ACSTO 101

ACSTO 101 is an e-book authored by me and designed by Tommy Smith (Marketing and Communications Manager at ACSTO). This is the magnum opus of my career as a copywriter at ACSTO. It is a compilation of my experience and expertise in Arizona tax credit law, nationwide school choice, technical writing skills, research and development, marketing and communication, and calls to action. It is professional yet friendly; informational yet interesting (for the target audience at least!); heavily researched and technical yet laid out simply for the layman.

As the author and researcher for this e-book, I created it for the purpose of educating our constituents (parents, donors, and schools) about the inner workings of ACSTO and the tax credit law that we operate with, and how our constituents can best take advantage of this tax credit law for the benefit of providing funding for private Christian education. It is in essence a fundraising booklet – and our parents trying to pay for the cost of tuition will best benefit from the information it contains.

Originally published as a free e-book in Nov. 2012.
Copyright Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization, Inc. March 2013.

Flipped Classroom

This is for those who understand that education cannot be reduced to any one strategy or be restricted to a rigid framework; for those who support choices when it comes to your children’s education. Education is about meeting a child’s learning needs through creative and flexible instruction. That is why Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams developed the Flipped Classroom model. This is a method, initially termed Reverse Instruction, that essentially flips the current paradigm by sending kids home with lecture material as homework and spending classroom time in interactive review material usually reserved as homework.

 

Examine the model of the status quo – where students are required to bring hours of schoolwork back home, where homework must compete with all the comforts of home, namely the television and computer screen. In addition, the student is left to compile conundrum upon conundrum as he attempts to complete the assignments on his own, without peer review, interaction, or teacher feedback and correction. No wonder this is a struggle.

 

According to Bergmann and Sams’ The Flipped Class Blog, the reasoning for this innovative new strategy was developed with these observations in mind. The flipped classroom model addresses these problems as a twofold cure. First, instead of a competition vying homework against the electronic screen, the flipped classroom model embraces this common medium of our generation. Students get to “watch TV” for homework by viewing podcast lectures, power-point presentations, content-rich websites, and educational videos, all at their own pace. If they are the interactive type, they can then discuss what they are learning from home through chat rooms, blogs, and vlogs. The User Generated Education blog written by Jackie Gerstien, Ed.D. applauds this model’s use of technology to take lecture out of the classroom and into the hands of students.

 

Secondly, the classroom environment changes drastically. Suddenly, instead of boring lectures and busywork, the classroom is alive and active. The students are engaged in what would have otherwise been homework. Hands-on and tactile students especially benefit, as they do not have to struggle to sit still and listen for any length of time. As students apply learned material to their work, they have the support of peer discussion and teacher instruction. If students have questions about the material, there is much more time for the teacher to clarify and give examples. 

 

David Truss of the acclaimed Connected Principles education blog agrees that when this strategy is well-done, it is a great use of time for collaboration, problem-solving, practice.  However, he does warn that quality must not be sacrificed for the convenience of this model, as would be the temptation for some.  This does not transform the teacher’s role from teacher to mere facilitator.  Instead, production quality has the chance to increase due to the increased accountability as students have the opportunity to put pencil to paper under the direct tutelage of the teacher.

 

Multiple education news and blog websites, such as The Daily Riff and the ones mentioned in this article, have found there is so much interest in this method that they have recently added strings of new posts about the Flipped Classroom. Parents and teachers alike who are interested in the betterment of student education should look into the Flipped Classroom model as an option to meet student needs.

 

Completed through a client on Textbroker.com on 09/13/11.

Creative Writing Tips for Young Children

A child’s mind is constantly aloft in the realm of possibilities, while at the same time learning to grasp and understand the laws that govern the universe. When artistically combined through creative writing at an early age, children are enabled to explore the way in which imagination and reality collide, and express the process by which their mind attempts to digest it.

When developing young children’s creative writing skills give them examples, especially examples they enjoy. Students learn best though the context of their experience. Thus, they are more likely to glean insight from books they have already read and are excited for. Have them make a list of favorite stories. Have them think about why they like it, and to think about the characters, the pictures, the words, the problem in the story, the way it’s solved, and what they learned from the story. Have them write these thoughts down. These are basic but important aspects to consider when writing a story.

Second, have the children think about their favorite hobby or activity, and have them write this down, perhaps on a second page.

Now for the creative writing.  Simply have the students start writing about their favorite hobby/activity. As they write have them look back at what they wrote on sheet one and think about how they can do the same in their own story.  If they want to think, let them think, but encourage the children to start writing.  Putting words to the page is practice in and of itself, regardless if you don’t know where the words will lead quite yet.

At this point it is important to not tell them what to write, let the workings of their own mind prevail upon the page. If the plots of their first couple stories look remarkably similar to the stories they chose, do not fret. The goal is for them to grow comfortable with writing. From here on out there are endless exercises for students to practice. Give them one part of the story, then have them finish it.  Always praise and encourage them for their work.

Completed through a client on Textbroker.com on 09/10/11.

How to Study For Long Hours

Any good student worth his degree recognizes the inevitable necessity to know how to study for long hours. This necessity invariably arises from the good student’s understanding that cramming for a test is to no avail since it does little to store information to long term memory. Even so, the student will find himself pursuant of long study hours in the days prior to an important exam. This is a skill best learned through experience, though there are many common mistakes to address first.

The first mistake a student will make when trying to think about how to study for long hours is to interrupt his sleep schedule. He will stay up all night studying as late as he can, sleep for a short while, then get up to continue the cycle. This is the easiest way to accomplish burn out. The brain’s ability to learn is directly proportional to an individual’s ability to maintain consistent resting habits. Getting enough sleep through a natural sleeping schedule in place will keep the brain juices flowing.

Usually corresponding to the first mistake is the second mistake of gorging on brain inhibiting foodstuffs. Caffeine quickly becomes a student’s best friend when he is trying to find out how to study for long hours, but only because he has inadvertently interrupted his sleep cycle. As amazing as caffeinated beverages are, and the junk food that oft accompanies it, they don’t belong in the study environment (at least not in large, consistent quantities), especially if it is utilized to further encourage the disruption of one’s sleep schedule. Again, it is an issue of interfering with the brain’s ability to comprehend and retain information, and unfortunately, sugar and caffeine depresses the brain’s functionality and attention span, despite the alleged boost. Water, as always, is the best alternative. If a boost is still desired, there are drinks high in Vitamin B12 & B16 which provide more natural energy, without the jitters.

One may easily think about how to study for long hours and come to the conclusion that it requires hours of uninterrupted concentration. Yet taking the time to study for long hours is not a race, as cramming would be, but rather a marathon. Pace yourself. Certainly find a way to limit distractions. Find a prime location and limit cell phone and internet use, lest they open a rabbit hole or two. That being said, it may come as a surprise that regular, short breaks while studying will stimulate the brain and encourage studying. These breaks should include movement, such as stretching or talking a quick walk, as movement stimulates blood flow to the brain (something caffeine is known to restrict) and thus encouraging energy and overall focus. 

When a student needs to study hard it usually means there is something large at stake. Don’t panic. Focus on sleeping well, eating and drinking well, and making use of your resources. The best remedy will be the preparation you took on how to study for long hours.

 

Completed through a client on Textbroker.com on 08/30/11.

Posted as a ‘guest author’ on http://howtogetbettergrades.net/how-to-study-for-long-hours/.

Faith & Pop Culture by Christianity Today

As a Christian man who enjoys literature, and who lives in a culture who enjoys sports, television, games, and movies, it only made sense to pick up the study series by Christianity Today called Faith and Pop Culture. The entirety of the book is focused on how Christians are to interact with the entertainment culture of today. Too often the Christian culture performs a predictable, and almost amusing, response to this modern reality. (1) There is the shock and horror reflex. (2) Outright condemnation and boycotting of the secular entertainment arts. (3)A bunch of muttering and isolation occurs, often coupled with (4) a stint with 100% Christian-made art forms (only Christian music, radio, books, jewelry). (5) Eventual compromise as the individual(s) become desensitized and tantalized by the wider world of entertainment (that honestly often far exceeds the talents of Christians alone). It does not have to be this way. While it is true that Christians are to be in the world but not of the world, it is also true that all truth can be used to portray God’s truth, and thus the different forms of entertainment do have value. They are excellent venues of communication, and Christians should be excellent communicators because as Christ followers our lifelong employ is to communicate the love of Jesus and the truth of His salvation.

Christianity Today’s Study Series Faith and Pop Culture was made recently in 2008, and therefore still very relevant to today. It’s main focus, as the title portrays, is for a Bible Study or small group to discuss how their faith is to interact with pop culture. Every chapter contains a thought provoking article chosen from the Christianity Today magazine database. Once read there are options given for group discussion and reflection, often centered around pertinent Bible passages. Each chapter gives the group a chance to discuss the largest forms of entertainment today: movies, books, sports, television, and video games. There are also respective chapters dedicated to the value of ‘family friendly’ entertainment, Christian influence in the entertainment industry, and whether entertainment is compatible with a life of faith.

