Blogs

Blog Post: Get Moving with the First Lady's Energetic Playlist!

Penn Foster Adam — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:11:00 GMT

Women’s Health Magazine recently published an article discussing Michelle Obama’s her childhood-obesity-fighting program, “Let’s Move.” While Let’s Move aims to stop obesity at a young age, exercise and practicing a healthy lifestyle is important at any stage in life. But don’t worry if it’s a lack of inspiration that’s keeping you from getting up and moving—Michelle Obama’s exercise playlist has enough energy to get you through your laziest days! You can actually listen to the First Lady’s playlist over at Huffington Post, which includes Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder and more!

What I want to know is what music gets you moving. When you just can’t get off the couch, when you’ve had a long day at work, when school stresses you out, what songs jumpstart your body into getting up and moving? Leave me a comment with your workout playlist, and I’ll return the favor by posting my energy-boosting songs next week as a Spotify playlist for everyone to listen to. So what are you waiting for? Get moving!

Blog Post: An Appreciation for Studying Science

High School Science Instructor — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:34:00 GMT

Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week, and for that reason, I’ve decided to dedicate this week’s blog to some of the teachers I truly appreciated as a student… starting with my early elementary teachers. For the most part, they’ve each taught me a study strategy or motivated me to learn more about a certain topic.
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My Kindergarten teacher was a key element in my love for school. She was nurturing, kind, and fun. Of course, I also liked playing house and making friends. I really did not like my first bout of failure which came in the form of an “N” (N=needs improvement) for my skipping ability. I galloped instead of skipped, but whatever, I’m over it. Coloring was the super activity of kindergarten. If you are a fan of this pastime, you should use it to help you learn more about science. I’ve included some links to science-related coloring pages for your enjoyment!

Child Friendly

Neuroscience

Biology Related

NASA Virtual Coloring

Compilation of Many Science Topics

Coloring Pages by Crayola

With a simple Google search, I was able to find these links as well as a future present for my expectant friends. Try looking for coloring pages related to specific topics you are working on to help you retain the information.
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My 1^st grade teacher had to be the nicest ladies on the entire planet. I’m not even exaggerating. She was a younger teacher that encouraged us to voice our opinions (I remember stating I’d vote for Ross Perot, because I did not want to be a follower) and helped us overcome not-so-happy moments. When we were learning about our senses and taste, in particular, we had to sample different items. This didn’t go so well. I ended up taking too big of a bite of the “bitter” chocolate and ended up sharing it (and my bile) with the floor. Needless to say, that’s the last time I had bitter chocolate. Also, I remember her comforting me when I cried over the 95% I got on my spelling test. These were not happy tears as I was a perfectionist early on. (Spell check has since ruined my good intentions with spelling words properly.) Many science words are tough to read, let alone spell, remember, or understand. For this reason, it’s helpful to become acquainted with prefixes and root words that are common to the science field. It may be helpful to make your own charts similar to those found here and here.
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My 2^nd grade teacher was older and didn’t mess around, but we played as hard as we worked. I specifically remember being a “hunter” (the funny one) in the play “The Lion and the Mouse” that our class performed. Thanks again, Aesop! While I’m not as familiar with plays about science, movies can help us visualize and question science concepts as they pertain to our lives. Think Ice Age, E.T., Outbreak, Finding Nemo, Free Willy, Osmosis Jones, Twister, The Day After Tomorrow, Jurassic Park… all of these contain science themes. Some better or more factual than others, but it at least gets you thinking about the topics covered in your studies.

This site provides worksheets for biology related movies. More importantly, it lists some movies/shows you may find fascinating. It includes everything from Bill Nye to the Magic School Bus to some of the movies listed above.

Equally cool are these sites that reference examples within movies about good science and about bad science portrayals. Sometimes Hollywood gets science right, sometimes not.
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To be honest, I don’t really remember much about my third grade class. I’m not exactly sure why, and unfortunately, I don't have the time to pscyhoanalyze the possibilities. However, the teacher down the hall raised chicks from eggs. I was super jealous of my peers in that class for this reason. On the flipside, I think this may have been the year we went to “Claws ‘N’ Paws” for the first time. This local animal park allowed us to get up-close-and-personal with animals that aren’t typically found in our neck of the woods. While we can’t always raise our own chicks or make it to zoos or parks on a regular basis, there are quite a few virtual exhibits worth visiting on the web. Sure, it’s not exactly the same, but it is cheaper!

