Here's the first cheer.
You guys did a great job. Thanks for letting us join you today.
The Berkeley High Bridge Program is helping students prepare for the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE).
These pictures are from the December 8th Saturday session. Instructing today were Ms. Luxford and Ms. Dafamo from Berkeley High, and Mr. Bennin from iMentorCorps.
The U.K.'s Telegraph reports that U.S. schools in 46 states are dropping Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird in favor of "informational texts," or, as the Telegraph tartly observes,
American literature classics are to be replaced by insulation manuals and plant inventories in US classrooms by 2014.The problem is one we've noted in making hundreds of test explanation videos for iMentorCorps. Much of the language arts material foisted on students is so freakin' boring.
Suggested non-fiction texts include Recommended Levels of Insulation by the the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Invasive Plant Inventory, by California's Invasive Plant Council.We can do better, America.
And Happy Thanksgiving!
The Berkeley High Bridge program for the Fall 2012 semester began the iMentorCorps program this past Saturday.
All 25 students participated in the full three hour Saturday session--way to go, Bridge students! This commitment shows that you're going to do what it takes to improve your CAHSEE scores. Our experience has shown that if you put in the time with the short practice tests, figure out where you need a little extra study, and work with your teachers and Robert, you'll improve your scores.
Based on the first session, it looks like about a third of the class needs some extra study in sections of the test to achieve a passing score. About a fifth of you are passing but you'll benefit from iMentorCorps practice to make sure that you're solid for the real CAHSEE.
iMentorCorps lets you take short practice tests in various subject strands. You'll get immediate feedback, and you can watch our explanatory videos or talk to your instructors or Robert to get help right there.
We're looking forward to working with you!
Though we say "no way," Lauren Landry begs to disagree.
She hit hard at what she called the 'ed-tech startup bubble' in an article posted on BostInno yesterday. Definitely read the whole thing, but here are some highlights and our thoughts.
It seems a lot of ed-tech startups are chasing fads and rainbows.
They should also be looking at the bigger picture. As RecoVend CEO Kyle Judah once said:
The biggest issue I have with some of the companies I’ve seen lately is that they think cosmetics are enough to solve problems that have plagued education for the last 200 years.
Responsive websites don’t mean diddly—they’re not helping students learn. The content companies are putting out there is what is helping students learn. So, before creating another edX, Khan Academy, MIT OpenCourseWare, Coursera, Udacity, P2PU or Treehouse, entrepreneurs need to evaluate the impact they intend to leave and be honest on whether or not they can actually deliver on that impact in a meaningful way. The stakes are higher in education. Innovate for change, not for investor’s money.At iMentorCorps, we've decided that really digging into the problem is the way to find out what works. And it's not easy. We use technology as a force-multiplier for students, teachers, mentors and, by extension, schools and school systems. We think our approach--putting technology in its place as a helper and not a substitute for human interaction--is the way to help students.
And what does this have to do with iMentorCorps?
Check out the article from Time.com. It's all about using technology to make education better, more focused on students, and way more efficient.
Vivek Wadhwa
has unwavering faith in the power of technology to fix much of what is wrong with the world, and he believes that online courses will revolutionize higher education and cut the cost to near zero for most students over the next decade.Read the whole article.
As the Good Witch of the North says in The Wizard of Oz, "it's always best to start at the beginning."
We'll post "How does iMentorCorps work" as a series of blog posts. And we'll start at the beginning with our three minute introductory video.
We're gearing up for Fall!
iMentorCorps is live, working, and we can deploy it almost anywhere in California (we'll keep you posted as we expand into other states). If your school system, school, or class wants to do a pre-evaluation test to see how well your students are prepared for the CAHSEE exam, contact us (click the contact us tab on top of the page).
We can help. We can show you where extra study is needed. We can supply practice tests. And we explain every question with either a text or a video explanation (usually both).
Oh, and the cost. That's important.
iMentorCorps is free. No cost to students. No cost to parents. No cost to teachers, schools, or school systems.
At iMentorCorps we're big believers in using technology to make learning more effective.
But can learning be completely automated? Can a one-hundred percent online solution be effective?
Many think so. We say, "not so fast." Technology is an amazing tool. But it's a tool to be used by teachers, parents, and students, and not an end in itself.
Last week, Juan Williams wrote a terrific article for the Wall Street Journal.
Our schools are undoubtedly in crisis. Prize-winning documentaries such as "Waiting for 'Superman'" have revealed the terrible cost of losing young minds to failing schools. Dropout rates are particularly high among minority children in urban schools. But even parents in the best suburban schools are alarmed by the fact that the U.S. now ranks 30th world-wide in math, 23rd in science, and 17th in literacy.What is so insanely great about technology in education is that it's a highly cost-effective force multiplier--when used properly. In his article Juan Williams talks about public schools in Mooresville, North Carolina (famous as "Race City, USA," home of Nascar).
This is why the modestly funded schools in Mooresville are drawing national attention. The school district ranks 100th out of 115 school districts in North Carolina on per-pupil spending. But in the last 10 years, its test scores have pushed it from a middling rank among North Carolina's school districts to a tie for second place.The question I had reading Juan's article was, how?
All of their textbooks, notes, learning materials and assignments are computerized, allowing teachers and parents to track their progress in real time. If a student is struggling, their computer-learning program can be adjusted to meet their needs and get them back up to speed. And the best students no longer wait on slow students to catch up. Top students are constantly pushed to their limits by new curricular material on their laptops.Every phase of a student's education is a data point that can be tracked, analyzed, and compared. This lets teachers, parents, and administrators know where the challenges lie both for individuals and for categories.
That's Math for Girls.
This summer the City of Berkeley sponsored a program to help girls excel in math. We at iMentorCorps were happy to be a part of this innovative program run by Dr. Tanya Moore.
Even we were surprised.
The numbers from this article in Good Education are breathtaking. Read the whole thing. Here are some highlights.
But, there's one area that most states and districts aren't cutting—the cost of standardized tests. States and local school districts pay testing companies millions of dollars annually, and with calls to evaluate teachers according to tests results and expand the number of subjects tested coming from the White House and Department of Education, the amount of cash being shelled out to testing companies is sure to skyrocket.States pay standardized test companies to administer and then to score the tests.
The federal government does kicks in some cash to help cover the costs, but thanks to cutbacks, that money doesn't defray the whole expense or pay for the people districts and states hire to manage the entire process.What are the costs to California?
Plus, experts put the real amountCalifornia spends annually "to administer, defend, tutor, and teach to the CAHSEE beginning in seventh grade at upwards of $550 million annually."There is a better way. Small, innovative companies like iMentorCorps are helping schools effectively help students prep for, and improve their scores on the CAHSEE.
iMentorCorps was founded on the belief that students can be helped with technology and mentors to prepare for and pass exit and entrance exams.
iMentorCorps costs nothing. Really nothing. Students pay nothing. School systems pay nothing. Parents pay nothing.
An easy, fun way to learn more about iMentorCorps is to watch our short videos (they're around three minutes each). Click the VIDEOS tab on the navigation bar on the top of the page.
We'll keep you posted on our progress. Let us know if you'd like to talk to us about using iMentorCorps to help your students. Our CAHSEE (California High School Exit Exam) module is built and being used by schools in the Bay Area. We're looking for new schools!
Our full contact information is on the navigation bar as well, or you can call me:
Stan Hjartberg
415.320.7930
(to email me, click CONTACT US at the top of the page)
