Podcasts about algebra ii

Are you looking for an upper level math course? Here's our experience with Khan Academy's Algebra II. Show notes are at https://www.4onemore.com/307

Delta Air Lines says all but one passenger injured when a flight from Minneapolis crashed while landing in Toronto on Monday has been released from the hospital. All 76 passengers and four crew survived after the plane burst into flames and flipped over on the runway. Investigators are still working to determine what caused the crash.State lawmakers are considering legislation that would remove Algebra II as a required math credit. Sen. Rob Farnsworth, R-Hibbing, presented his bill Wednesday. Currently, Minnesota students need to take three math classes for graduation.Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber is ruling out runs for governor and Senate in 2026. The Republican representing Minnesota's 8th District told Northern News Now he plans to stay put. He said he wants to remain in his role as chair of the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee.This is an MPR News morning update hosted by Phil Picardi. Music by Gary Meister.Find these headlines and more at mprnews.org.Read the latest edition of the Minnesota Today newsletter.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or RSS.

In this episode, host Janet Michael welcomes Brandy Hawkins Boies, Director of Public Relations and Special Events at Laurel Ridge Community College, Brenda Byard, Future Educators Academy coordinator, and Professor Lori Killough, Education Program Lead. They discuss the new Future Educators Academy (FEA) at Laurel Ridge Community College, designed to fast-track high school students into teaching careers. The program will partner with local high schools to offer dual enrollment courses that count towards both high school and college credits, enabling students to earn an Associate of Science degree in Education by the time they graduate from high school. The academy focuses on preparing students for elementary and special education teaching positions. Brenda explains that they started the program following Governor Youngkin's proposal for laboratory schools. Germanna Community College has already launched a similar program, and Laurel Ridge Community College plans to start theirs in the fall of 2025. The program includes "flex" Fridays, where students will participate in practicum placements, guest speaker sessions, field trips, tutoring, and test prep. Professor Killough mentions that the program targets 10th graders who apply to join in their junior year. It's free for students, including all materials and a computer. Brenda emphasizes that students need a 3.0 GPA and must have completed Algebra II but can also qualify through placement tests or standardized test scores. They discuss the application and selection process, revealing a lottery system to ensure fairness. The program encourages students to give back to their local communities by teaching in local schools for at least two years post-graduation. Both Lori and Brenda share personal anecdotes about the rewarding nature of teaching and the various career paths it can open up, from coaching to working in the textbook industry and beyond. For more information, visit: https://laurelridge.edu/fea 

Building off the prior inversion, to declare that the “heavens” are real does not imply superstitious beliefs. Rather, it implies something exists beyond just clouds, stars, feelings, minds, integers, and imagination. “Heaven” implies something unseen, yet knowable in a strange way. We have knowledge of integers, yet no human has ever seen one, and no human ever will. No matter how powerful a microscope or how clever the experiment, an integer will never pop out at us. Yet integers exist. Likewise with angelic beings, we know of them without sensing them. The “third heaven” of a previous inversion is where these immaterial beings live, while mysteriously interacting with us here. Genesis declares this upper floor of this great house called Creation to be real - very real. And angels somehow occupy this house; so too demons, also known as fallen angels. The word angel means messenger, and if you pay attention during your day, you will notice messages that come from something other than your phone. This inversion is about thoughts, which lead to actions. We should consider each thought, wondering where it comes from, and what to do about it. Throughout each day, perhaps you will notice that some messages are good, and some are not. When you think, “I'd like to see some nudes on my phone,” that is a message, which is a very different message from the message, “I should call my mother.” I'll leave it to you to ponder which type of spirit delivers those two different messages. But it is not the demon who places the thoughts, from what I understand, as Jesus himself says in Matthew 15 that “…what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” Because of this, we cannot blame our thoughts on the demons, nor our actions. We must cooperate with God, not the accuser or tempter. This makes sin our personal responsibility, which is why we must own up to it in Confession for healing. St. Paul says to “put on the mind of Christ” and to “pray constantly.” There is solid reason for this, because when your mind is full of God and good things, there is not space for demons. But if you do not believe in the idea of heaven or God, you will be opening messages without even knowing it, and a moving truck of demons may have arrived long ago. Anyone who has dealt with squatters' rights knows: it's hard to get unwanted guests to depart. Even in real-estate court, sometimes it takes a miracle. Since these beings have no bodies, they can move like mathematical points on a graph - that is to say, they move instantly. Thus, when Jesus drives out thousands of demons from one man, and the demons rush into the pigs that drown themselves in the sea, this is not surprising. Like points on a graph, bodiless spirits can be set to the same coordinates, and if those coordinates happen to be your head and heart, then you could be teeming with a legion of spirits as well. If you ever took Algebra II, this concept should be familiar, as a point in space can be moved with the negation or multiplication of a number. Students learn about translation, reflection, and rotation as ways to move points on a graph. Numbers are not physical, they are immaterial. As Stephen Hawking said, “God created the integers,” and like the integers, spirits have no bodies. Without the weight of matter holding them in space and time, spirits can reflect, translate, and rotate their position from one place to another, a million miles away, without so much as a bus pass. Perhaps you thought Algebra II would never come in handy, but for understanding how angels and demons can “move” it helps for illustration. Pure intellect can move instantaneously, just like the math concepts of translation, rotation, and reflection can move a point in space any distance with the toggling of a number. Consider this the next time your guard is down and temptation arises. You need only a nudge, and plenty of spirits are waiting for the gap in your spiritual defenses to drop in and say “Hello.” A spirit can - and does - translate to your location to offer a nudge. No airfare needed, it is immediate. In the St. Michael the Archangel prayer, a warning is mentioned about these spirits who seek your destruction: “…the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.” Because they can arrive instantly, you must pray constantly. The good news is that your guardian angel, St. Michael, and others are there to help. Spiritual combat is real. In any war, successful attacks come swift and unannounced. Like a cyberattack faster than fiber optic speeds, you will be overtaken if unprepared. You are always being watched and studied, steered into moments of temptation. If you are reading this, they are reading it with you and observing your reaction. Demons will translate, rotate, and reflect into your location to suggest doubt in God. Prayer is the weapon, humility is the tactic.This is something to consider the next time you make a decision quickly without discernment. Even as I make progress toward God, sometimes impulsive decisions occur, after which I wonder how it happened. The suggestions to take an action come in an instant, and this is often alarming. It's almost like someone or something is guiding me, or waiting to suggest something at exactly the right moment. This means that when the notion comes to scroll a certain website or tell a lie, a demon is pleased to nudge the temptation forward. It cannot force you, but it can suggest things. In fact, you should start considering where your thoughts come from altogether, because no one can “make” a thought. Thoughts will appear before your left brain has time to reason with your right brain that this was a bad idea. After all, demons are smarter than us, and move even more efficiently than the crow flies. They are like a really good TV lawyer, like Columbo or CSI investigators or Sherlock Holmes, always one step ahead. Surely, many brilliant people are in hell for believing in the delusion that they knew more than spirits. Human brilliance is like a dog thinking it knows more than a human, or a toddler playing hide and seek with a teenager. In a battle of wits with angels and demons, you lose. Spirits are pure intellect and it is folly to think we can outwit them. Prayer and the Sacraments are what you need to know for the spiritual combat. It's not terribly complicated or dramatic. Mostly the warfare means knowing when to kneel and pray. Literally, wherever you are when the temptation arises, you must kneel and ask for help. That is the only way to “win”. Surrender in spiritual matters brings aid. Prayer summons the heroes you need. It is knowing who, when, and how to ask for help, so that the right messenger, your guardian angel, appears and gets rid of the other spirit, the demon. This is why the Surrender Novena prayer is becoming widespread in usage again today, as people realize that spiritual combat means surrendering to God. Because these beings of pure intellect can move about instantly, they can be around us constantly or whenever they like. They move at the speed of thought, far faster than the speed of light. As pure intellect, they are smarter than we are, by a thousand times, because while we are the highest animal, we are the lowest spirit. A brilliant person is a cute case of delusion to angels and demons, like a third grade basketball player who believes he could beat Lebron James in a one-on-one game. This is where “smart” people stumble and the religious “fools” succeed: because the pride of worldly knowledge hoodwinks us. While angels will warn us to back away from that error, demons will stoke the engine of pride, vanity, and sensuality with continuous fuel. Worth noting: knowledge does not equal wisdom. Piles of data do not produce humility; rather, data tends to produce unwarranted pride and a sense of control. We are but one giant solar flare from every data center in the world being formatted to a blank state, thus whatever expertise and security we have today must be received with gratitude instead of hubris. There are higher spiritual beings than our own rational souls, and we cannot sense these beings. We cannot see them but they can see us. On occasion they are visible, such as what we know from the scripture regarding Abraham and Mary. They may appear to us. They very likely do. We walk among them unaware at times and even interact with them. Hence, “love others” is wise at all times. There are also lower vegetative souls in plants, and sensitive souls in animals. Consider how we feel superior in our ability to outwit a mindless flower or fish. Yet this is how angels and demons feel about us. We are like a flower or fish to them - certainly simple, perhaps silly…perhaps beautiful. The best scriptural example of this is at the battle of Jericho when Joshua and his army are prepping to fight and the angel of the Lord appears. I get the feeling that the angel is looking at Joshua like I look at my dog. …when Joshua was by Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing before him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you one of us, or one of our adversaries?” He replied, “Neither.” (Joshua 5:13-15)Whether this is an angel or God himself, this angelic being in Joshua's vision seems somewhat uninterested in Joshua and his question. He is there as commander of the Lord's army, and Joshua appears to be suddenly demoted. This is important for understanding our place in the spiritual order, in the whole order of creation, and should encourage humility, as Joshua learned in that moment. We are not that high on the ladder, but we could be in the end. Jesus, who was fully human, is the second person of the Trinity. St. Athanasius famously said that “God became man that we might become God.” That is powerful stuff. Consider as well that Mary is the queen of heaven. She is above all angelic beings, which is quite remarkable, and it is said that this really bothers the demons, who consider humans to be lowly worms. This inversion is like the others. It is not for trivia night or light conversation: it is for your mental health. Reality includes spirits, which means angels and demons. You have a soul. Your soul has a body. You have a guardian angel. Demons may be allowed to bother you, by God, to draw you closer to God. There is a cherub with a flaming sword guarding the way back to Eden, and we can only return there by persevering in these tests. Heaven is the place of the the unseen, the invisible, the enchanted world. Even in our imagination we park many things in other dimensions kind of like heaven, like ideas or Platonic forms or fairies. The end-game is Eden, heaven, and the tests that we experience here have supernatural interactions. In our daily lives, we are engaged in supernatural events, which is a reality that we have deadened under the influence of illusory power and knowledge. A fun historical fact is that in the ancient world, stars were often seen as gods. Even in the Bible, angels and stars go together. A star led the Magi to a little town of Bethlehem, and the star was not Alpha Centauri - it moved to sit right over the place where Christ was born. In other words, this star was an angel, a messenger. If this seems too abstract, then on the next Christmas tree you see, look to see what is on top of it: it will be either a star or an angel. Stars and angels have been used together for a long time. In the ancient world, stars were seen as living beings. They can symbolically be angelic beings, because we need stories to understand the supernatural. Angels are messengers of the one true God. They are not matter, as stars are. They do not twinkle, and they are not magical astrological superstitious objects for use in New Age incantations. But the use of metaphor can help us articulate the supernatural, but we must stop in wonder and not name the stars as angels. Your soul has a purpose. That purpose is to return to God. The angels will help you get there. The demons, not so much…but they will be granted enough leash to trouble you, giving the exact trials you need to find your way home. All trials are a gift. This is hard to accept. If you wonder why God might do such a thing, find a quiet place and look to the crucifix for the answer.Some have said these angelic beings cannot know our most inner thoughts, but that they can observe all that we see and hear. Others have suggested that our thoughts are placed into us by angels, or demons. Whichever is the case, the answer to it is that every thought must be captured to Christ. If we “put on the mind of Christ” then Jesus filters and corrects every thought. Thus when we loathe our enemy and have evil thoughts, that is precisely when the thought must be captured and handed over to Christ, or sent to the foot of the cross. The power of suggestion and placing thoughts into our heads via whispers in our ears, is exactly what the devil does in the Garden to Eve. He suggests that God is lying. “Did God really say that?” He places doubt. “You will become like gods,” he lies. The error of Adam and Eve is to cooperate with the serpent's lies. These whispers we all hear in our mind and heart is the result of the fall. Thus, influence can come from outside, which is usually called the world, the flesh, and the devil. But we can never just say “The devil made me do it,” as if we have no agency, free-will, or personal responsibility. Jesus states rather plainly: “…what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander.” Because of these influences, we must stand like archers on the walls of the castle, shooting down that which may not enter, otherwise we will be overcome, and it takes much work to eject the enemies that have already taken occupation inside the castle. This is why every thought must be captured to Christ. Thinking is where much of the battleground happens between light and dark, because it precedes the act of the will. The Spiritual Combat by Dom Lorenzo Scupoli is a book to be read and re-read in our age of materialism, because we have been inverted into a worldview where angels and demons do not exist, which is the exact goal of the demons: to be laughed off as unreal. The Screwtape Letters is another fine source to help understand what is happening when we doubt that angels and demons exist. But they most certainly do, and we would do well to meditate on the Fall in the Garden, Jesus' temptations in the desert, and Jesus' endurance through prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, for all three have answers regarding how spiritual beings can influence us and how to respond. The word angel means “messenger,” and this is the whisper. We need our mailbox open to receive the good angel's messages, and the demons' mail should go directly to the spam folder. Again, this should scare you, but should also give hope, for the way to win is by trusting in God. This is the inversion of what we tend toward since the Fall, which is to trust in the self. That was the error in the Garden of Eden, and Jesus in the Garden on the night before his death does the opposite. Like his mother at the Annunciation, he says “Thy will be done.” He trusts in God. As for us, capturing every thought to Christ is critical. Alone with our own imagination is a dangerous place to loiter, and while we may consider that we generate all our own thoughts, an inversion of this modern way of thinking is to consider that the world, the flesh, and the devil all play a part. Go to God, and talk often to other people who are striving for salvation, and you will discern which messages are worth keeping and which messengers should be put on the “cease and desist” and “do not call” list. Keep in mind the shape of the cross, which has a vertical and horizontal beam. Vertically we must speak and look up to God for help, and horizontally on the ground here we must speak to others. Getting out of our head opens up the heart to God and others. Further reading:How does a guardian angel work?Can demons put thoughts in our minds?Can the devil read your thoughts? (start at 22:14)Can The Devil Know Our Thoughts And Hear What We SayGuardian Angels in Catholic Theology (video, Jimmy Akin)Do a consecration to your guardian angel (and the theology of such a thing) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whydidpetersink.substack.com

