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Wednesday, December 29, 2010
2 - Motivation: From "Six Ways to A Private School Education and College Track without a lot of money"
by judiethcarol www.coolrocketschool.org
2. Motivation-The second of six ways to a private school education and track to college without a lot of money.
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
Theodore Roosevelt
Opportunity dances with those who are ready on the dance floor.
H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Thomas Edison
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
Albert Einstein
________________________________________
According to Wikipedia, ‘intrinsic motivation’ has been studied by social and educational psychologists since the early 1970s. Their findings are: Motivation is associated with high educational achievement and enjoyment by students.
In sum: The more you learn and enjoy your achievements, the easier it is to learn and enjoy more achievements. You are motivated.
The summary about motivation and reaching goals (like finishing college) points out that rewards and competition (extrinsic motivation) do contribute (winning and rewards are motivating); but the greater pleasure and security--and the resulting motivation from within-- (intrinsic) comes to you when:
* You feel that you can control your results (for example, by the amount of effort);
* You understand that your results are not determined by chance or by luck (as in: you make your own luck—and the more you try, the luckier you are); and
* You are interested in mastering a topic—not just in getting good grades. You like that: ‘Ohhh, now I get it’—feeling on a regular basis.
When I graduated from college many years ago, the statistics were that 30% of the WORLD’s college graduates were graduating in the United States of America. Today, that percentage of all the world college graduates is now 15% or even lower.
In the meantime, the economy of the world, including the United States of America, has shifted so that the USA is desperate for college graduates and students trained in higher levels of math and science to fill the positions providing a good income and benefits for individuals and families. Then, (in today’s grandparents’ day), there were excellent positions in automobile plants and steel mills and family businesses. Today, the best positions require higher education and extensive training, especially in math, science, and reading.
Too, for the top rated colleges in America, over 90% of the students—specifically, the graduating students--are from the families with the highest income levels in the country.
Translation for students today: You can compete. You can find your intrinsic motivation that never stops. Your parents and grandparents were more likely to get good jobs and to live longer if they graduated from college, but they were also living with friends and family members who were able to have a rewarding and secure lifestyle by working at an interesting job not requiring college. In fact, they often worked up through the training programs.
Today’s students do not have the wide-ranging options of different types of ‘good’ jobs. Today’s students need more math and science and reading to do the new types of ‘good’ jobs in America.
‘Motivation’ to learn and to keep learning for a lifetime comes from within (intrinsic) and from outside (extrinsic). You have much control over both types. Your personal achievements grow as your enjoyment of the work itself grows. Take control. This is independence on the highest level. Be self-motivated. Use what you have to do what you want to do.
judiethcarol www.coolrocketschool.org or google blog cool rocket school tutor
2. Motivation-The second of six ways to a private school education and track to college without a lot of money.
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
Theodore Roosevelt
Opportunity dances with those who are ready on the dance floor.
H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Thomas Edison
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
Albert Einstein
________________________________________
According to Wikipedia, ‘intrinsic motivation’ has been studied by social and educational psychologists since the early 1970s. Their findings are: Motivation is associated with high educational achievement and enjoyment by students.
In sum: The more you learn and enjoy your achievements, the easier it is to learn and enjoy more achievements. You are motivated.
The summary about motivation and reaching goals (like finishing college) points out that rewards and competition (extrinsic motivation) do contribute (winning and rewards are motivating); but the greater pleasure and security--and the resulting motivation from within-- (intrinsic) comes to you when:
* You feel that you can control your results (for example, by the amount of effort);
* You understand that your results are not determined by chance or by luck (as in: you make your own luck—and the more you try, the luckier you are); and
* You are interested in mastering a topic—not just in getting good grades. You like that: ‘Ohhh, now I get it’—feeling on a regular basis.
When I graduated from college many years ago, the statistics were that 30% of the WORLD’s college graduates were graduating in the United States of America. Today, that percentage of all the world college graduates is now 15% or even lower.
In the meantime, the economy of the world, including the United States of America, has shifted so that the USA is desperate for college graduates and students trained in higher levels of math and science to fill the positions providing a good income and benefits for individuals and families. Then, (in today’s grandparents’ day), there were excellent positions in automobile plants and steel mills and family businesses. Today, the best positions require higher education and extensive training, especially in math, science, and reading.
Too, for the top rated colleges in America, over 90% of the students—specifically, the graduating students--are from the families with the highest income levels in the country.
Translation for students today: You can compete. You can find your intrinsic motivation that never stops. Your parents and grandparents were more likely to get good jobs and to live longer if they graduated from college, but they were also living with friends and family members who were able to have a rewarding and secure lifestyle by working at an interesting job not requiring college. In fact, they often worked up through the training programs.
Today’s students do not have the wide-ranging options of different types of ‘good’ jobs. Today’s students need more math and science and reading to do the new types of ‘good’ jobs in America.
‘Motivation’ to learn and to keep learning for a lifetime comes from within (intrinsic) and from outside (extrinsic). You have much control over both types. Your personal achievements grow as your enjoyment of the work itself grows. Take control. This is independence on the highest level. Be self-motivated. Use what you have to do what you want to do.
judiethcarol www.coolrocketschool.org or google blog cool rocket school tutor
Monday, December 27, 2010
Six Ways to get the best education money can buy...without money!
Series for the Week: Six ways to get the best education money can buy...without so much money.
1. Aptitude
2. Motivation
3. Attitude
4. Resources
5. Mentor
6. Portfolio
ONE-Understand your personal aptitude. Be a sponge in the areas of your strengths. Flex your strengths tirelessly. This sets the stage for play and creativity in your personal learning style.
Every day, go to the Offical SAT Question for the day. (SAT=Scholastic APTITUDE Test) See the archives at Cool Rocket School Tutor for some past articles relating to these questions. See notes about strategies for the Dec 26th and 27th questions here. The post is today, December 27th and has the title 'Aptitude.'
Notice how using these ways of 'solving' the questions applies to many more types of questions--giving you an aptitude boost in how to look at the problem and move to solving quickly and accurately. Be your own guide to using a multi-sensory approach to learn anything.
If you love to play sports, use kinesthetic approaches to learning. If you love to watch sports, make up charts, analyses, and games yourself using the concepts of the games.
If you favor mathematics, mysteries, or puzzles--make logic, including debate and argument, a cornerstone in your personal approach to life. Consider what follows, logically, when you consider the facts.
If you love music, include background music appropriate to your slideshows to study vocabulary, terminology, and any type of memory work--from presentations to multiplication tables to working with square roots.
If you like to draw, mix in architectural type drawing in your math study or characters, even animated versions, in your literature study.
Remember that the more areas of aptitude you have, the better.
When I taught Beowulf to two high school seniors, one of them spontaneously drew the warrior in chalk on the blackboard. His drawing literally 'drew us'--the teacher and some of my younger students--into a great discussion with this senior about the character of Beowulf and about the monster in the ancient story, believed to be the first one written in Old English.
You can make connections all of the time--especially if you are making slideshows, designing brochures about how to fix a flat tire, how to make a pizza, or how to compose a brochure!
If you recognize, for yourself, the way to use a multi-sensory approach, you will be providing yourself with the most expensive type of individualized educational experience.
Here's how to do this: Think of ways to learn more about what you are studying using all of your senses--your hearing, your vision, your physical touch, your sense of smell, your sense of taste.
Appraisers often rub pearls against their teeth to feel whether the pearl is rough, the sign that it is not a manufactured pearl, that it is real. The test is a combination of texture and taste, and not a safe one either. You do not need to taste things that could be dangerous or germ-covered to use this method of learning. You can appreciate what happens in chemical fusions of foods in a clean environment. You can learn about yeast while making bread for pizza crust, and about pasturization in relation to milk--in person at a local dairy--or on line. Plants teach us much about science and economics--from genetics to dependence on imports.Two books that are great for reading portions to get chunks of understanding and food for thought: the classic Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and the family-friendly Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.
Make posters, photographs, maps, charts, and images on PowerPoint displays about terminology, vocabulary, and different languages. Read the descriptions on the sides of everything; and, then, read some of the parallel translations in other languages.
For the rest of your life, keep thinking: What is a multi-sensory approach? How can I use visual assistance? What music or voice (pronunciation of vocabulary) helps to learn what I am studying? What shapes help me to learn? What forms can I make with other textures to teach and to learn these concepts? How can I use vision, sight, hearing, touch, smell to understand and to remember?
Make cards, maps, mobiles, and business plans.
Make powerpoint displays of vocabulary words, adding google images for every word; make board games about what you are studying--then translate at least part of the game into a computer version. Analyze lyrics from music you like to find poetic devices (repetition, rhyme, rhythm, beat, tone, similes, metaphors, hyperbole, understatement, symbolism, character, plot, suspense. Pretend you are teaching to a fifth grader and make an A-Z book with illustrations about literary terms: A is for allusion. English teachers love for you to use allusions to literature in your writing.
Make brochures teaching someone else how to do things: How to cook a pizza, how to fix a bike wheel, how to care for a turtle, how to begin an exercise program, how to make a brochure!
Come back tomorrow for links about NUMBER ONE: APTITUDE. Then, we will continue to explore the way to have an expensive education without paying money you don't have. When we get to 'resources,' we will cover ways to choose when to go ahead and pay for a tutor or a private school for a particular period or for a particular purpose.
If you cannot pay or wish to figure out a way to get the guidance to keep you on track for college, you will need to research some of the standards that private schools use to incorporate the best for their clients. Sometimes the way to do this is to take one type of course with a particular school or instructor, and this should be the area of your greatest aptitude. That work will transcend the confines of a particular area and shine on your life!
See you tomorrow. judiethcarol and rocketcat
1. Aptitude
2. Motivation
3. Attitude
4. Resources
5. Mentor
6. Portfolio
ONE-Understand your personal aptitude. Be a sponge in the areas of your strengths. Flex your strengths tirelessly. This sets the stage for play and creativity in your personal learning style.
Every day, go to the Offical SAT Question for the day. (SAT=Scholastic APTITUDE Test) See the archives at Cool Rocket School Tutor for some past articles relating to these questions. See notes about strategies for the Dec 26th and 27th questions here. The post is today, December 27th and has the title 'Aptitude.'
Notice how using these ways of 'solving' the questions applies to many more types of questions--giving you an aptitude boost in how to look at the problem and move to solving quickly and accurately. Be your own guide to using a multi-sensory approach to learn anything.
If you love to play sports, use kinesthetic approaches to learning. If you love to watch sports, make up charts, analyses, and games yourself using the concepts of the games.
If you favor mathematics, mysteries, or puzzles--make logic, including debate and argument, a cornerstone in your personal approach to life. Consider what follows, logically, when you consider the facts.
If you love music, include background music appropriate to your slideshows to study vocabulary, terminology, and any type of memory work--from presentations to multiplication tables to working with square roots.
If you like to draw, mix in architectural type drawing in your math study or characters, even animated versions, in your literature study.
Remember that the more areas of aptitude you have, the better.
When I taught Beowulf to two high school seniors, one of them spontaneously drew the warrior in chalk on the blackboard. His drawing literally 'drew us'--the teacher and some of my younger students--into a great discussion with this senior about the character of Beowulf and about the monster in the ancient story, believed to be the first one written in Old English.
You can make connections all of the time--especially if you are making slideshows, designing brochures about how to fix a flat tire, how to make a pizza, or how to compose a brochure!
If you recognize, for yourself, the way to use a multi-sensory approach, you will be providing yourself with the most expensive type of individualized educational experience.
Here's how to do this: Think of ways to learn more about what you are studying using all of your senses--your hearing, your vision, your physical touch, your sense of smell, your sense of taste.
Appraisers often rub pearls against their teeth to feel whether the pearl is rough, the sign that it is not a manufactured pearl, that it is real. The test is a combination of texture and taste, and not a safe one either. You do not need to taste things that could be dangerous or germ-covered to use this method of learning. You can appreciate what happens in chemical fusions of foods in a clean environment. You can learn about yeast while making bread for pizza crust, and about pasturization in relation to milk--in person at a local dairy--or on line. Plants teach us much about science and economics--from genetics to dependence on imports.Two books that are great for reading portions to get chunks of understanding and food for thought: the classic Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and the family-friendly Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.
Make posters, photographs, maps, charts, and images on PowerPoint displays about terminology, vocabulary, and different languages. Read the descriptions on the sides of everything; and, then, read some of the parallel translations in other languages.
For the rest of your life, keep thinking: What is a multi-sensory approach? How can I use visual assistance? What music or voice (pronunciation of vocabulary) helps to learn what I am studying? What shapes help me to learn? What forms can I make with other textures to teach and to learn these concepts? How can I use vision, sight, hearing, touch, smell to understand and to remember?
Make cards, maps, mobiles, and business plans.
Make powerpoint displays of vocabulary words, adding google images for every word; make board games about what you are studying--then translate at least part of the game into a computer version. Analyze lyrics from music you like to find poetic devices (repetition, rhyme, rhythm, beat, tone, similes, metaphors, hyperbole, understatement, symbolism, character, plot, suspense. Pretend you are teaching to a fifth grader and make an A-Z book with illustrations about literary terms: A is for allusion. English teachers love for you to use allusions to literature in your writing.
Make brochures teaching someone else how to do things: How to cook a pizza, how to fix a bike wheel, how to care for a turtle, how to begin an exercise program, how to make a brochure!
Come back tomorrow for links about NUMBER ONE: APTITUDE. Then, we will continue to explore the way to have an expensive education without paying money you don't have. When we get to 'resources,' we will cover ways to choose when to go ahead and pay for a tutor or a private school for a particular period or for a particular purpose.
If you cannot pay or wish to figure out a way to get the guidance to keep you on track for college, you will need to research some of the standards that private schools use to incorporate the best for their clients. Sometimes the way to do this is to take one type of course with a particular school or instructor, and this should be the area of your greatest aptitude. That work will transcend the confines of a particular area and shine on your life!
See you tomorrow. judiethcarol and rocketcat
Aptitude
Aptitude:
www.collegeboard.com
This is the perfect site to do a question each day to develop your ‘aptitude.’ Aptitude, supposedly, is not something to study to increase. The fact is, however, you can greatly increase your aptitude for specific standardized tests—including the one that helps you the most in more ways than getting into college, the Scholastic Aptitude Test.
A great thing to do for your personal program of multi-sensory instruction to get a wonderful education without paying so much money is to understand the screening devices of places you may want to go some day. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a major screening device.
Why is this test so much a standard, and how can you use this sophisticated measurement of standards to your advantage?
Look at the question for December 26th first.
I almost missed this one because I was tempted to skip a strategy I know I need to use due to my personal strengths. My personal strengths are visualizing with a more familiar pattern when asked a question with percentages, fractions, or decimals. I especially do better when I use easier names in my pattern question—or letters for the unfamiliar names in the question itself.
Notice that the question for December 26th (which, by the way, was missed by almost seventy percent—70%!—of the thousands of people who responded) has some unusual geographical names. Drop those in your mind when you look at the problem. They do not have anything to do with the problem.
When you attempt to answer the question, be sure to look at the way the SAT shows you to visualize the way to do the problem by assigning letters to the different ‘unknowns.’
Now, let me tell you what I did. I filled in imaginary numbers and city names. I used numbers I could establish percentages easily to see the relationships easily.
A major strategy for aptitude tests is to write your own scenario with your own numbers into the scenario—to see relationships of the numbers. Throw out distractions like unfamiliar place names, too.
www.collegeboard.com Question for December 26th:
I grew up in Atlanta. Atlanta has many more than 200,000 people. However, to do the math easily, I visualized the question this way: Atlanta has 200,000 people (pretend!) and that number of people is one-half the total of the rest of Georgia. That would be 400,000 in the rest of Georgia, right (2 x 200,000)? So, if the rest of GA has twice the number of people in Atlanta, then Atlanta has 1/3 (or 33 and 1/3 % ) of the population of the state. (The rest of the state has 2 times that figure or 66 and 2/3. MAKE SURE YOU ANSWER THE CORRECT QUESTION!!!
Major strategies for aptitude development is to make the pattern of the question look familiar, and be sure to answer the correct question.
I chose 33 and 1/3%--which is the correct answer.
The next day’s question was so easy for me, due to my particular strengths, that I had to be careful to check it to make sure that I did not overlook something. If this type of question or problem is easier for you, too, use the caution I use to make sure I get the points I know! I rarely miss one of these.
The answering strategy is to read the sentence with fill-ins of the simplest word coming to mind that would fit in each of the two blanks. Then, I look below and find the words, in first and second order, that have the same tone and meaning as the words I chose to fill in the blanks.
I call this the RACECAR strategy because I use it on the questions I want to answer very quickly. I check them quickly, too.
This is a great strategy for noticing your aptitude because you force yourself to come up with a way not to go so fast on what you know that you miss something just because you did not pay attention in a test situation. This is the strategy I call the ‘RACECAR’ strategy because you go forward quickly, stop and mark the answer, then roll back just as quickly to eliminate two answers . ‘RACECAR’ is a palindrome—fast forward quickly—but roll back over it so you don’t miss the fast ones.
RACECAR is the same word forward and backward, a palindrome.
This strategy works for these questions every time. Again, this can get so smooth for those of us who enjoy this type of question that we can miss a hint of something else going on. The way to check is quick, however. Eliminate at least two of the other answers AFTER you have marked your answer.
