore long-term success of the project. Thus, the next phase of Akon Lighting Africa is the creation of a Solar Academy to “develop skills and expertise in this field in Africa.”

The academy “targets future African entrepreneurs, engineers and technicians” and will open this summer in Mali for “any Africans wanting to help develop the use of solar power.” At the forum in New York Samba Bathily explained, “We have the sun and innovative technologies to bring electricity to homes and communities. We now need to consolidate African expertise and that is our objective… We can achieve great milestones and accelerate the African transformation process on condition that we start training a new generation of highly qualified African engineers, technicians and entrepreneurs now.”

Education is the key to the future, not only in Africa, a continent where 70% of the population is younger than 35. Hopefully, you also recognize the long-lasting potential and power of education to find personal success but also to improve society to the benefit of all.
 
-Samantha Phillips

Sources:
Huffington Post: Akon Launches Academy To Help Provide Electricity To 600 Million People In Africa
Next steps for Akon Lighting Africa: Launch of the first Solar Academy in Africa
USA Today: 15 of Nelson Mandela's best quotes

I bet if you think back to your early school days, you don’t remember many specifics about the lessons you learned. You remember the games you played and the creative projects you were proud of. Recently, however, there has been a trend in education to cut back on playtime in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. This time is being replaced by more formal lessons because the education system is now pushing for teachers to get cracking right away. There’s concern that if reading and math aren’t taught as soon as possible, students will forever fall behind.

While this may seem logical, the importance of play should not be underestimated. The format of lessons, as I discussed in my first blog post, is critical. If children can learn without even realizing it, they will not only absorb important information faster, they will have a more positive experience doing it. Their relationship with education will begin on a good note, rather than experiencing the stress that is associated with earlier formal schooling.

This trend is in alignment with other recent education movements that push teaching to standardized tests over creativity in the classroom. The frustration that teachers are feeling as a consequence of this came up in both interviews with educators that I had the honor of conducting for this blog. But the government and administrations are focusing in on scores and benchmarks over individual experiences with education. There are obviously reasons behind this approach, including America’s performance in comparison to other countries and the need to stay competitive in a globalized world.

However, the statistics aren’t showing that taking out play time is accomplishing these goals. As I see it, this will only hurt students in the long run. A child will be spending many years in school; their first impression of it should be a good one, rather than a stressful one. The presentation of material should make students want to learn, at any level. Thus, I believe that these stricter education trends should be reevaluated.  

-Samantha Phillips

Do you believe ‘the earlier, the better’ for formal education or that play time has long-term benefits in a child’s education?

Source: 
New York Times: Let the Kids Learn Through Play

After facing a life-threatening condition after a decade of "pseudo-teaching," Ramsey Musallam, a chemistry teacher in California, walked away with 3 rules he decided to use in his future teaching to spark learning, which he shares in the above Ted talk.

Musallam shares a picture of his four year old who is in the stage of constantly asking, ‘Why?,’ as well as a video of his student, Maddie, who went home after one of his lessons and continued to explore the concept covered in class. He juxtaposes these two examples with the issue of youth dropping out of school, whether it’s “the senior who's checked out before the year's even begun or that empty desk in the back of an urban middle school's classroom.”

This teacher attributes the difference between these extremes to the ability and willingness of teachers to engage with their students’ curiosity. He explains, “Questions and curiosity like Maddie's are magnets that draw us towards our teachers, and they transcend all technology or buzzwords in education. But if we place these technologies before student inquiry, we can be robbing ourselves of our greatest tool as teachers: our students' questions.”

Musallam outlines three rules to help instructors reach this goal:

The lecture closes with this last thought: “If we as educators leave behind this simple role as disseminators of content and embrace a new paradigm as cultivators of curiosity and inquiry, we just might bring a little bit more meaning to [students'] school day, and spark their imagination.” 

Oftentimes teachers can get stuck in the routine of their lessons, especially with the recent focus of administration and regulation on teaching to standards. I think Ramsey Musallam’s talk offers some great points about keeping vitality in the classroom in order to make the work of learning a back and forth between student and teacher. This approach will go much further than simply talking at students. I personally would like to see a lot more students like Maddie and kids who want to ask questions, rather than that empty seat in the back of the room. 

-Samantha Phillips

Which school of thought do you agree with and why?

There is currently a campaign called Don’t Steal Possible occurring in New York which is calling for change in the NY public education system. It has the support of parents, students, teachers, and celebrities as well as some fairly staggering statistics on its side. 

Don’t Steal Possible is demanding radical change because they can’t make their kids wait any longer. The supporters are holding up an example of certain schools, district and charter schools specifically, that are currently succeeding and are asking other institutions to replicate this model.

