Do children of literate parents perform in school better than those of illiterate parents?
I bet statistics would support this. Certainly, one of the reasons that colleges will give applicants whose parents did not attend college (1st generation college applicants) a little more wiggle room with their SAT scores, is to acknowledge the disadvantage which has been overcome and to offer a helping hand.Of course one can be literate without a college education.I consult with homeschool families as well as with families whose children attend school on educational matters. Many, many parents ask me how they can get their children to read more. I ask the parents what they themselves are currently reading. Usually the response is that they have no time to read. I then point out that when a behavior is modeled by parents, often it is picked up by the kids.I often hear school teachers say that “There is no such thing as good students or bad students ~ there are only good parents or bad parents.” I think teachers witness over and over again the greater successes of students whose parents are engaged, involved and invested on a day-by-day basis with their children’s academic lives. These are parents who will sit quietly nearby (probably reading) while their children read, study, and do homework.Today, what I see everywhere is an entire culture becoming less literate - children and their parents. Google-drenched brains. An inability to sit and read for extended periods of time. It is frightening.Maybe children of literate parents perform better in school and do value the quiet, concentration of study and reading and peaceful thinking. If so, what will happen when there are no more parents who model this behavior - when the parents have devolved to illiteracy?This is an excellent book to read on this topic. This is an important read for parents who want to help:Review: The Learning Habit: A Groundbreaking Approach to Homework and Parenting that Helps Our Children Succeed in School and Life
What are the pros and cons of relative grading?
Being a current victim of the so called relative grading system, I think I'm qualified to give my insight to this question.Pros of Relative Grading System:Your actual mark is overshadowed. When you score 35/100 on a test, and 35 happens to be the highest mark of the class, it's way better to tell your Dad you scored an A on that subject, than a mere 35.Students don't lose hope. If all the students perform below the mark on a particular text, then they don't have to worry about their grades dropping, which forever gives them hope.Great system for competitive exams. This system of grading is better when students are competing for the same position as it gets easier to grade their performances with respect to each other.Cons of Relative Grading System:A students grade doesn't reflect their understanding of that subject. If a student scores 40/100 on a test and 40 is the highest mark, then he is awarded an A. But does really getting 40/100 mean that the student has understood the material? Probably not. In the same way if the lowest in the class is 80/100, then the student getting 80 is awarded an E grade. To score that much, the student must have understood the material to some extent, so does he really deserve an E grade? Again, probably not.The teacher has the right to skip a grade or two. If the highest mark of the class is below expected, then the teacher can skip A and award the highest in the class only an A- or B.It fosters unhealthy competition. With the knowledge that one must outperform their peers, some students may not be willing to help their friends, or even worse, give them wrong information, which is absolutely unethical and wrong.
Should gifted students be taught separately?
I really, really wish they would be taught separately. It would be more beneficial for everyone.I'm a gifted student. I've mentioned this on several other answers I have made in the giftedness topic, but I'll say it again, for reference. I took a gifted test in 3rd grade and averaged a score of the 99th percentile on each component of the test.I find school to be immeasurably boring. Each class is simply too easy. None of them are particularly engaging to me, and it has been this way since I was in kindergarten, when my peers were just learning how to read, and I could already read and write quite well. I'm not challenged in any of my classes, and though this makes everything very easy for me, I do know it will be detrimental to me later in life, when I will be forced to study for exams, and I will find it nearly impossible.Schools design their classrooms to be “equal”. This means putting slower kids in with faster kids, to make everything non-discriminatory. This system is bad for everyone. The kids who need more time to absorb things cannot keep up with the faster kids, and the faster kids are dragged backwards with the slower ones. Forget about placating everyone and their sensitive feelings. It's more important to have an effective education system than an equal one, isn't it?Gifted kids have a capacity to learn faster and absorb information much more quickly than non-gifted kids. They also have the capacity to understand topics on a much deeper level than others. If they were taught separately, they would be more challenged within their peer groups and work harder. They would be more interested in school and learning, and many would stop underachieving, as their competitive streaks came out. Naturally, there are different types of giftedness, ranging from academic to creative to physical. It's mostly the academic kids who would need special classrooms, but creatively and physically gifted students could be given more ample opportunities to explore their gifts as well. This would allow gifted students to more fully reach their potentials instead of wasting away in the traditional (useless?) classroom.Of course, this is all ideal, and the world is not ideal. Hardly anyone has the time, the resources, the patience, or the motivation to create such an environment for gifted students, and this is a regrettable but unavoidable consequence of living in a world where we must cater to the majority. No offense.
Can i transfer to UC Irvine with a low gpa?
If you are below the minimum requirement you will not be accepted. Students who are slightly above the minimum are turned away due to lack of space. It is my recollection that the Riverside and Merced campuses have lower minima. They are also probably less competitive for transfer admission, just as they are for undergraduate admission. You can probably find all sorts of interesting details at http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com. Put in the name of the campus and click on enter. When you get to the main page of the campus read its info and then click on admissions for transfer details.
How can I raise my GPA?
Good for you wanting to do better. Speak to your academic advisor. Go to your professors' office hours regularly. Use the writing centers and free tutoring. Join or form study groups for your classes. Find study partners. Sit in the front center of your classes; it has been shown to improve performance and grades. Cut down on non-academic activities. Go to the library as soon as class is out and begin your assigned reading, writing or labs. Schedule your study time as if they are classes. Map out your assignments on your calender planner and work backwards to estimate how much time you will need to complete the syllabus. First d a distraction free place to study. Hang out with the honor students not the partiers. Get enough sleep and exercise. Eat sensibly. Don't drink or do drugs to excess.Use SAFMEDS to study. It is a special way to do flash cards. Use standard celeration charts to track your fluency with the concepts and definitions in your courses. When you are scheduled and working on fluency, you will be less stressed and will be able to relax and enjoy recreational activities knowing that you have your studies well in hand.