I know ONE math cheer. ONE.  I was the best student in Geometry, but it was my Algebra II  teacher, Mr. Modlin, who brought in the newspaper and asked if anyone wanted to come up and lead the class in a math cheer.  Um. Hello. My hand raised up faster than you could say, “Go!” Mr. Modlin gave me the floor: D to the X E to the X Cosine, Secant, Tangent, Sine 3.14159 Square Root Cube Root Log of Pi Disintegrate them, RPI Today's podcast features my second favorite Math teacher, Catalina Saenz.  OK  - I don't know about you, but I love SMART women!! I mean - there is nothing better than having a conversation with a Wellesley woman who majored in MATH! Today, I have just the woman for you!!  If you have a child interested in Math - this is for you. If you have a child who does NOT like math and wonders what in the heck s/he needs math for - this episode is definitely for you. If your child has any interest in STEM majors, wants to be a doctor and is needing to figure out exactly what to major in, well, buckle up!! 

WHAT'S NEW AT 10! A school in Bothell is run by the students // Do we still need require Algebra II in school? // GUEST: Mike Salk on the NFL combine and a Seattle Seahawks legend leaving the city // SCENARIOS!

Over the summer, the California State Board of Education proposed its new math framework, a nearly 1,000 page document that has generated considerable controversy. While some are criticizing the overt political content within the framework, the more important question is: Will the framework actually help students learn math?This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Brian Conrad, mathematics professor and the director of undergraduate mathematics studies at Stanford University, to discuss the new framework. Brian focuses on the framework's pitch for schools to offer “data science” courses as an alternative to Algebra II. Brian explains that not only are these data science courses much lighter in math content, but they also have the potential to steer students off track from being able to study actual Data Science at the college level. He argues that the framework's proposals center on optics, or “fake equity,” as opposed to changes that would actually serve disadvantaged students. As other proposals emerge in other states, without any clarity on the long term consequences for students, Brian notes that parents and university professors need to push back. ResourcesCalifornia's Math Misadventure Is About to Go National | Brian Conrad | The AtlanticPublic Comments on the CMF | Brian ConradShow Notes1:04 | What about the proposed California Math Framework was so concerning to you?3:34 | What is data science as a field of study at the college level, and how would you describe the content of data science courses being advocated for at the high school level?6:54 | What is the best progression of math from 8th grade through high school to ensure that students are best prepared for college? 10:00 | What response did you receive when you released your public comment? 11:45 | What happened in the San Francisco experiment with the new CMF? 13:28 | What do you think about CalTech's decision to create an alternative pathway to admission for students that don't have access to upper level courses in math and science?18:08 | Do you think the tide is turning against “fake equity” proposals or will more of the country follow California's footsteps?20:20 | Is the concern behind some of these new proposals that allowing certain students to excel will cause inequity? Is that concern valid?24:28 | What happens now that the new framework has passed?

Have you ever found yourself in a place in which the longer you stayed, the more perplexing it became. Where oftentimes what you learned in the beginning no longer applies or makes sense, because we've taken on, or added pointless layers of little or no consequence, that make what was ideally simplistic far more complex. My last two years in High School were such. As a mandated study requirement, we were required to take advanced math, such as Algebra II, Calculus, Trigonometry, and Statistics (which is full of falsehoods by the way). The theory was always, no matter how long the problem becomes the process for solving for “x” or “y”, was always the same each time. For me, however, my senior year, I became ill and missed several days of school. It might as well have been an entire academic year because I was never able to catch up. The harder I tried, it seemed the less I understood the original method, thus I was never able to get back on track. I had a tutor that worked tirelessly with me for a month or so, in which he would come by the house and review problems and formulas with me, while sitting at my grandmother's dining room table, but it did not connect, and I could not relate. No matter how noble my effort to keep pace, I missed too much time, and I was now frustrated by the voices, new methods, and the probability of becoming disenfranchised (or disinterested). Unbeknownst to my mother and father (without their consent), I dropped the class. In fact, I do not think anyone realized until my final semester of school, when they were trying to determine if I met all the requirements for graduation. My senior year would prove to be my worst academically for several reasons, but there was too much going on, my father was in the military, I moved my senior year, the family split up, graduation requirements changed geographically (state mandates), and I only received “one” offer to go to college. Just one? Like the burdens suffered by those in Galatia, in which they became pawns in a biblical tug-o-war, to determine their affiliation or association. Were they of the law or of grace? Were they of Peter or Paul? Should they being Gentiles now become Jews; or should vice versa a Jew suddenly become a Gentile? Do we abide under the law, is the law no longer of effect? Or do we presume that we live in the abundance of our newfound freedoms and liberties that are granted under Christ to do whatever we please (sinful or not).   There was enough confusion then, there is even more so today as the lines of understanding often become blurred. Many often inquire about the difference between this religion and that? What's the difference between this church and that? What's the difference between this Bible and that, and so on. It's all the same, isn't it? No, it is not. Always creating a stage for great swelling debates about rightness and wrongness, rather than emphasizing the righteousness of God. Living life in a manner that is pleasing to God. Yes, like the cat wrapped and tangled in yarn, there is no escape from its grasp. The more we wrestle, the worse it becomes, leaving us weakened and vulnerable, realizing that we only have one hope of salvation, one chance of redemption.    Today's Podcast is titled. Wrapped Up … the Cat in the Yarn --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/david66634/message

Algebra is one of the basic tools in Mathematics to help students , but, it is often dreaded by students. To make things easier for the learning community, here is the latest episode simplifying the basic principles of algebra #mathematicssimplified #mathisfun #learningbydoing #learningalgebra

The students are back! This time, Joseph brought on two students from his Algebra II class: Trix Franks and Xavier Rivera. We ask them all about life as a student: what time of the year is most busy for them (4:00), how they stay organized (8:45), how they spend their time at home (14:00), college plans (18:45), what they see students struggling with (21:35), and more. Then Xavier and Trix both share funny stories related to their involvement in the school play (39:10), and Joe tries to answer an astronomy trivia question. Trix and Xavier are both outstanding students, and we feel grateful to have had them on the show!

Episode SummaryLauren is the real deal when it comes to mathematics and integrating STEM. Her work with VEX Robotics ensures that the curriculum is designed to promote healthy STEM which means that it is integrated. She is and has always been a strong advocate for herself and for others. I love the work that she is doing with her doctoral studies and I believe it will have a lasting impact on the world of STEM.What can we say about VEX Robotics and the World Competition happening right now!! You can get more information about vex here: Home - VEX RoboticsMore information about the competition or how to start a team here: https://www.vexrobotics.com/competitionLauren Harter BioLauren Harter is the Director of Instructional Technology at VEX Robotics and has a wide range of experience in education. From teaching in the high school setting to developing materials that teachers use in numerous countries, Lauren's experiences have shaped her contributions to the educational community.Lauren received a double bachelor's in Mathematics and Secondary Mathematics Education from Duquesne University in 2016. Shortly after, she began teaching high school mathematics at Serra Catholic High. For two years, she taught 9-12th grade Algebra I, Algebra II, Trigonometry, and Calculus to a wide range of students.Lauren is nearing the end of her Doctoral studies and is conducting research in teaching practices that promote conceptual understanding in mathematics and teacher quality.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-harter-1b4788b0 Support the showYou can find out more information about Dr. Toshia here:https://www.drtoshia.comSTEMming in Stilettos Youtube Channel: https://youtu.be/xAc25J7UH9A