To develop your aptitude, notice which questions your brain wants you to gloss over and answer quickly. Use your abilities and mark the answer. Then, make it a habit to make sure you are right by eliminating at least one or two of the other answers—according to how time consuming it is. If this is not fast, just eliminate one of the wrong answers as your check.
www.collegeboard.com
This is the perfect site to do a question each day to develop your ‘aptitude.’ Aptitude, supposedly, is not something to study to increase. The fact is, however, you can greatly increase your aptitude for specific standardized tests—including the one that helps you the most in more ways than getting into college, the Scholastic Aptitude Test.
A great thing to do for your personal program of multi-sensory instruction to get a wonderful education without paying so much money is to understand the screening devices of places you may want to go some day. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a major screening device.
Why is this test so much a standard, and how can you use this sophisticated measurement of standards to your advantage?
Look at the question for December 26th first.
I almost missed this one because I was tempted to skip a strategy I know I need to use due to my personal strengths. My personal strengths are visualizing with a more familiar pattern when asked a question with percentages, fractions, or decimals. I especially do better when I use easier names in my pattern question—or letters for the unfamiliar names in the question itself.
Notice that the question for December 26th (which, by the way, was missed by almost seventy percent—70%!—of the thousands of people who responded) has some unusual geographical names. Drop those in your mind when you look at the problem. They do not have anything to do with the problem.
When you attempt to answer the question, be sure to look at the way the SAT shows you to visualize the way to do the problem by assigning letters to the different ‘unknowns.’
Now, let me tell you what I did. I filled in imaginary numbers and city names. I used numbers I could establish percentages easily to see the relationships easily.
A major strategy for aptitude tests is to write your own scenario with your own numbers into the scenario—to see relationships of the numbers. Throw out distractions like unfamiliar place names, too.
www.collegeboard.com Question for December 26th:
I grew up in Atlanta. Atlanta has many more than 200,000 people. However, to do the math easily, I visualized the question this way: Atlanta has 200,000 people (pretend!) and that number of people is one-half the total of the rest of Georgia. That would be 400,000 in the rest of Georgia, right (2 x 200,000)? So, if the rest of GA has twice the number of people in Atlanta, then Atlanta has 1/3 (or 33 and 1/3 % ) of the population of the state. (The rest of the state has 2 times that figure or 66 and 2/3. MAKE SURE YOU ANSWER THE CORRECT QUESTION!!!
Major strategies for aptitude development is to make the pattern of the question look familiar, and be sure to answer the correct question.
I chose 33 and 1/3%--which is the correct answer.
The next day’s question was so easy for me, due to my particular strengths, that I had to be careful to check it to make sure that I did not overlook something. If this type of question or problem is easier for you, too, use the caution I use to make sure I get the points I know! I rarely miss one of these.
The answering strategy is to read the sentence with fill-ins of the simplest word coming to mind that would fit in each of the two blanks. Then, I look below and find the words, in first and second order, that have the same tone and meaning as the words I chose to fill in the blanks.
I call this the RACECAR strategy because I use it on the questions I want to answer very quickly. I check them quickly, too.
This is a great strategy for noticing your aptitude because you force yourself to come up with a way not to go so fast on what you know that you miss something just because you did not pay attention in a test situation. This is the strategy I call the ‘RACECAR’ strategy because you go forward quickly, stop and mark the answer, then roll back just as quickly to eliminate two answers . ‘RACECAR’ is a palindrome—fast forward quickly—but roll back over it so you don’t miss the fast ones.
RACECAR is the same word forward and backward, a palindrome.
This strategy works for these questions every time. Again, this can get so smooth for those of us who enjoy this type of question that we can miss a hint of something else going on. The way to check is quick, however. Eliminate at least two of the other answers AFTER you have marked your answer.
To develop your aptitude, notice which questions your brain wants you to gloss over and answer quickly. Use your abilities and mark the answer. Then, make it a habit to make sure you are right by eliminating at least one or two of the other answers—according to how time consuming it is. If this is not fast, just eliminate one of the wrong answers as your check.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Cook, Read, Eat, Pray, Love, Write, Travel, Play...
Today, I'm venturing into one of our favorite 'Curious Learner' realms--cooking and eating together!!!
Make it easy, congenial, and fun to get together for spaghetti, homemade pizza, stir-fry, sundae-salad bars...Decorate (or not), play music, videos, and photographs in slide shows. Take photos of everyone there with this in mind: "I am the photographer capturing the way this person is a star!" Laugh and dance and: Cook, Read, Eat, Pray, Love, Write, Travel, Play...the story of your life.
Go to this link for the Woman's Day guides for easy cooking and playing together:
Our Favorite Savory and Sweet Recipes
This link opens to recipes, cooking techniques, presentation ideas and all the other ways making meals together is joyful, comforting, healing and fun! Maybe these times together will lead to writing a book together about it--with photos--or sharing photos and recipes in on-line presentations. This site has some tips for making a professional style book, and I have some more tips for making inexpensive versions for your groups--whether family, friends, or classmates. Keep coming back to see us at
http://www.coolrocketschool.org/
Enjoy the holidays! Keep on being a Curious Learner every day. Recipes from favorite relatives are terrific connections to pass on through the years.
Merry Christmas and Keep Reading Everything!!! Cool Rocket Cat and Judieth
Make it easy, congenial, and fun to get together for spaghetti, homemade pizza, stir-fry, sundae-salad bars...Decorate (or not), play music, videos, and photographs in slide shows. Take photos of everyone there with this in mind: "I am the photographer capturing the way this person is a star!" Laugh and dance and: Cook, Read, Eat, Pray, Love, Write, Travel, Play...the story of your life.
Go to this link for the Woman's Day guides for easy cooking and playing together:
Our Favorite Savory and Sweet Recipes
This link opens to recipes, cooking techniques, presentation ideas and all the other ways making meals together is joyful, comforting, healing and fun! Maybe these times together will lead to writing a book together about it--with photos--or sharing photos and recipes in on-line presentations. This site has some tips for making a professional style book, and I have some more tips for making inexpensive versions for your groups--whether family, friends, or classmates. Keep coming back to see us at
http://www.coolrocketschool.org/
Enjoy the holidays! Keep on being a Curious Learner every day. Recipes from favorite relatives are terrific connections to pass on through the years.
Merry Christmas and Keep Reading Everything!!! Cool Rocket Cat and Judieth
Friday, December 17, 2010
GET A HAT! To Make Over Yourself, Take Over Yourself
I've rephrased a line from the musical Wicked in today's title because I am studying, observing, and feeling the ways we are informed, styled, and motivated by how we look. Have you been thinking about how you look--at yourself and at others--more during holiday social times? This is when you see new people (and they see you), and people who (literally) size you up since the last time y'all got together--everyone from grandma to your sister's new boyfriend. That's what you are doing right back at 'em, right? But it's all good--even fun--when you take over yourself!
During the holidays, you encounter more people in social situations than you experience in other seasons of the year. Even the clothes you wear for wintertime, rather than summertime, for your particular environment, affect your feelings about how you look to others and how you look at others.
To Make Over Yourself, Take Over Yourself
So, do it: Go to a Western store and try on hats and boots. Go to a department store and try on fedoras and caps. Go to milliner (yes, there ARE still places to find sized hats) and find a fine style for your face, features, and head size! Charlie Brown needs one size of hat; but you may need another.
Notice the fabulous style and flair of Santa Claus. His hat is all you need to conjure some of the positive vibe from Santa. Start your hat chats with a Santa hat, and notice how it complements everything from jeans to strapless gown--the mark of classic elegance. Wear your Santa hat while you go inside a service station to pay for gasoline, while you stand in a grocery store line, to your dinner party with friends--and, especially, at home. Write down at least one thing you notice in how another person responds to your wearing the hat.
Years ago, when I shopped for my grandfather at Christmas, I had his neck size, arm length, waist, and pants length (and began my envy of men's clothing tailoring then, as I got 1/2 size increments on his presents--while guessing if anything fit my grandmother from general masses of 'small'--'medium'--or 'large'--too often resulting in a shapeless nightgown). I usually opted to buy Papa a hat, as I had his exact hat size. Years later, I found that women's clothes, too, can be tailored--for an additional fee. But in those years, even though women did wear fabulous hats to church and to other events, I had never been in a milliner's store, with hats made to order. The women's hats I found then (and now) were not sized.
Male or female, treat yourself to finding a way to have some clothes tailored, by exact sizing or by alterations, to fit! First, do this with a wonderful hat. Shop around for the style you like for yourself. Then, get one that really fits!
Get a new hat! Santa is the world's best hat wearer. Try one of his style. While you are wearing your Santa hat, think about having fun and taking care of all of our friends who are 'there' for us no matter who we are or what we do: See the video. (It's funny.)
How do you see other people? How do people see you when they meet you for the first time--or after a long time? What do you want to see when you look into the mirror? How do you look? Why do you look this way today? How will you look tonight? How will you look tomorrow?
The following is a brief animation about the interaction among different types of participants in a conversation or meeting. Using the hats to designate each 'type'--the 'E4 project' presents an organized way to realize the effective ways to interact with others, accessing the various strengths, and how to realize and animate your personal strengths. You can identify if you are using all of the colors of hats in your own participation--and to use the strengths of others in 'team' effort. This is a way to use how we look to others and toward others in making united effort toward complex and creative objectives. (Unfortunately, in my opinion, all of these animated hat wearers are male; but I'm including this anyway. It's well done, otherwise.)
My first chapter of my book, How We Look, begins with hats. (JudiethCarolCooper, c.2010) (for details about entire book, send an email to Word Pro, Inc. wordproinc@gmail.com with subject line: How We Look )begins with hats. The next chapter is 'Hair'--for awhile. Then we work through neck and shoulders...all the way to feet (Think outside your Socks! See http://www.coolrocketschool.com/) and shoes. From the stars above to the ground below, we are set in the stage of the world. Hold your head up. Pull your shoulders back. Find something to make you laugh. Here's a start.
During the holidays, you encounter more people in social situations than you experience in other seasons of the year. Even the clothes you wear for wintertime, rather than summertime, for your particular environment, affect your feelings about how you look to others and how you look at others.
To Make Over Yourself, Take Over Yourself
So, do it: Go to a Western store and try on hats and boots. Go to a department store and try on fedoras and caps. Go to milliner (yes, there ARE still places to find sized hats) and find a fine style for your face, features, and head size! Charlie Brown needs one size of hat; but you may need another.
Notice the fabulous style and flair of Santa Claus. His hat is all you need to conjure some of the positive vibe from Santa. Start your hat chats with a Santa hat, and notice how it complements everything from jeans to strapless gown--the mark of classic elegance. Wear your Santa hat while you go inside a service station to pay for gasoline, while you stand in a grocery store line, to your dinner party with friends--and, especially, at home. Write down at least one thing you notice in how another person responds to your wearing the hat.
Years ago, when I shopped for my grandfather at Christmas, I had his neck size, arm length, waist, and pants length (and began my envy of men's clothing tailoring then, as I got 1/2 size increments on his presents--while guessing if anything fit my grandmother from general masses of 'small'--'medium'--or 'large'--too often resulting in a shapeless nightgown). I usually opted to buy Papa a hat, as I had his exact hat size. Years later, I found that women's clothes, too, can be tailored--for an additional fee. But in those years, even though women did wear fabulous hats to church and to other events, I had never been in a milliner's store, with hats made to order. The women's hats I found then (and now) were not sized.
Male or female, treat yourself to finding a way to have some clothes tailored, by exact sizing or by alterations, to fit! First, do this with a wonderful hat. Shop around for the style you like for yourself. Then, get one that really fits!
Get a new hat! Santa is the world's best hat wearer. Try one of his style. While you are wearing your Santa hat, think about having fun and taking care of all of our friends who are 'there' for us no matter who we are or what we do: See the video. (It's funny.)
How do you see other people? How do people see you when they meet you for the first time--or after a long time? What do you want to see when you look into the mirror? How do you look? Why do you look this way today? How will you look tonight? How will you look tomorrow?
The following is a brief animation about the interaction among different types of participants in a conversation or meeting. Using the hats to designate each 'type'--the 'E4 project' presents an organized way to realize the effective ways to interact with others, accessing the various strengths, and how to realize and animate your personal strengths. You can identify if you are using all of the colors of hats in your own participation--and to use the strengths of others in 'team' effort. This is a way to use how we look to others and toward others in making united effort toward complex and creative objectives. (Unfortunately, in my opinion, all of these animated hat wearers are male; but I'm including this anyway. It's well done, otherwise.)
My first chapter of my book, How We Look, begins with hats. (JudiethCarolCooper, c.2010) (for details about entire book, send an email to Word Pro, Inc. wordproinc@gmail.com with subject line: How We Look )begins with hats. The next chapter is 'Hair'--for awhile. Then we work through neck and shoulders...all the way to feet (Think outside your Socks! See http://www.coolrocketschool.com/) and shoes. From the stars above to the ground below, we are set in the stage of the world. Hold your head up. Pull your shoulders back. Find something to make you laugh. Here's a start.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
AGENDA: COOL ROCKET SCHOOL IN THE PARK July 23,July 30, August 14, 2010
1. Launch individual Dreams Preferred Portfolios while relaxing in an air conditioned lodge or in the sunshine on the deck--From inside: windows wide to the lake and trees of the park.
Breakfast: Cereal, Locally grown fruit (blueberries, strawberries, peaches--in season, locally baked pecan rolls and zucchini bread (from locally grown zucchini and pecans),boiled eggs and egg salad from free-range chickens (fed 'clean' wholesome food).
Book Circle Selection: Brief Introduction of one of the recommended books for upcoming review: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and her husband and daughters: The family resolves to live on local provenance. This book is recommended by several professors to incoming college freshmen. One of the daughters writing in the book is a student at Duke University (science and dance). http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/
2. Your Story: Begin with Table of Contentment: Introduction to Individual Portfolio: Flash Drive and Disk Storage of Curious Learner work products.
Recreation Interval (RI): Restrooms are in lodge. Bottled water is provided room temperature and refrigerated. Relax in chairs on Wide Deck. Play volleyball and croquet on wide grassy lawn next to lake, music and exercise video in lodge room facing the trees and lake. A variety of snacks are available. Movie and scrabble, chess, checkers video programs are available--no Internet during seminars, though Internet guidance is provided for web quests.
Important Note: Allergies: The food at the seminars includes peanuts, other tree nuts, cheese, eggs, and other ingredients not guaranteed 'allergy-free' for everyone. We provide refrigeration and warmup of snacks and meals you bring. Make teachers aware of any allergies.--bring allergy-free snacks and order allergy-free food from our choices. Check in foods for refrigeration, and we will check them in with a label and store them in accessible area refrigerator (2 on site).
3. Chapter I: You are the Lead in Your Story: Use evaluation and assessment to YOUR advantage: We teach Personal Use of Standardized Tests: Full practice SAT test. Over three hours of first seminar will be the full practice test as chosen from one of the Princeton Review books, sometimes shuffled from more than one practice guide. The time for each section of the test is the same as for the real test. There are some breaks not included in the 'real' test. The breaks are to foreshadow the upcoming support the students will receive in preparing for the actual standardized tests.
Begin plan for each student, customized to the student, for the student's use with us in upcoming courses and seminars. (Teach the student how some teachers use a 'tic-tac-toe' approach to studies as a differentiation technique. Show the student ways to use this approach herself or himself.)
We use Princeton Review publications for the practice tests and strategy sessions. We use many other resources, depending upon the customized plans for each student.
The view of the lake and the trees, all the time, is spectacular and soothing for a relaxed studying atmosphere. Test conditions while practicing are the same as for the official tests--except for the view, the provision of water, peppermints, and an additional break to explain why accommodations are sometimes provide--and how to get those accommodations if you are eligible.
Links and information provided to contact the College Board.
Frequent information is given throughout the day about using the College Board site in a variety of ways: www.collegeboard.com The site has registration information, eligibility for accommodations details, day of test preparation, and so much more to help in other studies on a daily basis.
Word Pro, Inc.'s owner, Judy Cooper, writes a column in response to many of the SAT Questions for the Day on this site: www.coolrocketschool.org (See the archives, e.g., Rocketcat's RACECAR strategy.)
A handout with the links to find out more about how to apply for accommodations is provided to each participant. We give an overview of the accommodations with the dates they are decided for each test.
BOOKS, FILMS, PLAYS, AND POETRY--for Cool Rocket School's Curious Learners.
During meals and snacks all day, we talk about the science and pleasure of pesticide-free, organic, and/or locally produced foods, supporting local businesses and farms with the book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and her family.
Other books and films used in Word Pro Inc.'s supportive seminars: Films: Animals are Beautiful People, October Sky, Akeelah and the Bee, Finding Forrester
Books: Ariadne; Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; Great Expectations A Separate Peace, To Kill A Mockingbird, Silent Spring, Wings for My Flight, Into Thin Air
Plays: Antigone, Julius Caesar, Pride and Prejudice
Poems: The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid
Ask for more extensive lists--contact Judy Cooper, Word Pro, Inc. wordproinc@gmail.com
Ask for information about The Curious Learners' Field Guides to use in your personal study and/or your own classrooms. The guides have disks with printable templates to use in your customized study, with quizzes, study guides, web quests; Socratic Circle and Jigsaw group discussion guides; peer-to-peer rubric evaluation guides; and rubrics to evaluate projects, web quests, examinations, and portfolios--in alignment with professional standards and best practices.
The Curious Learners' Field Guides provide students, teachers, family members, and administrators with the information to generate the information for self guidance and evaluation by the student and for assessment by the teachers for the future progress of each individual student.
