PlanetKid » Education

I or Me — Which One Should You Use?

Jacki Donaldson — Fri, 11 May 2012 04:00:23 +0000

Do you know how to properly use the words I and me? Consider the sentence, “He is taking my friend and me to a fancy restaurant tonight.” Is the use of me correct? Or should I have been used? I offer some guidance over at Just Edits.

FCAT Is Finished

Jacki Donaldson — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:00:34 +0000

I think they might be happy the FCAT is finished.

Fearing the FCAT

Jacki Donaldson — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 02:23:14 +0000

If you’ve got a school kid in the state of Florida, you likely know about—and maybe even fear—the FCAT. It’s the standardized test that students start taking in third grade, and for third-graders, moving on to the fourth grade hinges on passing this high-pressure exam, which happens to kick off on Monday. The whole public school system seems to revolve around the FCAT, and many believe the all-encompassing focus on this test takes away from actual teaching and learning, stifles creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, and promotes worksheets and right answers at all costs. I guess there’s no getting around it—well, there is, but you’ve gotta switch to private or home schools—so we’ve just gotta buckle down and prepare out kiddos for tackling the beast. Taking practice tests helps (past tests are available online), so does ensuring a good night’s sleep for your students, and a hearty, healthy breakfast is key, too. Best wishes to all test-takers out there. May the FCAT force be with you!

Love Teachers!

Jacki Donaldson — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:12:22 +0000

The universal Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up, and may we suggest you show your teachers some love during May 7-11, 2012. Maybe you can decorate your teacher’s door, have kids deliver single flowers one morning and add them to a parent-provided vase. Determine and drop off favorite snacks and drinks, gather up a collection of cash for a big gift—the possibilities are endless, but time is limited if you want to participate in the official week (of course, you can appreciate your teachers any time and all the time). If you’ve got great ideas for spreading cheer to the teachers of the world, we sure hope you’ll share in comments.

Khan Academy Saves the Day

Jacki Donaldson — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 04:00:21 +0000

Having trouble teaching your little ones how to add, subtract, or, YIKES, graph natural logarithm function? No worries, because there exists this online place called Khan Academy, and there is a video for just about every math topic that troubles you. Check out the video above for a little snippet into math made easy, then shop around the site for tips on science and business and more!

A Girl Who Reads

Jacki Donaldson — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:10 +0000

Are you a girl who reads? If not, you should become one because readers make you pretty great catches. And if you have daughters, you might want to mentor them in the reading department, not just because others will want to date them, but because they will be really great, well-round women. That’s what the this article says, anyway, and I think I agree. You? (And note: boys should read, too.)

School Lunch Before 10 a.m.

Jacki Donaldson — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:00:16 +0000

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Overnight Camping Kid

Jacki Donaldson — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:00:59 +0000

My kid left home. Well, just for a few days, in order to pursue an overnight camp adventure with all the other fifth-graders in his school. Two nights and three days, he’ll be gone, and it’s proving to be quite a profound experience for us at home. For one, it’s lonely — we really miss our big kid — and, two, it’s really fun for the little kid, who is loving all the solo parent love and attention. Three, I’ve realized I depend on the 10-year-old as a back-up alarm (he hops right up in the morning, dresses, reads, and I know that if I oversleep, he’ll come get me), and right now, I have no safety net. Four, we are absolutely thrilled that our oldest child has the chance to be totally independent and on his own. And finally, we hope he and his little bro both want to do a summer sleep-away camp, because they’ve both been resistant to participate in summers past, and maybe this intro to camp will be the push they need. It’s just been, overall, a great awakening for all of us. How about you? Have your kids ever left home?

Computer Kids

Jacki Donaldson — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:00:03 +0000

We’ve cycled through all types of computer interest here at our house — we’ve gone from none to some to completely over-the-top, and while my kids mostly like their iPod Touch and DSi contraptions at the moment, they do veer into the office for some computer time now and then, and I’ve got to tell you, we don’t let them tunnel too deep into the Internet. They get free reign at places like Disney.com and Lego.com, and they have access to some educational sites, too, but that’s about it. Just seems safest this way. How do you handle computer time?

Teen Talk Topic — Weight

Jacki Donaldson — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:00:12 +0000

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy