Posted by Andre James on Thu, Aug 26, 2010 @ 11:10 AM
Over 1,000 students will participate this school year in the ePrep/AVID Advantage Program Pilot with the goal of raising their test scores. Teachers will deliver the ePrep PSAT, SAT, PLAN and SAT online courses as part of class curriculum.
One of the greatest challenges for conducting this pilot with a minimal staff is finding the most effective ways to assist teachers in their setup and delivery of the practice test courses.
Posted by Andre James on Thu, Jul 29, 2010 @ 12:48 PM
We are moving forward this August to deliver our ePrep AVID Pilot. Several thousand high school students will take the ePrep online test prep courses for the ACT, SAT, PSAT or PLAN in class. More than 100 AVID teachers participating in this pilot will deliver these courses as part of their AVID class curriculum, prior to having their students take the official tests. The results will help measure just how effective a blended, in-class + online test prep experience can be in helping students raise test scores.
Speaking of blended learning, you might be interested in a July 1st article in Campus Technology: "A Better Blend". Here is an excerpt:
What Blended Learning Looks Like
University of Central Florida Vice Provost Joel Hartman says a blended learning class “is not a website crammed with all the content of a course you’d get face-to-face. Nor is it a live lecture conducted online. Rather it’s a combination of content and learning experiences—which can be individualized or team-based—focused on a social constructivist form of learning.”
At UCF, students work in a social environment that involves “all levels of interaction: student-to-student, student-to-faculty, student-to-content, and interaction with outside resources found on the internet,” Hartman says. “This is not a course where you tune in and see a lecture, either in real time or asynchronous time. It’s more a matter of learning experiences around the learning objectives of the course.”
Posted by Andre James on Wed, Jul 21, 2010 @ 08:44 PM
We have come a long way from the one room country classroom. According to a study by Project Tomorrow, 27% or one in four high school students report taking an online course. Over half of the next generation of teachers, who are currently in college, are taking online courses. For more information read the article at: Transforming Education Through Technology, June 29, 2010
This is a very exciting trend. As you may be aware, we offer ePrep, an online expert tutoring course for the SAT and ACT. Over 25,000 students have used ePrep to raise their test scores. ePrep's success has come from successfully capturing the lessons of an excellent teacher, Karl Schellscheidt in bite-size video clips. Each mini-tutorial is titled, categorized and easily accessed 24/7. Lessons when you need them, on-demand. And each student is free to watch these lessons at their pace until they understand the material. It is a simple, elegant, yet effective blend of traditional teaching leveraged by online technology.
So, what if we could find the best Physics teacher, the most engaging U.S. History teacher and capture their lessons, divided into hundreds of bite- size tutorials, to be viewed any time a student wanted to learn. I bet that no matter how many thousands of time each lesson is taught it will be just like the first time it was presented.
And what if these specific bite-size lessons were available to teachers to enhance their curriculum and support homework assignments?
Posted by Andre James on Mon, Jul 05, 2010 @ 05:44 PM
Did I mention that ePrep has joined us in expanding services to AVID students this fall? Through Green College Tour, they have made the generous offer of making courses available at no charge to classes committed to delivering their online SAT, PSAT or ACT courses as part of class curriculum.
The goals of ePrep, Green College Tour and participating AVID teachers are to help students raise their test scores and to report their group success as testimonials that prove out the value of this online learning management system. We think their success will ultimately attract interest in the expanded use of these online courses to, potentially, all college-bound students in participating high schools.
Well, we are in the beginning stages of launching the ePrep AVID Project 2010. (Coincidentally my son checked out this project and now he wants to use ePrep to raise his SAT scores). Already AVID teachers and coordinators from fifteen high schools have expressed an interest in having their students take advantage of free access to ePrep SAT, ACT or PSAT practice courses.
Six high schools are up and running with the ePrep School Console that provides each school with their unique domain for assigning ePrep student and teacher licenses.
Student ePrep License. Each student has access to:
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two practice tests
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Video tutorials that address each test question
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Wordsmith - Electronic flashcards for improving vocabulary
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Immediate test results for tracking progress
Teacher Console. Each teacher is provided with:
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Classroom Management for assigning students to a class
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Parent login allowing parents access to their student's progress
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Student Progress Reports - Several tracking reports
ePrep is preparing video and text instruction that will help AVID teachers become familiar with both the teacher and student resources available in this online learning management system.
Check out the ePrep AVID Project Site where teachers, ePrep coaches and the Green College Tour team will be dropping by to share information, questions and explore strategies for creating 'best practices' for implementing in class delivery of ePrep SAT, ACT or PSAT courses.
Just a heads up. If you are an AVID teacher not participating in the pilot you are still more than welcome to sign in to this project discussion group. ePrep helps thousands of students independently raise their test scores. However, we are just as excited about the role AVID teachers will play in producing more consistent improvement from all participating students.
Posted by Andre James on Tue, Jun 29, 2010 @ 10:58 AM
Lights, webcam, action!!!..... OK. The video is not perfect. But if you think of it as VIDEO PHONE MESSAGE I left for you to watch, it does the job.