For more information, contact one of the teachers at wordproinc@gmail.com or Ms. Cooper or Ms. McDowell individually: judycarolcooper@gmail.com or jmcdowell01@gmail.com
You may also call 678-938-1219.
Breakfast: Cereal, Locally grown fruit (blueberries, strawberries, peaches--in season, locally baked pecan rolls and zucchini bread (from locally grown zucchini and pecans),boiled eggs and egg salad from free-range chickens (fed 'clean' wholesome food).
Book Circle Selection: Brief Introduction of one of the recommended books for upcoming review: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and her husband and daughters: The family resolves to live on local provenance. This book is recommended by several professors to incoming college freshmen. One of the daughters writing in the book is a student at Duke University (science and dance). http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/
2. Your Story: Begin with Table of Contentment: Introduction to Individual Portfolio: Flash Drive and Disk Storage of Curious Learner work products.
Recreation Interval (RI): Restrooms are in lodge. Bottled water is provided room temperature and refrigerated. Relax in chairs on Wide Deck. Play volleyball and croquet on wide grassy lawn next to lake, music and exercise video in lodge room facing the trees and lake. A variety of snacks are available. Movie and scrabble, chess, checkers video programs are available--no Internet during seminars, though Internet guidance is provided for web quests.
Important Note: Allergies: The food at the seminars includes peanuts, other tree nuts, cheese, eggs, and other ingredients not guaranteed 'allergy-free' for everyone. We provide refrigeration and warmup of snacks and meals you bring. Make teachers aware of any allergies.--bring allergy-free snacks and order allergy-free food from our choices. Check in foods for refrigeration, and we will check them in with a label and store them in accessible area refrigerator (2 on site).
3. Chapter I: You are the Lead in Your Story: Use evaluation and assessment to YOUR advantage: We teach Personal Use of Standardized Tests: Full practice SAT test. Over three hours of first seminar will be the full practice test as chosen from one of the Princeton Review books, sometimes shuffled from more than one practice guide. The time for each section of the test is the same as for the real test. There are some breaks not included in the 'real' test. The breaks are to foreshadow the upcoming support the students will receive in preparing for the actual standardized tests.
Begin plan for each student, customized to the student, for the student's use with us in upcoming courses and seminars. (Teach the student how some teachers use a 'tic-tac-toe' approach to studies as a differentiation technique. Show the student ways to use this approach herself or himself.)
We use Princeton Review publications for the practice tests and strategy sessions. We use many other resources, depending upon the customized plans for each student.
The view of the lake and the trees, all the time, is spectacular and soothing for a relaxed studying atmosphere. Test conditions while practicing are the same as for the official tests--except for the view, the provision of water, peppermints, and an additional break to explain why accommodations are sometimes provide--and how to get those accommodations if you are eligible.
Links and information provided to contact the College Board.
Frequent information is given throughout the day about using the College Board site in a variety of ways: www.collegeboard.com The site has registration information, eligibility for accommodations details, day of test preparation, and so much more to help in other studies on a daily basis.
Word Pro, Inc.'s owner, Judy Cooper, writes a column in response to many of the SAT Questions for the Day on this site: www.coolrocketschool.org (See the archives, e.g., Rocketcat's RACECAR strategy.)
A handout with the links to find out more about how to apply for accommodations is provided to each participant. We give an overview of the accommodations with the dates they are decided for each test.
BOOKS, FILMS, PLAYS, AND POETRY--for Cool Rocket School's Curious Learners.
During meals and snacks all day, we talk about the science and pleasure of pesticide-free, organic, and/or locally produced foods, supporting local businesses and farms with the book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and her family.
Other books and films used in Word Pro Inc.'s supportive seminars: Films: Animals are Beautiful People, October Sky, Akeelah and the Bee, Finding Forrester
Books: Ariadne; Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; Great Expectations A Separate Peace, To Kill A Mockingbird, Silent Spring, Wings for My Flight, Into Thin Air
Plays: Antigone, Julius Caesar, Pride and Prejudice
Poems: The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid
Ask for more extensive lists--contact Judy Cooper, Word Pro, Inc. wordproinc@gmail.com
Ask for information about The Curious Learners' Field Guides to use in your personal study and/or your own classrooms. The guides have disks with printable templates to use in your customized study, with quizzes, study guides, web quests; Socratic Circle and Jigsaw group discussion guides; peer-to-peer rubric evaluation guides; and rubrics to evaluate projects, web quests, examinations, and portfolios--in alignment with professional standards and best practices.
The Curious Learners' Field Guides provide students, teachers, family members, and administrators with the information to generate the information for self guidance and evaluation by the student and for assessment by the teachers for the future progress of each individual student.
For more information, contact one of the teachers at wordproinc@gmail.com or Ms. Cooper or Ms. McDowell individually: judycarolcooper@gmail.com or jmcdowell01@gmail.com
You may also call 678-938-1219.
Georgia State Parks - Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites Mark your Calendars for July 23, July 30, and/or August 14
July 23, July 30, and/or August 14, 2010 Individual and group support through weekend seminars, enrichment seminars during intersessions, field trips and college trips during school breaks, holiday and winter vacation reading circles and entertainment together.
For support, wherever you go to school--or wherever you are going in the future, on through college and career training: It's cool here. Pass this way. Learn in the park while you relax.
Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, and Picnic Dinner from local provenance--Homemade cake and/or delicious local fresh fruit for dessert! (see Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver or http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/ )
You have a great view here with us, AND we have air conditioning in a comfortable lodge setting for class.
Please DO look out the windows at the lake and trees. Please do walk out on the deck and lawn during recreational breaks. This invitation is from the teachers. Listen, take notes, add to your portfolio, and put the photographs in your mind of the lake and trees, along with the quiet, the life sounds of birds, the way the air rushes into your lungs when you step out on the deck and the lawn. Put the feeling of comfort, the feeling of creativity, the feeling of a genuine smile into your mind and body while you learn. Your mind's environment travels with you always.)
The lodge classes are handicap accessible, including easy drive up and parking for everyone.
Pass this way!!! Mark your calendar: July 23, July 30, and/or August 14, 2010 to begin--and to sign up for future support seminars, literary circles, field trips, golf lessons, horseback riding lessons and more....
We serve varieties of locally grown pesticide-free fruits and vegetables, free range chicken eggs, hormone-free cow's milk and homemade--vegetarian options available for all meals--and a cookout picnic at the end of the day with vegetarian options, also.
LIMITED SEATING FOR ACADEMIES IN THE PARK!! WE OFFER SUPPORT FOR THE STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC YEAR:
Sessions begin July 23, July 30, and August 14, 2010. These sessions use Scholastic Aptitude Test preparation as the first part of the student's index in a portfolio. The use of the SAT preparation practice tests is according to the grade level of the student--beginning with a full use of the entire SAT practice guides in the 8th and 9th grade level.
Contact a teacher for details: wordproinc@gmail.com
MARK THESE DATES-July 23, July 30, and August 14, 2010. Each session includes the launching session for each student. Each session stands alone, yet continues into other sessions. All future sessions from the first are continuation of the individualized program for each student.
Preparation for Standardized Tests and Production of International Baccalaureate Style Personal Portfolio begins at the park seminars with breakfast, snacks, and a picnic you will LOVE!
First sessions July 23, July 30, and August 14, 2010, with registration for follow-up sessions, field trips, college trips throughout the year--on weekends, at your school, on field trips (including a field trip to Ossabaw Island). Each event or program is separate; and each is coordinated with the individual student's individual portfolio.
Private School Style instruction in public parks in Georgia includes wonderful breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner!
We have Pecan Rolls, Fresh Vegetables, Fresh Fruit, and Barbecue! (and Chocolate Cake, too!)
We have great food for your mind and great food for your brain and body from local provenance and local caterers.
Be a Cool Rocket School "Park Academy" student through the courses provided by the experienced teachers of Word Pro, Inc.
From zucchini bread and pecan rolls with your cereal, juice, milk, and eggs for breakfast to your fresh salads, to your barbecue dinner, the local fresh food provides an experience you will love!
First sessions: July 23, July 30, and August 14, 2010
This is an academy in the park model designed by the owner of Word Pro, Inc.
Among other texts provided in the seminars, each student uses the Princeton Review practice tests and other practice activities from the various Princeton Review publications supplementing the Princeton Review's guides to the Scholastic Aptitude Test. We explain and study the use of the SAT and other standardized tests as tools for the student's individual portfolios.
Lead Curious Learners:
Judy C. Cooper, University of Georgia graduate; Certified in Georgia to teach Gifted, English, Reading, and Exceptional Education.
Ms. Cooper specializes in individual tutoring. She designs and implements individual plans and programs for students in private school and in public school.
Ms. Cooper teaches classes of one-six students in Advanced Placement World Literature, American Literature, and British Literature, Senior level, and other grade levels. She adjusts strategies for learners to include the development of personal gifts in all learning experiences.
Ms. Cooper's ideal for teaching is to help learners to pursue happiness. Her emphasis in teaching is on the verb 'pursue' happiness.
In addition to extensive experience in private tutoring, she has taught in public and private school, including Brandon Hall, a private school in Atlanta. She writes the Curious Learners' Field Guides in consultation with Ms. Jody McDowell, another Curious Learner Lead Teacher in the Park.
Jody McDowell, MAT, Specialist Degrees, Converse College, Experienced Latin teacher/Northside High School of Performing Arts, Atlanta. Ms. McDowell's ideal for teaching is to help learners to celebrate connections from the ancient to the modern. Ms. McDowell emphasizes embracing the eternal braid of cultural contributions to each learner's individuality. Ms. McDowell is renowned for promotion of community and international activities when she taught in Atlanta and Roswell--with an active Latin Club of over 100 members.
Ms. McDowell planned international trips and accompanied students on trips to Italy, mentoring students in cultural activities in Atlanta and abroad. Ms. McDowell spent her own student summers in Spain and in Greece.
Ms. McDowell and Ms. Cooper plan college trips and field trips for students throughout the year for small groups to attend plays, the High Museum, reading circles in restaurants, Fernbank IMAX, events at Emory University, Georgia State University, and the University of Georgia.
See websites below for lodging, golf, horseback riding, and other options available for families of the students who choose to stay for a day in the park, too. There are cottages, lodges for sleeping, and campsites here. The accommodations are gracious, comfortable, and beautiful.
Georgia State Parks - Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites
For support, wherever you go to school--or wherever you are going in the future, on through college and career training: It's cool here. Pass this way. Learn in the park while you relax.
Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, and Picnic Dinner from local provenance--Homemade cake and/or delicious local fresh fruit for dessert! (see Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver or http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/ )
You have a great view here with us, AND we have air conditioning in a comfortable lodge setting for class.
Please DO look out the windows at the lake and trees. Please do walk out on the deck and lawn during recreational breaks. This invitation is from the teachers. Listen, take notes, add to your portfolio, and put the photographs in your mind of the lake and trees, along with the quiet, the life sounds of birds, the way the air rushes into your lungs when you step out on the deck and the lawn. Put the feeling of comfort, the feeling of creativity, the feeling of a genuine smile into your mind and body while you learn. Your mind's environment travels with you always.)
The lodge classes are handicap accessible, including easy drive up and parking for everyone.
Pass this way!!! Mark your calendar: July 23, July 30, and/or August 14, 2010 to begin--and to sign up for future support seminars, literary circles, field trips, golf lessons, horseback riding lessons and more....
We serve varieties of locally grown pesticide-free fruits and vegetables, free range chicken eggs, hormone-free cow's milk and homemade--vegetarian options available for all meals--and a cookout picnic at the end of the day with vegetarian options, also.
LIMITED SEATING FOR ACADEMIES IN THE PARK!! WE OFFER SUPPORT FOR THE STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC YEAR:
Sessions begin July 23, July 30, and August 14, 2010. These sessions use Scholastic Aptitude Test preparation as the first part of the student's index in a portfolio. The use of the SAT preparation practice tests is according to the grade level of the student--beginning with a full use of the entire SAT practice guides in the 8th and 9th grade level.
Contact a teacher for details: wordproinc@gmail.com
MARK THESE DATES-July 23, July 30, and August 14, 2010. Each session includes the launching session for each student. Each session stands alone, yet continues into other sessions. All future sessions from the first are continuation of the individualized program for each student.
Preparation for Standardized Tests and Production of International Baccalaureate Style Personal Portfolio begins at the park seminars with breakfast, snacks, and a picnic you will LOVE!
First sessions July 23, July 30, and August 14, 2010, with registration for follow-up sessions, field trips, college trips throughout the year--on weekends, at your school, on field trips (including a field trip to Ossabaw Island). Each event or program is separate; and each is coordinated with the individual student's individual portfolio.
Private School Style instruction in public parks in Georgia includes wonderful breakfast, snacks, lunch, and dinner!
We have Pecan Rolls, Fresh Vegetables, Fresh Fruit, and Barbecue! (and Chocolate Cake, too!)
We have great food for your mind and great food for your brain and body from local provenance and local caterers.
Be a Cool Rocket School "Park Academy" student through the courses provided by the experienced teachers of Word Pro, Inc.
From zucchini bread and pecan rolls with your cereal, juice, milk, and eggs for breakfast to your fresh salads, to your barbecue dinner, the local fresh food provides an experience you will love!
First sessions: July 23, July 30, and August 14, 2010
This is an academy in the park model designed by the owner of Word Pro, Inc.
Among other texts provided in the seminars, each student uses the Princeton Review practice tests and other practice activities from the various Princeton Review publications supplementing the Princeton Review's guides to the Scholastic Aptitude Test. We explain and study the use of the SAT and other standardized tests as tools for the student's individual portfolios.
Lead Curious Learners:
Judy C. Cooper, University of Georgia graduate; Certified in Georgia to teach Gifted, English, Reading, and Exceptional Education.
Ms. Cooper specializes in individual tutoring. She designs and implements individual plans and programs for students in private school and in public school.
Ms. Cooper teaches classes of one-six students in Advanced Placement World Literature, American Literature, and British Literature, Senior level, and other grade levels. She adjusts strategies for learners to include the development of personal gifts in all learning experiences.
Ms. Cooper's ideal for teaching is to help learners to pursue happiness. Her emphasis in teaching is on the verb 'pursue' happiness.
In addition to extensive experience in private tutoring, she has taught in public and private school, including Brandon Hall, a private school in Atlanta. She writes the Curious Learners' Field Guides in consultation with Ms. Jody McDowell, another Curious Learner Lead Teacher in the Park.
Jody McDowell, MAT, Specialist Degrees, Converse College, Experienced Latin teacher/Northside High School of Performing Arts, Atlanta. Ms. McDowell's ideal for teaching is to help learners to celebrate connections from the ancient to the modern. Ms. McDowell emphasizes embracing the eternal braid of cultural contributions to each learner's individuality. Ms. McDowell is renowned for promotion of community and international activities when she taught in Atlanta and Roswell--with an active Latin Club of over 100 members.
Ms. McDowell planned international trips and accompanied students on trips to Italy, mentoring students in cultural activities in Atlanta and abroad. Ms. McDowell spent her own student summers in Spain and in Greece.
Ms. McDowell and Ms. Cooper plan college trips and field trips for students throughout the year for small groups to attend plays, the High Museum, reading circles in restaurants, Fernbank IMAX, events at Emory University, Georgia State University, and the University of Georgia.
See websites below for lodging, golf, horseback riding, and other options available for families of the students who choose to stay for a day in the park, too. There are cottages, lodges for sleeping, and campsites here. The accommodations are gracious, comfortable, and beautiful.
Georgia State Parks - Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
RACECAR STRATEGY WINS AGAIN ON SAT June 22 Question for the DAY
ROCKETCAT RACECAR STRATEGY WINS AGAIN ON JUNE 22, 2010, SAT QUESTION FOR THE DAY!
Our Rocketcat winning strategy for the College Board SAT Question for the Day, June 22, 2010, is the classic, fast ‘RACECAR’ strategy. WATCH FOR LACK OF PARALLELISM IN THE SECTIONS ENTITLED: Writing: Identifying Sentence Errors.)
Read from top left of the title of the section to note that you are looking for(Writing: Sentence Error): an error in the sentence;
Continue quickly through all the words, left to right, in the Directions to remind your brain of the sequence for finding the error and answering correctly.
o The sentence will contain one grammatical error or no error at all.
o Portions of the sentence are underlined.
o Read the sentence, left to right, and notice if changing any one of the underlined portions will transform the sentence from incorrect to correct.
o Notice that the underlined portion does not have to be incorrect all by itself, only that the sentence needs correction.
o When you realize what correction is necessary for the sentence, choose the letter of the underlined portion that could be changed to ‘fix’ this error.
o If nothing is incorrect, mark ‘E’ on the answer sheet.
RACECAR strategy is to move quickly, purposefully, and smoothly to the finish line. Put your correct answer next to the correct letter on the answer sheet.
In this question, while reading the sentence, you notice as you go from left to right what the potential is for the underlined portions to need changing.
For example, the introductory phrase is going to need a specific person after the comma—Is that what happens? Yes, ‘Thurgood Marshall’ is the referenced Supreme Court justice. So ‘A’ probably does not need correcting.
The next underlined portion is a verb form, so it should be in agreement. It is. So the answer is not A.
Now, as a list of what Thurgood Marshall ‘was known for’ is coming up, you are expecting parallel construction: quest, opposition, support—No, the word here is not parallel. Instead of using another noun (quest, opposition…support) here, the writer changed to a different form of the word.
