Chris Pirillo » school

Is the Internet Better than Traditional Schooling?

Chris — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:34:20 +0000

Is the Internet Better than Traditional Schooling? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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I am not a parent at this point in time, other than to my dogs. If and when I do have kids, I will likely give serious consideration to homeschooling. I know for myself, I learned more outside of the classroom than I did inside of it. I was so frustrated in a lot of my classes, usually because I didn’t understand what was going on. Knowing there may be a different and/or better way gives me a lot of peace of mind.

I wouldn’t have changed a thing at that point in time. However, we didn’t have the resources that we do now. The Internet is more than just a library – it’s a treasure trove of experiences. People who come into our chat room learn things by watching things that we do. People learn because they want to learn. You never stop learning. You’re constantly in this state of taking in all this knowledge.

I’ve had this email sitting here in my Inbox for awhile, but I just haven’t had the time to devote to a proper video for it. It came from Robert, and was talking about how he had removed his high-school aged daughter from public schools, and enrolled her in K12 online.

K¹² is a curriculum developer and provider committed to excellence in education. It is our goal to provide any child with exceptional and meaningful curriculum and tools that allow him or her to maximize the potential for success in life, regardless of geographic, financial, or demographic circumstance.

There are many reasons why some students don’t thrive well in a traditional school setting: the classes they want may not be available, the classes move too slow or fast depending on the child’s level of learning, and even the fact that some kids have trouble in such a public and social setting. There are other reasons, all of which are listed on their website.

K12 is a curriculum-based academy. They are worldwide, and have both virtual schools and local private schools. Each child’s curriculum is individualized specifically for them, based on their own needs.

To me, it’s a no-brainer. If you feel your child just doesn’t “fit” within the public school system, or if they are struggling in any way, why not consider homeschooling? There are affordable programs out there, and very good ones, at that. K12 is one of the schools leading the way for others, and your child can get a quality education right from the comfort of your own home.

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GED vs High School Diploma

Chris — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 08:44:56 +0000

GED vs High School Diploma is a post from Chris Pirillo

Fellow geek Steven Johnson is in a bit of a quandary:

I’ve learned from many experiences that I am just not a morning person. It is nearly impossible for me to wake up earlier then 8am every morning. I attend High School at Nutley High in New Jersey. I tend to be an overall good student with my “actions” but, my grades, not so much. Ever since I entered high school two years ago as a Freshman, I have been failing classes left and right. Not because I’m stupid, it’s because I’m solemnly a lazy person. I’m now a Junior and my future seems dull. I look back and think, “Why did I do that? I’m so stupid!” Now, I’m still failing classes and see two options. I can either go to summer school for the next to years to make up the classes I’ve failed and work my butt off next year as a senior, OR, I can drop out and get my GED. Although a GED doesn’t sound as great as a High School Diploma, it’s just as great and it seems to be my best option right now.
I plan to drop out and get my GED and attend a Computer College right here in my town. I would go for computer programing and computer science. Not 100% sure on what to do with computers, but I see that as my future. I take a lot of pride in my computer.
Now, I’m coming out to you guys for help on what to do! Do you think I should struggle through summer school for the next to summers or drop out and get my GED? I’ve been through summer school three summers already and really don’t want to do that! What do you think I should be doing.

I’ve never been much of a morning person, either… but I’m glad I finished high school (and college) in the traditional sense. That path is not practical for everyone, but if you can control your destiny then it’s best NOT to take the easy way out. After all, what would stop you from quitting again when the going got rough long after school was out? Food for thought.

I say stick it out. But, if nothing else, then at least you’d plan on getting a GED.

Stay in School

Chris — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:48:26 +0000

Stay in School is a post from Chris Pirillo

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The best day out of school in the entire year is the last day. It’s that feeling of freedom. Here are some excellent tips sent in to help you get to (and stay IN) school when you need to.

Set your clock ten minutes fast. This will make you think you may have overslept, but will instead give you a few extra minutes to get woken up.
Get your backpack ready the night before. Most people wait until the last minute. By packing your bag at night, you’re more careful and tend to not forget things.
Get your clothes ready the night before. You’ll know you have clean clothes ready, and will increase time for other things in the morning.
Do what you need to do first. Don’t go check your email until after you have done the essential things.
Keep track of time. This may seem simple, but is not for some people. Try to put your watch on first thing in the morning, and have an alarm set on it to let you know when it’s about time to leave.

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Take Notes at School

Chris — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:29:20 +0000

Take Notes at School is a post from Chris Pirillo

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High school and college aren’t easy for most people to fly through. Here are some tips sent in by regular community member Snakeyes. He is a college student, and wants to share his tips for study and information retention.

Go to class and be prepared, don’t show up with nothing to write with. What I see a lot, is students go to class with no paper or pen/pencil. It may also help to bring more than one writing utensil. You may want to bring a highlighter and some extra pens. If you use a laptop to take notes make sure the battery is fully charged, or find the closet outlet. Be sure to save previous notes and study them every day. You never know when there be a pop quiz or a test. Don’t save your homework till the last minute. Read your assignment and do your work before it’s due.
Have a conscious effort to listen and be attentive. Sometimes students will ask off topic questions and you get bored and you fall off topic. So always be prepared and stay attentive. Be prepared to be Adapt to whatever direction a lecture takes. When a lecture takes an unexpected detour, say a student asks a question you aren’t particularly interested in, students have a tendency to “zone out.” Before you know it, the lecture got back on track five minutes ago, and you missed crucial information that should have been noted. It’s very easy to get off topic, If YOU do miss anything that day in class ask a friend or someone else for notes. If you were sick one day are you come back to class to then realize your having a test, don’t blame the instructor for planning the test on that day, always ask someone for notes when you were sick so you can write them down.
Use a method that works for you. If you are a big fan of two column notes than use that method. Be sure to also start each lecture on a different page and make sure you date and label all your notes. Don’t use the same notebook for each class. Use a different notebook for each one. You don’t want to be writing notes for your history class in your math binder. Make sure you always keep your notes dated and put them in order, this will help you study for tests and final exams. It’s always important to Develop a system of abbreviations and symbols you can use wherever possible.
Pay close attention to content. if something is written down on the overhead or the chalkboard write down, even if you think it’s not important. Write down definitions to words that are listed. Make sure you write down anything that is repeated or spelled out, Usually when my teacher writes something down multiple times I know it’s going to be on a test later on.
Last step, Review your notes. Re-read/study at least 24 hours later to make sure it’s still fresh in your mind. Be sure to Edit for words and phrases that are illegible or don’t make sense. Write out abbreviated words that might be unclear, so that you have a better meaning of the word. If you need to make corrections or would like to edit your notes, choose another color to determine what u actually wrote in class and what you just edited. If key words and questions are still unclear to you look go back and re-read the chapter and fill in the definition in the left column. If you are still unclear circle it or underline it and ask the professor or teacher. Fill in anything you may have left from the textbook as well make sure the textbook and your notes match.

Kat was on the Ventrilo server with me during this video, and wanted to add a tip she used in college.

When taking notes, I wrote absolutely everything down. I began college at the age of 29, as a single mom who worked full time. Since I had been out of school so long, I was concerned about information retention and studying. After class, I would then go through all of my notes, and highlight the important areas. Then, I would get fresh paper, and make myself an outline for that day’s class. Once I found how easy this made it for me to remember things, I made it a practice for every course through my entire college career. It certainly helped me to graduate Summa Cum Laude, with dual degrees.

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How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

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Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code CHRIS7, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy.com.

VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.