Smithsonian

The Panoromic Tour of the Natural Museum of Natural History

Videos from the Bronx Zoo

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Next time we’ll look at take-home-tactics that I learned from my 4^th through 8^th grade teachers. I’d love to hear what you’ve picked up from your Kindergarten through 3^rd grade teachers! Please share!

Blog Post: Tell Us Why You LOVE Penn Foster!

Penn Foster Adam — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:25:00 GMT

Every Penn Foster student has a unique story to share. You come from different countries, different cultural backgrounds, and have different reasons for choosing your areas of study. You each also have a unique Penn Foster experience, and we want to hear each one of them! If you LOVE Penn Foster, share your story and tell us why in a video testimonial using your webcam, video camera or cell phone. Head over to the Community page for this event, click on the SHARE YOUR STORY link to log in to your YouTube account, upload your video, and let everyone know what it is you love about Penn Foster! If you need a little motivation, check out Steve's video below!

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Blog Post: The Writing Skills Writing Assignment: Getting Started

High School English Instructor — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:29:00 GMT

(Image courtesy of http://www.online-college-degrees-mba.com/brilliant-writing-the-great-skills-great-future.html/essay-writing)online-college-degrees-mba.comonline-college-degrees-mba.com

In my last blog post, I wrote in depth about the requirements and expectations for Written Communication exam 007868, The Writing Skills Writing Assignment. Since I received a good deal of feedback thanking me for clarifying some points and even more asking me how to begin, I thought it might be a good idea to use this week’s post to address some strategies for tackling this assignment.

(Image courtesy of http://www.researchwriters.co.uk/)

Topic Choice

Your very first step is to choose a topic. This sounds simple; however, as many of you may already know, this step can be incredibly tricky. You will need to choose a topic that centers around your direct experience AND one that will merit at least 750 words of explanation. My best advice would be to ask yourself some questions….

If someone didn’t know you, what one story would you choose to tell that person about your life so that he or she could understand a bit more about who you are?
If you were asked to summarize the best day or event of your life, which event would you choose to discuss? Why?
If you were asked to summarize the worst day or event of your life, which event would you choose? Why?
If you had to choose the most important day or event in your life, good or bad, what would it be? Why?
If you had to choose the most significant relationship in your life, which relationship would you choose? How are this person and your relationship significant to who you are today?
If you were asked to relay the most vivid memory from your childhood, what would it be? Why do you think your memory of this event is so clear?
If you were asked by a stranger why you are not enrolled in a traditional high school, what would you say? How did you come to be enrolled with Penn Foster?

Prewriting

Once you have a topic in place, you’re ready to start prewriting. Whether you choose to brainstorm, create an idea web, or freewrite, prewriting is an important part of the writing process and should not be overlooked. This stage of writing will allow you to sort through all of your ideas and choose the events and details that are most pertinent to your story.

For help with prewriting, I would suggest using this site. Bubbl.us is a graphic interface that will allow you to create word maps so you can visually discern with which topics the bulk of your information exists. After mapping out your ideas on Bubbl, you may decide to change the focus or direction of your story to include the angle that will allow the most details (and, subsequently, merit the most words).

Planning

When you have completed the prewriting exercise(s) of your choice, you are ready to move on to the planning stage of your project. Whether you create an outline or a map is up to you; however, I would encourage you to NOT skip this step. Outlining and mapping will allow you to see how your essay will flow from one topic to the next, letting you easily figure out where breaks may exist in information. The more errors you can eliminate before the final draft, the better.

For help with planning, I would suggest using this site. The graphic organizer from ReadWriteThink.org allows you to map out your essay. This site is great in that it prompts the user to enter specific information, then puts it all together so that you are able to see how the document will flow from introduction to conclusion. Also, after you have entered all of your information, this site will allow you to print, save, or share your map. You may immediately begin work on your final draft or save your map for future use.

I hope that this information will help those of you who are struggling with this assignment. For my next post, I will be instructing you on how to move from planning to actual writing. Stay tuned!

~Alanna

Blog Post: Tips For Following Up After Sending Your Resume or Job Application - Penn Foster TV Episode 19

Penn Foster Steve — Fri, 11 May 2012 13:14:00 GMT

(Please visit the site to view this video)

A quick shout out to Marji! This one goes out to you. Thanks for the topic idea!

What is the best way to follow up on your resume if you don’t have any contact info?

In this episode I make mention of how I like to use Linkedin to do a little light detective work. Linkedin is the largest professional social network, so its really the perfect tool do you your research in this scenario.

There are a ton of reasons why you should open a LinkedIn account. One of my favorite reasons to open a LinkedIn account is how easy it is to add proffessional conections to your network.

Check out episode 19 and let me know what you think. The job market is definitely still in rough shape, but I wish anyone reading this, the very best of luck. If any of these tips help you land a job, please let me know. I would love to hear your story too. You can tweet to me @pennfostersteve or just use the hashtag #pennfostertv and I will see it. Thanks for reading.

If you would like more information on Penn Foster online classes, please visit www.pennfoster.edu.

Blog Post: Greener is Cheaper!

Penn Foster Adam — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:26:00 GMT

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Everyone likes to save money, and most students don’t have such an abundance of cash that they don’t have to look for cheaper solutions sometimes. In my research, I’ve noticed a lot of green blogs featuring alternatives to less-sustainable lifestyle options, from food, to cleaning products, to entertainment. And the one thing that remains the same? With the exception of a few specialty products, most green options are cheaper! Yes, they might require a little bit more work, but I know that I’d rather work a bit harder to save a few extra dollars than take a less eco-friendly route. Saving money and helping the planet at the same time seems like a choice I’d like to make all the time, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

And I really love this trend of greener being cheaper! I think some people are turned off by eco-friendly options when they compare some green products to their less-sustainable counterparts, but green options go so far beyond that. Yes, hybrid cars might be more expensive, but carpooling will save you $650-1,000 a year! If spending a few extra dollars at that expensive vegan restaurant isn’t working out, start a garden and harvest your own vegetables!

The solutions are simple, and there’s plenty of them. Check out this article for 17 tips that can save you hundreds—and save the Earth much more than that! Let me know which ones are your favorite, or if you have some green money-savers that didn’t make the list!

Blog Post: Make it stick.

High School Science Instructor — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:40:00 GMT

When Wednesday (aka blog launch day) rolls around, I often find myself Googling “science study tips” or sifting through countless pictures (and then, their sources) on Pinterest for new, fascinating ideas to help you all learn more efficiently. Today started off the same way actually, but as the minutes began evaporating into the vacuum of lost time, a quote I saw on Pinterest slapped me back into reality. This quote said “Procrastinate Now and Panic Later.”

I’ll be honest... this quote encompasses my entire studying history as a student in both high school and college. However, with a to-do list a mile long and simply put not enough hours in the day, I am constantly playing catch up, even when I’m catching up on getting ahead. It’s a terrible thing, the resulting stress has probably taken years off of my life, and yes, I should know better. Therefore, since I believe in practicing what you preach, I’m not going to write a blog on time management, because obviously, this is not my strongest suit…

However, by early morning revelations (it’s 5:30 AM – my college years taught me that my most productive hours are unfortunately the earliest), I asked myself why I was searching for tips from everybody else about how to study the subject that I’ve studied the longest in my academic career. *Blink blink* While my experiences studying were not often appropriately timed or scheduled, they were efficient and essentially got the job done to meet my high expectations on the grades I wanted to achieve.

So, what’s the big secret? It’s so simple that it’s going to sound a bit anticlimactic, and to help lessen the less-than-magical delivery of this answer, I’m going to first elaborate a bit (I have the gift of gab and type)…

Biology is heavily concept driven. Organization, classification, characteristics, processes, systems within systems… just to name a few… Biology kindly delivers us a ridiculously thick glossary of mind-blowing terminology that’s hard enough to read, let alone pronounce. Biology encompasses so many things that we cannot see. For many people, “seeing is believing.” For those of us trying to master the subject, I’ve found I’ve longed for the mantra “seeing is understanding!” While visuals and animations are lifesavers in this field, sometimes the lack of time (again, thank you procrastination!) or resources (technology wasn’t as lending when I was a student at first) makes the “seeing” part a little more complicated.

One way I “saw” clarity in the subject was to relate the topics to something I already knew, understood, or had a personal connection to in my life. I’ll enlighten you over time on other ways I tacked the subject, but for this blog, I will show you how I’d use personal experiences to describe the relationships exhibited by living things in the world around us. (Plus, I’ll show you a visual trick to help ensure that this material sticks in your memory!)

First, a little refresher on symbiosis (the ecological relationship between individuals of two or more species)…

There are 3 main types of symbiotic relationships: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.

Mutualism is a scenario where BOTH organisms BENEFIT.
Commensalism is a scenario where ONE organism BENEFITS and the other ONE is UNAFFECTED.
Parasitism is a scenario where ONE organism BENEFITS and the other ONE is HARMED.

To summarize that text, I may first create a chart like this where each X represents an organism.

	BENEFITS	HARMED	UNAFFECTED
MUTUALISM	XX
COMMENSALISM	X		X
PARASITISM	X	X

Because I learn visually, charts usually help me organize information. However, relating it to personal experiences or fictional story is really the key for me. I’ve opted to create comics to show you just what I mean…

To remember mutualism, a fictional story may help…

Who is going to forget the story of the Mutualism Fairy? These two end up helping each other out and they both benefit because one gets his back scratched (or pecked really) and the other gets his feathers unstuck. It’s a win-win! It’s mutualism! They MUTUALLY benefit!

For parasitism, a more realistic version of my life may help me remember the point…

This somewhat nonfictional story would remind me of parasitism… The brother benefits, while the sister is “harmed.” Obviously, in real life examples in the animal world, the harming effects are much more dangerous, but the beneficiaries are able to mooch off of the host, which is this case would be sister.

All in all, the secret to mastering concept-driven material is to relate it that something that is familiar or easy to remember for YOU. (One of my favorite study buddies was a male and he didn't take too fondly to my acronyms and memorization strategies involving handsome boys we knew. Instead, he used my examples as a basis to create his own so that it would be easier for him to remember these.)

These strips were made at MakeBeliefsComix.com. Go and make one for yourself and please be sure to share your tips with the rest of us! These strips can double as any type of communication for birthday wishes, conveying important topics, or just to brighten someone's day. You're allowed to be creative with these, both in and out of your studying time! :)

What’s your secret to studying success?

Blog Post: Study Tips for Vet Tech Students

Penn Foster Adam — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:47:00 GMT

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Just by looking at our Veterinary Technician Facebook Group, I can tell that exams put a lot of stress on students. Vet techs are responsible for learning a great deal of concrete, factual information, which makes studying absolutely necessary—something many students need to get used to for the first time. To make it easier, here are a few study tips for Vet Tech students that will make work less of a chore and put you on the path to become a Veterinary Technician in no time!

Review notes nightly. Taking careful notes is important, but remember that the point of note-taking is to have material to review! Take 30 minutes each night to go over your notes. Read them, rewrite them, put them on note cards, type them up— whatever it takes to keep the material fresh in your mind so you’re not relying on cramming before a major exam!
Organize a group chat. Some think that distance learning completely eliminates the opportunity for group interactions, and that is simply not true. Whether you meet on our Vet Tech Facebook Group or our Community Group, you can find other students who have either been through, or are going through, the same process as you to become a Veterinary Technician. This is in no way an encouragement of cheating of any kind, and I’m certainly not suggesting answer-swapping, but talking to other students about material you might not understand is a great way to get another perspective on the lesson!
Take practice tests. Exams tend to freak people out. It’s understandable—a lot of pressure is put on (in most cases) a one-time task, and that pressure can get to even the most prepared students. Create your own practice tests from the material you’ve studied or find some online practice exams that are close to your lessons and treat those like you would a regular test. Get the nerves out there, and you’ll see that it really is just a test!

And of course, these study tips could apply to anyone, but I really do think Vet Tech students can take a lot from this post. For more, check out this article. Have any of these worked for you? If not, what does? Drop me a comment and let me know!

Blog Post: Prepositions by Ziggy

High School Instructor Meghan — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:20:00 GMT

I have a puppy named Ziggy. He is a ten pound ball of energy, who just turned one last month. He is in perpetual motion, and has a knack for stealing things around the house. Right now his favorite grabs are cell phones, paper towels, and pens. I do wonder who he’s trying to call or write! Since he does manage to get into just about everything, I enlisted him to help demonstrate how prepositions work. This first picture shows why! He’s on a chair, beneath a table!

Prepositions show positional, time, or logical relationships between nouns or pronouns with another part of the sentence.

1. Positional

Ziggy likes sitting on the pink chair.

Dressed as Santa, Ziggy posed near the tree.

2. Time

Ziggy likes to be outside during the rain.

He will wander the kitchen at dinnertime until he is fed.

3. Logical

Ziggy sat on the steps instead of playing.

He decided to dry himself without any help.

For a full list of prepositions, check out this site.

Thanks for reading!

Meghan

Blog Post: On Vacation This Week - Penn Foster TV episode 18

Penn Foster Adam — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:17:00 GMT

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Hi everyone! Steve is on vacation this week in Jamaica, but that didn't stop him from recording the latest episode of Penn Foster TV! Enjoy, and feel free to leave Steve a comment on his Facebook, Twitter, or right here in this post for when he gets back!

Blog Post: Early Season Surprises in Baseball

High School History Instructor — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:32:00 GMT

Photo Courtesy of the New York Post

I would like to take a look back at a pretty eventful first month of the baseball season. I know that in most seasons some surprise teams emerge at the start of the season. I also know that some guys play either way above their heads or way below their ability, but they usually end up back around their career averages by the end of the year. The early season has also seen its fair share of injuries. I want to discuss a surprise team from each league that I think will make the playoffs and the player who has disappointed the most at this point.

In the American League, I would consider the Baltimore Orioles to be the major surprise team. In the tough A.L. East they are currently in second place only one game behind the Rays. That’s right, the Rays and not the Yankees or the Red Sox. In fact, the Red Sox are currently holding up the bottom of the division. It is early in the season and it will be difficult for Baltimore to stay at or the near the top in this division. Many simply believe they will fall off the cliff as the season progresses and head into their usual position of cellar dweller. I for one didn’t think Baltimore had any chance to compete this season. I now think that I was wrong, it seems like the baseball gods may be on the Orioles side this season.

You may be wondering why I am so high on Baltimore. Multiple factors play into my belief that they can stay near the top of the division and grab one of the two wild card spots in the American League. Early season injuries in Boston, Tampa Bay and New York have bolstered my belief that the Orioles will not crash and burn. Boston is down their anticipated closer, Andrew Bailey, and the former Ray, Carl Crawford, to whom they gave a huge contract. They also have a weak bullpen and their starting rotation has been suspect. As for the Rays, they have seen a key cog in their bullpen, Kyle Farnsworth, go down and now their star third basemen, Evan Longoria, is out with the dreaded blown hamstring. The Yankees gave up a key prospect, Jesus Montero, to acquire Michael Pineda who is now out for the season with a major injury to his pitching shoulder. One of the Yanks key outfielders, Brett Gardner, is also on the shelf with an elbow injury. Injuries are part of the game, but you always hope they don’t happen to key guys on your team.

The Orioles have a nice group of young players who don’t have career numbers to fall back to. The sky seems to be the limit for many of the guys on their team. I would be missing something if I didn’t mention that they also are under the leadership of Buck Showalter. This guy is an excellent manager who knows how to work with young guys. Matt Weiters is becoming the clear-cut best catcher in the league. Adam Jones is a very good center fielder and Chris Davis is living up to his potential. There starting pitching has been solid and the bullpen has done a nice job. I look for the Orioles to be players in September this year and not bottom feeders.

Many thought the Washington Nationals would be better this year, but I don’t think many thought they would have a legitimate shot at getting into the playoffs. The Nationals front office has done an outstanding job of building through the draft and bringing in solid major league players. I do think they overpaid Werth, but he is still a solid player who has the ability to drive in runs. The Nationals ticket to the playoffs will have to be purchased through their starting rotation. For the Nationals to hold on and stay atop the division or be a wild card team, they will need their pitching to remain solid. I was truly impressed when I watched Stephen Strasburg pitch against the Dodgers last week. This guy is the real deal; if he stays healthy he will put up numbers that deserve CY Young consideration at the end of the year. Yes, he is that good! The Nationals added depth to their rotation by bringing in Edwin Jackson and Gio Gonzalez. Ross Detwiler has also been very solid so far this season. As for another young sensation, it certainly seems like Bryce Harper will be an excellent player. I have watched a few games and he seems to have all the tools needed to be an all-star in the league. Call me crazy, but I actually think the Nationals will grab one of the two wild card spots in the National League.