This underlined portion, D, can be changed to make the sentence correct. Therefore, the answer is D.
A correction possibility would be: As a Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall was known for his quest to end racial discrimination, his opposition to the death penalty, and his support for free speech and civil liberties.
Strategies to use every time with these questions:
RACECAR strategy: RACECAR is a palindrome (meaning it reads the same both ways).
o Speed through the title, directions, and the sentence to notice the predictable errors.
1. Do subjects and verbs agree in number?
2. Do introductory phrases connect properly to modified words?
3. Do antecedents agree with pronouns?
4. Do all items in a list have the same form?
If there is a LIST OF ANY KIND, including bullets, is every item in the list in the same format? If not, this is called ‘lack of parallelism,’ and you will have errors of this type on an SAT test. Watch for the way this question is asked. Answer correctly!
Our Rocketcat winning strategy for the College Board SAT Question for the Day, June 22, 2010, is the classic, fast ‘RACECAR’ strategy. WATCH FOR LACK OF PARALLELISM IN THE SECTIONS ENTITLED: Writing: Identifying Sentence Errors.)
Read from top left of the title of the section to note that you are looking for(Writing: Sentence Error): an error in the sentence;
Continue quickly through all the words, left to right, in the Directions to remind your brain of the sequence for finding the error and answering correctly.
o The sentence will contain one grammatical error or no error at all.
o Portions of the sentence are underlined.
o Read the sentence, left to right, and notice if changing any one of the underlined portions will transform the sentence from incorrect to correct.
o Notice that the underlined portion does not have to be incorrect all by itself, only that the sentence needs correction.
o When you realize what correction is necessary for the sentence, choose the letter of the underlined portion that could be changed to ‘fix’ this error.
o If nothing is incorrect, mark ‘E’ on the answer sheet.
RACECAR strategy is to move quickly, purposefully, and smoothly to the finish line. Put your correct answer next to the correct letter on the answer sheet.
In this question, while reading the sentence, you notice as you go from left to right what the potential is for the underlined portions to need changing.
For example, the introductory phrase is going to need a specific person after the comma—Is that what happens? Yes, ‘Thurgood Marshall’ is the referenced Supreme Court justice. So ‘A’ probably does not need correcting.
The next underlined portion is a verb form, so it should be in agreement. It is. So the answer is not A.
Now, as a list of what Thurgood Marshall ‘was known for’ is coming up, you are expecting parallel construction: quest, opposition, support—No, the word here is not parallel. Instead of using another noun (quest, opposition…support) here, the writer changed to a different form of the word.
This underlined portion, D, can be changed to make the sentence correct. Therefore, the answer is D.
A correction possibility would be: As a Supreme Court justice, Thurgood Marshall was known for his quest to end racial discrimination, his opposition to the death penalty, and his support for free speech and civil liberties.
Strategies to use every time with these questions:
RACECAR strategy: RACECAR is a palindrome (meaning it reads the same both ways).
o Speed through the title, directions, and the sentence to notice the predictable errors.
1. Do subjects and verbs agree in number?
2. Do introductory phrases connect properly to modified words?
3. Do antecedents agree with pronouns?
4. Do all items in a list have the same form?
If there is a LIST OF ANY KIND, including bullets, is every item in the list in the same format? If not, this is called ‘lack of parallelism,’ and you will have errors of this type on an SAT test. Watch for the way this question is asked. Answer correctly!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Private Tutor Notes For 2 Days Before SAT
Best Tips from Private Tutor: Two Days to Improve SAT Score
I am certified in nine teaching areas. I often teach students individually. I tried to condense all the strategies –or some of the best—here. But if you do not feel you have the time or inclination to read some of my columns, including this one, on www.coolrocketschool.org , do these five things:
1. Use the www.collegeboard.com website for practicing to read the varied types of questions and style of answering. DO PRINT OUT THE CHECKLIST FOR THE DAY OF THE TEST. Visualize getting up, dressing, having breakfast…directions, good driver, gas in the car…starting EARLY.
2. Go to a bookstore and/or the library and pull some children’s science, math, and history books along with some reference books with vocabulary.
3. Go to the reference shelves, and get several of the SAT study books.
4. Sit down in one of the chairs, and look at the strategies to make a ‘template’ for yourself in how to answer certain types of questions.
5. Read portions of the children’s books on science, history, and math. Make some notes with little drawings. Is anyone ‘Smarter than a Fifth Grader’? Usually, we have to study!!
6. Using the SAT books, make up a template for answering fill in the blank questions (including, for example, whether the words are positive or negative. Think of a simple small word that would fit, and look for a similar word.
7. To answer sentence completion questions, whether one or two blanks, think of a simple word that would fit and look for that type of word (positive or negative, etc) in the answer lists.
8. Eliminate at least one of the possible answers after choosing the ‘correct’ answer. Make it clear to yourself that you are answer the question that is asked.
9. My pattern for questions that seem ‘too easy’ is to go fast and straight to solve the question—then race backwards through the other answers to eliminate at least one of the ‘wrong’ answers.
10. Try to get plenty of rest. But do not panic if you cannot sleep well the night before a test. Do stay in a relaxed state, whether you can sleep or not.
11. Rest. You may be very tired after the test if you are not able to achieve deep sleep the night before, but you will probably be okay during the test.
12. Plan to take a nap AFTER!
I, personally, usually do fine on standardized tests. Teachers often do well on standardized tests. Some do not. Why am I telling you this as an important strategy? Know your strengths and use those. My greatest strength is a curiosity about what I call ‘code.’ Just studying words in the glossaries of textbooks before a test can help me to get several more answers correct.
Here are some things I do before a standardized test: I notice all the words I encounter, whether on a cereal box or on the directions to setting up my printer. I read the same instructions for putting together my little Eureka vacuum cleaner in English, Spanish, and French. I notice that the word in other languages for ‘Warning’ is a word that looks almost like ‘Advertisement’ but also like ‘Advisement.
The more words you understand—whether vocabulary words, literary terms, mathematical terms, science words, or Latin or Greek root words, the more points you will score on the SAT test.
No, you cannot ‘cram’ a lifetime of new words in two days. What you CAN do is to remind your brain of how it already knows several hundred words that you do not realize you know.
How can you do this increase in vocabulary in two days? Keep reading for enjoyment, AND look at words in the passages and questions on the SAT. Go to a Borders or Barnes and Noble and pick up the SAT books in the ‘Reference’ section and sit down in a chair. Open the books to the pages that explain the answers to the verbal questions. Read some of these passages. Then, open the books to the glossaries. Just read.
Yes, READ PAGES OF GLOSSARIES, especially pages of glossaries in the SAT books. Buy one to take home. But, first, take a stack to a seat in the bookstore and look at the words and the explanations of the problems.
My writing style is often too wordy for fast absorption. Today, I am using ‘cut’ and ‘delete’ often to pare this down for 2 days until a standardized test. Visualize the June 5 testing date for the SAT, and use the ‘deadline’ features to put your brain in the right mode.
1. Go to the www.collegeboard.com site daily to do the question for the day.
2. Read the question from the upper left corner all the way through the end—through the last answer choice.
3. Move smoothly through each question, whether you actually know how to do it right away or not.
4. Have a strategy of what to do for each type of question—whether you understand how to find the correct answer or not.
5. Go to www.collegeboard.com site: PRINT OUT THE CHECKLIST FOR THE DAY OF THE TEST. USE it!!!
6. Use every resource you have—from an understanding friend or grandmother to a good bed for a night’s sleep. Avoid negative people, if you can. Visit them another time.
7. Know how to get to the test site, where to park, what you can take to help you. Please go to the site and use the resources to visualize the day to your highest comfort level. Be as comfortable as you possibly can be! Stay away from every negative thing or person you can avoid.
8. HOW TO WORK ON THE ANSWER SHEET: Check often to make sure you are on the correct number! Do not panic. Just keep making sure you are answering the right question.
9. Read carefully, smoothly, and visually. Keep going. Keep your answer sheet clean and marked with a dot in the correct answer circle, filling in the circles about every two answers. Do NOT wait until the end to ‘color in’—as you may run out of time for that section!
READ THE TITLE OF EVERY SECTION: What are they measuring?
What does the title say you will be doing?
Begin to anticipate how such a measure will be done.
That is, how would you ask a question to measure this ability? Example: ‘Sentence Error’.
How can we find out if you recognize errors? Do you know how to correct errors?
DIRECTIONS: Here is the way to go! Read the Directions—even if you have used this style of directions before. Read the directions every time. This is a ‘brain thing.’
Reading this way puts your brain into the gear for this set of questions by reminding it of the style of the answering procedure while the rest of your brain is moving in on the solution.
Read: title, directions, problem, answers—Jot down notes, patterns, pictures, and graphs (yes, graphs).
Visualize the situation for every type of question.
READ THE HINT for practice questions on www.collegeboard.com . There are often many ways to solve a problem.
Look at the way the explanation says to solve the problem and compare it to your method. Keep using your style if it still makes sense to you, AND notice how to do the same problem with the style that is explained on the website.
10. While practicing from the website: IMMEDIATELY after trying to get the answer, look at the answer on the screen. Read it from top to bottom with the correct answer checked. Read the explanation; and, very important—Write your own explanations!
I am certified in nine teaching areas. I often teach students individually. I tried to condense all the strategies –or some of the best—here. But if you do not feel you have the time or inclination to read some of my columns, including this one, on www.coolrocketschool.org , do these five things:
1. Use the www.collegeboard.com website for practicing to read the varied types of questions and style of answering. DO PRINT OUT THE CHECKLIST FOR THE DAY OF THE TEST. Visualize getting up, dressing, having breakfast…directions, good driver, gas in the car…starting EARLY.
2. Go to a bookstore and/or the library and pull some children’s science, math, and history books along with some reference books with vocabulary.
3. Go to the reference shelves, and get several of the SAT study books.
4. Sit down in one of the chairs, and look at the strategies to make a ‘template’ for yourself in how to answer certain types of questions.
5. Read portions of the children’s books on science, history, and math. Make some notes with little drawings. Is anyone ‘Smarter than a Fifth Grader’? Usually, we have to study!!
6. Using the SAT books, make up a template for answering fill in the blank questions (including, for example, whether the words are positive or negative. Think of a simple small word that would fit, and look for a similar word.
7. To answer sentence completion questions, whether one or two blanks, think of a simple word that would fit and look for that type of word (positive or negative, etc) in the answer lists.
8. Eliminate at least one of the possible answers after choosing the ‘correct’ answer. Make it clear to yourself that you are answer the question that is asked.
9. My pattern for questions that seem ‘too easy’ is to go fast and straight to solve the question—then race backwards through the other answers to eliminate at least one of the ‘wrong’ answers.
10. Try to get plenty of rest. But do not panic if you cannot sleep well the night before a test. Do stay in a relaxed state, whether you can sleep or not.
11. Rest. You may be very tired after the test if you are not able to achieve deep sleep the night before, but you will probably be okay during the test.
12. Plan to take a nap AFTER!
I, personally, usually do fine on standardized tests. Teachers often do well on standardized tests. Some do not. Why am I telling you this as an important strategy? Know your strengths and use those. My greatest strength is a curiosity about what I call ‘code.’ Just studying words in the glossaries of textbooks before a test can help me to get several more answers correct.
Here are some things I do before a standardized test: I notice all the words I encounter, whether on a cereal box or on the directions to setting up my printer. I read the same instructions for putting together my little Eureka vacuum cleaner in English, Spanish, and French. I notice that the word in other languages for ‘Warning’ is a word that looks almost like ‘Advertisement’ but also like ‘Advisement.
The more words you understand—whether vocabulary words, literary terms, mathematical terms, science words, or Latin or Greek root words, the more points you will score on the SAT test.
No, you cannot ‘cram’ a lifetime of new words in two days. What you CAN do is to remind your brain of how it already knows several hundred words that you do not realize you know.
How can you do this increase in vocabulary in two days? Keep reading for enjoyment, AND look at words in the passages and questions on the SAT. Go to a Borders or Barnes and Noble and pick up the SAT books in the ‘Reference’ section and sit down in a chair. Open the books to the pages that explain the answers to the verbal questions. Read some of these passages. Then, open the books to the glossaries. Just read.
Yes, READ PAGES OF GLOSSARIES, especially pages of glossaries in the SAT books. Buy one to take home. But, first, take a stack to a seat in the bookstore and look at the words and the explanations of the problems.
My writing style is often too wordy for fast absorption. Today, I am using ‘cut’ and ‘delete’ often to pare this down for 2 days until a standardized test. Visualize the June 5 testing date for the SAT, and use the ‘deadline’ features to put your brain in the right mode.
1. Go to the www.collegeboard.com site daily to do the question for the day.
2. Read the question from the upper left corner all the way through the end—through the last answer choice.
3. Move smoothly through each question, whether you actually know how to do it right away or not.
4. Have a strategy of what to do for each type of question—whether you understand how to find the correct answer or not.
5. Go to www.collegeboard.com site: PRINT OUT THE CHECKLIST FOR THE DAY OF THE TEST. USE it!!!
6. Use every resource you have—from an understanding friend or grandmother to a good bed for a night’s sleep. Avoid negative people, if you can. Visit them another time.
7. Know how to get to the test site, where to park, what you can take to help you. Please go to the site and use the resources to visualize the day to your highest comfort level. Be as comfortable as you possibly can be! Stay away from every negative thing or person you can avoid.
8. HOW TO WORK ON THE ANSWER SHEET: Check often to make sure you are on the correct number! Do not panic. Just keep making sure you are answering the right question.
9. Read carefully, smoothly, and visually. Keep going. Keep your answer sheet clean and marked with a dot in the correct answer circle, filling in the circles about every two answers. Do NOT wait until the end to ‘color in’—as you may run out of time for that section!
READ THE TITLE OF EVERY SECTION: What are they measuring?
What does the title say you will be doing?
Begin to anticipate how such a measure will be done.
That is, how would you ask a question to measure this ability? Example: ‘Sentence Error’.
How can we find out if you recognize errors? Do you know how to correct errors?
DIRECTIONS: Here is the way to go! Read the Directions—even if you have used this style of directions before. Read the directions every time. This is a ‘brain thing.’
Reading this way puts your brain into the gear for this set of questions by reminding it of the style of the answering procedure while the rest of your brain is moving in on the solution.
Read: title, directions, problem, answers—Jot down notes, patterns, pictures, and graphs (yes, graphs).
Visualize the situation for every type of question.
READ THE HINT for practice questions on www.collegeboard.com . There are often many ways to solve a problem.
Look at the way the explanation says to solve the problem and compare it to your method. Keep using your style if it still makes sense to you, AND notice how to do the same problem with the style that is explained on the website.
10. While practicing from the website: IMMEDIATELY after trying to get the answer, look at the answer on the screen. Read it from top to bottom with the correct answer checked. Read the explanation; and, very important—Write your own explanations!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
A bountiful vegetable garden on Shine and SAT tips for June 5
Tips to create a bountiful vegetable garden on Shine AND SAT PREP FOR JUNE 5
In between specific SAT studies, Click the 'Tips' site above to see a video about creating a garden. I am teaching Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver; and I will give you much information in the future, on this site, about how to relate such studies to having a wonderful time in your educational pursuits ("pursuit of happiness"). For the upcoming June 5 SAT, I am writing a column to condense the best strategies from all my former columns archived on this blog site. In the meantime, know this: The Question for the Day on the http://www.collegeboard.com/ site is the one best way to spend a few minutes every day in relation to preparing for the test.
When you work on the question for the day, read it from top left, including the title and directions, to the end of the question, passage, or problem. Then glance down to see the format of the answers. Make a solution of the question, or a pattern for the solution, before you try the answers. Know either the type of answer or the answer you are seeking in the multiple choice before you go to the answers. Think of it like this: I am looking for _____ (the answer or, for example, a word that would fit a fill in the blank). Then, choose that answer and mark it on the answer sheet, carefully, without marking stray places. Then, quickly, check the answer by eliminating another one of the choices. This gives you a way to notice if you answered the correct question.
Answering the wrong question is a major source of error. The answer to the wrong question will be one of the choices because the test is designed to test your aptitude. Part of an ability to do well on a test is to recognize that more than one question may be asked about facts given, a passage, or any other type of problem.
The one BEST thing to know about the multiple choice answers on the SAT is that you will choose the correct one efficiently and accurately when you are looking for the answer you know rather than looking for a way to figure out which of the displayed answers is the correct answer. This may seem obvious, but it is not. You have to do the different styles of practice questions over and over to appreciate what I am telling you in this 'BEST' strategy.
When you solve the question for the day, correctly or incorrectly, go back and put the correct answer in. Then VIEW THE QUESTION FOR THE DAY ON THE SCREEN WITH THE CORRECT ANSWER CHECKED AND THE SCREEN EXPLANATION OF THE QUESTION. THE ACTUAL VIEW, LOOKING AT IT--OR HAVING IT DESCRIBED TO YOU IN DETAIL FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED--IS HOW YOU WILL LEARN THE WAY TO MOVE QUICKLY AND ACCURATELY ON THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU DO UNDERSTAND.
This is a BRAIN strategy. Seeing the correct solution and the explanation teaches you the way your brain needs to 'snapshot' this type of problem. A problem with many students is that they do not get IMMEDIATE answers to find out when they are straying from the correct solutions. While you are preparing, get immediate and correct responses to view. As a teacher, I have this issue with homework. I WANT you to see the correct answers immediately. If you use a study guide, such as the excellent Princeton Reviews, do only two or three problems at a time. Then, stop, and look at the correct solutions immediately, along with the explanations.
Come back soon. judiethcarol&rocketcatMay,2010
In between specific SAT studies, Click the 'Tips' site above to see a video about creating a garden. I am teaching Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver; and I will give you much information in the future, on this site, about how to relate such studies to having a wonderful time in your educational pursuits ("pursuit of happiness"). For the upcoming June 5 SAT, I am writing a column to condense the best strategies from all my former columns archived on this blog site. In the meantime, know this: The Question for the Day on the http://www.collegeboard.com/ site is the one best way to spend a few minutes every day in relation to preparing for the test.
When you work on the question for the day, read it from top left, including the title and directions, to the end of the question, passage, or problem. Then glance down to see the format of the answers. Make a solution of the question, or a pattern for the solution, before you try the answers. Know either the type of answer or the answer you are seeking in the multiple choice before you go to the answers. Think of it like this: I am looking for _____ (the answer or, for example, a word that would fit a fill in the blank). Then, choose that answer and mark it on the answer sheet, carefully, without marking stray places. Then, quickly, check the answer by eliminating another one of the choices. This gives you a way to notice if you answered the correct question.
Answering the wrong question is a major source of error. The answer to the wrong question will be one of the choices because the test is designed to test your aptitude. Part of an ability to do well on a test is to recognize that more than one question may be asked about facts given, a passage, or any other type of problem.
The one BEST thing to know about the multiple choice answers on the SAT is that you will choose the correct one efficiently and accurately when you are looking for the answer you know rather than looking for a way to figure out which of the displayed answers is the correct answer. This may seem obvious, but it is not. You have to do the different styles of practice questions over and over to appreciate what I am telling you in this 'BEST' strategy.
When you solve the question for the day, correctly or incorrectly, go back and put the correct answer in. Then VIEW THE QUESTION FOR THE DAY ON THE SCREEN WITH THE CORRECT ANSWER CHECKED AND THE SCREEN EXPLANATION OF THE QUESTION. THE ACTUAL VIEW, LOOKING AT IT--OR HAVING IT DESCRIBED TO YOU IN DETAIL FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED--IS HOW YOU WILL LEARN THE WAY TO MOVE QUICKLY AND ACCURATELY ON THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU DO UNDERSTAND.
This is a BRAIN strategy. Seeing the correct solution and the explanation teaches you the way your brain needs to 'snapshot' this type of problem. A problem with many students is that they do not get IMMEDIATE answers to find out when they are straying from the correct solutions. While you are preparing, get immediate and correct responses to view. As a teacher, I have this issue with homework. I WANT you to see the correct answers immediately. If you use a study guide, such as the excellent Princeton Reviews, do only two or three problems at a time. Then, stop, and look at the correct solutions immediately, along with the explanations.
Come back soon. judiethcarol&rocketcatMay,2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Learn the Strategies to Gather Math Points on SAT for June 5
Come back to www.coolrocketschool.org after you finish today’s math problem on the college board site. You can use this problem and the solution to learn to solve numerous other mathematics problems by spending five minutes here today.
First, go to www.collegeboard.com question of the day and solve the math problem. Look at the hint AND the solution. Look at the hint and the solution whether you are correct or not. Always look at the hint and the solution on the SAT site, as the hints and solutions are presented to address the way to solve the exact question as you will see them on the SAT test, with the solution explanations relating to what the question is designed to test. This visualization will come back to help you again and again. I can give you more help and strategies on this site that relate to other questions like this one. Combine my tutorial help with the actual question to help you to understand why this particular type of question is asked, and you can solve MANY others.
Please come back and note below exactly why the question and the answer is presented this way. You are being asked to show your aptitude for using what you know to solve something new. On the SAT, you are often 'detecting' a way to find the answer. Your aptitude can be racheted up by prediction strategies. Know what will be asked and how those questions are designed, and you can spend your time at the test actually finding the solution and checking your answer.
From the solution explanation to this problem, you can understand the following about other math problems on the SAT: If you connect what you know with what you need to know, you will reap more points solving problems on the SAT:
The most helpful step you could do with a problem like this one is to visualize it, by jotting it down with pencil and paper, and to notice as soon as possible that if you plug in numbers to make the bottom number (the number you are dividing into the top number) equal to zero, the number you use to make this value on the bottom equal zero will be the value of x that will NOT define y, as the top number divided by zero will not define y.
You are looking for a value of x that will make the denominator zero. Those numbers are 4 and -3. Positive 4 is not one of the answer choices, but negative 3 is. Therefore, -3 is the answer (B.)
1) Know what happens to signs, positive and negative, when you add, subtract, multiply, or divide (and how to assume the positive sign on positive numbers when operating with those numbers).
2) Plug in possible answers, as the numbers will be low enough to do so with or without a calculator, and the problems are about concepts rather than the actual calculations.
3) Visualize or to sketch the problem so you will see the type of answer you are looking to find.
4) Know facts about how zero affects other parts of a math problem, especially in terms of eliminating possibilities.
In learning about zero, pay some attention to the number line, as well as to the concept of zero as none. That is: Notice that there are instances when you are looking for the answer to be zero in order to find what another number is, and there are times when you will be expected to understand that there is distance between numbers, whether positive or negative: the absolute value.
5) Think about zero and absolute value in other types of problems. This will help in thinking about adding and subtracting positive and negative values.
Draw a number line left and right and up and down before beginning the math section. Put some increments on each side to use in considering positive and negative numbers and visualization.
For example, the weather forecaster says that today it is 5 degrees Fahrenheit, and tomorrow we are expecting the temperature to be -10 degrees Fahrenheit. How many degrees below freezing is this prediction if freezing is 32 degrees Fahrenheit? It is 42 degrees BELOW freezing because freezing is 32 degrees above the zero and -10 is ten more degrees below the zero.
Now, did the weather forecaster say that it would be 10 degrees below freezing (= +22 degrees) or ten degrees below zero? Or did the forecaster say the temperature will be 42 degrees below freezing (=-10 degrees Fahrenheit)?
6) Practice finding x or y when you have one or the other. Remember, the letters can be other symbols than ‘x’ or ‘y’--Call them other letters for practice; but do remember that some letters also indicate other things in the math section (i.e.,m for mode; a,b,c commonly used in the Pythagorean theorem problems).
You can ‘see’ that y is 4 in the same way I am asking you to ‘see’ what to do in this SAT problem today. But what if the numbers were bigger? Use this low number problem to see what you would do. If you know that x is 3 and x + y=7, then you plug in ‘3’ for x.
x+y=7
y=7-x (I do this by changing the signs of what I move across the equal sign, either way. If I had moved the 7 to the left of the equal sign, it would be -7. What is actually happening in the way I did it is that x is being subtracted from both sides of the equation.)
y=7-3
y=4
or
x+y=7
-7+y=-x
-7+y=-3
Y=-3+7
Y=4
If you do not get the answer, there are things to learn with this question and answer that will help you to do many others on the SAT. If you DO get the answer right, you need to notice some of the ways you can shorten the procedure on questions you understand so that you can check the answers quickly to make sure you answered the question asked. The most common way to miss problems that you do know how to do is to answer the wrong question. This is part of the way you are tested on the SAT.
In today’s problem, one of the answer choices is negative 4 (-4). One of the other possibilities that correctly answers the question is positive 4 (4). If you knew how to do this but did not check yourself, you could easily choose the wrong answer—even after all the work of doing the problem correctly. Learn strategies to check the work you know how to do and to get those points. Learn strategies to give your best shot on the ones you do not understand—by applying all that you do know to make a solid, quick guess. Then, move on. If you are totally lost, try to eliminate one or two answers.
Then, choose an answer from the remaining answers—unless you are completely mystified. In that case, weigh the odds and decide whether to skip it altogether. You are penalized ¼ of a point for every incorrect answer EXCEPT the math grid questions. Do learn to do the grid question style so that you can guess on every single one. There is absolutely no penalty on the grid in answers in mathematics. Don’t let them intimidate you!rocketcat&judiethcarolMay10,2010
First, go to www.collegeboard.com question of the day and solve the math problem. Look at the hint AND the solution. Look at the hint and the solution whether you are correct or not. Always look at the hint and the solution on the SAT site, as the hints and solutions are presented to address the way to solve the exact question as you will see them on the SAT test, with the solution explanations relating to what the question is designed to test. This visualization will come back to help you again and again. I can give you more help and strategies on this site that relate to other questions like this one. Combine my tutorial help with the actual question to help you to understand why this particular type of question is asked, and you can solve MANY others.
Please come back and note below exactly why the question and the answer is presented this way. You are being asked to show your aptitude for using what you know to solve something new. On the SAT, you are often 'detecting' a way to find the answer. Your aptitude can be racheted up by prediction strategies. Know what will be asked and how those questions are designed, and you can spend your time at the test actually finding the solution and checking your answer.
From the solution explanation to this problem, you can understand the following about other math problems on the SAT: If you connect what you know with what you need to know, you will reap more points solving problems on the SAT:
The most helpful step you could do with a problem like this one is to visualize it, by jotting it down with pencil and paper, and to notice as soon as possible that if you plug in numbers to make the bottom number (the number you are dividing into the top number) equal to zero, the number you use to make this value on the bottom equal zero will be the value of x that will NOT define y, as the top number divided by zero will not define y.
You are looking for a value of x that will make the denominator zero. Those numbers are 4 and -3. Positive 4 is not one of the answer choices, but negative 3 is. Therefore, -3 is the answer (B.)
1) Know what happens to signs, positive and negative, when you add, subtract, multiply, or divide (and how to assume the positive sign on positive numbers when operating with those numbers).
2) Plug in possible answers, as the numbers will be low enough to do so with or without a calculator, and the problems are about concepts rather than the actual calculations.
3) Visualize or to sketch the problem so you will see the type of answer you are looking to find.
4) Know facts about how zero affects other parts of a math problem, especially in terms of eliminating possibilities.
In learning about zero, pay some attention to the number line, as well as to the concept of zero as none. That is: Notice that there are instances when you are looking for the answer to be zero in order to find what another number is, and there are times when you will be expected to understand that there is distance between numbers, whether positive or negative: the absolute value.
5) Think about zero and absolute value in other types of problems. This will help in thinking about adding and subtracting positive and negative values.
Draw a number line left and right and up and down before beginning the math section. Put some increments on each side to use in considering positive and negative numbers and visualization.
For example, the weather forecaster says that today it is 5 degrees Fahrenheit, and tomorrow we are expecting the temperature to be -10 degrees Fahrenheit. How many degrees below freezing is this prediction if freezing is 32 degrees Fahrenheit? It is 42 degrees BELOW freezing because freezing is 32 degrees above the zero and -10 is ten more degrees below the zero.
Now, did the weather forecaster say that it would be 10 degrees below freezing (= +22 degrees) or ten degrees below zero? Or did the forecaster say the temperature will be 42 degrees below freezing (=-10 degrees Fahrenheit)?
6) Practice finding x or y when you have one or the other. Remember, the letters can be other symbols than ‘x’ or ‘y’--Call them other letters for practice; but do remember that some letters also indicate other things in the math section (i.e.,m for mode; a,b,c commonly used in the Pythagorean theorem problems).
You can ‘see’ that y is 4 in the same way I am asking you to ‘see’ what to do in this SAT problem today. But what if the numbers were bigger? Use this low number problem to see what you would do. If you know that x is 3 and x + y=7, then you plug in ‘3’ for x.
x+y=7
y=7-x (I do this by changing the signs of what I move across the equal sign, either way. If I had moved the 7 to the left of the equal sign, it would be -7. What is actually happening in the way I did it is that x is being subtracted from both sides of the equation.)
y=7-3
y=4
or
x+y=7
-7+y=-x
-7+y=-3
Y=-3+7
Y=4
If you do not get the answer, there are things to learn with this question and answer that will help you to do many others on the SAT. If you DO get the answer right, you need to notice some of the ways you can shorten the procedure on questions you understand so that you can check the answers quickly to make sure you answered the question asked. The most common way to miss problems that you do know how to do is to answer the wrong question. This is part of the way you are tested on the SAT.
In today’s problem, one of the answer choices is negative 4 (-4). One of the other possibilities that correctly answers the question is positive 4 (4). If you knew how to do this but did not check yourself, you could easily choose the wrong answer—even after all the work of doing the problem correctly. Learn strategies to check the work you know how to do and to get those points. Learn strategies to give your best shot on the ones you do not understand—by applying all that you do know to make a solid, quick guess. Then, move on. If you are totally lost, try to eliminate one or two answers.
Then, choose an answer from the remaining answers—unless you are completely mystified. In that case, weigh the odds and decide whether to skip it altogether. You are penalized ¼ of a point for every incorrect answer EXCEPT the math grid questions. Do learn to do the grid question style so that you can guess on every single one. There is absolutely no penalty on the grid in answers in mathematics. Don’t let them intimidate you!rocketcat&judiethcarolMay10,2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
IS THE MAY 4 Question Too Easy? 49% Didn't Think So! Do these fast!!!
Is the May 4th Question too easy? Judiethcarol&Rocketcat c
www.coolrocketschool.org
Maybe it’s so easy for you because you have been practicing Rocketcat’s RACECAR strategy. If this is true, we’re thinking you barely saw the checkered flag go down because you were finished less than a car length from the starting line.
Read from the top right corner to through the directions and to the blank. Fill in a simple word from your personal ‘bank’ and look for the word like that one in the answers.
1 Speed through title and directions.
2 Drive to the blank and drop a marker word to hold the spot.
3 Find the match to the marker word. Back up fast to pop the winning word in the blank to test it. Realize that you have already eliminated a couple of other possibilities. Mark your answer sheet. Speed on down the road!
You win. You are right. You do not even need to go backwards to eliminate a wrong answer or two, as the answer is far enough down the list. You have already eliminated enough. Mark the answer when you find it, and drive on—patent Rocket Racecar style. The palindrome, Racecar, reminds you to check backwards to eliminate at least one or two wrong answers. But, unless the answer is A, which this one is not, you’ve been there, done that.
Here is how it goes today. Remember that you read the title and the directions to put your mind in the correct gear to drive smoothly.
Critical Reading Sentence Completion ‘Critical’ reading means that you are reading to detect meaning, tone, theme—A ‘critic’ notices everything. Consider this Hardy Boy or Nancy Drew reading.
Critical Reading >Sentence Completion
Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, BEST fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
(Nancy Drew Note: We need a word to make the sentence whole and complete.)
Those scholars who believe that the true author of the poem died in 1812
(Make a video in your mind of teachers with graduation style hats on sitting around talking about who REALLY wrote a certain poem. See ‘POET DIED IN 1812’ on their whiteboard.)
(They) consider the authenticity of this particular manuscript ______(Nancy Drew: They think it is NOT TRUE) because it includes references to events that occurred in 1818.
Write on their whiteboard: Poem talks about 1818 stuff.
Do you see this little scenario? The scholars say the poet died in 1812, but the poem has some things in it about what happened in 1818—after the death of the poet. Something is NOT RIGHT!
Look at the possibilities. You are looking for a word that means ‘not right’ or ‘not true’?
A.Ageless (Huh? That is not the right kind of meaning.) NO.
B.tenuous NO
C. Suspect --YEP—It is suspicious or ‘suspect’—That word even fits our ‘Nancy Drew/Hardy Boy’ scenario.
JUST MARK THE ANSWER SHEET AND MOVE ON. YOU HAVE ALREADY ELIMINATED TWO INCORRECT ANSWERS!!!! Speed on down the Road!
D. Unique
E. Legitimate
If you did this in Rocketcat’s style, you were finished in less than a minute. Included in your point win is the checking and eliminating of at least two other answers. You have your point, checked your point, and take your extra time to another type of question. GOOD RACE! judiethcarol@rocketcatc.May2010
www.coolrocketschool.org
Maybe it’s so easy for you because you have been practicing Rocketcat’s RACECAR strategy. If this is true, we’re thinking you barely saw the checkered flag go down because you were finished less than a car length from the starting line.
Read from the top right corner to through the directions and to the blank. Fill in a simple word from your personal ‘bank’ and look for the word like that one in the answers.
1 Speed through title and directions.
2 Drive to the blank and drop a marker word to hold the spot.
3 Find the match to the marker word. Back up fast to pop the winning word in the blank to test it. Realize that you have already eliminated a couple of other possibilities. Mark your answer sheet. Speed on down the road!
You win. You are right. You do not even need to go backwards to eliminate a wrong answer or two, as the answer is far enough down the list. You have already eliminated enough. Mark the answer when you find it, and drive on—patent Rocket Racecar style. The palindrome, Racecar, reminds you to check backwards to eliminate at least one or two wrong answers. But, unless the answer is A, which this one is not, you’ve been there, done that.
Here is how it goes today. Remember that you read the title and the directions to put your mind in the correct gear to drive smoothly.
Critical Reading Sentence Completion ‘Critical’ reading means that you are reading to detect meaning, tone, theme—A ‘critic’ notices everything. Consider this Hardy Boy or Nancy Drew reading.
Critical Reading >Sentence Completion
Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, BEST fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
(Nancy Drew Note: We need a word to make the sentence whole and complete.)
