EBooks Are Rarely a Good Deal, Now You Can Pay a Ton for Them to Spy on You!

By Derek R Haake

Recently a pilot program was announced that discussed how eBooks can now track you to see if you did your homework or not.

In effect, eBooks now can record what you do and how you do it while you are suffering through a long reading assignment.

Sadly the Chronicle showed that eBooks only save students $1 versus buying a new textbook, but this is only part of the equation. eBooks, unlike traditional textbooks, have zero - that's right NO resale value for students, rendering them worthless at the end of the semester. Unfortunately for most students, buying and selling books online can save them up to 95% of their textbook costs, versus the small savings that eBooks actually offer.

Now there are benefits of eBooks, including enhanced and interactive content, but for most students and especially in light of today's rapidly increasing costs of higher education, students need to save more than ever. The reason that publishers are really embracing eBook content is simple - they eliminate the secondary market that has cut into their profitability for years. Every time an eBook is sold, the publisher gets their piece of the sale - with traditional books, the publishers only get revenue when the book is sold - new. With eBooks, they can dramatically increase their profitability.

Since the publishers will be making more money, one would expect the costs of eBooks to drop, but once publishers have access to this new revenue source, will the costs fall? Simple economics dictates that when there is more adoption of a product, the costs come down to make it more attractive to a wider piece of the market. However, the textbook market is "broken" because the purchaser - the college student - is not the person that makes the buying decision - the profess / University. Being told what book to buy has always put the publishers in a wonderful situation - at least for them. Textbook costs have risen by 800% in recent years, demonstrating that they are all too aware of this marketplace characteristic.

Now there are reasons why textbook costs are going up. Publishers must pay for talent to write their books - do we really want our students using educational materials that are sub-par? No. Costs of transportation and materials have increased too. My point is that there are rational reasons to justify the increase in prices, but these incidental costs do not account for the massive increase in textbook prices over the past year, and students should expect this trend to continue.

As for the eBook, as the publishers promote and move students away from the textbook, the secondary market gets eliminated and soon, students - if you are not careful - may be spending $1000 per year on devices that tattle to your professor on you.

Derek Haake is the founder of CampusShift.com, a community that helps students save on textbooks by comparing prices with its textbook search engine, and also the only community that has a local and nationwide student-to-student textbook marketplace. Mr. Haake founded Campus Shift after he went back to school to pursue his MBA and JD, and after earning them devoted his full time to the company, which started in January of 2011.

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To AP or Not to AP? That Is The Question

By Jeanmarie Keller 

Lame attempt to borrow from Shakespeare's Hamlet, I know. I blame my college education and four classes on Shakespeare. I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Lame attempt to borrow from Shakespeare's Hamlet, I know. I blame my college education and four classes on Shakespeare.

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

When it comes to your High School classes: It's not what you NEED to graduate; it's entirely about what you NEED to get into college - and they are NOT the same thing.

Don't believe me? Take a look at the recent study that found 80% of high school GRADUATES in New York City who applied for college were UNPREPARED. They did what it took to graduate from high school, but that was not what they NEEDED to handle college.
That being said, as students are deciding their classes for next year, I get a lot of questions surrounding  

Advanced Placement (AP) classes.

Questions like:

• Should I take them?
• How many should I take?
• Which ones should I take?

Let's tackle them one at a time.
Should I take them (AP Classes)?
Ask any college admissions officer and they will say "YES". If you want to keep the highly selective colleges open as a possibility, then the answer is "Absolutely". AP classes, when properly taught, are college level classes. And, students who take AP say they felt better prepared for college.
Another way to look at this question is from the perspective of the admissions officer. If I, the admissions officer, have hundreds or thousands of candidates to choose from, I'm looking for reasons to kick kids out of my pile. Students who didn't take the AP (but could have) could be yet another way to weed kids out.
How many should I take?

As many as you can handle. If you want to keep the Ivy League and Ivy-type colleges on the table, than at least five. First off, when you go to college, ALL of your classes will be "college level" so if you're saying that you cannot handle more than one AP class, then you need to be asking yourself if you're really ready for college. Also, what is NOT on your transcript can be just as telling as what is. If your high school offers 10 AP classes and you only have one, it might naturally raise the question of "Why is that?" in the admissions office.

Which ones should I take?

Well, the simple answer is: It depends. There are AP classes that carry more weight in the admissions office and there are AP classes that don't. But again, what kind of muddies this even more is the fact that what is NOT on your transcript can be just as telling as what is. For example, AP Art History doesn't carry the same kind of weight in the admissions office as say AP American History. BUT, if you're interested in being an Art major, then the LACK of AP Art History might hurt your particular application.

Your Smart Plan For College Assignment:

Look at your schedule for next year. What classes are you signing up for? Are you trying to take it easy in an attempt to work less but still keep your GPA up? Are you taking the most challenging classes you can handle? Are you challenging yourself or playing it safe?

These are the questions an admissions officer will be asking when they look over your transcript. What assumptions will they come to when they look at yours?

Jeanmarie Keller has helped thousands of students get into colleges they love while making sure their parents save a fortune on the bill. Jeanmarie is the creator of the Smart Plan For College System which teaches her client-families how to get noticed in the admissions office, get in at the colleges right for them and how to get the money they need to help pay the bill.

To receive Jean's weekly email newsletter and Jean's free CD: How To Find Cash For College, subscribe today at http://www.JeanKeller.com

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What Is Secular Homeschooling? Is It Right For You?

