Friday, September 29, 2017
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Which Colleges and Universities Offer the Most Financial Aid?
USA Today recently published findings from the 2018 issue
of the Princeton Review. They listed updated information on colleges and universities
helping families in their search for the best choice for graduating seniors.
Although all details contained in the article are beneficial, I find the list
of the Best Financial Aid to be the most compelling. I don’t believe college graduates
should have to spend decades trying to pay back college loans.
I’ve dedicated the rest of my life to helping families
avoid taking out college loans. This is why I wrote Free College Awareness. Until the US joins the rest of the first
world countries in making Pre-K through College tuition free, I believe families
should pursue scholarships and grants, not loans. Therefore, this list of institutions of higher education offering the Best Financial Aid is of interest to me.
The top college in financial aid in 2018 is Bowdoin
College, with grants averaging $42,200 per student. The second and third are
Vanderbilt University and Colgate University. I believe students should select
the lowest cost accredited university which will provide them an education in
the field of their choice. These three institutions should
be high on the list, considering how much financial aid they supply. But,
families would be wise to read the offers their children receive to insure that
they do not end up needing student loans to cover all costs.
It’s far better to go to a lower cost university for free than
a higher cost university no matter the amount of grant or scholarship, if the
financial aid package does not cover everything. Remember, college loans are
forever.
For more information, you’ll want my new book, Free College
Awareness, coming soon from Griffin Publishing. How to avoid
needing college loans; available soon to families of Pre-K through High School
students.
You are reading from the blog: http://www.roadtofreecollege.com
Photo credit: Google Images
Monday, September 25, 2017
Friday, September 22, 2017
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
How to Gamify a “Boring” Classroom Lesson
Although using games in the classroom to keep students
engaged is currently all the rage, it’s not new. Several decades ago I realized
I could use competition and fun to help students enjoy practicing new grammar
or vocabulary in my language classes. One funny incident comes to mind. My
French 2 students laughed and hollered encouragement to their teammates one day
as they hurried to the board to manipulate elements in sentences I had written
there.
Students shouted hints when they saw a mistake in
subject/verb agreement or an incorrect possessive pronoun. It sounded like
chaos, but it really wasn’t. I had complete control, which is what the
principal saw after he threw open the door, thinking there was a fight in my
class. The students froze when they saw his face. They were more surprised than
he was.
After a brief pause in which I explained what we were
doing, the students went back to their competition. Each student went to the
board and changed an element in the sentence and made sure the grammar was
correct after doing so. When he/she was finished, another student from the same
side of the classroom ran to the board and did the same. They couldn’t leave the
board, until I confirmed their sentence was correct. The winning team (side of
the classroom) was the one in which everyone had completed a turn at the board.
The principal watched until the game was over, and then
asked what students were practicing. I had a student volunteer explain the point
of the game, and the grammar involved. He was impressed students were so
enthused while completing what could have been a mind-numbing grammar exercise.
Almost any lesson can be turned into a simple, fun
competition. I almost always used one side of the room against the other,
moving a student if necessary to make the numbers even. I used this technique for
years. Students loved the “game”, knowing full well I was conning them into
doing vocabulary or grammar review. It was one of their favorite activities.
And what did the winning team actually win? Bragging rights until the next
time. No prizes, no extra points, just fun, and higher scores on the next test,
of course.
For more information, you’ll want my new book, Free College
Awareness, coming soon from Griffin Publishing. How to avoid
needing college loans; available soon to families of Pre-K through High School
students.
You are reading from the blog: http://www.roadtofreecollege.com
Photo credit: Google Images
Monday, September 18, 2017
Friday, September 15, 2017
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Music and Art Lessons Can Help Win Scholarships
Although Music and Art are proven to help with brain
development and to enhance learning across the curriculum, many such classes
have been removed from public schools. It’s all about the money, of course. Parents
and students can encourage their local districts to reinstate and fully fund
such programs, but in the meantime, parents should look elsewhere. I received a
brochure from my city Recreation Department in the mail recently. I was pleased
to see the wide-ranging Art and Music programs they provide children in this
community.
There are classes and workshops for toddlers to teens.
They run the gamut from introductory exploratory sessions to more advanced and private
lessons. All sorts of art classes are offered. The same is true for music,
voice and dance. Some are traditional in nature, like tap or ballet, others
more modern in style, such as hip hop. No matter a child’s tastes, there are
offerings that will interest him or her.
The brochure I received is for this fall. Prices range
from $45 to $139. The lower priced courses meet less often and for a shorter
period of time, often a month or so. The more expensive meet more frequently
and for about two months. While I fully support art, voice, music and dance in
public schools beginning in Pre-K and continuing through high school, parents
and students should find opportunities to study, enjoy and benefit from such
lessons wherever they can be found.
Such lessons, continued for years, enhance brain
development and improve learning and grades in many subjects such as
English, foreign languages, math, science, etc. They are also prevalent among high school seniors who earn the highest amount of scholarship money for
college. It isn’t a coincidence. It’s cause and effect, therefore worth the
time and investment. Parents can request a brochure like the one my city sends out from their own local city Recreation Department.
For more information, you’ll want my new book, Free College Awareness, coming soon from Griffin Publishing. How to avoid needing college loans; available soon to families of Pre-K through High School students.
You are reading from the blog: http://www.roadtofreecollege.com
Photo credit: Google Images
Monday, September 11, 2017
Friday, September 8, 2017
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Scads of Free Writing Prompts for Teachers
Most people think teachers simply teach from the
textbook. They don’t know teachers are often frantically scouring outside
resources looking for interesting ways to start each class period, for 185
school days. But I’ve been there, done that. I’ve lots of experience since I
often had several preps in three different languages. I’m no longer in the
classroom, but I still remember what it was like. I’m here to help.


I have made 124 posters so far. I’ll continue until I
have enough to cover an entire school year. Enjoy them, and spend the time you
save doing something for yourself. You deserve a break.
For more information, you’ll want my new book, Free College
Awareness, coming soon from Griffin Publishing. How to avoid
needing college loans; available soon to families of Pre-K through High School
students.
You are reading from the blog: http://www.roadtofreecollege.com
Monday, September 4, 2017
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