Health is here! Nutrilite Adult Vitamins Nutrilite Kids Vitamin Gummies  Nutrilite Balanced Probiotics  Nutrilite Kids Complete Immunity Fast-Melt Powder Intro Alesia brings over 25 years of experience tutoring & teaching math to students of varying ability. In the classroom she taught classes for special education students, Algebra II, and AP Calculus among others. A homeschool mom of 5 herself, Alesia understands the challenges faced with homeschooling multiple children at multiple levels and that sometimes you have to outsource a subject or two. Top Three Takeaways Learning can be done as a family and parents have been able to hone their mathematical skills along with their children which can enhance and build stronger relationships. Parents do not need to be the expert because this program guides you and as a parent you understand how your child learns better than anyone. Math can be an experience like other adventures in life, and Alesia seems to understand with her extensive knowledge and love of the subject to tap into the places that students need the most help with, with ease. Call to Action Unlockmath.com 14 day free trial and even after purchase there is a 30 day money back guarantee https://www.facebook.com/UnLockMath Thank you for supporting this show by listening and sharing with friends! If you like this podcast please rate and write a review of how this show has impacted or helped you!   Great ratings will accelerate the show's visibility to the nation so others can learn more about homeschool and find quality curriculum and the potentially join the homeschool community thus change the face of education forever!!   Who would have thought that we could change the education world with a click and a share!  Also if you would like to hear more about any specific educational topic please email me at realedtalk@gmail.com I would love to support your families educational needs in all areas!!   Bex Buzzie  The Homeschool Advantage Podcast  

The Tower of Babel story is a strange one. It's strange enough that I'm going to spend a lot of time on it, to the point that you will surely switch over to YouTube in about ten minutes. My hope is that this blog/podcast does not drive you back into the arms of the politics, porn, and video games, so I'll do my best to keep it moving. I may have already lost most of you just at the mention of those candies. On the surface level, the Tower of Babel reads like a tale of where languages came from, in the same spirit of fables, such as, “How the Tiger Got its Stripes.” You may pass over the text and think, “Isn't that cute. A story of where the many human languages came from.” Like the Garden of Eden story you can read this one literally, yawn, close the book, then return to your sportsball and Door Dash. And doing so you will miss the entire point of the story of the Tower of Babel. There is another layer, much deeper than the literal, and you can scratch the surface using your fingernail and realize that there are multiple layers of paint. This is why it is a timeless story. First, understanding that “Babel” means “Gate to God” or “Gateway to God” should tell you there is more happening than a simple tower construction project. You could even call it a “Stairway to Heaven” but I am not here to talk about Led Zeppelin. Still, that song title is a phrase that is relevant, or even possibly a reference to the Tower of Babel. If you ask five people the meaning of the lyrics, you will get five answers (my money is on the Lord of the Rings interpretation being closest to the mark, since Led Zeppelin band members were Tolkien nerds). However, even if “Stairway to Heaven” is about Arwen and Aragorn, the Lord of the Rings is the most Catholic novel ever written, so in a wide circling way, from classic rock back to Genesis all the way to the rock of the Church, we have to drive by the Tower of Babel story anyway. The same variety of interpretations that happen with “Stairway to Heaven” can come from readers of the Tower of Babel story, and I think if we called it the “Gate to God” story we would probably be at a better starting point. The Gate being built is a Ziggurat, which is a pagan temple. The location may have been Eridu, in modern day Iraq. Or it may have been elsewhere. It's not particularly important where it was built, because lots of these Ziggurats existed in ancient times, and they are remarkably similar in shape and purpose, even across cultures that had no contact. Now, if you have the idea of some giant tower that touches the sky, you need to first stop and understand that ancient people were not stupid. They knew that a tower could not be built to the sky, probably better than we do, since they didn't have steel and even one hundred feet in height would have been an engineering marvel. So if you want to get anything out of the story, you have to put aside your presentism and unconscious bias. Presentism is the modern bias and assumption that people that didn't have smart phones were only slightly higher than baboons in terms of mental and intellectual acumen.What is a Ziggurat? It is a temple built as a home base for rituals and sacrifices to gods of the lower-case mythological variety. Archaeologists have found these structures with staircases to a central altar, where worship and sacrifice was made to gods. The most famous god of the ancient world was the storm god, or sky god, like Baal, or Marduk, or Zeus, or Jupiter (who are actually all the same god just shifted from one culture to another and that, too, is important to keep in mind as we go along.) At the core of the story is God observing the construction of this Gate to God, and the people in charge are intending to build it “to reach the sky.” Why the sky? Because that's where the sky god lives. Sometimes he lives in a mountain, but the sky god throws the lightning bolts. Along with the sky god, there is a whole list of other gods, like the moon god, the sun god, etc. There is even “Father Sky,” who was a more primordial god in these same cultures, but this elder god was knocked out by the storm god in a battle on the spiritual realm. This too is important to keep in mind, as the tale of Zeus defeating his father Uranus plays into the story of the Tower of Babel very much. The interesting thing about mythology is how celestial objects, like the moon, and natural phenomena, like storms, get translated into spirits. This is mythology in a nutshell, and we assume the ancient people were just trying their best to explain away what could not be explained by science, since there was no such thing as science. There were no telescopes, so in our Present Bias we look at these tales as explanations in a pre-scientific age. These are cute tales from primitive people, who, if they were around today, we would pat on the head and send away with a dum-dum sucker. What non-believers and soul-deniers today have use today as a shield against all things supernatural is a saying known as the “God of the gaps.” The idea is that we only assume God exists for things that we cannot explain yet. This is full blown presentism. If you are not an anti-presentist, you are a presentist. For example, the reason the Irish no longer believe that fairies bring illness is because we know what germs are. We can see germs under microscopes. Until we knew about germs, we blamed fairies. In other words, since we couldn't explain illness, we pawned it off on fairies and God. However, right now, in 2022, science is still claiming to look for a mythical “bat of the gaps” in the Covid story, while we all know that there was no bat, but there most certainly was a very large virology lab. The great irony is that a bat that doesn't exist has been invented and mythologized now by the very same people who mock any idea of fairies or spirits. We could get lost here in talking about scapegoating and human nature, but let's stay on track. The “God of the gaps” idea is a modern argument to reduce all religion to superstitious nonsense. It's an idea that modern writers like Carl Sagan and Richard Dawkins have campaigned hard to sell. There's just one problem with both the fairy stories and Carl Sagan. Neither of them match the concept of the God of Christianity. A quote from Carl Sagan illustrates the problem perfectly, and he was very close to understanding the God of Christianity, but he was bothered by fairy believers who kept moving God into the gaps. This illustrates the problem with how bad conceptions of what the Christian God is brings so much confusion:“In some respects, science has far surpassed religion in delivering awe. How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, ‘This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant. God must be even greater than we dreamed'? Instead they say, "No, no, no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way.'“In other words, Carl had clearly never read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Carl is actually very close to understanding the awe of God in the way that Catholics understand God. Whoever he is talking about in that quote has no understanding of God as he is understood in the Catholic Church. The God of Israel, is unique, in both conception and power, as Yahweh does not live in the universe like the pagan gods. The God of Christianity, the Trinity, is complete, a whole, that encompasses both the universe and our hearts. God is far simpler to understand than Zeus, in that he is One God, existing forever, outside of space and time. At the same time, he is infinitely more complex in that we can never understand him at all. We can understand God, and we can never understand him. There is another jarring quote where Carl Sagan showed that he was talking about believers that did not understand the Christian God. He said, “Your God is too small for my universe.”To which anyone who spends time in the Catechism can tell you, “No kidding, Carl.” That's been a known fact for 4,000 years. Cave people knew that, and they didn't have telescopes. What amazes me most today is how science assumes that all religious people are merely superstitious buffoons, but when they begin to talk about God, they are describing a pagan concept of lower-case gods, not the understanding of the God of Israel and certainly not the Trinity. This is where bad instruction of the faithful leads to a mess, and as far as bad training and catechesis goes, Catholics have a lot of explaining to do. We have dropped the ball horribly for about three generations now in teaching something as basic as, “How can we speak about God?”God is bigger than Carl's universe. The universe alone can't explain Carl Sagan. As Peter Lawler said, “Physics can't explain the physicist…Physics, by itself, simply explains away the physicist—and much else.” Far bigger than our conception or intellect can handle, God transcends our minds. He is not in the gaps, he created all the gaps, and no matter how many gaps we figure out, there will be more gaps. Like Sagan, who seemed to think that we have overtaken God in terms of knowledge about the universe, the brightest minds of the middle ages thought God kept the planets afloat with crystals. Sagan and company are no different than the confused thinkers of the “Dark Ages” who thought they had figured everything out. But here's something important to realize: the incorrect concepts of the universe was never doctrine. The idea that the earth was at the center of the universe was never part of Christianity. That's only what the intellectuals of the middle ages believed. This is why the Church moves and decides slowly, like the Ents, the trees in Lord of the Rings, who take a long time to decide anything. This is also why the Church doesn't leap in when economic and tech fads offer utopia. The wisdom of the Church plays out in a couple of ways, one in its patience, and second by recognizing heresies and bad ideas long before they are proven to be bad ideas, such as the theories of Marx or calling out Transhumanism (before it gets started). The truth comes out over time, and science is a small part of revealing God's world to us. It's one kind of knowledge, but it's not wisdom. It's worth noting that in a hundred years we may realize that much of modern science is wrong. This happens repeatedly in our history. What is a solid “known” today could be laughable later. Phrenology had its day as a serious science, when people interpreted bumps on our heads. Now it is a joke. (Sociologists beware!) But God does not change, nor does the proper concept of God. To assume otherwise is to be exactly like the intellectuals of the middle ages, who were surely certain of their ideas, too. To assume all is known today is the classic mistake of the falls in Genesis, too. What often seems to be the case is that non-believers have a bad concept of God, stemming from various causes. I think the main problem is that they just don't understand the Trinitarian God properly. I certainly didn't. The reason we don't is because the loudest voices proclaiming God today confuse the right meaning of the word. In fact, I don't think most Christians know the meaning of the word God, because he just seems to be a vending machine to so many. (Here is where I resist ranting about the message preached in the “Prosperity Gospel”. )If you think Zeus and the God of Israel are the same thing, you cannot read the Tower of Babel story. Don't do it. Don't even try. Why waste your time? You cannot understand it if you don't even understand what the writer was talking about. If you don't have the proper idea of God in place, you will fail before you start. It's like beginning a calculus problem when you only made it through Algebra II. It's like interpreting a modern biology book using the theory of the four bodily humors from Galen, the ancient Greek physician. It doesn't work. You will be lost on reading the first sentence. To understand the God of Israel, you have to backtrack and realize a few things. First, you have to rip out your modern assumptions and biases and reset, because all of the noise around God in our media has created a windstorm in your head. Everyone is trying to put their spin on what God is, and until you find the right language, the crazy interpretations will continue to spin. In my own surfacing into the light, I slowly realized that I had cut myself off with a little of help from my friends and much help from the media around me, not to mention a giant pool of Captain Morgan. I had sliced myself off, walled myself in, because of various reasons. In trying to “find myself,” I got lost, and the reasons I lost God was because of exactly the list of reasons listed in the intro of the Catechism. I had forgotten the right concept of God, overlooked what I knew was true, and rejected the entire idea of God. …this "intimate and vital bond of man to God" can be forgotten, overlooked, or even explicitly rejected by man. Such attitudes can have different causes: revolt against evil in the world; religious ignorance or indifference; the cares and riches of this world; the scandal of bad example on the part of believers; currents of thought hostile to religion; finally, that attitude of sinful man which makes him hide from God out of fear and flee his call. (CCC 27-30)Yes, all of those things. The pain and suffering of this world confused me, I was ignorant of what the word God really meant in the Bible, I was drawn to pleasures like drinking, I saw many bad examples of believers that made me question faith entirely, and my education, along with movies and books I read, was purposefully leading me by the nose to a path of belittling and laughing at those with faith. I remember trying to read Genesis and thinking, “This is ridiculous,” and only fifteen years later did I realize that my understanding of God was all wrong. I had to reset completely. Life has a funny way of beating you into a state of reasonableness so that you can try again. To reset, I started with this: God transcends all creatures. We must therefore continually purify our language of everything in it that is limited, image-bound or imperfect, if we are not to confuse our image of God--"the inexpressible, the incomprehensible, the invisible, the ungraspable"--with our human representations.16 Our human words always fall short of the mystery of God. Admittedly, in speaking about God like this, our language is using human modes of expression; nevertheless it really does attain to God himself, though unable to express him in his infinite simplicity. Likewise, we must recall that "between Creator and creature no similitude can be expressed without implying an even greater dissimilitude"; and that "concerning God, we cannot grasp what he is, but only what he is not, and how other beings stand in relation to him." (CCC 39-43)He transcends all creatures, including myths like Zeus. He created everything, including our ability to invent myths like Zeus. We are continually learning more about creation. We are not done learning or discovering wonders here, because we are not God. This should be a cause for awe - Carl Sagan is correct. If he met people who understood God in this sense, instead of reducing all Christians to knuckle-dragging fundamentalists, he could have had terrific conversations about that very fact. God is nothing like the pathetic Zeus. He's way beyond us, transcending our world, while at the same time reaching down to us and saying “Boo!” from time to time. He alerts us that he's present. Most importantly, we cannot control God. This is critical to reading the Tower of Babel story. The pagan gods are far more mundane and limited than the God of the Trinity. The pagan gods live in mountains or in the forest. They are the moon. They are the stars. They are within the universe. The classic blunder of so many non-believers is that they assume God is an object in the universe, like how we think of Zeus. Whenever you hear, “All gods are the same,” you know immediately the speaker does not understand the Christian concept of God. Sagan's “small God” comment and Bertrand Russell's famous “teapot god” betray their fundamental misunderstanding of what the word God means to Catholics. The architect of the universe is not standing in the solar system like a tour guide; he transcends all creation. He transcends all tings, but is still a living God that can reach us on a very personal level. So when you read the Tower of Babel story, the important things to keep in mind are: * The Tower is a Ziggurat built to “reach the sky.” Babel means “Gate to God.” The ancient cultures believed that these pyramid temples made a connecting point between heaven and earth. They often have a stairway to an altar on the top. These exist across the world, even in Aztec and Mayan cultures that never had any apparent contact with Mesopotamian cultures. (This should start raising hairs on your neck but resist the urge to blame aliens here.) * Ziggurats were built to worship gods of mythology, most commonly the “sky god,” a.k.a. storm god, a.k.a. thunder god, a.k.a. fertility god, a.k.a. the rainmaker. This god goes by various names in history: Baal, Marduk, Zeus, Jupiter, Thor, and more (Perkūnas, Perun, Indra, Dyaus, and Zojz). This god was usually depicted with bull horns and/or holding lightning bolts. In mythology, the sky god “defeated” the primordial god (or gods). This tale is called the succession myth and it gets repeated in Babylon, Greece, Rome, and many other places. This god is a shape-shifting rapist who can appear as a bull, a serpent, a swan, an eagle, or even a shepherd. As Éomer says in The Two Towers, “The white wizard is cunning,” so is the fertility god. * Satan is the storm god. Yes, the “S” word. This came as a shock, since I enjoy reading Greek and Roman mythology. But really, how did I miss it for so long? The horns often depicted on Satan are exactly like the bull horns of Baal. And Baal = Marduk = Zeus = Jupiter = Thor = Satan. Baal is Zeus. Baal is also Satan. They are all the same character. Jesus even calls Satan ‘Beelzebul,' which is a version of Baal-Zebub, the Philistine deity of Baal/Zeus equivalent. Better yet, Beelzebul is actually a mocking name that riffs on Beelzebub. “Prince Baal” or “Lord Baal” is modified by Jesus to mock “Baal of flies” or “Lord of dung.” This mockery also took me aback, because if Jesus mocks the sky gods, it proves that God does indeed have a sense of humor. There is word play going on. Jesus again mocks the sky god a second time when he gives the nickname “Sons of Thunder” to James and John (Mk 3:17), which means sons of the sky god, a.k.a. Zeus. Like most nicknames, it is not a compliment. When they call for revenge on those who oppose Jesus, James and John are acting like Baal or Zeus or Satan. James and John ask, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Jesus turned and rebuked them. (Lk 9:54) Jesus is the polar opposite of the cruel and vengeful sky god. In other words, Jesus is God, and God is love. This is the opposite of the fallen angel named Satan, who shape-shifts and goes by many other names. (Yet for some reason God allows Satan to divide, distract, and deceive us in this world, which is the great head-scratcher for us all and takes a lifetime to understand.) * Keep in mind that all myths are victory tales and founding narratives. They are written and told to justify for the current state of affairs in the world. When you read any myth, you have to read it from the perspective of the myth-makers. Babel is part of Israel's story, but if the other side told the story of Babel, it would be a very different tale, where the temple at Babel would be seen like St. Peter in Rome or Notre Dame in Paris. * The intention and goal of building the Tower of Babel versus the intention building St. Peter or Notre Dame is starkly different. The “Gate to God” is being built up to “the sky.” The Tower is meant to bring god down to earth (just like in Ghostbusters - more on that later) and make a name for the people. St. Peter and Notre Dame are built to give glory to God, not to people. This fundamental misunderstanding of God makes all the difference, both in our individual lives and in the pursuits of nations. * The God of Israel cannot be controlled. He does not need us. We need him. If you read the Tower of Babel at only the surface level, at the “How the Tiger got its stripes” level, where it's only about how the various languages came to be, you will get something out of it. That is a valid, literal reading, but you will miss the greater significance of the story. Know before you start: God doesn't make transactions with his creatures. Praying for what you want can work out in strange ways, but it always works out in how God wills it. He gets the last laugh, you might say. Even the great destroyers of faith, Marx, Voltaire, Hume, Russell, Dawkins, et al. are part of God's plan somehow. He allows doubt and struggle for reasons we cannot understand, but like Joseph in Egypt, when we realized that all his struggles had a purpose: “Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good.” (Gen 50:20) Without this understanding of God, we are trying to manipulate him and make him dance. But he is the one who makes us dance, and it's much easier to dance with him than to try to lead. He is Tolkien and we are Frodo. We are his characters. We cannot reach up and grab the author, and that is exactly what the builders at Babel are trying to do. This is a really, really bad idea for us to try, both then and now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.whydidpetersink.com