Those scholars who believe that the true author of the poem died in 1812
(Make a video in your mind of teachers with graduation style hats on sitting around talking about who REALLY wrote a certain poem. See ‘POET DIED IN 1812’ on their whiteboard.)
(They) consider the authenticity of this particular manuscript ______(Nancy Drew: They think it is NOT TRUE) because it includes references to events that occurred in 1818.
Write on their whiteboard: Poem talks about 1818 stuff.
Do you see this little scenario? The scholars say the poet died in 1812, but the poem has some things in it about what happened in 1818—after the death of the poet. Something is NOT RIGHT!
Look at the possibilities. You are looking for a word that means ‘not right’ or ‘not true’?
A.Ageless (Huh? That is not the right kind of meaning.) NO.
B.tenuous NO
C. Suspect --YEP—It is suspicious or ‘suspect’—That word even fits our ‘Nancy Drew/Hardy Boy’ scenario.
JUST MARK THE ANSWER SHEET AND MOVE ON. YOU HAVE ALREADY ELIMINATED TWO INCORRECT ANSWERS!!!! Speed on down the Road!
D. Unique
E. Legitimate
If you did this in Rocketcat’s style, you were finished in less than a minute. Included in your point win is the checking and eliminating of at least two other answers. You have your point, checked your point, and take your extra time to another type of question. GOOD RACE! judiethcarol@rocketcatc.May2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Way To Plug In Mini Version to Solve Math SAT Visually for June 5
MATH PLUG IN—A STRATEGY WHEN YOU NEED TO ‘SEE’ BETTER ON SAT for June 5
First, you need to know that if you look at the explanation on the collegeboard site, you may learn how to solve this particular kind of problem—and many others like it. It is worthwhile to look at the explanation on the www.collegeboard.com site, as that explanation displays how to work that problem.
Our strategy today is using this problem to ‘plug in’ your own figures and to make a mini-version of a problem that you do not know how to solve. This is a strategy to make your best educated guess when you do not know how to do the problem. This strategy, too, will work in many instances. Think of it as ‘plugging in’ a mini-version of the problem in much the same way that you solve fill in the blank language arts questions by filling in a simple word that does fit—and looking for that type of word in the choices.
Here on a math problem, you fill in a simple version, in ratio, if possible, and try out those features within the context of that mini-problem to see the answer to the maxi problem.
Rocketcat guessed at today’s answer by plugging in a ‘sample’ version of the question to see how the question looked. Remember Rocketcat is a visual learner. In fact, he is deaf, so every visual way of ‘seeing’ the answer is a strategy for Rocketcat. Jot this down, as you go.
Look at what he did to guess correctly. He created a mini-version of the problem and eliminated answers until he had a solid guess. He was correct, but his way of doing this problem is fraught with peril. So use this type of reasoning ONLY if you do not understand the clearest way to answer the problem already.
Now, look: Here is the Rocketcat strategy for a problem that he does not ‘see’ clearly. Draw a simplified version.
The original problem:
Mathematics>standard multiple choice.
Read the following SAT question, and then click on a button to select your answer:
A list of 100 integers has the property that the average (arithmetic mean), a, of the integers is greater than the median, m, of the integers. Which of the following must be true?
I.More of these integers are greater than a than are less than a.
II. More of these integers are greater than m than are less than m.
III. More of these integers are less than m than are greater than m.
(A) None.
(B) I only
(C) I and II
(D) I and III
Always, begin at the top left corner and read right to left, all the way through, visualizing the problem to put your mind into any ‘reminder’ areas available.
Rocket did this and this was hard to ‘see,’ so he plugged in some integers from 1 to 10, an exact ratio to the original problem with 100 integers. He is not told in the original problem the range or order of the integers. But look at what happens when he plugs in 1-10
1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10=55 Okay, now, which is “a” (the mean or average). Divide 55 by 10 (the total of the integers divided by the number of integers = the mean, or average=5.5 for our pretend problem.
Rocket looks at how this looks for this set of 10 integers. The average is 5.5 AND the median is 5.5. So a is 5.5 and m is 5.5.
He looks at I,II, and III in relation to this pretend problem with the same structure as the question
I.More of these integers are greater than a than are less than a.
More of these integers (1-10) are greater than a(5.5) than are less than a (5.5)?
NO. There are 5 integers greater than 5.5 and 5 less than 5.5.
6,7,8,9, 10 are greater and 1,2,3,4,5 are less than a (5.5)
II. More of these integers are greater than m than are less than m.
More of these integers are greater than m (5.5) than are less than m (5.5) NOPE. It’s the same amount as a, and we showed in I that 5 are less and 5 are more.
III. More of these integers are less than m than are greater than m.
More of these integers are less than m than are greater than m. NO. Same reason as before.
Rocketcat knows that his ‘plug-in’ problem may not be parallel in every way to the original problem because it is his version of the problem. But he has ‘solved’ his version. NONE of the statements fit his made up ‘plug-in’ problem. So he chooses A. NONE.
This is the correct answer.
Strategy: If you do not know how to solve a math problem, plug in your own numbers, in a correct ratio if possible. Make your version as simple as possible and label everything to see it visually.
Take the answer that works in your sample problem as the correct answer and mark it. At this point, you have narrowed the ‘guessing’ enough to offset any penalty for a n incorrect answer.
Today, the plug in and simplified visual version resulted in the correct answer for Rocketcat&judiethcarolc.May2010
First, you need to know that if you look at the explanation on the collegeboard site, you may learn how to solve this particular kind of problem—and many others like it. It is worthwhile to look at the explanation on the www.collegeboard.com site, as that explanation displays how to work that problem.
Our strategy today is using this problem to ‘plug in’ your own figures and to make a mini-version of a problem that you do not know how to solve. This is a strategy to make your best educated guess when you do not know how to do the problem. This strategy, too, will work in many instances. Think of it as ‘plugging in’ a mini-version of the problem in much the same way that you solve fill in the blank language arts questions by filling in a simple word that does fit—and looking for that type of word in the choices.
Here on a math problem, you fill in a simple version, in ratio, if possible, and try out those features within the context of that mini-problem to see the answer to the maxi problem.
Rocketcat guessed at today’s answer by plugging in a ‘sample’ version of the question to see how the question looked. Remember Rocketcat is a visual learner. In fact, he is deaf, so every visual way of ‘seeing’ the answer is a strategy for Rocketcat. Jot this down, as you go.
Look at what he did to guess correctly. He created a mini-version of the problem and eliminated answers until he had a solid guess. He was correct, but his way of doing this problem is fraught with peril. So use this type of reasoning ONLY if you do not understand the clearest way to answer the problem already.
Now, look: Here is the Rocketcat strategy for a problem that he does not ‘see’ clearly. Draw a simplified version.
The original problem:
Mathematics>standard multiple choice.
Read the following SAT question, and then click on a button to select your answer:
A list of 100 integers has the property that the average (arithmetic mean), a, of the integers is greater than the median, m, of the integers. Which of the following must be true?
I.More of these integers are greater than a than are less than a.
II. More of these integers are greater than m than are less than m.
III. More of these integers are less than m than are greater than m.
(A) None.
(B) I only
(C) I and II
(D) I and III
Always, begin at the top left corner and read right to left, all the way through, visualizing the problem to put your mind into any ‘reminder’ areas available.
Rocket did this and this was hard to ‘see,’ so he plugged in some integers from 1 to 10, an exact ratio to the original problem with 100 integers. He is not told in the original problem the range or order of the integers. But look at what happens when he plugs in 1-10
1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10=55 Okay, now, which is “a” (the mean or average). Divide 55 by 10 (the total of the integers divided by the number of integers = the mean, or average=5.5 for our pretend problem.
Rocket looks at how this looks for this set of 10 integers. The average is 5.5 AND the median is 5.5. So a is 5.5 and m is 5.5.
He looks at I,II, and III in relation to this pretend problem with the same structure as the question
I.More of these integers are greater than a than are less than a.
More of these integers (1-10) are greater than a(5.5) than are less than a (5.5)?
NO. There are 5 integers greater than 5.5 and 5 less than 5.5.
6,7,8,9, 10 are greater and 1,2,3,4,5 are less than a (5.5)
II. More of these integers are greater than m than are less than m.
More of these integers are greater than m (5.5) than are less than m (5.5) NOPE. It’s the same amount as a, and we showed in I that 5 are less and 5 are more.
III. More of these integers are less than m than are greater than m.
More of these integers are less than m than are greater than m. NO. Same reason as before.
Rocketcat knows that his ‘plug-in’ problem may not be parallel in every way to the original problem because it is his version of the problem. But he has ‘solved’ his version. NONE of the statements fit his made up ‘plug-in’ problem. So he chooses A. NONE.
This is the correct answer.
Strategy: If you do not know how to solve a math problem, plug in your own numbers, in a correct ratio if possible. Make your version as simple as possible and label everything to see it visually.
Take the answer that works in your sample problem as the correct answer and mark it. At this point, you have narrowed the ‘guessing’ enough to offset any penalty for a n incorrect answer.
Today, the plug in and simplified visual version resulted in the correct answer for Rocketcat&judiethcarolc.May2010
JUNE 5 Win All SAT Points on RACECAR STYLE QUESTIONS
The question for May 2nd is the fastest style of Rocketcat’s RACECAR strategy type questions. It is so classic that the correct answer is not only obvious within 30 seconds, it is checked without taking the RACECAR speedy checking strategy of eliminating at least one other answer.
Using the patent Rocketcat Racecar strategy to solve this question on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, Rocket read the title, the directions, the question, and the answers—and marked the answer sheet correctly in under 45 seconds.
Remember, looking at how to do this will take longer than actually doing it once you know what you are doing.
To speed through to the answer correctly in Rocketcat Racecar Strategy style:
1 Begin at the top left of the question. This is your starting line when the checkered flag goes down. Read left to right to speed your brain into the path for this type of question:
We are driving to IMPROVE THE SENTENCE. Rocket knows this means that we will be looking for predictable structure errors to correct.
2. Continue through the directions to remind (re-again, mind-put into mind) your fast driving mind what to do as you pass the underlined portions—and what to do if there are no predictable errors. The first option below is the same as the sentence.
If there is any error, the answer is NOT A. In this type of correction (not in EVERY type of correction—just this type), if there is no correction, the answer is A.
3. Read the sentence looking for a predictable error on the SAT (run-on sentence, sentence fragment, disagreeing subject-verb….)
4. Notice that the sentence is incomplete. There is no verb. This is a sentence fragment.
5. Look below—past A because there IS an error—to find if B. will correct the sentence to make it whole.
B. does NOT correct the sentence to make a complete sentence.
C. does NOT correct the sentence to make a complete sentence.
DRIVE FORWARD QUICKLY TRYING EACH COMPLETION TO REPLACE THE UNDERLINED PORTION TO MAKE THE SENTENCE INTO A WHOLE SENTENCE.
D. does NOT correct the sentence to make a complete sentence.
E. DOES correct the sentence to make a complete sentence! MARK YOUR ANSWER SHEET the way to the last one. You do not have to speed backwards (RACECAR, a palindrome, is the same backwards as forwards), as you have already eliminated the other answers.
Speed forward with confidence that you got this point so quickly and accurately!
Be sure that you are on the correct number of the answer sheet and that you fill in the E. cleanly!
Here is how it looks:
WRITING>IMPROVING SENTENCES
Part of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.
The North American continent first colonized by people from Siberia crossing the now sunken land bridge between Siberia and Alaska about 15,000 years ago.
A. The North American continent first colonized by people from Siberia crossing
NO. Keep going. You don’t have to read this one because you know there is an error, and the error will complete the sentence. THIS ONE IS THE WAY IT IS NOW, so skip it!
B. Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do: You need a verb to get a complete sentence.
NO.
C-Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do. You need a verb in the sentence to make a complete sentence.
NO.
C. Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do. You need a verb to make a complete sentence. NO.
D. Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do. You need a verb to make a complete sentence. NO.
E. This one has to work. Look for the way it IS working that none of the others above were able to do. You have a sentence fragment in the original. You need a VERB.
Test this one. It HAS to have a verb.
The North American continent WAS first colonized by people from Siberia, who crossed the now sunken land bridge between Siberia and Alaska about 15,000 years ago.
THERE IT IS! WE NEED ‘WAS’ to make the sentence complete. MARK IT IN THE CORRECT PLACE ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET AND USE THIS REMAINING TIME SOMEWHERE ELSE. YOU HAVE ALREADY CHECKED THIS BY ELIMINATING EVERY OTHER ONE BEFORE E. Remember if one of the last answers is the correct one, you have already ‘checked’ your answer by eliminating some of the answers before it. In this case, you have eliminated EVERY OTHER ANSWER AS INCORRECT. Speed on!judiethcarol&RocketcatMay2010
Using the patent Rocketcat Racecar strategy to solve this question on the Scholastic Aptitude Test, Rocket read the title, the directions, the question, and the answers—and marked the answer sheet correctly in under 45 seconds.
Remember, looking at how to do this will take longer than actually doing it once you know what you are doing.
To speed through to the answer correctly in Rocketcat Racecar Strategy style:
1 Begin at the top left of the question. This is your starting line when the checkered flag goes down. Read left to right to speed your brain into the path for this type of question:
We are driving to IMPROVE THE SENTENCE. Rocket knows this means that we will be looking for predictable structure errors to correct.
2. Continue through the directions to remind (re-again, mind-put into mind) your fast driving mind what to do as you pass the underlined portions—and what to do if there are no predictable errors. The first option below is the same as the sentence.
If there is any error, the answer is NOT A. In this type of correction (not in EVERY type of correction—just this type), if there is no correction, the answer is A.
3. Read the sentence looking for a predictable error on the SAT (run-on sentence, sentence fragment, disagreeing subject-verb….)
4. Notice that the sentence is incomplete. There is no verb. This is a sentence fragment.
5. Look below—past A because there IS an error—to find if B. will correct the sentence to make it whole.
B. does NOT correct the sentence to make a complete sentence.
C. does NOT correct the sentence to make a complete sentence.
DRIVE FORWARD QUICKLY TRYING EACH COMPLETION TO REPLACE THE UNDERLINED PORTION TO MAKE THE SENTENCE INTO A WHOLE SENTENCE.
D. does NOT correct the sentence to make a complete sentence.
E. DOES correct the sentence to make a complete sentence! MARK YOUR ANSWER SHEET the way to the last one. You do not have to speed backwards (RACECAR, a palindrome, is the same backwards as forwards), as you have already eliminated the other answers.
Speed forward with confidence that you got this point so quickly and accurately!
Be sure that you are on the correct number of the answer sheet and that you fill in the E. cleanly!
Here is how it looks:
WRITING>IMPROVING SENTENCES
Part of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.
The North American continent first colonized by people from Siberia crossing the now sunken land bridge between Siberia and Alaska about 15,000 years ago.
A. The North American continent first colonized by people from Siberia crossing
NO. Keep going. You don’t have to read this one because you know there is an error, and the error will complete the sentence. THIS ONE IS THE WAY IT IS NOW, so skip it!
B. Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do: You need a verb to get a complete sentence.
NO.
C-Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do. You need a verb in the sentence to make a complete sentence.
NO.
C. Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do. You need a verb to make a complete sentence. NO.
D. Try this one in the place of the underlined portion of the sentence. Know what you want it to do. You need a verb to make a complete sentence. NO.
E. This one has to work. Look for the way it IS working that none of the others above were able to do. You have a sentence fragment in the original. You need a VERB.
Test this one. It HAS to have a verb.
The North American continent WAS first colonized by people from Siberia, who crossed the now sunken land bridge between Siberia and Alaska about 15,000 years ago.
THERE IT IS! WE NEED ‘WAS’ to make the sentence complete. MARK IT IN THE CORRECT PLACE ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET AND USE THIS REMAINING TIME SOMEWHERE ELSE. YOU HAVE ALREADY CHECKED THIS BY ELIMINATING EVERY OTHER ONE BEFORE E. Remember if one of the last answers is the correct one, you have already ‘checked’ your answer by eliminating some of the answers before it. In this case, you have eliminated EVERY OTHER ANSWER AS INCORRECT. Speed on!judiethcarol&RocketcatMay2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
2 notes about SAT questions on May 1
Rocketcat says: If you are taking the SAT today, remember:
Rocket's RACECAR Strategy:
1. Read, quickly and smoothly, from upper left corner, with title, through directions and through the question, predicting the possible answers in streamlined style. Then, choose the answer best fitting your guess. Mark it. Go backwards (palindrome) to eliminate one other possibility, if you have not done this while solving. This part is to make sure you answered the intended question instead of something else.
2. On math problems featuring low numbers, expect to jot down some steps. Don't give up because the problem looks unfamiliar; but don't spend too much time either. Mark an answer that you reach by following all the steps you feel will at least get you close. Plan to come back, but keep going.
Pace yourself by spending enough time on the ones you do best and restrained time on the ones that challenge you.
Just go with the format; give your best attention; VISUALIZE what you read.
Make little movies in your head and draw little diagrams to keep visualizing. Think: I can solve this. Try. Mark an answer. Keep Moving until you finish.
Get the points: Know what you know. Keep a pace--and come back with any leftover time. Use all your time. Check systematically--eliminating one more answer to make sure you are answering the question asked.
Then, go relax!!!judiethcarol&RocketcatApril2010
Rocket's RACECAR Strategy:
1. Read, quickly and smoothly, from upper left corner, with title, through directions and through the question, predicting the possible answers in streamlined style. Then, choose the answer best fitting your guess. Mark it. Go backwards (palindrome) to eliminate one other possibility, if you have not done this while solving. This part is to make sure you answered the intended question instead of something else.
2. On math problems featuring low numbers, expect to jot down some steps. Don't give up because the problem looks unfamiliar; but don't spend too much time either. Mark an answer that you reach by following all the steps you feel will at least get you close. Plan to come back, but keep going.
Pace yourself by spending enough time on the ones you do best and restrained time on the ones that challenge you.
Just go with the format; give your best attention; VISUALIZE what you read.
Make little movies in your head and draw little diagrams to keep visualizing. Think: I can solve this. Try. Mark an answer. Keep Moving until you finish.
Get the points: Know what you know. Keep a pace--and come back with any leftover time. Use all your time. Check systematically--eliminating one more answer to make sure you are answering the question asked.
Then, go relax!!!judiethcarol&RocketcatApril2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
SPEED TO POINTS ON SAT ON MAY 1
Rocketcat’s RACECAR STRATEGY IS ABOUT GETTING THE CORRECT ANSWER QUICKLY AND CONFIDENTLY. ROCKETCAR STRATEGY ON TODAY’S SAT QUESTION RESULTS IN THE CORRECT ANSWER MARKED IN WELL UNDER A MINUTE.
Rocketcat rarely misses the answer on a question in one of the several formats of the language arts questions. Today is an example of the way he solves these. He follows the strategy, and he has answered and checked in UNDER A MINUTE.
The following study and understanding for life will take you about five minutes to do.
You will practice the strategy below. Do the question for yourself on the www.collegeboard.com site. Come to this site, daily, and review past questions and strategies from the archives.
You can use the ROCKETCAT RACECAR c strategy to gain points on many test questions.
Notice the kinds of sentence errors to PREDICT you WILL see on the SAT and other standardized tests.
One key for your success is to know the correct forms to use.
Predict what is incorrect while simultaneously (at the same time) realizing that this is the way the SAT finds out if you know what you know about sentence errors.
Reading the title REMINDS (note the meaning –re minds—putting the information back into the part of your mind that you are using right now on the test) your brain.
1-From familiarity with the format by practicing in books such as the Princeton Review for the SAT or by practicing on the SAT College Board site, Rocket sees the type of question he loves—a reading and writing question.
2-Rocket immediately employs his patent Rocketcat RACECAR strategy:
• Start driving from the beginning upper corner, and speed forward left to right—reading the title: SENTENCE COMPLETION.
• Read the directions—Look for the error in underlined portions. To leave the sentence the way it is, the option is E. (This choice is different for some types of verbal questions.)
• Look at the underlined portions while speeding through the sentence from the left to the right (beginning to end)
• LOOK FOR AN ERROR THAT YOU KNOW WILL BE IN THIS FORMAT: errors in verb tense, errors in person (first, second, third—I,you, he,she,it for singular or we, you, they for plural), errors in punctuation (a comma splice, run-on sentence), errors in pronoun-antecedent (using ‘it’ when referring to a person, for example).
• WHEN YOU SEE THE ERROR, STOP AND MARK YOUR ANSWER SHEET.
• MOVE TO THE NEXT QUESTION IF YOU HAVE ALREADY FOUND AT LEAST ONE OTHER UNDERLINED PORTION YOU KNOW IS CORRECT.
(Rocketcat sees a dog running across a field out the window at this point. He comes back to his driving: He could have an accident if he does not do this speedy RACECAR strategy correctly.
VISUALIZING
Part of the reason Rocketcat speeds through these questions, in less than a minute, is that he uses the mind of an English teacher.
Part of the reason Rocketcat speeds through these questions, marks the answers, moves on with confidence is that Rocketcat takes the Rocketcat Racecar Strategy, invented by judiethcarol&Rocketcat, with him in the RACECAR through a question like this one.
If you are taking the SAT on May 1, you can look over the past articles on Rocket’s SAT website: www.coorocketschool.org (notice that .org is the ongoing SAT Q&A explanation blog). Rocket has other websites so stick with the ‘org’ one for SAT when in the last days before the test.
TODAY’S SENTENCE: ROCKET NEEDS TO VISUALIZE. HE HAS THE UNDERLINED PORTIONS IN CAPS HERE. They SHOUT visually to Rocketcat. Rocketcat is deaf. He is a visual learner.
Many types of dance music and jazz CALL FOR special instruments
‘CALL FOR’ is a little odd but not incorrect in any of the predictable ways
Many types of dance music and jazz CALL FOR special instruments, which INCLUDES (SCREEECH—This is the error! Special instruments which include is the correct form—This test is using an error of verb agreement in number (singular or plural), a favorite on the SAT. The number verb form is not correct. ThePLURAL instruments INCLUDE (plural form)
MARK your answer sheet for the B. answer.
Now, back up (Rocketcat RACECAR—check one on the backup—RACECAR reads the same in reverse and speeds in reverse, as well). Go back and make sure one more underlined portion is correct. This is to be sure you did not overlook something about the question.
Many types of dance music and jazz CALL FOR special instruments, which INCLUDE (as you correct this) the hi-hat, a pair of cymbals OPERATED BY a foot pedal…
There’s nothing wrong with “cymbals operated by a foot pedal.”
Now, you have checked two underlined portions other than the error you found. You’ve CHECKED this answer. KEEP MOVING ON THE TEST. When you have a different type of question to solve, you will be taking more time on that question and answer only—and, then, if your method is too long, you may need to choose an answer and move on. See the mathematics part of yesterday’s strategies (April 27 and April 28 together). Those math questions REQUIRE a little extra time—just to get the fairly simple answer. The SAT is determining if you can pace yourself.judiethcarolandrocketcatApril2832010c.
Rocketcat rarely misses the answer on a question in one of the several formats of the language arts questions. Today is an example of the way he solves these. He follows the strategy, and he has answered and checked in UNDER A MINUTE.
The following study and understanding for life will take you about five minutes to do.
You will practice the strategy below. Do the question for yourself on the www.collegeboard.com site. Come to this site, daily, and review past questions and strategies from the archives.
You can use the ROCKETCAT RACECAR c strategy to gain points on many test questions.
Notice the kinds of sentence errors to PREDICT you WILL see on the SAT and other standardized tests.
One key for your success is to know the correct forms to use.
Predict what is incorrect while simultaneously (at the same time) realizing that this is the way the SAT finds out if you know what you know about sentence errors.
Reading the title REMINDS (note the meaning –re minds—putting the information back into the part of your mind that you are using right now on the test) your brain.
1-From familiarity with the format by practicing in books such as the Princeton Review for the SAT or by practicing on the SAT College Board site, Rocket sees the type of question he loves—a reading and writing question.
2-Rocket immediately employs his patent Rocketcat RACECAR strategy:
• Start driving from the beginning upper corner, and speed forward left to right—reading the title: SENTENCE COMPLETION.
• Read the directions—Look for the error in underlined portions. To leave the sentence the way it is, the option is E. (This choice is different for some types of verbal questions.)
• Look at the underlined portions while speeding through the sentence from the left to the right (beginning to end)
• LOOK FOR AN ERROR THAT YOU KNOW WILL BE IN THIS FORMAT: errors in verb tense, errors in person (first, second, third—I,you, he,she,it for singular or we, you, they for plural), errors in punctuation (a comma splice, run-on sentence), errors in pronoun-antecedent (using ‘it’ when referring to a person, for example).
• WHEN YOU SEE THE ERROR, STOP AND MARK YOUR ANSWER SHEET.
• MOVE TO THE NEXT QUESTION IF YOU HAVE ALREADY FOUND AT LEAST ONE OTHER UNDERLINED PORTION YOU KNOW IS CORRECT.
(Rocketcat sees a dog running across a field out the window at this point. He comes back to his driving: He could have an accident if he does not do this speedy RACECAR strategy correctly.
VISUALIZING
Part of the reason Rocketcat speeds through these questions, in less than a minute, is that he uses the mind of an English teacher.
Part of the reason Rocketcat speeds through these questions, marks the answers, moves on with confidence is that Rocketcat takes the Rocketcat Racecar Strategy, invented by judiethcarol&Rocketcat, with him in the RACECAR through a question like this one.
If you are taking the SAT on May 1, you can look over the past articles on Rocket’s SAT website: www.coorocketschool.org (notice that .org is the ongoing SAT Q&A explanation blog). Rocket has other websites so stick with the ‘org’ one for SAT when in the last days before the test.
TODAY’S SENTENCE: ROCKET NEEDS TO VISUALIZE. HE HAS THE UNDERLINED PORTIONS IN CAPS HERE. They SHOUT visually to Rocketcat. Rocketcat is deaf. He is a visual learner.
Many types of dance music and jazz CALL FOR special instruments
‘CALL FOR’ is a little odd but not incorrect in any of the predictable ways
Many types of dance music and jazz CALL FOR special instruments, which INCLUDES (SCREEECH—This is the error! Special instruments which include is the correct form—This test is using an error of verb agreement in number (singular or plural), a favorite on the SAT. The number verb form is not correct. ThePLURAL instruments INCLUDE (plural form)
MARK your answer sheet for the B. answer.
Now, back up (Rocketcat RACECAR—check one on the backup—RACECAR reads the same in reverse and speeds in reverse, as well). Go back and make sure one more underlined portion is correct. This is to be sure you did not overlook something about the question.
Many types of dance music and jazz CALL FOR special instruments, which INCLUDE (as you correct this) the hi-hat, a pair of cymbals OPERATED BY a foot pedal…
There’s nothing wrong with “cymbals operated by a foot pedal.”
Now, you have checked two underlined portions other than the error you found. You’ve CHECKED this answer. KEEP MOVING ON THE TEST. When you have a different type of question to solve, you will be taking more time on that question and answer only—and, then, if your method is too long, you may need to choose an answer and move on. See the mathematics part of yesterday’s strategies (April 27 and April 28 together). Those math questions REQUIRE a little extra time—just to get the fairly simple answer. The SAT is determining if you can pace yourself.judiethcarolandrocketcatApril2832010c.
TWO STRATEGIES FOR MATH AND LANGUAGE POINTS ON MAY 1 SAT
The April 27th question is a math question. Only 36% got this answer correct out of well over 200,000 attempts. There was an EASY way to get it right. Unfortunately, there was an even EASIER way to get it wrong. A higher percentage went that easy (but sort of clever) route to lose the point. By judiethcarol&rocketcatcApril2010
Now, let’s look at the two classic examples of strategies to use in math and in language arts on the test.
The SAT test is Saturday of this week, May 1st, so let me use this math question to reinforce a strategy to use to accomplish your very best possible performance on Saturday. If you are taking the test at a later date, we can do MORE to improve your performance.
April 27th, a math question—and April 28th, a sentence completion show patterns to follow to answer questions correctly on the SAT. You may look at archived articles on this site for more guidance. Here’s the short version:
1. Use the patent Rocketcat Racecar strategy on the ‘language arts’ questions. Speed forward. Make up a possible answer. Find the answer that fits the same way as your made up answers. Zip backwards to eliminate at least one of the ‘wrong’ answers to check if you are answering the question asked!
2. Notice when a question in math has all low numbers and all different numbers for the question. You are probably about to be asked to do several little problems to solve the problem. If you dive for the answer that SEEMS to be right because you ‘see’ this answer right away, you are almost definitely answering a different question.
SUMMARY: Realize that the design of the Scholastic Aptitude Test is not to ‘trick’ you; but if the answer is extremely easy to solve—especially if you are not a teacher in that content area—be certain to answer the correct question. The ‘trick’ part is that the answer to the wrong question will be one of the possible answers.
This design is to measure your attention to what you know. This is part of what ‘aptitude’ is. The Scholastic Aptitude Test is an attempt to find out if you sift through these possible answers to find the correct one. After all, the answers are there in front of you.
To use the next couple of questions to improve Saturday’s performance if you are taking the SAT:
• Note carefully the type of question that you do well. CHECK those answers by eliminating at least one of the ‘wrong’ answers to make sure that you answered the question asked.
• Notice the percentage of responses that were correct on the practice questions you do between now and the test. If the percentage is low, like today, realize that this may be a question to use the ‘difficult’ question strategy—and do it. On the ones you may be able to improve, try to mark your booklet to come back.
‘Difficult’ question strategy: Note what IS simple about the question. In this one, all the numbers are low: 1,2,3 and 4,5,6. ANOTHER simple point is that the numbers are not repeated in the x column and the y column. The numbers are not repeated within the column: x=1, x=2, or x=3 or between the two columns: y=4, y=5, or y=6.
If you THINK you see an easy way to get the answer to a question like this one, you are probably missing a step. Eliminate at least one other answer to make sure you are answering the correct question.
Answer the question that is asked—not another question.
The way to ‘miss’ the answer to this one is to look at the low numbers and the possible combinations –and to notice that the ‘highest’ answer is 9. Well, you see by just counting that there are at least NINE combinations. So, you are ready to choose 9. Yay!
BUT THAT’S NOT THE AUESTION THAT IS ASKED: You are asked how many different values may result in the addition of these values for x and y. You ARE NOT ASKED HOW MANY COMBINATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. Nine is the answer to that question.
You are asked how many DIFFERENT SUMS are possible.
If the answer seems as fast as answering ‘9’ is to this question, LOOK AT THE QUESTION AGAIN.
Also, do NOT think that you will just not be asked to do several steps to find an answer. You WILL be asked to do several steps. A clue here is that the numbers are so low. PLUS, YOU HAVE A CALCULATOR.
But doing these quickly on paper with pencil is the fastest way. Better yet, this is the most VISUAL way. Jot down: 1+4=5, 1+5=6, 1+6=7; 2+4=6; 2+5=7; 2+6=8.3+4=7; 3+5=8; 3+6=9. Okay, 4+1 is already done. You will not have to go down the y column far to realize that you’ve done these problems when you go from y to x rather than from x to y. . But it will not hurt your count to do them because YOU ARE COUNTING HOW MANY DIFFERENT ANSWERS YOU GET.
You can get 5, 6, 7—oh, that’s 6 again—nope. You can get –no, that’s 7 again. Well, there is 8—oh, there are 7 and 8 again. Then, that highest one is 9.
5,6,7,8,9 Count those possible answers. There are five different answer possibilities.
Friend, this was NOT difficult. You just did not want to believe that you can speed through one of our RACECAR questions—even a few in math—but THIS one, even with a straightforward list of values already given for x and for y—THIS one is going to take some jotting down figures. But it’s pretty easy because it is so visual, right? You can COUNT the number of possibilities.
Now, let’s look at the April 28th question. Come back when you finish.
www.collegeboard .com
SAT question for the day
How did you do on the April 28th question?
Now you are back to ROCKET’S RACECAR STRATEGY. The opposite from yesterday’s strategy to go ahead and jot down several steps to solve the problem—realizing that you have low enough numbers and only two columns with all different numbers. In short, yesterday, you could do several steps to solve a problem.
Today, you need to realize that several steps are NOT necessary. You know the answer you are looking for by filling in the blank with a word type that would work for the ‘sense’ and connotation (feeling) of the sentence. You do begin by reading the title: Sentence Completion and the Directions: You are looking for the BEST word to fill in.
Then, you merely read the sentence and think of a word that would fit. You look below and find the word most like the word you dreamed up. CHOOSE IT IMMEDIATELY AND MARK YOUR ANSWER SHEET.
Then, you come back and eliminate at least one of the wrong answers. That way, you make sure you get the point you know. You make sure that you did not answer a different question from the one asked. (See April 27th above).
Here is how the ROCKETCAT RACECAR strategy works on the ‘easy’ April 28th completion question:
Speed smoothly forward through the title (sentence completion) and keep driving, top down, through the directions. (Yes, we know these from practice but reading them each time puts us in the smooth, speedy, ACCURATE mindset.
We are looking for the BEST word.
Now let’s drive straight on, full speed ahead through the sentence, filling in a word that fits. We are racing, but with purpose to reach the finish line ahead of the others:
Exotic and indigenous weeds include some of the most_____ species;
(NOTE: I don’t have a clue yet except the word will be descriptive—beautiful?—I’m guessing a descriptive word that fits exotic , but I still need a better clue because I’m not sure that ‘weeds’ will be described as beautiful.
So here is the entire sentence:
Exotics and indigenous weeds include some of the most _____ species; their visual impact often eclipses that of nearby plants.
Okay, I am looking for a word that can be descriptive AND emphasizes that you will see (visual) the plants in these species before the other plants. In my mind’s eye, I see orchids and dandelions along the roadside as we speed by.
I am looking for a word that means that these plants are eye-catching.
A. Lethal (No, that’s deadly—lethal weapon)
B. Diffuse (no, that isn’t about catching your eye..)
C. Varied (well, that fits the sentence okay and ‘varied’ could catch your eye, but not a winner) Keep driving. Nobody would say ‘varied’ sounds like the BEST completion.
D. Striking (Aha! The word striking FITS)
MARK IT AND MOVE ON. You have eliminated enough. If, because you were not familiar enough with some words, you feel your foot going to the brake pedal, go ahead and try out E. resilient.
Speed backwards (RACECAR IS THE SAME WORD BACKWARDS, a palindrome). Nope, resilient is not incorrect in the sentence. But it does not indicate that you are about to read: their visual impact often eclipses that of nearby plants.
Only ‘striking’ does the job of being the ‘beautiful and/or able to eclipse the other plants when you see it.judiethcarol&rocketcatApril2010
Now, let’s look at the two classic examples of strategies to use in math and in language arts on the test.