Before you delve into this study, however, I must give caution. Do not gather a group of Christian buddies together to merely glimpse through these pages and glance at the passages. Only open this book if you really mean it. The chapters will take more than one sitting each. The articles will require reading them ahead of time in order to process through them. The questions will take time to answer. The dedication will need to be high in order to truly grow from it and mold your thinking. This is partially because as Americans we come heavy laden with presuppositions and biases about entertainment. This group study is not meant to affirm and/or justify what you already believe. This group study is meant to challenge the way you think about entertainment. It is meant to be a commitment of time and effort. Please take this study, and as a group take it seriously, and be teachable. Take notes, write in the book, ask questions, be honest. I do wish the book provided more space for writing notes, but there are spaces between questions and the occasional blank page dedicated for notes.

I highly recommend this study. No Christian in Western culture lives in a bubble, therefore every American Christian will encounter the entertainment industry.

As a final aside, notice how I had to specify Christians in Western culture. The things Christians struggle with varies greatly from country to country. There are billions of people in the world who have no access, means, or even desire, to take advantage of the different forms of entertainment available. This book assumes you live in an American-like culture. As such, this book will make no sense to a Christian bedouin on the outskirts of the Arabian desert, or a Christian tribal leader in Papua New Guinea. Entertainment is a blessing and a curse for Americans, Europeans, and other countries who have it readily available. Not to say that different forms of entertainment are not available in non-Westernized cultures, nor that there is an absence of struggle there. I simply wish the study series addressed the stark contrast of quantity seen between the American entertainment industry compared to other parts of the world, and how this effects Christians worldwide. It would have made for an excellent concluding chapter.

Support School Choice

I will take the risk of oversimplifying when I say that American education is in a sad state of affairs. Not to say that American education is hopeless, but to emphasize the importance of getting involved and helping with the problem. How sad is it that we encourage free market everywhere in the country except for in education.

The public school system has a monopoly on American education. I will ask, if I may, how good the quality is for any good or service that is completely controlled by the government, or any single powerful entity for that matter? In summary: customer dissatisfaction. The USPS and DMV/MVD are a couple examples of services known to be inefficient. The tragedy of our public school system is the absence of competition. Schools are given more and more money every year (and yet they keep demanding more!) no matter what their performance. Billions of our own tax dollars are being spent on the public education system, and yet the actual education of our youth has stayed exactly the same, if not decreased.

Actually, to be realistic, it most certainly HAS decreased because expectations have dramatically decreased. Why you may ask? Because public school systems have nothing to be afraid of. They have no reason to push students, no reason to take risks, no reason to reform. All because they benefit – vocationally, financially, politically – from the status quo. And the alternatives, such as private schools and homeschooling, are not allowed enough freedom to provide effective competition with the public school system.

But there are whispers of a New Hope. Long lost echoes of scholastic redemption finally escaping from the labyrinth cave of political suppression. A phrase of near messianic proportions rings true: School Choice. Yes, school choice is the simple answer. No, not so simple to implement amidst such dire resistance. But simple in premise. All school choice asks is for parents to have a choice in their own children’s education.

Whether it be public, charter, or private; religious or secular; in a classroom or homeschooled; and for public tax dollars to be more flexible to apply to said education, whether through vouchers, scholarships, empowerment funds, assistant programs and so forth. All we ask is to have a choice! Is that not consistent with American values? Students should not be restricted to a certain school just because of their zip code. Parents should not be limited to one system, having to send their children to attend free public schooling since they cannot afford to both pay taxes and pay for private school tuition. All the while, teacher and school unions enjoy their profitable monopoly: while rarely actually addressing teacher’s needs by the way, preferring to address their politically beneficial campaigns against all competition.

There are many resources available that soundly proves that School Choice is a good thing, on individual, family, community, state and national levels. Arizona is one such state that gets it and is a forerunner state passing legislation supporting school choice. For example: Arizona passed the Individual Tuition Tax Credit Law, which allows Arizona taxpayers to receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit against their income state taxes for donations to a qualifying Student Tuition Organization (STO). An STO is a non-profit organization certified by the state to award these donations as scholarships to private schools. As such, private schools are in full bloom in Arizona.

The largest STO in Arizona is the Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization (ACSTO). ACSTO has been very active in supporting school choice (all the way up to the Supreme Court!) and in providing much needed financial aid that allows thousands of students to attend the private school of their choice! Visiting the ACSTO webpage and/or the ACSTO Facebook page will provide you with the links and resources to learn much about the advances of School Choice in Arizona, and thus, the kinds of advances being made around the country. Let it be henceforth known that School Choice is a beneficial right, and it has high value for those who support Democracy.