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Author and Educational Strategist
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De-Grading Education: How Grades Have Commandeered American High Schools (And What Parents Can Do) Buy now from: The Book Patch There is no official "American Grading System" for high school students. As a result, most American high school students get burned along the way by unfair or unfounded grades. In fact, America's 200-year-old grading process is outdated, haphazard, and subjective and has been eroding American education. Yet grades are still commonly used to control students' access to so many of the best educational and career opportunities. This book, by one of America's foremost educational strategists, provides a guide for students and involved parents wanting to help their kids to navigate their schools' outdated reliance on grading to make sure that their kids are not denied opportunities as a result of archaic and often arbitrary practices. The book provides advice and how-to instructions for students, savvy parents who've attended U.S. high schools, and savvy parents who are totally unfamiliar with American secondary education. Video: TEDx Talk |
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Write Your College Essay in Less Than a Day Order now! Writing your application essay is one of the most important parts of the college application, and it doesn't have to be painful. Having successfully advised thousands of high school students, I've found that the process can be fun if you know what to write. This book shows you how to find the topics that best represent the true essence of who you really are, instead of second-guessing admissions officers. Sure, summarizing 16 to 17 years of your life in 500+ words in a way that is truthful, impressive, and convincing can be a daunting task! But in this book, the process becomes entertaining -- you get to play the part of the admissions officer, judging other people's essays. And at the same time, Write Your College Essay in Less Than a Day shows you how to write your essays so that your best credentials and character are showcased, with your own voice and values coming through loud and clear. This book is written for high school students. It's also an excellent choice for high school English classes that teach college application essay writing and guidance-counselor-led workshops on preparing applications. (Because application essay writing is different from other styles of persuasive essay writing.) Video: NY1 News Video: CollegeWeekLive Video: Fox & Friends |
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What High Schools Don't Tell You (And Other Parents Don't Want You to Know) Buy now from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Powells, BookSense In What High Schools Don't Tell You, I reveal hundreds of the best opportunities to help high school students explore and gain expertise in the academic and artistic subjects that interest them most. After all, enthusiastic, energetic, motivated, and academically passionate students are the ones that colleges generally find irresistible. To find the best opportunities, I interviewed outstandingly talented students and parents, and explored summer programs, internships, volunteer possibilities, after-school enrichment classes, academic competitions, publishing opportunities, art contests, auditions, and weekend programs. This book identifies exactly which academic credentials will wow an admissions committee, and which summer programs and extra-curriculars can turn an ordinary applicant into a must-have. What High Schools Don't Tell You is written for involved parents (but kids may read it too). Audio: Fire it up with CJ Audio: Countdown to College Radio Show with Beth Pickett Part 1 and Part 2 Audio: Mickelson in the Morning Video: Morning Show with Mike and Juliet |
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What Colleges Don't Tell You (And Other Parents Don't Want You To Know) Buy now from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell's, BookSense Targeting the savvy parents of today's college-bound teenagers who seek to gain a proven edge in the college admissions process, this book reveals 272 little-known secrets to help you help your kids to get into the school of their dreams. I based this book on years of research and years of success with hundreds of students who have gotten into their dream colleges. My research included interviews with heads of admission at the nation's top colleges. My aim in this book is to empower parents by decoding the admissions process. Audio: Lisa Birnbach Show |
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Unbiased: Editing in a Diverse Society Buy now from: Amazon Preserving fairness is the ultimate weapon against corruption and the most powerful defense of democracy. Unbiased: Editing in a Diverse Society focuses on all communicators' need to remain unbiased and objective in their writing and public speaking in today's society. It addresses a wide range of topics frequently subject to biased writing, including political views, race, ethnic issues, nationality, gender, religion, age, appearance and disability, economic or social status, lifestyle, education and values. Each topic is presented with examples, a "bias quiz," and a style recommended by many advocacy organizations, major periodicals and media. |