Now, what if high school students across the country could watch your next college message/presenation live, online? And what if they could submit questions via chat that you answer to the entire viewing audience of thousands of students?
Not everyone wants to be a GCT Meeting Network Star. However I suspect that at every college in the nation there are a few talented admission counselors or student ambassadors who are more than ready to represent their school over the: Internet Airwaves on the GCT Meeting Network
Beginning September 24th we will be hosting live video-streamed college presentations at our upcoming Friday Online Fairs.
Freshmen and sophomore classes will be gathered in front of a screen where they can watch a live presentation, supported with video, slideshow and chat services.
Class Moderator - During these events teachers will solicit questions and submit them to the speaker via chat.
Interactive Broadcasting - As we get familiar with this format we will experiment with expanding capabilities by switching broadcast channels. For example a college admission counselor when presenting their Green Energy Research Program might switch the channel to a professor in the science department. Or, we might switch the broadcast to one of the high school classes elected to present their findings of a Campus Energy Audit.
These are just a few of the ideas we are exploring that can be hosted on our GCT Meeting Network. If you have an idea for a broadcast you would like to explore, let's chat.
Posted by Andre James on Tue, Jun 15, 2010 @ 09:52 PM
Speaking of chat why do my kids respond to a text message yet they do not return my phone calls? Please, if anyone is experiencing the same "text-only" teen communications, send me an email. Or just call.
In the meantime while pondering this question I started to think about how chat sessions between high school students and admission counselors could become most productive. After perusing a few thousand chat transcripts between admission counselors and students conducted during previous online college fairs I identified chat practices that seemed to result in productive interchanges. Students & counselors, when chatting, please consider the following:
Create a mini-bio. Create no more than a two sentence introduction that you can paste into a chat session.
Add a picture. Counselors, it makes a difference when chatting to have your picture in your chat window. It is one of the reasons Facebook rules.
Prepare good questions. Students, if you have specific questions about a college, take time to write them out in short sentences prior to the chat session.
Links-to-go. Counselors, create a list of links by area of interest that you can copy and paste into a chat so that students get something more than they expect.
My Favorite Things. Share with students what you like about campus life.
AVID alumni. What do AVID alumni say about your college? Share the feedback. Or better yet draft AVID alumni to host chat sessions.
Well, that is a short list of suggestions for making chat sessions interesting. If you have suggestions, please share. If you are sitting at your desk on September 24th, drop by the Green College Tour website and check out the college booths, chat with a counselor or sit in on a video broadcast located in the GCT Meeting Network.
Posted by Andre James on Wed, Jun 02, 2010 @ 10:10 AM
How are college admission counselors determining benefits received from hosting a virtual booth at an online fair? Well let's attempt to answer that question by first evaluating benefits of traditional fairs.
Ask any seasoned admission counselor how they measure success when hosting a booth or table at a local, state or regional college fair. Responses I have recieved include:
Name Recognition - When you don't have national name recognition traditonal fairs are necessary for generating awareness of your institution in target markets.
Second Contact - Fairs provide face-to-face with students and parents who have made previous inquiries.
Forms Submitted - As a rule, a successful fair can be measured by the number of form submissions filled out, requesting more information.
In comparison we surveyed the college admission counselors who hosted chat sessions during our online college fairs. In no particular order, here is how they described the benefits:
First Contact - A cost-effective way to make "first contact" for identifying prospective students
What Students Think - A chance for more candid conversation (via one-on-one with students) without parental influence
E Forms - Automatic delivery of student contact information available for ongoing communication
College TV - Live video broadcasts best for introductory presentations to freshmen audiences
Targeted Exposure - Access to students from across the country we may not reach through other recruiting efforts
Desktop Recruiting - Working from the desktop is a convenient time-saving use of recruiting team
Since we have only conducted Friday Online Fairs during this past year we are still exploring procedures and technologies that will make these experiences even more productive for participants. So, if you have an idea for improving Friday Online Fairs, please submit your comments.
Posted by Andre James on Mon, May 24, 2010 @ 02:26 PM
There are many solutions for addressing SAT and ACT tests. As each student travels the road to college, these tests are just one of the academic obstacle courses they confront. With several solutions available the question each student must answer is, "which test prep course will help you improve".
There are four basis approaches available to he
lp a student improve their scores:
- Study Guides
- After School Classroom Courses
- One-on-one tutoring
- Online self-paced tutoring
Like choosing the best running shoes, you need to test each model to see which one fits your learning style. As you begin your college prep tasks, when choosing the right test prep consider conducting the following evaluation:
Study Guides - Most book stores offer more than one study guide with sample tests. These guides are usually larger than a telephone book. So, before you increase the weight of you backpack, drop by the book store, counselors office or public library and review a subject in the guide (seniors and college students may have used copies). Did you find it helpful and easy to use? Grade each guide before buying.
After School Classroom - Classes are harder to evaluate without actually taking the class. To evaluate, please consider, checking with friends who have taken classes and checking out video samples on YouTube of courses available.