Eddy Dacius host the Divine Purpose Podcast. DPPodcast is a platform for healthy conversations, interviews, and interactions with callers. We all have different opinions; however, the truth is the ultimate mediator. SPECIAL GUEST Inspiring and engaging at the time of her award, Assistant Principal Princess Francois positively impacted students, colleagues, and the school community at Math, Engineering, and Science Academy (MESA), a charter high school in Brooklyn, New York. She oversaw 70 staff and 500 students, holding direct responsibility for the professional growth of 22 teachers and two department leaders. Francois provided personalized teacher coaching, developing and following through on action plans that support educators' growth and effectiveness. Her high-leverage, targeted feedback leads to immediate implementation and tangible results. Francois initiated a schoolwide vertical alignment process, helped reorganize professional development efforts, and analyzed data to support at-risk students and struggling teachers. When she taught Algebra Remediation at MESA, 11 of her 17 students passed the New York State Regents Exam at the end of the year; in Earth Science, Regents pass rates rose 14%. Under her supervision, Regents pass rates have risen 20% for Algebra II and 17% for Chemistry.   Francois earned a Bachelor's in History from Columbia University in 2011, a Master's in Adolescent Special Education from CUNY Hunter College in 2013, and a Master's in Educational Leadership from the Bank Street Graduate School of Education in 2015. She is now a doctoral candidate at Fordham University for a Doctorate in Education. Title: Support BLACK Period: A Greenbook to Eliminate Your Ifs, And, or Buts Link: https://www.amazon.com/Support-BLACKTM-Periodt-Greenbook-Eliminate-ebook/dp/B0BGSY92YZ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1665111522&sr=8-1  

i’ve got this week and then one more week on the kcsb programming schedule and then i’ll go back to just doing the podcast. it was very gracious of kcsb.org to allow me and other alumni programmers to come back remotely when the pandemic started but it looks like most folks are going back to in-person at this point. plus, maybe it will encourage me to check out kdvs.org and kdrt.org - the two community stations in davis. i think one of the important things about these stations is that they have limited syndicated programs and focus on locally made content. sooo, goodbye santa barbara, for real this time. love ya forever!DOWNLOAD/STREAM RECORDING00:00 (intro by omar)00:20 Sister Mantos “Anoche Me Enamore” Songs in the Key of Destroy Capitalism04:08 Mort Garson “Symphony for a Spider Plant” Mother Earth’s Plantasia06:45 Jes Kramer “The Same” Jes Kramer10:14 Alice Skye “Friends with Feelings” Friends with Feelings14:26 Rat Paws “Bad Arcade” Let’s Cool17:01 Powerplant “Snake Eyes” People In The Sun19:11 Lushloss “Gutter” Asking22:34 Dustin Wong “spring / summer” seasons33:42 Homebody “Slow Design” Human Ecstasy35:18 MANEKA “Salty (feat. Alex Molini)” Is You Is36:54 Dave “Move It” Demo Tape38:53 Goon “Deny” Heaven is Humming41:07 Perhapsy “Baptism ‘89” THE45:56 Laura Barrett “Chidiya” Victory Garden50:12 Scorn Dog “TV BB” Spicy Boys50:55 Algebra II “Swim House” Why Would Anyone Think This Goes Here?54:34 Penelope Isles “Underwater Record Store” Until The Tide Creeps In

Candi Schultz is from southern California and has been living in Florida since 2014 with her husband, their three children, and their gigantic Golden Doodle. Beyond a love for mathematics, Candi enjoys singing, dancing, and acting. She has done all three professionally and she is blessed to sing in her church choir and act in skits. Candi has homeschooled since her firstborn was in kindergarten. Currently, Candi facilitates Mr. D Math Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra II at Lighthouse Christian Homeschool Academy in Tarpon Springs, Florida. She also leads online help sessions every week.   Thank you for listening to the A+ Parents podcast. If you love the show, don't forget to subscribe, share and leave us a review. Also, follow us online at www.aplusparents.com  www.mrdmath.com or on our social channels @MrDMathlive @aplusparentspodcast   Also, host Dennis DiNoia has a new book out NOW called “Teach: Becoming Independently Responsible Learners. Order your copy: https://aplusparents.com/teach   OR on Amazon   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09X2B3MG8/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_i_DDH16A3BD5X79CSFSQXB  

We're back! After taking a few months off, Caleb and Jill are back to talk about a few updates surrounding Get Smarter Prep as well as what current Juniors should be focusing on right now. Of course, we don't want to leave out Sophomores or Seniors, so we have some guidance as to what those students can do as well. Also, Caleb is traveling to Austin for a big birthday celebration! Can you guess how old he is turning? Roadmap to CollegeFree Practice Test