By Carol A Henderson

Many parents decide to homeschool because they want complete control over the lessons presented to their children.

While this means many want to make sure the lessons are in line with their religious beliefs, there are many families who homeschool without making it a religious affair. Secular homeschooling is conducted much the same as religious homeschooling, but the choice in materials and field trips will likely be quite different.

As more and more families decide to educate their children at home, there are a variety of homeschool models developing. Many of these newer models fall into the category of secular homeschooling. For instance, Ohio students can now sign up for an at-home program that allows students to do all of their work from home while still being considered a part of the public school system. Hybrid homeschooling is also grabbing attention across the country. This is a form of homeschooling where children attend a charter or private school for two or three days a week and then complete work at home the rest of the week.

You can also choose to become a full-time homeschooling family without basing lessons on religious beliefs. This works well for families who are not religious, but it also works for those who just wish to keep their religious beliefs separate from the educational pursuits of their children. Secular homeschooling can also work well for families that do not have one unified religious belief. For instance, if mom and dad share different beliefs and want their children to make their own religious choices, then secular studies would be a comfortable middle ground for homeschooling.

Is Secular Homeschooling for You?

Secular homeschooling may be easier to plan and conduct than homeschooling programs based on religious beliefs. You do not have to make sure that all of your curriculum choices adhere to your beliefs and blend well with one another. Your children can go on a wide variety of field trips without worrying how they will tie into your religious studies. You can also teach your children about different religions and regions of the world without justifying why your religious view is better or sounder than other popular beliefs in the world.

If you have strong religious beliefs and want to bring your children up with a strong understanding of those beliefs, then secular homeschooling may not be for you. Even if you decide to follow religion-based curriculum at home, you can still use some secular resources to ensure your children receive a well-rounded education from home.

Secular homeschooling is perfect if you do not have strict religious beliefs that you want to pass onto your children, or you want to give your children greater freedom to explore religious matters and make their own decisions without aggressive religious studies.

Tips for Secular Homeschool Families

Secular homeschooling is not much different from any other type of homeschooling. You simply choose curriculum and other resources that do not lean heavily on religious themes. Here are some tips to get you thinking of creative yet effective ways to start homeschooling your children in a secular fashion:

1. If an older child catches an interest in a series of books, try to develop a language arts program around those books. You do not have to purchase all of your curriculum if you create your own programs based on your child's interests.

2. If you hear of an interesting lesson or resource being used by religious homeschoolers, create something similar for your own children. You can get ideas from a variety of other homeschool programs and create something that fits your family in a more appropriate manner.

3. Allow your children to explore their own beliefs, and work that into your lessons if they want to learn more about specific religious themes. You may be into secular homeschooling, but you should not be afraid of religion.

There are many reasons you may decide that secular homeschooling is for you. Seek out secular homeschooling groups in your local area and online to gain the support of others who want to design an at-home secular school environment for their children as well.

Carolann Henderson, homeschooling mom, website editor and researcher. You'll find homeschooling curriculum reviews, general homeschooling information, free resources, tips and encouragement on my website. I also have a free gift for you that you will find instrumental in getting and staying organized in homeschooling and all areas of your life along with a free ebook to help you homeschool holidays. You can claim your free gifts by visiting my website http://www.homeschooling-road-map.com and signing up for our free newsletter.

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Technology Is Changing The Way Children Learn To Read

By Cookie Maxwell 

One of the reasons that it was so difficult to get children to learn to read in the past was because it was hard to develop functional lessons that were applicable to real-life situations.

For example, reading a story about a duck was helpful, but it was not always something that kids could readily apply to what was going on around them. As the Internet and other technology continues to advance, it is becoming easier to teach children to read in ways that they will be able to use in their daily lives.

The progressive parents have stopped fighting with video games and have realized that video games can be a great way to help kids to learn to read at almost any level. Interactive video games that teach reading skills are available all over the Internet and can be used by children at every level of aptitude. If you want your kids to learn to read, then utilizing a video game can be the most effective way to do it.

The interactive video games that connect people all over the world can help children to learn to read in several different ways. Kids want to play those games. But if they want to play, then they will have to learn how to read. Their friends are already playing online interactive video games and no kid wants to be left behind when it comes to the popular games everyone is playing. The games also require people to chat back and forth using the written word. Not only can your kids learn to read by playing video games, but they can also learn sentence structure and good grammar as well.

Another way that technology is helping kids to learn to read is by offering new reading courses for kids at all levels that can be easily manipulated to help the child learn at his pace. In a classroom setting, there can be pressure that may leave behind some of the kids that cannot keep up the same pace as everyone else. But when the child gets home, he can stop a DVD reading lesson and review it at his own pace. Now every kid has the chance to learn to read thanks to technology that was not available just 20 years ago.

Because there are so many technology tools to help children read, that allows the parents to find the time to get involved in their kids' lessons as well. The portability of technology means that parents and kids can be in the same room reviewing a reading lesson for the day while the parent does his own work tasks on the Internet as well.

Technology continues to bring breakthroughs in ways that allow us to become more interactive with the world around us. By channeling reading into video games, interactive DVDs and other materials, educators can help kids start to read at ages that may have been impossible in the past. If the child wants to learn, then there is nothing to stop him.

MyReviewsNow.net offers information regarding phonics activities. For more on teaching children to read, please shop online with us at MyReviewsNow.net.

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