They’re pointing out that the issue is worse in certain communities: “It is clear that our crisis of failing schools predominantly affects children of color from under-served communities… At schools where the majority of students are living at or below the poverty level, achievement rates plummet.” And they’re highlighting the consequences of ignoring the problem as well. They make the fair point that educating and empowering students to succeed is the “linchpin of any meaningful attempt to restore opportunity to every New Yorker.”

Recently, Team Possible made a big move. On March 4th, 13,000 New Yorkers rallied in Albany to demand great schools for all kids. Janelle Monae performed a free public concert at the event. “It’s heartbreaking to know that there are 800,000 New York kids falling through the cracks every year,” Monae said in a statement. “I am honored to stand with families demanding an end to this crisis.” Monae isn’t alone; other supporters of the campaign include Questlove and members of the Roots, the Beastie Boys’ Mike D, and Estelle.

Even if you don’t agree with the proposed solution of the Don’t Steal Possible campaign, it’s hard to disagree with their facts: the NY public education has its faults and needs to be fixed. 

-Samantha Phillips

What would you suggest as a solution? Check out more about the Don’t Steal Possible campaign here and see what 4T’s Productions is doing to make a difference!

Sources:
Rolling Stone: Janelle Monae Playing Education Rally to Support New York Children
Families for Excellent Schools: Don't Steal Possible

Kasseem Dean, the famous producer better known as Swizz Beatz, recognizes the value of education, which he demonstrates not just with his words but with his actions.  Swizz Beatz made the decision to go back to school because he “wanted to get [his] education right” and was accepted into the elite Owner/President Management Extension Program at Harvard Business School.

Swizz has been posting about his educational journey on Instragram, expressing his excitement to be back in school and learning about topics that he can apply in his career.  The course is designed to be nine weeks long, divided over a three year time period so that students can take their lessons, apply them in the real business world, and then come back with their results.  Swizz Beatz has expressed the importance to him of this hands-on approach: “This is real life college, which is the best college for me….saying okay I can apply this to Reebok, I can apply this to helping other people out.” 

Swizz Beatz had certainly found success before this educational opportunity but also felt a real need to attend the program.  As a rapper who transitioned into the business side, he felt that despite being the person responsible for the occurrence of certain important meetings, he wasn’t respected in the meetings because he wasn’t able to contribute in the technical language.  This pushed him to consider pursuing his education past that of the high school degree he graduated with and the know-how he had picked up throughout his life. 

Upon reflecting on his high school education, he said, “Harvard has been something that I never dreamed of, coming from the South Bronx and never really taking a liking to school, just because of circumstances that I was in and I guess the circumstances that the teachers were in also.”  But Swizz Beatz refused to let a less than ideal educational system hold him back.  “My parents did a great job, but it still didn’t change the system…  But that’s not an excuse for me.  I didn’t want to use that as an excuse to not go back and tighten up and sharpen things up.”

Swizz Beatz is setting an inspiring example and will surely find even more success with the new tools he gains in a top-notch business education program.  4T’s recognizes his accomplishments, especially as a graduate of an inadequate NY public education institution.  We recognize the hard work that Swizz Beatz had to do on his own to identify his inherent skills and the relevance of education to his life.  4T’s hopes to provide programs to students to help them identify their own talents and grant them hands-on experience applying these skills in the real world so that all students will have a solid educational foundation in order to go on to do great things, such as Swizz Beatz.    

-Samantha Phillips

Please watch this clip to hear more of the quoted interview and follow the rest of Swizz Beatz’s journey to Harvard Business School certification on Instagram (@therealswizzz).  

This video discusses the importance of incorporating the concept of global citizenship into students' education.  Although global issues can be hard topics to tackle especially in a classroom with young audiences, it is a necessity for students to succeed in the globalized world we now live in.  With connectivity and communication at never-before-seen levels, students need to be aware of global issues and the happenings of the global economy. They need to be capable of reacting to events and contributing to the solutions to issues as well. The video points out that, "You can't make change in the world if you don't know the issues." 

Teach UNICEF is addressing this shortcoming in our education system by providing downloadable lesson plans for topics ranging from armed conflict to gender equality to poverty.  It designs lessons to be suitable for differing age groups.  

As I mentioned, at the present moment in our society it is not easy to broach these issues in school since there is such high sensitivity to "political" issues, especially inside the classroom. Yet I believe that we each have the responsibility to be knowledgeable about the global issues of our lifetime, and teachers have an even greater duty to take it upon themselves to introduce their students to the topic of global citizenship in the best way they can. At the very least, teachers should provide their students with tools to explore these topics on their own. 

Whether you are a teacher, parent, or student, global citizenship lessons are important to learn. Explore these topics with such tools as TeachUNICEF and then share what you know. Your personal success in the current globalized economy as well as the well-being of the world depends on it.

-Samantha Phillips

Please share any tools that you use to learn about global issues.  Thanks! 