On today's episode of the Pivot Into Your Purpose Podcast, I chat with Nicole Ralston, a Business Coach for Service Based Entrepreneurs. Nicole is a former engineer and Algebra II teacher, and shared her journey of multiple pivots, and discovering how she was meant to help service based entrepreneurs grow their businesses and feel excited about what they are doing so they can feel lit up by their work. Nicole is also a mom of two, and really had to learn that making her business a priority and asking for support from others so she could show up in her business was essential to her success and also modeling to her children that you can don't have to follow the traditional path to find success and happiness in your career. KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: Why she started coaching service based entrepreneurs and how she saw a gap in the coaching industry The most common reason her clients start their businesses and how you can use this to think about what kind of business you can start. Why it's so important to get excited about your business and what you offer. How to make it easier to explain to people what you do. Why negative emotions are not always a bad thing, and can be important to lean into. How the problems and struggles you experienced and how you handled them are what make you an expert, not being perfect at what you do. How your emotions form logic and they're not as separate as we think. How she went from teaching Algebra II to becoming a Life Coach. How to find the right strategy for YOU in your business. Why not to worry about what people think as you're pivoting into a new career. How the focal point in physics relates to us finding your focus and having more energy. Why it's important to think about your mission and your values, and how this can help you have a fulfilling career. How getting clear on your expectations for yourself as a mother will help you balance motherhood with your business. The most important steps for moms to take when starting their business. Why investing in childcare is also investing in your business, and net zero isn't a bad thing. **** LISTEN to my free masterclass, Clarity In Your Calling: Get Clear On Your Purpose and The Work You're Meant To Do : Clarity Workshop FOLLOW Nicole on IG- @nicoleralston_ LISTEN to the Scale With Heart Podcast: Podcast SIGN UP for her free mini-course: Build Your Foundational Framework SUBSCRIBE & LEAVE A REVIEW Are you subscribed to the show? I add new shows each week to inspire you and give you tips on how to get clear on pivoting into your purpose! Click here to subscribe on iTunes! If you're really loving the show, leave me your review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other women find the show who are looking to pivot into their purpose, and I love hearing about how the show has inspired you! Click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”, and let me know what you are loving and feeling inspired by. Thank you!

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Alan Sheptin, owner of Sheptin Tutoring Group (STG). Alan has been a professional member of IECA since 2017 and became a Certified Educational Planner in 2020. He earned a BA in Computer Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA in Finance from Fordham University and a Certificate in College Consulting from UCLA. Prior to establishing his company in 2007, Alan was an Assistant Vice President and Actuary with AXA, specializing in actuarial product development and management. He attained Associateship in the Society of Actuaries with several exams completed towards Fellowship. In addition to his college consulting expertise, Alan is a respected Mathematics tutor, successfully working with students in all levels of Math. He is most sought out for his expertise in Algebra II, Precalculus, and Calculus. He teaches both Precalculus and Calculus at Iona College. He has also undertaken long-term consulting assignments teaching BC Calculus and Pre-Calculus at John Jay and Fox Lane High Schools in Westchester County. Alan first became interested in college admissions when he was the NYC Secondary School Chairman of Alumni Interviewing for the University of Pennsylvania, training alumni interviewers and serving as a liaison between Penn's admission office, interviewers and prospective freshmen. He has leveraged this expertise, plus his extensive knowledge of US and international colleges and universities, to counsel students on the optimal admissions strategy. To date, he has visited over 130 colleges and universities in seven countries. Alan's “alumni” are present at all of the top 50 US universities and colleges, as well as at universities in the UK and Canada. Additionally, Alan has been preparing students for the SAT and ACT examinations for 30 years. He is widely respected for his in-depth expertise in maximizing test scores, as well as his ability to make intrinsically difficult concepts in all areas of Mathematics (from pre-Algebra through Calculus) easier to grasp. Many of Alan's students have continued to work with him in college classes and as they prep for the GRE and GMAT exams. He and his outstanding team of 35 teachers and tutors can offer support in any academic area in middle or high school. He is constantly revamping materials and lessons to ensure that his students are receiving the most recent information about exams. Sheptin Tutoring Group maintains offices in Chappaqua, New York and New York City. Its clients come from as close as the tri-state area to as far away as China, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria. Find Alan at 914-232-3743 or alan@sheptin.com. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Lyssa Balick is a recently retired homeschool mom, who taught 2 kids until college. She loves math and taught both of her kids through Algebra II. Her youngest son, Henry, loved math, so she signed him up for Mr. D for Pre-Calc.  Not only did Henry enjoy the math class, but he started working for Mr. D Math. Lyssa started working with the team in August and really enjoy doing data spreadsheet work. What does Lyssa have to say about Mr. D Math? “We have a great team at MrD math. Everyone is excited about creating the best experience for homeschooled kids. It's been great to work alongside people who love homeschool education and math as much as I do.” Thank you for listening to the A+ Parents podcast. If you love the show, don't forget to subscribe, share and leave us a review. Also, follow us online at mrdmath.com aplusparents.com or on our social channels @MrDMathlive @aplusparentspodcast

Will Ellis drops by to share some great stories from high school, but he also sheds some light on sleep apnea and dance competitions.

https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/kids-can-recover-from-missing-even I. Introduction Back when the public schools were closed or online, someone I know burned themselves out working overtime to get the money to send their kid to a private school. They figured that all the other parents would do it, their kid would fall hopelessly behind, and then they'd be doomed to whatever sort of horrible fate awaits people who don't get into the right colleges. I hear this is happening again now, with more school closures, more frantic parents, and more people asking awful questions like “should I accept the risk of sending my immunocompromised kid to school, or should I accept him falling behind and never amounting to anything?” (see also this story) You can probably predict what side I'm on here. Like everyone else, I took a year of Spanish in middle school; like everyone else who did that, the sum total of what I remember is “no hablo Espanol” - and even there I'm pretty sure I forgot a curly thing over at least one of the letters. Like everyone else, I learned advanced math in high school; like everyone else, I can do up to basic algebra, the specific math I need for my job, and nothing else (my entire memory of Algebra II is that there is a thing called “Gaussian Elimination”, and even there, I'm not sure this wasn't just the name of a video game). Like everyone else, I once knew the names and dates of many important Civil War battles; like everyone else - okay, fine, I remember all of these, but only because the Civil War is objectively fascinating.

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. ~ 1 Peter 3:15 (NLT) Staring at the page in class, I was completely lost. There were squiggles, numbers, letters, lines – some straight, some at angles, others that were curved, and one that looked like a deranged checkmark. There were lots and lots of them. I was told by my teacher to make sense of them when there appeared to be no order whatsoever. There was no sense to be made! So, I did my best at arranging letters, numbers, and lines. When the test came back, I got a solid D for my efforts. Algebra II made zero sense to me. I know there was supposed to be an order to things, but it didn't click in my brain. Perhaps some of you can relate? Outside of this classroom context is reality. Looking at things through a spiritual lens, people are lost, stumbling through life, trying to make sense of the mess around them. Sure, there are those that think they all have it figured out, only to learn that the formula for success that they thought would work only solved half of the equation, and they are left scratching their heads – broke and hopeless. Still, there are others who are sure they've solved it, yet, when the test is graded, will discover that all of their work amounted to nothing. People are looking to solve life. People are looking for their slice of Heaven. But, often times, they are looking at it all wrong. It's not a formula to solve, it's a God to know. You see, the formula to living a life worthy of Heaven has nothing to do with us and everything to do with God. We can spend our entire lives earning money, buying things, living the big life and still discover that we missed the whole point – it's all about Jesus. And, for those of us who call ourselves Christians, our job is to help people solve this simple equation, as our verse today tells us. So, I've developed a simple formula that helps: C + N = S. This is the entire meaning to life. Let me break it down. C = Christ. N = Nothing. S = Salvation. So, it's Christ + Nothing equals Salvation. We don't earn it. We don't solve it. We put our entire life in His hands. He alone has the capacity to solve the mess that is our lives. So, today, and every day, put your trust in Him. And, just as important, be ready to help others solve the equation to eternal life.

In this episode, Rob chats with his STEM colleague, Algebra II teacher Heather Flores, to discuss twin life, charter schools, and Toy Story 3.

Photographer, Bobbi Jane, brings you photographs from the West. "I have been surrounded by both photography and the western life since childhood. I was born in Kansas but raised in the rural part of Tucson, Arizona. I grew up when kids played outside and all our games were made from our imaginations! I loved taking photos as a kid making “pretend” film with paper and putting in my Mom’s Kodak camera when there wasn’t any film. My dogs were my models. My junior year in high school, I dropped out of Algebra II to take Photography. And the rest is truly western history! After high school, I attended Colorado Institute of Art majoring in Photography. Those were still the “film” days and finding a job in a photography related field was slim. Nearly 20 years later after a career path in sales and marketing, I launched my own photography business, Way Out West Photography (Est. 2000) I consider my photography style to be “photojournalism” capturing the moment, subject and light as is.I currently live in Prescott, Arizona. I have been photographing weddings, people, businesses and events in Prescott since 2008. In the past couple years, it's been very competitive for weddings and events. I now focus on family storytelling portraits and senior portraits. I'm very flexible and funny and that helps to make every shoot stress free and relaxed. I do not shoot "gallery style" photos that are posed and professionally lit. I take photos of people in real life with natural light and showing emotions that make you want to smile. Family Storytelling sessions are about capturing genuine, emotional images of families through meaningful documentary-style portraits that will show your family’s love, emotions and laughs. I am still the kid with a camera! Photography is my passion and part of who I am. I know have a Nikon that doesn't need film. Crazy how the times change but really stay the same."Bobbi Jane Tucker www.WayOutWestPhotography.com Facebook @WayOutWestPhotographyInstagram @WayOutWestPhotos BobbiJane@WayOutWestPhotos.com928-910-5814

Today's guest bulldog is math teacher Jason Ziegler. This spring, Jason is teaching Geometry in Construction, Algebra II, and AP Calculus. In our conversation, Jason discusses many of Arvada's recent successes and touches on a bit of the history. He digs into the benefits of Restorative Practices both for a school as well as a society. He also talks about math instruction and some of the ways he overcomes the challenges faced by teaching the subject. Thanks for tuning in to this week's episode of "Who's Behind the Bulldog" with Jason Ziegler.

#024 - On this episode, we continue uncovering the steps every high school junior should take to succeed in the college admission process. We go over one of the most important components of the college application, scores from the standardized test. This is one of the 3 kings of the college admission process, the other two being the courses students take in high school and the grades they receive in those courses. We highlight the different elements that make up the SAT and the ACT, the two standardized tests generally accepted by universities and colleges. We also talk about the differences between the two tests, and the advantages students can gain from those differences. One of the biggest differences is in the math section, with one exam having half the number of questions, whose level of complexity does not exceed math problems found in an Algebra II high school course. We also talk about whether standardized exams will be permanently eliminated from the college admission process, and the one thing every student in high school should be afraid of when getting ready to take the SAT or the ACT. Here is a hint. It has nothing to do with the exams themselves. You can find the show notes for this episode at https://collegemetropolis.com/24. You can also help us a lot by writing a positive review for our show and leaving us a 5-star rating. In doing so, you will make it easier for other parents to find our show. Thank you!

