You will see in my profile that I am a writer. I'm also a filmmaker and media analyst, who, when the opportunity arises, teach media literacy to children and teens. I've developed a lesson plan and have approached our local government to include media literacy in its education curriculum. I'm still waiting for a reply. In the meantime, I continue to write about media's effect on children and teen's behavior, and stay current about research and policies through a number of nonprofit organizations, one being the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. Here is an excerpt from their email recently sent to me.
"The following is the statement of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood in response to President Bush using his State of the Union address to promote the Baby Einstein video series. During his speech, the President lauded Baby Einstein's founder, Julie Aigner-Clark, as an example of the "the heroic kindness, courage and self-sacrifice of the American people," and described the success of Baby Einstein in detail. In 2006, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood filed a Federal Trade Commission complaint against Baby Einstein for false and deceptive marketing; that complaint is pending.
It is extremely disappointing that the President used his State of the Union address to provide a free infomercial for a company built on false and deceptive marketing. Despite its claims, there is no evidence that watching Baby Einstein videos is educational for babies and toddlers.
The President claimed that Ms. Aigner-Clark 'represents the great enterprising spirit of America.' We respectfully disagree. We don't believe that preying on parents' concerns about their children's well-being; deceiving customers about a product's benefits; or exploiting our youngest and most vulnerable children should have any role in the American marketplace.
Research suggests that -- for babies -- TV viewing may be harmful. It's been found to interfere with cognitive development, language development and regular sleep patterns. The more time babies spend in front of TV, the less time they spend engaging in two activities that really do facilitate learning: interacting with parents away from screens, and spending time in creative play.
TV viewing can also be habituating. For older children, hours of television watched are linked to bullying, poor school performance and childhood obesity.
Despite these concerns, more babies are spending more time in front of televisions than ever. They do so, in part, because well-financed sophisticated marketing campaigns insure that we've all heard of Baby Einstein. Meanwhile, only 6% of parents are aware of that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children under two.
Americans would be much better served if the President used the bully pulpit to promote the AAP's recommendation rather than promoting a company whose marketing deceives parents into believing that it's educational to plop babies in front of screens."
To learn more about CCFC's FTC complaint against Baby Einstein, Brainy Baby and BabyFirstTV, please visit http://www.commercialfreechildhood.org/babyvideos/ftccomplaint.htm
Friday, January 26, 2007
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
WRITE YOUR WAY TO HIGHER SAT SCORES
by W. Littlejohn Coleman
Does the SAT test have you and your child trippin’??!! Wish everybody could catch a break? Well… with the addition of the essay section to the SAT, your wish has been granted. “High School students who aren’t math geniuses just got handed a wonderful gift,” says Jane Straus, author of THE BLUE BOOK OF GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION. Straus regards the essay addition to the SAT a gift “because it’s easier to compose a proper sentence than calculate the area of a quadrilateral.”
Although most of us may be able to compose a good sentence, some people find writing difficult. As an education technician/writing coach, I’ve worked with many students who have said, “I don’t like to write.” This statement usually comes from a place within them that demonstrates a lack of confidence.
Students can overcome any writing anxieties and build their confidence with my book, WRITE YOUR WAY TO HIGHER SAT SCORES: Six Strategies for Preparing for the SAT Essay. The 18-page booklet is written from a holistic perspective so that students can connect to their personal writing power. With this tool, Middle School, Junior HIgh and High School students can develop the ability to compose clear, concise, and comprehensible sentences, and clearly translate their thoughts to others. Students also learn how mastering writing can lead to unlimited opportunities throughout life – professionally and personally.
With good writing skills, students can increase their scores, because the SAT writing section, which includes an essay question, and a multiple-choice grammar and usage section, counts from 200 to 800 points – a third of the new “perfect score” of 2400. The highest possible scores on the verbal (renamed critical reading), and math section remain at 800 each.