Since the subject of state testing came up in both interviews with educators (see here and here), this week’s blog will explore New York’s state requirements, particularly the Regents Exams. 

According to the website of the New York State Education Department, students are currently “required to pass five Regents exams in high school in order to graduate – one each in English, science, math, as well as the U.S History and the Global Studies and Geography exams.”  New regulations, however, have added a “4+1” option that “permits a student to take four Regents exams and a comparably rigorous technical, arts, or other assessment for the fifth examination required for graduation.”

Regents Chancellor Merryl H. Tisch said that these new regulations aim to “improve the state’s 74.9 percent graduation rate, increase the percentage of students who graduate prepared for college and careers (currently 37.2 percent), and help prepare more students for success in the 21st century economy.”

On the other hand, there is talk of additional new requirements such as “by 2022, students will not only have to pass five Regents Exams to graduate, they’ll have to score at least 75 percent on the English exam and 80 percent on the math exam.”

So, this begs the real question: will either of these rules, and the Regents in general, help students graduate and succeed?  Do these tests prepare all students for the paths they plan to pursue after school?

Teachers are speaking out on the contrary.  Eileen Riley-Hill, a New York English teacher, writes, “There’s nothing wrong with high standards or standardized tests — but our schools need to serve all kids, and becoming “college-ready” shouldn’t be the only way to graduate high school.” 

She points out the fact that the Regents Exams were originally designed for students who planned to attend college, while Regents Competency Tests were offered for those interested in “fields outside traditional academics: auto mechanics, culinary arts, cosmetology, business, health care and on.”  Hill concludes, “There are many ways to succeed in life; we must offer many ways to succeed in school.” 

I agree that these fields are important and can offer students a road less traveled to success.  In fact, two past blog posts of mine have explored non-traditional careers, including in the culinary arts (click here to read more). 

In my opinion, education is meant to provide students with the tools they need to succeed in their everyday lives as citizens and professionals, regardless of whether that means pursuing their formal education further.  While college can offer significant benefits to students, this does not mean that the Regents Exams should prevent others from graduating high school because they aren’t prepared for college, an environment they don’t even intend to join.  State tests also shouldn’t limit teachers in the classroom so that they aren’t able to inspire students to become involved in their own education, whether that is on a college campus or on their own.  

The Regents Exams seem to be going against their own stated goals and taking away from the ultimate goal of education.  For this reason, they need to be honestly evaluated based on the real impacts they are having on students’ lives and their attitudes towards education.

-Samantha Phillips

What are your opinions on the Regents Exams or state testing in general?

Sources:
New York State Education Department: Board Of Regents Approves New Graduation Options
New York Post: New York’s diplomas leave too many kids out

This week I will play devil's advocate to try to answer the question of whether education is important to pursue.  Surely, life does not always make it easy to go to school.  While there are benefits to receiving an education, they all exist in the long-term.  Down the road, many years from now, you will get a better job with a better income.  But what about making ends meet right now?  What about paying the expenses due at the end of the month?  What about putting a roof over your head and food on the table?  In this context, education appears to be a luxury that may or may not be worth it in the end.  

While this is a compelling argument, so are the numbers and testimonials.  Below is a graph that reveals the median annual earnings of full-time year-round wage and salary workers ages 25–34, by educational attainment: 1995–2012.

For young adults, your level of education greatly impacts your income.  You’re looking at approximately a $10,000 increase with each higher degree you earn.  The difference is so significant that I would argue that education is, in fact, worth it in the long run.   

So, theoretically, it seems that you should do what you have to do now to get an education so that you may benefit in the future.  Easier said than done, right?  You would prefer to hear from real people facing real situations, wouldn't you?  Well, Latisha Hopewell is one such person.  She is a mother of two in her thirties from New York.  While she had originally intended to pursue a higher degree, life interfered, and she didn't graduate from college.  But through hard work and funding opportunities, Ms. Hopewell found her way back to schooling.  Lori Holcomb-Holland writes of Ms. Hopewell’s journey, “College is different this time around. She says she is a better student now that the consequences, as well as the rewards, are more tangible. She wants to give her daughters a better life.”  

While it may be difficult to picture how education will improve your life in the future and so easy to feel the ways it is currently burdening you, I recommend that you try to identify and define your tangible consequences and rewards.  Use the images of these realities as your motivation.  Commit to giving yourself a better life by investing in your education; the future gains will outweigh the current negatives.  It’s worth it.  You’re worth it.  Those who count on you are worth it.  Start your future today.    

-Samantha Phillips

Please comment and share your motivations, visualizations, or tips that keep you on track!

Sources:
New York Times: Going Back to College, and Teaching Her Daughters the Value of Education
National Center for Education Statistics: Fast Facts- Income of young adults