Mathematics teacher Sachin J. Jhunjhunwala and host Evelyn Lauer discuss the magic and humanity in remote learning, the importance of group work, and the escape of John Hughes films. Jhunjhunwala is a second-year Instructional Coach and third-year mathematics teacher at Highland Park High School in Highland Park, IL.   There, he has taught Algebra I Survey, Geometry, and AP Statistics.  Prior to that he taught at Evanston Township High School for nine years as a mathematics teacher, where he taught AP Statistics, PreCalculus, Algebra II, Geometry, and Algebra I. Before teaching, Jhunjhunwala was a Director of Technology, Product Manager, and Program Manager for Expedia, Inc. in the Puget Sound area and in London.  He currently lives in Evanston, IL with his wife and two sons.Follow host, Evelyn Lauer, on Twitter and Instagram, @evelynalauer.BTB is produced by Evelyn Lauer. Its music is written and performed by Jim Streisel and his band, The Dead Squirrels. 

sent $$$ this week to NorCal Resist’s bail fund and their emergency aid for asylum seeking and undocumented families.norcalresist.org/“NorCal Resist’s bail fund helps community members facing protest and ICE-related charges make bail, so they can fight their charges at home with their loved ones instead of from a jail cell.Our bail program is funded by donations from the community. Unlike predatory bail bondsman services, which pocket a percentage of the bond money for a profit, our bail fund is a community resource that provides bonds for free, to those who need them most.”and,“As workplaces shut down, asylum seeking and undocumented families are left without income as they are unable to access unemployment or disability insurance systems. NorCal Resist is currently providing necessities, such as rent assistance, groceries, diapers, school supplies, medical bill assistance, and legal support, to hundreds of families living in Placer, Yolo, El Dorado, Nevada, Yuba, Sutter, Colusa, Butte, Shasta, and Sacramento counties.”DOWNLOAD RECORDINGsubscribe to the podcast here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/5432fun(intro by omar)Monomyth “Falling in Love” Happy Pop FamilyKaren Meat & The Vahnevants “All Thumbs” Karen Meats the VahnevantsFruit & Flowers “Out of Touch” Drug TaxAlgebra II “601” Milkshake SummerBoyracer “In Love” To Get A Better Hold You’ve Got To Loosen Yr GripViolet Mice “Blue Balloons” Pig Myths: The Hits (So Far)K^ren “Flowers” CilnatroDame “Glitch” Dame S/T EPPledge Drive “Weekend Warrior” GenuinityJulius Smack “Real Belief” Buried TechnologyThe Sky Mata “Lizzy” Hatton BusPluperfect “internet quiz” Huli kaSweetie Darling “Snake Charmer” Snake CharmerSimulcast “Terminus” Love Songs for the End of the WorldMiscegenation, and More “Valladolid” Anchor Baby DEMOTAWINGS “Dad Cry” Listerine / Dad CryPlunk 67 “Circle” Plunk 67SHINY TIMES “Lose My Mind” Secret MemosBobby’s Oar “In The Woods” The Weeds In Your GardenJulie Fader “Eavesdropping” Outside In

Our latest student lecture features the first lecture in the second term introductory course on Linear Algebra from leading Oxford Mathematician James Maynard. We are making these lectures available to give an insight in to the student experience and how we teach. All lectures are followed by tutorials where pairs of students spend an hour with their tutor to go through the lectures and accompanying work sheets. An overview of the course and the relevant materials is available here: https://courses.maths.ox.ac.uk/node/43829

Our latest student lecture features the first lecture in the second term introductory course on Linear Algebra from leading Oxford Mathematician James Maynard. We are making these lectures available to give an insight in to the student experience and how we teach. All lectures are followed by tutorials where pairs of students spend an hour with their tutor to go through the lectures and accompanying work sheets. An overview of the course and the relevant materials is available here: https://courses.maths.ox.ac.uk/node/43829

"Room service" door hangers are one of the unique ideas that André Sasser shares on the show. From a Woot Wagon to more, André talks about little things that encourage her as a teacher. I also talk about the "fun committee" at my school and some ideas to build community and collegiality. www.coolcatteacher.com/e574  Sponsored By Advancement Courses The holidays are just around the corner, and this is the perfect time to start planning your PD. Get started by going to advancementcourses.com/coolcat to explore over 240 graduate-level online PD courses in 19 different subject areas. Plus, you can save 20% of your order the code COOL20. That’s just $120 per graduate credit hour or $160 for 50 clock hours. You can take courses on helpful topics like classroom management, teacher wellness, education technology, special education classes and more. Advancement Courses is flexible and lets you work at your own pace to create things to improve your classroom.    Challenge Make someone's day or implement one of these ideas at your school to help your school have more fun! Door Hanger "Room Service" from André [PDF] André Sasser - Bio As Submitted André Sasser has been teaching math in Louisiana for ten years. She is currently teaching 6th-grade math, 7th-grade math, Geometry, Algebra II, Dual Enrollment Statistics, and an Introduction to Education class for future educators. Teaching math is a dream come true for André. She comes from a family of educators, and teaching is all she has ever wanted to do. Peek into André’s classroom and you will find her students engaged in math conversation, working problems on the vertical whiteboards, or enjoying a Desmos activity. Her daily goal is to make math class an exciting experience for every student who walks through her door. Blog: https://sassafracs.wordpress.com/ Twitter: @MrsSasser Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

SCCMH Podcast 29 - Jim Edwards (http://www.thejimedwardsmethod.com creates a formula for the irresistable offer factor formula: PP / P factor = IOF (Irresistable Offer) Payoff and Promise divided by Pain Factor = Irresistable Offer P factor = Time, Effort, Resourses, and Skill - Watch and learn how to re-think salescopy into a short framework that is easy to follow. Follow us on the Salescopy and Content Marketing Hacks with Jim Edwards Closed Group page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/copywritingandcontenthacks/ Also see http://www.thejimedwardsmethod.com

In this episode I had the opportunity to sit down with Zack Korzyk via webcam and talk about this game changing math tool.  DeltaMath (found at DeltaMath.com) is an infinite practice set program that allows students to practice to success mathematics problems that thoroughly cover Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus with more courses on the way. Zack is an in-service teacher who has created this tool for his students and shares it with us out of his passion for math and education. 

We are starting a new series today because we think that the college ship has sailed for almost all of our listening families with seniors.  Of course, some of you are still looking at a few options; some of you have even put down deposits at more than one college, or so we hear; and, some of you might be frantically searching for a new choice that offers rolling admissions or very late deadlines in the next couple of months.  As always, if any of you are in the still-undecided group, give me a call if you want some personalized advice.  I am happy to help, and the advice is free, of course.  We are going to assume that the rest of you out there have juniors (or even sophomores) and that you are relatively early in the college admissions process.  It is amazing to me, as I look at posts in a number of online groups for parents of prospective college applicants, how many of you with younger kids are already well into the college search.  So, this series, entitled Looking to Next Year, is going to offer a few reminders for parents of high school juniors as you start down a long--but hopefully exciting and not too painful--road.   1. Oh, No!  Not the Right High School Courses!  Part I Let me start by saying that I love to complain about how far too many--I would say, even most--high school students do not take enough foreign language courses.  They don’t take enough courses either for their own good in life or for their optimal chances of getting into a great college.  We discussed this as recently as Episode 155, which was scarcely the first time we have brought it up. But today’s episode expands way beyond my foreign language criticism about high school students’ own course decisions to a criticism that is almost unthinkable:  Many states’ high school graduation requirements will not meet all of the admissions requirements of their own public state universities.  Let me repeat this fantastical and sobering claim in the words of Catherine Gewertz in Education Week where she reported on a study released on April 2 by the Center for American Progress (CAP) and authored by Laura Jimenez and Scott Sargrad, both employed by CAP: The think tank found that in most states, in at least one subject area, students must exceed their state’s high school graduation requirements in order to cross the threshold of the public four-year institutions in their state. The CAP study describes two big problems. Most state diploma requirements: Don’t meet admissions criteria for the state’s public universities. Noted by other researchers as well, this “preparation gap” can form a barrier to college when students find that the diploma requirements they completed fall short of the ones their state colleges and universities expect for admission. Leave too much up to the student. In many states, students can decide which core courses to take in order to fulfill graduation requirements. That means they could finish high school with a relatively weak lineup of classes, or courses that don’t match well with their postsecondary goals. (quoted from the article) Frankly, it’s hard to believe.  But the data don’t lie.  Listen to the number of states whose high school graduation requirements do not meet their own public four-year university’s entrance requirements: 23 states miss the mark in foreign languages. (I now feel totally vindicated about the number of times I bring up this problem.) 8 states miss the mark in mathematics. (That does not surprise me, unfortunately.) 4 states miss the mark in science. 4 states miss the mark in social studies. 2 states miss the mark in fine arts. 2 states miss the mark in the number of elective courses. 1 state misses the mark in English. If I were a taxpayer in any of those states, I would be marching on the state capital.  If I were the governor in any of those states, some state education department employees would be losing their jobs, and some state board members would be having serious discussions with me. Interestingly and for whatever reason, physical education (including health) is the only subject field in which all states’ high school graduation requirements meet college entrance requirements and, in fact, 39 states’ high school graduation requirements exceed college entrance requirements.  Comparatively speaking, only two states’ high school graduation requirements exceed college entrance requirements in foreign languages. Perhaps not surprisingly, English is the subject field where high school graduation requirements are most in line with college entrance requirements:  44 states have high school graduation requirements that meet English college entrance requirements and three states exceed them.  In other words, almost all states require four years of high school English in order to graduate, and almost all state universities require four years of English to get in. So, let’s take a glance at a few states of particular interest, using the data in the CAP study:  These are the 19 states that do meet or exceed college expectations in every subject field, regardless of how rigorous those expectations are (obviously, it is easier to meet college expectations if the state university’s expectations are not all that high to begin with):  Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Virginia. What about our two most populous states?  California, with its massive public higher education system, misses the mark in four subject fields.  Texas, with its very large public higher education system, misses the mark in two subject fields.  I can only speculate that students in those states who are anxious to get into their super-popular public universities exceed the state high school graduation requirements on their own.  Our home state, the very populous State of New York, misses only on foreign languages (you would think that people in my own state would have been listening to me by now).  Interestingly, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are the only two entities that technically exceed expectations in all subject fields; but, that’s because their public university systems set no specific coursework requirements. These states were not included in the analysis, so I can’t tell you whether to panic if you live in one of these:  Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. 2. Oh, No!  Not the Right High School Courses!  Part II So, where does the CAP study come down on this issue?  Let’s look at a few paragraphs from the Conclusion:  [T]his analysis finds significant misalignment between the high school and college systems. What is required to receive a high school diploma is often not aligned with what students must study to be eligible for college admissions. This can be a matter of equity when more rigorous coursework such as advanced math, laboratory science, and foreign language courses are not offered on the high school campus, thus requiring college-bound students to seek this coursework elsewhere. . . . Certainly, state high school graduation requirements are only a start to ensuring students are ready for college, career, and life. Many states allow or even require school districts to set additional requirements. However, not setting a minimum floor that at the very least meets state college admissions requirements puts students in districts with less rigorous requirements at a disadvantage, setting up inequities within states in access to college preparatory and career-readiness experiences. (quoted from the study) It is a matter of equity. Why?  Because poor kids in less affluent school districts with minimum graduation requirements will not go the extra yard that is required to get into their state public university. Why?  Because they won’t get sufficient help from their high school counselors and because they likely can’t get sufficient help from their parents.  And so, they are at the mercy of inadequate state high school graduation requirements that won’t prepare them for admission to their state’s public higher education system, which might well be all they can afford. But the CAP study says a lot more than this--much of which is very interesting.  For example, the CAP study takes this further step: Depending on course availability and the boundaries drawn by graduation requirements, students have discretion in the types of courses they take to fulfill high school graduation requirements. States may require all of the specific courses and sequences to be taken, for example, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II--or their equivalents--where three years of math are required. Where four years are required, states may require only some of the specific courses, for example, Algebra I and Geometry, and allow students to choose among the options to fulfill two additional math course requirements. Or, states may simply require a number of years of study and make no course type specifications. Each of these scenarios [is] also true for college admissions. (quoted from the report) And the CAP study continues: In almost every state for at least one subject, there is a preparation gap that necessitates students seeking admission to the state public four-year university system to take additional coursework that is not required for a standard high school diploma. What’s more, this additional coursework may or may not be offered on the high school campus. . . .  Students in high-income schools and districts with sufficient college counseling and resources to seek this additional coursework may have an easier time addressing these disparities than students in low-income areas, reflecting inequity in the availability of educational resources. (quoted from the study) Indeed.  Let’s just say it again, because it is still incredible to me:  When states do not require high enough high school graduation standards to ensure that all of its high school graduates are eligible for their own public higher education--regardless of whether all graduates want to go on to college--those states are ensuring that their poorer kids in their poorer school districts are disproportionately negatively affected.  Why again?  Because in addition to the injustices of subpar graduation standards, subpar school facilities, subpar counseling, and subpar everything else, fewer of these poorer kids have college-educated parents who can make up the difference.  3. What To Do I believe that there is no substitute for examining the entrance requirements of any college your kid is thinking about applying to in terms of credits and perhaps specific courses that the college expects or requires to be taken in high school.  We talk about this topic extensively in our second book, How To Explore Your College Options: A Workbook for High School Students.  Let me read some excerpts from a section of that book for students: Let’s look at one last admission standard--one that is less often considered and more often taken for granted--and that is the courses that applicants are expected to have taken in high school, usually listed in terms of credits (or Carnegie units) in each subject area, but also sometimes including specific courses, especially in math and science. . . .  On a college’s website, this information can virtually always be found by starting with the Admission home page.  You will find that the high school course or credit expectations of colleges do, in fact, differ, usually according to how selective the college is.  But there are always a few surprises (like colleges that require students to have earned career and technical education credits in high school, for example). After you write down the required and the recommended courses or credits, you can compare them from college to college, and you can see how well they match up with what you have taken so far and with what you will be taking as you finish up high school.  Particularly if you are just a freshman or sophomore, this information can be invaluable as you plan your remaining semesters in high school. . . . The courses that you take in high school matter, including the courses that you take in your senior year.  Colleges will tell you that slacking off in the senior year is never a good move.  So, for example, a fourth year of math and a fourth year of science would be the best scenario for most applicants--and might be a mandatory scenario for entrance to top colleges and to some college programs, like engineering.  If you don’t have a rigorous senior year planned, think again.  And that’s exactly why we are telling you, parents, this information right now--when many high schools across the country are scheduling juniors for the classes they will be taking next fall as seniors.  It is not too late to look carefully at college requirements and to make an adjustment or two in next fall’s schedule.  You might have to insist with high school counselors or administrators, but it will be worth it.  Adding a course in science or math or foreign languages or something else that is missing is possible now, but it will be a lot harder to do next fall.  Good luck! Find our books on Amazon! How To Find the Right College: A Workbook for Parents of High School Students (available as a Kindle ebook and in paperback) How To Explore Your College Options: A Workbook for High School Students (available in paperback) Ask your questions or share your feedback by... Leaving a comment on the show notes for this episode at http://usacollegechat.org/episode162 Calling us at (516) 900-6922 to record a question on our USACollegeChat voicemail if you want us to answer your question live on our podcast Connect with us through... Subscribing to our podcast on Google Play Music, iTunes, Stitcher, or TuneIn Liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter Reviewing parent materials we have available at www.policystudies.org Inquiring about our consulting services if you need individualized help Reading Regina's blog, Parent Chat with Regina