The SAT test is Saturday of this week, May 1st, so let me use this math question to reinforce a strategy to use to accomplish your very best possible performance on Saturday. If you are taking the test at a later date, we can do MORE to improve your performance.
April 27th, a math question—and April 28th, a sentence completion show patterns to follow to answer questions correctly on the SAT. You may look at archived articles on this site for more guidance. Here’s the short version:
1. Use the patent Rocketcat Racecar strategy on the ‘language arts’ questions. Speed forward. Make up a possible answer. Find the answer that fits the same way as your made up answers. Zip backwards to eliminate at least one of the ‘wrong’ answers to check if you are answering the question asked!
2. Notice when a question in math has all low numbers and all different numbers for the question. You are probably about to be asked to do several little problems to solve the problem. If you dive for the answer that SEEMS to be right because you ‘see’ this answer right away, you are almost definitely answering a different question.
SUMMARY: Realize that the design of the Scholastic Aptitude Test is not to ‘trick’ you; but if the answer is extremely easy to solve—especially if you are not a teacher in that content area—be certain to answer the correct question. The ‘trick’ part is that the answer to the wrong question will be one of the possible answers.
This design is to measure your attention to what you know. This is part of what ‘aptitude’ is. The Scholastic Aptitude Test is an attempt to find out if you sift through these possible answers to find the correct one. After all, the answers are there in front of you.
To use the next couple of questions to improve Saturday’s performance if you are taking the SAT:
• Note carefully the type of question that you do well. CHECK those answers by eliminating at least one of the ‘wrong’ answers to make sure that you answered the question asked.
• Notice the percentage of responses that were correct on the practice questions you do between now and the test. If the percentage is low, like today, realize that this may be a question to use the ‘difficult’ question strategy—and do it. On the ones you may be able to improve, try to mark your booklet to come back.
‘Difficult’ question strategy: Note what IS simple about the question. In this one, all the numbers are low: 1,2,3 and 4,5,6. ANOTHER simple point is that the numbers are not repeated in the x column and the y column. The numbers are not repeated within the column: x=1, x=2, or x=3 or between the two columns: y=4, y=5, or y=6.
If you THINK you see an easy way to get the answer to a question like this one, you are probably missing a step. Eliminate at least one other answer to make sure you are answering the correct question.
Answer the question that is asked—not another question.
The way to ‘miss’ the answer to this one is to look at the low numbers and the possible combinations –and to notice that the ‘highest’ answer is 9. Well, you see by just counting that there are at least NINE combinations. So, you are ready to choose 9. Yay!
BUT THAT’S NOT THE AUESTION THAT IS ASKED: You are asked how many different values may result in the addition of these values for x and y. You ARE NOT ASKED HOW MANY COMBINATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. Nine is the answer to that question.
You are asked how many DIFFERENT SUMS are possible.
If the answer seems as fast as answering ‘9’ is to this question, LOOK AT THE QUESTION AGAIN.
Also, do NOT think that you will just not be asked to do several steps to find an answer. You WILL be asked to do several steps. A clue here is that the numbers are so low. PLUS, YOU HAVE A CALCULATOR.
But doing these quickly on paper with pencil is the fastest way. Better yet, this is the most VISUAL way. Jot down: 1+4=5, 1+5=6, 1+6=7; 2+4=6; 2+5=7; 2+6=8.3+4=7; 3+5=8; 3+6=9. Okay, 4+1 is already done. You will not have to go down the y column far to realize that you’ve done these problems when you go from y to x rather than from x to y. . But it will not hurt your count to do them because YOU ARE COUNTING HOW MANY DIFFERENT ANSWERS YOU GET.
You can get 5, 6, 7—oh, that’s 6 again—nope. You can get –no, that’s 7 again. Well, there is 8—oh, there are 7 and 8 again. Then, that highest one is 9.
5,6,7,8,9 Count those possible answers. There are five different answer possibilities.
Friend, this was NOT difficult. You just did not want to believe that you can speed through one of our RACECAR questions—even a few in math—but THIS one, even with a straightforward list of values already given for x and for y—THIS one is going to take some jotting down figures. But it’s pretty easy because it is so visual, right? You can COUNT the number of possibilities.
Now, let’s look at the April 28th question. Come back when you finish.
www.collegeboard .com
SAT question for the day
How did you do on the April 28th question?
Now you are back to ROCKET’S RACECAR STRATEGY. The opposite from yesterday’s strategy to go ahead and jot down several steps to solve the problem—realizing that you have low enough numbers and only two columns with all different numbers. In short, yesterday, you could do several steps to solve a problem.
Today, you need to realize that several steps are NOT necessary. You know the answer you are looking for by filling in the blank with a word type that would work for the ‘sense’ and connotation (feeling) of the sentence. You do begin by reading the title: Sentence Completion and the Directions: You are looking for the BEST word to fill in.
Then, you merely read the sentence and think of a word that would fit. You look below and find the word most like the word you dreamed up. CHOOSE IT IMMEDIATELY AND MARK YOUR ANSWER SHEET.
Then, you come back and eliminate at least one of the wrong answers. That way, you make sure you get the point you know. You make sure that you did not answer a different question from the one asked. (See April 27th above).
Here is how the ROCKETCAT RACECAR strategy works on the ‘easy’ April 28th completion question:
Speed smoothly forward through the title (sentence completion) and keep driving, top down, through the directions. (Yes, we know these from practice but reading them each time puts us in the smooth, speedy, ACCURATE mindset.
We are looking for the BEST word.
Now let’s drive straight on, full speed ahead through the sentence, filling in a word that fits. We are racing, but with purpose to reach the finish line ahead of the others:
Exotic and indigenous weeds include some of the most_____ species;
(NOTE: I don’t have a clue yet except the word will be descriptive—beautiful?—I’m guessing a descriptive word that fits exotic , but I still need a better clue because I’m not sure that ‘weeds’ will be described as beautiful.
So here is the entire sentence:
Exotics and indigenous weeds include some of the most _____ species; their visual impact often eclipses that of nearby plants.
Okay, I am looking for a word that can be descriptive AND emphasizes that you will see (visual) the plants in these species before the other plants. In my mind’s eye, I see orchids and dandelions along the roadside as we speed by.
I am looking for a word that means that these plants are eye-catching.
A. Lethal (No, that’s deadly—lethal weapon)
B. Diffuse (no, that isn’t about catching your eye..)
C. Varied (well, that fits the sentence okay and ‘varied’ could catch your eye, but not a winner) Keep driving. Nobody would say ‘varied’ sounds like the BEST completion.
D. Striking (Aha! The word striking FITS)
MARK IT AND MOVE ON. You have eliminated enough. If, because you were not familiar enough with some words, you feel your foot going to the brake pedal, go ahead and try out E. resilient.
Speed backwards (RACECAR IS THE SAME WORD BACKWARDS, a palindrome). Nope, resilient is not incorrect in the sentence. But it does not indicate that you are about to read: their visual impact often eclipses that of nearby plants.
Only ‘striking’ does the job of being the ‘beautiful and/or able to eclipse the other plants when you see it.judiethcarol&rocketcatApril2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Use coolrocketschool.org to prepare MAY 1 SAT
Five minutes here every day will help you to learn how to move quickly AND accurately on the SAT and other standardized tests. Come here to visit daily after you complete the SAT Question for the day on the College Board Site: www.collegeboard.com Next SAT is May 1. http:www.coolrocketschool.org By judiethcarol&rocketcat
April 26th has a Q&A to test the RACECAR STRATEGY in a classic way.
Do the steps below. In less than three minutes, you will learn the strategy to gain points on the SAT and other standardized tests. You will also learn the rules of grammar you will use in other writing. To answer correctly, you use prediction.
The April 26th SAT Question for the day requires Rocketcat’s patent RACECAR STRATEGY to pace yourself well. You already know this style of directions. Read them anyway.
The strategy is to read straight through, reminding your brain of the sequence. You find and mark the correct answer. Then you look back to eliminate at least one incorrect answer to check it in the sentence..
RACECAR is a palindrome. You move forward with smooth and accurate speed. You mark your winning answer neatly. Then you speed backwards (palindrome) to eliminate one incorrect answer to check. Then move on!
The following describes the steps. At the end is today’s question with the correct answer.
1) Read the title: IMPROVE the sentence.
2) Read the directions. Read the directions, as given, straight through. You are looking for the BEST option to IMPROVE the sentence. You choose A. only if no option improves the sentence. On this type of Q&A, the first option does not change anything in the sentence.
3) Read the sentence looking for a predictable error in the underlined portion.
4) TWIST: The underlined portion in this sentence is correct, as is. The problem is in the comma before the underlined portion.
5) This sentence has a comma before the pronoun and verb. The UNDERLINED PORTION HAS TO BE CHANGED TO CORRECT THE COMMA SPLICE RIGHT BEFORE IT. This is a bit of a twist because the comma is NOT underlined. Even so, one of the answers will change the underlined portion so it is no longer a complete phrase.
Look at this again, please. Understanding how this is designed will gain points for you on the test. Understanding how this is designed will also help you to avoid comma splices in your writing. Here is what you are seeing on your first time reading the sentence:
The underlined portion has a pronoun. This pronoun is correct in form for the antecedent. The underlined portion has a verb. This verb is correct in form (tense, number) as well.
This correct underlined portion has to be changed to make the entire sentence correct because changing this part is your only option to avoid two sentences ‘spliced’ with a comma.
Now, you are looking for the change option that will correct a run on sentence error. This type of error is commonly called a comma splice. The comma is splicing (joining) two entire sentences. This is incorrect punctuation. You need a semi-colon, a conjunction (and, but…) with the comma, or a period and a new sentence.
You do not have the option to make a new sentence using the above punctuation corrections of the comma splice. You have to choose an option that will make this sentence correct with different words.
Here is how it looks on the test:
The finest quality raw silk comes from the commonly domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori, it feeds on the leaves of the mulberry tree.
A. Sentence stays as is. It feeds
B. Feeding (surely, something will be better)
C. They feed (still incorrect with the comma)
D. which feeds (This corrects the sentence. MARK IT ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET AND MOVE TO YOUR NEXT QUESTION. YOU HAVE ALREADY ELIMINATED MORE THAN ONE OR TWO INCORRECT ANSWERS.)judiethcarol&rocketcatApril2010c http:www.coolrocketschool.org
April 26th has a Q&A to test the RACECAR STRATEGY in a classic way.
Do the steps below. In less than three minutes, you will learn the strategy to gain points on the SAT and other standardized tests. You will also learn the rules of grammar you will use in other writing. To answer correctly, you use prediction.
The April 26th SAT Question for the day requires Rocketcat’s patent RACECAR STRATEGY to pace yourself well. You already know this style of directions. Read them anyway.
The strategy is to read straight through, reminding your brain of the sequence. You find and mark the correct answer. Then you look back to eliminate at least one incorrect answer to check it in the sentence..
RACECAR is a palindrome. You move forward with smooth and accurate speed. You mark your winning answer neatly. Then you speed backwards (palindrome) to eliminate one incorrect answer to check. Then move on!
The following describes the steps. At the end is today’s question with the correct answer.
1) Read the title: IMPROVE the sentence.
2) Read the directions. Read the directions, as given, straight through. You are looking for the BEST option to IMPROVE the sentence. You choose A. only if no option improves the sentence. On this type of Q&A, the first option does not change anything in the sentence.
3) Read the sentence looking for a predictable error in the underlined portion.
4) TWIST: The underlined portion in this sentence is correct, as is. The problem is in the comma before the underlined portion.
5) This sentence has a comma before the pronoun and verb. The UNDERLINED PORTION HAS TO BE CHANGED TO CORRECT THE COMMA SPLICE RIGHT BEFORE IT. This is a bit of a twist because the comma is NOT underlined. Even so, one of the answers will change the underlined portion so it is no longer a complete phrase.
Look at this again, please. Understanding how this is designed will gain points for you on the test. Understanding how this is designed will also help you to avoid comma splices in your writing. Here is what you are seeing on your first time reading the sentence:
The underlined portion has a pronoun. This pronoun is correct in form for the antecedent. The underlined portion has a verb. This verb is correct in form (tense, number) as well.
This correct underlined portion has to be changed to make the entire sentence correct because changing this part is your only option to avoid two sentences ‘spliced’ with a comma.
Now, you are looking for the change option that will correct a run on sentence error. This type of error is commonly called a comma splice. The comma is splicing (joining) two entire sentences. This is incorrect punctuation. You need a semi-colon, a conjunction (and, but…) with the comma, or a period and a new sentence.
You do not have the option to make a new sentence using the above punctuation corrections of the comma splice. You have to choose an option that will make this sentence correct with different words.
Here is how it looks on the test:
The finest quality raw silk comes from the commonly domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori, it feeds on the leaves of the mulberry tree.
A. Sentence stays as is. It feeds
B. Feeding (surely, something will be better)
C. They feed (still incorrect with the comma)
D. which feeds (This corrects the sentence. MARK IT ON YOUR ANSWER SHEET AND MOVE TO YOUR NEXT QUESTION. YOU HAVE ALREADY ELIMINATED MORE THAN ONE OR TWO INCORRECT ANSWERS.)judiethcarol&rocketcatApril2010c http:www.coolrocketschool.org
Sunday, April 25, 2010
USE SAT QUESTIONS YOU KNOW FOR POINTS AND SPEED
Use your pacing and checking strategies to gather all the points you know. Today's question is a fast one. It is a classic for the strategy to use.
SAT PACE: Move Fast on RACECAR Q&A: Check Quickly
To pace well for high scores on standardized tests, do the ones you know quickly; but check the answers in an abbreviated way. In summary: Get the points you know. Use the speed, with accuracy, to keep moving.
April 25, 2010, Sentence Completion is an easy one for the Rocketcat RACECAR strategy. This is a classic one for the fast forward, mark the answer strategy.
Today’s answer is so quick, as Rocketcat guessed the exact word before looking at the list, that the ‘backwards’ part of the strategy is enough after eliminating one of the other answers. Use the fast answer and quick check to pace along fast enough to spend time on a different type of question.
REVIEW Rocketcat patent RACECAR strategy:
Quickly read the title: We will be completing sentences.
Read the directions: We will be completing the sentence by filling in the blank with the BEST answer.
Read the sentence, noting the clues and connotations (feeling, emotion, tone). Fill in the blank yourself with a word to express the connotation and tone.
A remarkably _________ plant, (already something is remarkable about an aspect of the plant...)
A remarkably ________ plant, the soybean (what is remarkable?) yields not only dairy like products, but also flour, cooking oil, and sprouts.
Rocketcat, with one blue eye and one green eye, is deaf. He visualizes the soybean plant and the milky products and the oil and sprouts and sees ‘different’ ‘varied’ and ‘versatile.’
He looks down the list of words to find a word that means versatile. There it is: versatile. He does not always guess the word ahead, but this time he did.
Rocketcat advises marking this answer immediately on your answer sheet. Then, go backwards (RACECAR is a palindrome, the same frontwards and backwards). Eliminate one of the other answers to make sure you answered the right question. The main thing to check in questions that go fast is that you answered the right question.
Try a couple of the other answers: Do they mean: different, varied, or versatile? If you do not know what some of the words mean, try the ones you do: A remarkably tedious plant (NO!)
A remarkably incessant plant (NO!)
A remarkably versatile plant (YES).
Now, keep going. Move on.judiethcarolandrocketcatapril2010c.
SAT PACE: Move Fast on RACECAR Q&A: Check Quickly
To pace well for high scores on standardized tests, do the ones you know quickly; but check the answers in an abbreviated way. In summary: Get the points you know. Use the speed, with accuracy, to keep moving.
April 25, 2010, Sentence Completion is an easy one for the Rocketcat RACECAR strategy. This is a classic one for the fast forward, mark the answer strategy.
Today’s answer is so quick, as Rocketcat guessed the exact word before looking at the list, that the ‘backwards’ part of the strategy is enough after eliminating one of the other answers. Use the fast answer and quick check to pace along fast enough to spend time on a different type of question.
REVIEW Rocketcat patent RACECAR strategy:
Quickly read the title: We will be completing sentences.
Read the directions: We will be completing the sentence by filling in the blank with the BEST answer.
Read the sentence, noting the clues and connotations (feeling, emotion, tone). Fill in the blank yourself with a word to express the connotation and tone.
A remarkably _________ plant, (already something is remarkable about an aspect of the plant...)
A remarkably ________ plant, the soybean (what is remarkable?) yields not only dairy like products, but also flour, cooking oil, and sprouts.
Rocketcat, with one blue eye and one green eye, is deaf. He visualizes the soybean plant and the milky products and the oil and sprouts and sees ‘different’ ‘varied’ and ‘versatile.’
He looks down the list of words to find a word that means versatile. There it is: versatile. He does not always guess the word ahead, but this time he did.
Rocketcat advises marking this answer immediately on your answer sheet. Then, go backwards (RACECAR is a palindrome, the same frontwards and backwards). Eliminate one of the other answers to make sure you answered the right question. The main thing to check in questions that go fast is that you answered the right question.
Try a couple of the other answers: Do they mean: different, varied, or versatile? If you do not know what some of the words mean, try the ones you do: A remarkably tedious plant (NO!)
A remarkably incessant plant (NO!)
A remarkably versatile plant (YES).
Now, keep going. Move on.judiethcarolandrocketcatapril2010c.
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