One-on-One Tutoring - It is even harder to determine if a tutor is the right one for you. When interviewing tutors, talk to friends and teachers for referrals, then consider attending one evaluation session with a prospective tutor (suggest free) to determine if you work well together. Remember, you are the customer.
Online Self-Pace Courses - What is great about online courses is that they are available 24/7 which accommodates any schedule. Although you do not have a live tutor to ask questions of, most systems provide a chat service or a large searchable library that demonstrates how to deal with all test subjects.
Look for online test prep courses that offer both demonstration video clips and "7-day Free Trials". In addition, courses like ePrep (the course we represent) offers sample tests that after answering questions you immediate test results and a set of video clips that address the problems you missed. No foraging through hundreds of pages of information to get the information you need.
The key to success with any one of these methods is the same as the key to making it to Carnegie Hall: "practice, practice, practice". So find the method that works for you, then put in the time. Good Luck.
Posted by Andre James on Mon, May 24, 2010 @ 11:58 AM
My brother and I were discussing the ePrep SAT/ACT AVID Scholarship I recently made available to AVID high school students (ePrep is an online test prep course). Even though we are working with AVID teachers are setting acheivement expectations for awarding these scholarships, he wondered if any student would appreciate the value of ePrep if it was provided at no cost.
What a great question! It made me think about my Huffy bike.
Many moons ago I wanted a bike. I used to visit the bike shop on Saturdays to inspect this used Huffy bike that was on display. With six siblings it was clear that I would have to earn the funds to purchase the wheels I desired. So I took a job delivering the News Call Bulletin in San Francisco. Over six summer weeks, an eternity at ten, I saved $13.75. With earnings in hand I walked to Stanyan Street Cyclery and put my hard earned cash on the counter. The owner took me through a tour of his pre-owned inventory.
I can remember admiring the ram-horn handled 10-speed Italian bike. Unfortunately, at $29.95 I would be waiting until the next summer to buy this racing beauty. So I purchased the three speed Huffy, the bike I had envisioned riding for weeks. With a little customizing that included flipping the handle bars upside down I managed to give my Huffy the sleek look of a racer. With new reflectors and a playing card ratcheting across the spokes I was ready to ride.
I made great use of my Huffy for three years. I rode every day, delivering papers and touring the city. No one had to tell me to check the tires, clean the chrome or oil the chain. I was proud of my Huffy. However, looking back I realized that I was just as proud of how I acquired my wheels. While other kids were playing at the park, I was delivering newspapers every day.
Dear Brother: While other kids are out playing at the park, AVID students are preparing for college. For these students the ePrep Scholarship is not a reward. It is an opportunity to work harder to improve tests scores. The true goal/reward will be acceptance into a 4-year college.
I can only hope that every AVID student that takes advantage of the ePrep Scholarship will look back some day and not only have pride in their college acceptance, they will appreciate that this online course helped them reach their goal.
Posted by Andre James on Mon, May 10, 2010 @ 12:44 PM
We surveyed teachers at the 50 high schools from California, Illinois, Texas and Wisconsin who had their 4,000 students participate in our Friday Online Fairs this past school year. Although we have only received results from 12 high schools, their feedback is worth reviewing:
2009 -10 Friday Online Fair Series - Survey Results
Responding High schools 12
Number of participating students: 1,654
• Juniors and seniors: 537
• Students made 2nd contact with colleges: 340
• Seniors who applied to host colleges: 48
It is worth noting that of the 537 juniors and seniors, 212 were seniors. 48 seniors applied to one of the colleges they made first contact with during our Friday Online Fairs.
• As a result of this first year's success, 11 of the 12 high schools planned to have their students prepare for the 2010 Fall Friday Online Fairs by:
- Articulating their interests, passions and ambitions•
- Finding college majors that match their interests, passions and ambitions
- • Investigating majors available from participating colleges
- •Preparing personal profiles to share with admission counselors
- •Generating questions to determine if a college matches their needs
Live Video College Meetings - Teachers are interested in exploring the live video college meetings. Armed with a web cam, admission counselors are making presentations and fielding questions from several high school classes located across the country. For the fall, we have recommended these college meetings to freshmen and sophomore classes as they provide an excellent introduction to colleges. To find out more, go to:
SAT/ACT Prep - We understand that to compete for college opportunities students must prepare for SAT/ACT tests. As a result of teacher requests we are in process of conducting a pilot with our partner ePrep and several AVID classes that will ideally result in offering both a tremendous resource to high schools and a possible fundraiser for the PTA or school foundations. We have invited AVID classes to participate. If you are interested in finding our more about this pilot, please contact: Andre James: andre@greencollegetour.com
Online Fairs Complimenting face-to-face meetings - Teachers seem to agree that online fairs with virtual campus tours and chat sessions cannot replace meetings with admission counselors or campus visits. However for many students who cannot afford to travel across the country to investigate opportunities, online meetings are becoming an important alternative.
As admission departments scrutinize their budgets, counselors are finding our fairs are a cost-effective approach to making 'first contact' for identifying prospective students who they can subsequently meet during school visits, fairs or campus tours.
Well that is a summary of feedback received to date.