"Let's face it; no kid in high school feels as though they fit in." - Stephen King If you describe high school as "the best four years of my life," skip this episode, it's not for you. For most of us, high school was an interminable slog of waiting for our lives to begin.  The uncertainty... the acne... the Algebra II.  No, thanks.  Even though few of us relished the experience, those times are something we'll never forget.   But, why?   Join Chicago media personality Gina B. and New York Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster as they recount the best--and worst--of their high school years, and explain the factors at work that keep those memories so damn indelible. Is this episode better than a wedgie from a bully?   Hell, yeah!   Better than pizza day in the cafeteria? That's debatable.  

We are in the fifth week of our new series, Researching College Options, and we have spent the last two episodes talking about the two most likely academic hurdles that kids will meet in trying to get into a college: that is, first, the SAT and ACT scores of newly admitted and/or enrolled freshmen at the college and, second, the average high school grade point average (GPA) of those students. I think we made it clear that both of these matter at most of the nation’s most selective four-year colleges and that high school GPAs matter, in fact, at virtually all of our nation’s four-year colleges. So, let’s look one more time this week at what we call Step 13 in our new book, How To Explore Your College Options: A Workbook for High School Students--that is, Step 13 of getting the information that your kid needs to make good choices about where to apply. Step 13 is about researching the college’s admission practices; we’ve talked about some of this information, and more is in the book. Finding out all of the information we call for in Step 13 will give you an idea about how likely it is that your kid will be accepted by a college if he or she decides to apply. As we said in the last episode, no one can say for sure whether your kid’s grades or admission test scores or extracurricular and community service activities or letters of recommendation will be appealing enough to get him or her admitted to a particular college. But today’s episode is about one more academic hurdle that might stand between your kid and one or more colleges on his or her Long List of College Options (LLCO): that is, high school courses that your kid did or did not take. 1. What High School Courses Should Your Kid Have Taken? We want to talk to you about this topic because it is something you still might be able to fix as your kid starts into his or her senior year in the next few weeks. Yes, your kid’s fall semester courses were probably chosen some time ago, but changes can be made in most high schools as classes start if it is important enough. So, let’s find out if it is important enough. Parents of younger students, you still have time to have a major effect on high school courses taken in the next couple of years, and you should absolutely weigh in. Here is what we wrote in our new book for kids like yours: Let’s look at [another] admission standard--one that is less often considered and more often taken for granted--and that is the courses that applicants are expected to have taken in high school, usually listed in terms of credits (or Carnegie units) in each subject area, but also sometimes including specific courses, especially in math and science. Part C5 of the common data set [by the way, you can search for the “common data set” on each college’s website, and you will often find it] displays both REQUIRED and RECOMMENDED high school units, by subject area, but you should check out each college’s website for more detailed information. College Navigator [the online resource provided by the National Center for Education Statistics] does not have any specific information on this topic. On a college’s website, this information [on required and recommended high school courses] can virtually always be found by starting with the Admission home page. You will find that the high school course or credit expectations of colleges do, in fact, differ, usually according to how selective the college is. But there are always a few surprises (like colleges that require students to have earned career and technical education credits in high school, for example). After you write down the required and the recommended courses or credits, you can compare them from college to college, and you can see how well they match up with what you have taken so far and with what you will be taking as you finish up high school. Particularly if you are just a freshman or sophomore, this information can be invaluable as you plan your remaining semesters in high school. For example, what if a college on your LLCO requires--or, more likely, recommends--four credits of foreign language? Foreign language is something that lots of high school students drop out of before taking a fourth year. Perhaps that’s because they don’t know how many selective colleges recommend it. The courses that you take in high school matter, including the courses that you take in your senior year. Colleges will tell you that slacking off in the senior year is never a good move. So, for example, a fourth year of math and a fourth year of science would be the best scenario for most applicants--and might be a mandatory scenario for entrance to top colleges and to some college programs, like engineering. If you don’t have a rigorous senior year planned, think again. In the long, but crucial, College Profile Worksheet that we ask your kid to fill out for every college on his or her LLCO, we ask for the number of credits or courses required for admission to the college or to the college/school that he or she is interested in within the university as well as any specific courses required (like Biology or Algebra II). We ask for the information by subject field--meaning in English, math, science, social studies, foreign languages, arts, and other fields (which could include career and technical education or physical education or health or something else). And then we ask for the same information for recommended courses, including recommended courses like Calculus, for example. Interestingly, many public state flagship universities have quite detailed lists of required and recommended courses that applicants should have taken, and my guess is that these lists are well known to high schools in those states so that high school counselors can make sure that students take them. At least, I hope they are. For those students applying to flagship universities in states other than their own state--as we have recommended that many students do--those students should be particularly careful about finding out what those requirements are and then meeting them. Why? Because the kids in those states are more than likely meeting all of them because their high schools know about those requirements and are well positioned to provide the courses that are needed. Let’s look at one example. I took the University of Georgia, a very good flagship university--not the most selective in the nation, but a very competitive one. Here is what the website says about the College Preparatory Curriculum the university expects its applicants to have taken (remember that one unit is equal to one year of study): At a minimum, by policy of the University System of Georgia, all first-year applicants must complete the College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC), which consists of 17 academic units in English (4), Mathematics (4), Science (4), Social Studies (3), and Foreign Language (2). The Georgia Board of Regents has a detailed high school curriculum guide to assist students in understanding what courses need to be completed for college. (quoted from the website) Here are a few more details for University of Georgia applicants: 4 units of math must include Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and one math course beyond Algebra II 4 units of science must include 1 unit of biological sciences; 1 unit of physical sciences or Physics; 1 unit of Chemistry, Environmental Science, or Earth Science; and a 4th unit of science, which could include AP Computer Science (with two of the four units being lab sciences) 2 units of foreign languages, with the two units being sequential units in one language Those are serious requirements. I bet there are a lot of Georgia high school students and a lot of high school students in most states that cannot meet those standards even if the necessary courses were offered in their high schools. Parents, is your kid one of them? The Georgia example is the reason we are telling you about this now. There is still time to add a fourth year of math or science to your kid’s senior year schedule--even if it is not the hardest math or science that you can imagine. I would a lot rather have four units of math and four units of science on my kid’s transcript and let the college figure out how hard those fourth-year courses actually were than not have the fourth-year courses there at all. In other words, the fourth-year courses do not have to be Calculus and Physics in order to count. But every college is different. Really. That is exactly why we put these questions on the College Profile Worksheet. You have to know what each college expects or your kid cannot possibly jump that hurdle. 2. A Quick Look at Foreign Languages Let’s look at my favorite part of this topic, and that is the importance of studying a foreign language in high school (and in college, by the way). It is one of those things that anyone who knows me might guess I am going to bring up--along with the importance of studying outside the U.S., the importance of the liberal arts, and the importance of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), to name a few of my favorite soapboxes. Here are a few startling statistics from an Education Week article in June by Corey Mitchell: The American Councils for International Education estimates that 10.6 million K-12 U.S. students study a world language or American Sign Language. That sounds like a lot of students, but it is actually just 20 percent of American students. Fewer than 10 percent of students in at least two states study a language other than English. Arabic is the fastest-growing second language among U.S. residents, but only 0.25 percent of American students who study a foreign language study Arabic in school. Eight times as many study Latin. I am all for more Arabic, but all my friends know that I would hate to give up Latin. Less than 1 percent of American students who study a foreign language are studying either Russian or Japanese, though both of these languages were popular some decades ago for obvious political or economic reasons. The study of Mandarin, the most commonly spoken language in the world, is increasing among American students. That’s probably an important trend. Eleven states require credits in foreign languages in order to graduate from high school. Does 11 sound like a lot or a little to you? Because it sounds like way too little to me. The District of Columbia and 44 states are in the market for certified foreign language teachers. We are certainly going to need more teachers if we are going to convince more kids to study more foreign languages or foreign languages for more years. And here is a quotation from Marty Abbott, the executive director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, also from the Education Week article: “We’re such a long way in this country from having it be normal to grow up learning other languages. . . . Our future depends on our ability to engage with the rest of the world, and right now Americans have a very tough time doing that.” We do indeed. So, parents, help your kid stand out when it comes to the college admissions game. Convince your kid to take four years of a foreign language in high school (assuming that your high school makes four years available and, if not, encourage your kid to take two years of one language and two years of another language). Do this not just to get your kid into college; do it for a lot of other great reasons, too. And now I—with my four years of high school Latin and my three years of high school French--will get off my soapbox. 3. It’s Labor Day! So, we hear that it’s almost Labor Day. We will be taking next week off to catch our breaths and celebrate. You should do the same, because September will require you to hit the ground running. Parents of seniors, the time is here. We will be back with a new episode on September 7. We can’t wait! Find our books on Amazon! How To Find the Right College: A Workbook for Parents of High School Students (available as a Kindle ebook and in paperback) How To Explore Your College Options: A Workbook for High School Students (available in paperback) Ask your questions or share your feedback by... Leaving a comment on the show notes for this episode at http://usacollegechat.org/episode133 Calling us at (516) 900-6922 to record a question on our USACollegeChat voicemail if you want us to answer your question live on our podcast Connect with us through... Subscribing to our podcast on Google Play Music, iTunes, Stitcher, or TuneIn Liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter Reviewing parent materials we have available at www.policystudies.org Inquiring about our consulting services if you need individualized help Reading Regina's blog, Parent Chat with Regina