Employers report that they consider a candidate’s writing skills when hiring an employee. According to the National Commission on Writing, “If you aren’t a clear communicator, you could be the one targeted for layoffs or passed over for promotions.” Good writing skills are a necessary life skill – from writing a love letter, or making a complaint, or composing a clear business plan to get money for a venture (unless Uncle Thomas or Aunt Emma are multi-millionaires, and will give you a no-strings-attached loan), to writing essays to foundations to win college scholarships.
The easy-to-read guide shows “I don’t like to write” students how to ~
Ø overcome anxieties about writing,
Ø improve writing and communication skills,
Ø see the benefits of and enjoy writing,
Ø overcome test jitters by breathing correctly,
Ø prepare for the SAT Essay.
One holistic strategy includes the art of listening, wherein students learn how being a good listener connects with good writing. Other strategies help students translate their thoughts onto paper; tune into their imagination; and shift their focus from boredom to excitement. Also included are the basics of editing, researching, and reading. In addition, the coaching tool walks students through the SAT Essay Guidelines and Formats, and provides a list of 13 writing career options.
For more information about WRITE YOUR WAY TO HIGHER SAT SCORES: Six Strategies for Preparing for the SAT Essay, email me at ausetpub@yahoo.com.
Does the SAT test have you and your child trippin’??!! Wish everybody could catch a break? Well… with the addition of the essay section to the SAT, your wish has been granted. “High School students who aren’t math geniuses just got handed a wonderful gift,” says Jane Straus, author of THE BLUE BOOK OF GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION. Straus regards the essay addition to the SAT a gift “because it’s easier to compose a proper sentence than calculate the area of a quadrilateral.”
Although most of us may be able to compose a good sentence, some people find writing difficult. As an education technician/writing coach, I’ve worked with many students who have said, “I don’t like to write.” This statement usually comes from a place within them that demonstrates a lack of confidence.
Students can overcome any writing anxieties and build their confidence with my book, WRITE YOUR WAY TO HIGHER SAT SCORES: Six Strategies for Preparing for the SAT Essay. The 18-page booklet is written from a holistic perspective so that students can connect to their personal writing power. With this tool, Middle School, Junior HIgh and High School students can develop the ability to compose clear, concise, and comprehensible sentences, and clearly translate their thoughts to others. Students also learn how mastering writing can lead to unlimited opportunities throughout life – professionally and personally.
With good writing skills, students can increase their scores, because the SAT writing section, which includes an essay question, and a multiple-choice grammar and usage section, counts from 200 to 800 points – a third of the new “perfect score” of 2400. The highest possible scores on the verbal (renamed critical reading), and math section remain at 800 each.
Employers report that they consider a candidate’s writing skills when hiring an employee. According to the National Commission on Writing, “If you aren’t a clear communicator, you could be the one targeted for layoffs or passed over for promotions.” Good writing skills are a necessary life skill – from writing a love letter, or making a complaint, or composing a clear business plan to get money for a venture (unless Uncle Thomas or Aunt Emma are multi-millionaires, and will give you a no-strings-attached loan), to writing essays to foundations to win college scholarships.
The easy-to-read guide shows “I don’t like to write” students how to ~
Ø overcome anxieties about writing,
Ø improve writing and communication skills,
Ø see the benefits of and enjoy writing,
Ø overcome test jitters by breathing correctly,
Ø prepare for the SAT Essay.
One holistic strategy includes the art of listening, wherein students learn how being a good listener connects with good writing. Other strategies help students translate their thoughts onto paper; tune into their imagination; and shift their focus from boredom to excitement. Also included are the basics of editing, researching, and reading. In addition, the coaching tool walks students through the SAT Essay Guidelines and Formats, and provides a list of 13 writing career options.
For more information about WRITE YOUR WAY TO HIGHER SAT SCORES: Six Strategies for Preparing for the SAT Essay, email me at ausetpub@yahoo.com.
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