We have put off narrowing down your teenager’s long summer list of college options as long as we can. I hate to start the narrowing because it always seems to me as though the colleges taken off your list might be opportunities missed. But we all have to remember that there is not just one college that is a good choice for your teenager. There are likely quite a few colleges that would be not just good, but excellent, choices for your teenager. So, in that spirit, let’s see where we stand here at the end of September. First, let us remind you that October 1 marks the opening up of the online avenue for filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, lovingly known as the FAFSA. There is no earthly reason not to fill it out and file it ASAP. We are not FAFSA experts, but there are many people who are. If you are unsure about FAFSA, look at available websites or seek help from your teenager’s high school. But, whatever it takes, get the form filed, even if you are not sure you will need it and even if you are not expecting a financial windfall in financial aid. Second, let us remind you, as we have been doing for the past couple of weeks, that the first deadlines are approaching for Early Decision and Early Action admissions--mostly around November 1. If your teenager is interested enough in a college to apply under an Early Decision plan or interested enough in one or more colleges to apply under an Early Action plan, then you have already narrowed your teenager’s list of college options. However, your teenager will need to keep a few extra colleges on the list in case the Early Decision choice or the Early Action choices don’t work out. In that spirit, let’s look at Step 1 in narrowing down the list. Let’s review your 10 summer assignments because, if you didn’t do them, there might not be much of a list to narrow down: First, you and your teenager expanded his or her long summer list of college options by choosing colleges across the U.S. (and maybe even outside the U.S.) to add to the list--that is, colleges outside your geographic comfort zone. Next, you checked out four key admission standards for the colleges on that list--namely, average high school GPA, high school class rank, SAT or ACT scores of admitted and/or enrolled freshmen, and both required and recommended courses to be completed in high school. After that, you looked at each college’s undergraduate enrollment, broken down by part-time vs. full-time study, gender, race/ethnicity, and place of residence. Then, you checked out the student-to-faculty ratio and class sizes for each college on the list. You went on to look at the type of community each college is located in and what it has to offer off campus. Next, you found out what kind of core curriculum requirements--if any--are in place at each college. Then, you checked out the types of campus housing available at each college and what some of its security measures are. Then, you examined the way each college divides up its academic year into terms--both the traditional and the innovative ways. And finally, you took one last look at some categories of colleges you might have overlooked or you might have thought were not right for your teenager the first time around--namely, faith-based colleges, HBCUs, HSIs, and single-sex colleges. We are hoping that you still have at least 20 or so on your list right now.  As we look back at the 10 assignments, we notice that some have to do with college location, some with size, some with selectivity, some with the student body, some with academics, and some with logistics, like housing and safety. We did not talk much this summer about the cost of attending each college because it is hard to figure out cost without knowing what kind of financial aid package your teenager might get from any given college, based on your family’s income, your state of residence, and the academic or other qualifications of your teenager. Everybody else seems to want to talk only about cost, so we would like to start somewhere else. We found it difficult to choose which filter to look at first, knowing that it would knock some colleges off your list right away and being sorry about not giving those colleges a chance to stay on your list based on their other really great qualities. But something has to go first. So, let’s look at selectivity of the colleges on your list. 1. Step 1: College Selectivity Filter As we said in our book How To Find the Right College: A Workbook for Parents of High School Students (on sale at amazon.com through 2016), this question is the one most high school guidance counselors bring up first. You have probably heard people say that a student should apply to a “safety” school that he or she is sure to be admitted to; a couple of “reach” schools that would be great, but might be beyond or just beyond what the student’s high school record warrants; and then some others in the middle that the student has a reasonable chance of being admitted to, though not guaranteed. Of course, that is really nothing more than common sense. As for a safety school, we like to say that you should consider public four-year colleges (especially branch campuses of your state flagship public university, rather than the main campus, or a second-tier state system of public colleges that is not as prestigious as the state flagship university system). Some states have more public options than others, thus providing an array of safety school choices. We continue to focus only on four-year colleges in our search, believing that you can add the local public community college as an option at any point without too much difficulty. As we find we still have to say to parents of teenagers, it is our opinion that not-very-selective private colleges that could reasonably serve as safety schools for most high school students are not likely to be academically better or more respected than whatever well-regarded public colleges are available in a student’s home state. Why would you pay more money to have your teenager go to a college that is not better? And, as we said many times during our nationwide virtual tour of colleges in Episodes 27 through 53, there is no prestige in going to a private college that is not as good as a great public college. As for “reach” schools, keep in mind that applying to colleges is time consuming and not free (unless you have application-fee waivers, which are sometimes based on family income and sometimes based on a student’s excellent high school record). Applying to reach schools that enroll a majority of students with significantly higher high school GPAs (that is, the grade point average of high school courses) and/or or with significantly higher SAT or ACT scores than your teenager has might turn out to be a waste of time. So, should your teenager rule out applying to the most selective schools, given the chances that being admitted are slim, even if he or she is a good student? No, but perhaps consider applying to just two or three--and only if your teenager is truly interested in going to them. Applying to too many will likely make a disappointing acceptance season for your teenager. What should you be looking for in terms of selectivity? I would say that you should feel okay about colleges where your teenager’s high school grades and SAT or ACT scores are average or just above average for that college. But, further, you should feel good about colleges where your teenager’s grades and test scores are above the 75th percentile of admitted and/or enrolled freshmen. This is part of the information--along with class rank--that we asked you to research and record back in Episode 82 in Assignment #2. As we have said before, the two obvious academic problems for applicants are that their GPA is not as high as it might be or that their SAT and/or ACT scores are not as high as they might be. Either of these problems makes choosing to put too many truly selective colleges on your teenager’s list a risky move. However, as we have said before, having mediocre or low test scores is likely an easier problem to solve than having mediocre or low high school grades. While students’ test scores are important to most top-ranked colleges, there are some colleges--including some really good colleges--that do not put so high a priority, or indeed almost any priority at all, on these test scores. Check out our book or earlier episodes of USACollegeChat for more information about and a long list of what are referred to as “test-optional” colleges and “test-flexible” colleges, which might be a help for your teenager if those scores are not what you had hoped for. You can also search for and find all kinds of lists of “test-optional” and “test-flexible” colleges online, including at the National Center for Fair and Open Testing website. Remember that admissions policies change, and you should check on a college’s website to tell just exactly how the college does or does not require or use SAT or ACT scores. For example, some colleges require standardized test scores for some applicants, like homeschooled students and international students, but not for others, like students who are U.S. citizens and went to high school in the U.S. So do your homework--again. The next part of the college selectivity filter is something less obvious, and that is to double check the number of credits or courses required or recommended for admission to the college or to the college or school that you are interested in within the university, along with any specific courses required (e.g., Algebra II). We asked you to research and record this information for each college on your list back in Episode 83 in Assignment #3. Keep in mind that a college does not usually penalize a student whose high school does not offer a course that the college requires for admission--like the third year of a foreign language. However, the closer your teenager can get to meeting all of the required courses and all of the recommended courses, the better chance he or she has for admission--obviously.  2. Do You Have Enough Left on the List?  So, what I would do if I were you, is look back at the data my teenager recorded for Assignment #2 and compare each college’s figures to my own teenager’s high school GPA, SAT or ACT scores (that is, whatever scores you currently have, even if he or she will retake the test this fall), and class rank (if he or she has one). I might divide the colleges into three piles: (1) those that look out of reach or almost out of reach, given the grades and scores of admitted or enrolled freshmen; (2) those that post average grades and scores about like my own teenager’s; and (3) those where my teenager’s grades and scores look well above average. With that done, I would keep all of the colleges in the second pile on the list for now, especially if my teenager had taken or will take this year the required and recommended high school courses. Next, I would talk with my teenager about the colleges in the first pile--that is, those that seem like a real long shot academically. I would look particularly favorably on those where my teenager had taken or will take this year the required and recommended high school courses. I might keep my teenager’s two or three favorites from that pile on the list for now, but I would try to help my teenager let the others in the first pile go. Finally, I would talk with my teenager about the colleges in the third pile, where my teenager’s grades and scores are well above average, to see whether my teenager is holding on to too many “safety” schools, especially ones that are not truly appealing to him or her. I often find myself saying something like this to kids: “Why is that on your list? You are going to get into a better private college than that and you are also going to get into a better public flagship university than that. You don’t need it on your list, and you shouldn’t go there even if you get in.” So, Step 1 is to narrow down your teenager’s list of college options by being brutal in reviewing the first pile (those that are too academically demanding of their applicants) and equally brutal in reviewing the third pile (those that are not academically demanding enough). We would like you to have at least 15 still on the list as we move forward. The Kindle ebook version of our book, How To Find the Right College, is on sale for $0.99 through 2016! Read it on your Kindle device or download the free Kindle app for any tablet or smartphone. The book is also available as a paperback workbook. Ask your questions or share your feedback by... Leaving a comment on the show notes for this episode at http://usacollegechat.org/episode93 Calling us at (516) 900-6922 to record a question on our USACollegeChat voicemail if you want us to answer your question live on our podcast Connect with us through... Subscribing to our podcast on Google Play Music, iTunes, Stitcher, or TuneIn Liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter Reviewing parent materials we have available at www.policystudies.org Inquiring about our consulting services if you need individualized help Reading Regina's blog, Parent Chat with Regina

"Learn about the Mathematics 9: Algebra II course of the Ron Paul Curriculum as Richard Emmons interviews instructor Dr. Benjamin Richards. Mathematics 9 teaches 9th graders advanced algebra and prepares them for success in collegel mathematics. After successfully completing 9th grade mathematics, your student be prepared to pass the CLEP™ College Algebra examination. However, the course covers more material than is covered on the CLEP™ exam.  For the show notes on this episode go to http://www.ronpaulhomeschooling.com/mathematics-9-algebra-2-benjamin-richards/"