I would be missing the talk of baseball, if I finished this blog without mentioning the struggles of the legend Albert Pujols. To me it is not such a surprise that he is hitting .208, it is a shock though that he has not hit one home run and he has only driven in nine runs. Will he turn it around? I think all die-hard fans and baseball analysts believe it is only a matter of time. I would fall into this category. That being said, the longer he continues to struggle the more intense the pressure will become. In my view, it was a big mistake for him to leave St. Louis. He made a name for himself there, the fans loved him and he was being offered a nice contract by the team. If he can’t get this thing turned around, questions will certainly arise as to what led to this epic demise. I for one don’t think it has anything to do with the use of performance enhancing drugs, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some in the media raised this question.

I am a Pirates fan, so I am hopefully optimistic as the young season moves along. They are not off to a great start, but they are not off to a terrible start either. If you would like to share any thoughts about your team’s chances or my comments, please do so. I look forward to reading any comments.

Blog Post: Why can't my brother and I see eye-to-eye?

High School Science Instructor — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:47:00 GMT

My brother Billy and I are only 11 months apart. Since there are only the two of us, it’s worked out pretty nicely (for the most part) for my parents. Presents came in twos, as did our developmental stages, tantrums, training, and hectic extracurricular activity schedules. In my opinion, we’ve received close-to-the-same amount of attention, love, and support. (I say close-to-the-same, because I often signed up for all types of clubs, activities, and whatnot that allowed me additional opportunities that my brother could care less about. With these opportunities came some pretty costly perks. Honestly, it is not my fault that he did not need hundreds of dollars for dresses for proms that he did not plan to attend or for a trip to Florida intended to allow me to watch my plants be shipped to outer space.)

Genetically, we share the same random chance of received genes from our parents. Many say that we can pass for fraternal twins as we’ve inherited similar physical features, including blue eyes, brown hair, and thick frames. I admit that we do have an uncanny resemblance that otherwise could not be explained without genetics… and of course, the baby faces we possess. (For the record, however, he has also been blessed with the ability to tan, ridiculously good eyesight, and thin legs.)

Our demeanors have several similarities; we’re both polite and respectful (thanks to mom) and have senseless tempers and witty ways (thanks to dad). I lack his handy-man ways but make up for it with creativity, which was never his strongest suit. However, personality-wise, we are quite different. I was always the social butterfly, who loved school and had more friends than I could count on both hands. He led a more singular lifestyle with a strong hatred for anything school-related. As Miss Spartan of my graduating class, I could never grasp his opposition to school and all things social. (For those of you who may be thinking “Awww, Billy”… we’re going to fast forward a few years when Billy decided to start being social. Just recently, Billy has proposed and planned a wedding with one of my best friends. It’s funny how things work out, isn’t it?)

Among the recent quarrels between the two of us that usually end up involving my poor mother, I often find myself saying that “I have no idea how we could have come from the same place when we’re so different!” It baffles me how different and unconnected we are at times and lately, unfortunately, more often than not. We’re blood relatives and have, with the exception of my 4 years at college, lived in the same place with the same people sharing similar experiences. How are we so different?

As a science major and as my brother’s sister, I’m often reminded of the “Nature VS. Nurture” debate and the influences that each plays into and contributes to who we are as individuals. Nature involves our genetic makeup and its resulting predispositions and the innate processes we possess. Nurture essentially includes the environment and way we were brought up. While most scientists will agree that both of these contribute to whom we are, they cannot really agree on which trumps the other or if that is even the case.

My favorite examples to show the complexity of this topic include identical twins who should share nearly identical DNA. (Research shows it may not be identical as we once thought. Obviously, the scientific community has some work to do on uncovering more about our genome.)

Consider the following situations:

1. You know identical twins that share the same DNA, but act NOTHING alike. They are almost as different as night and day.
2. Identical twins separated at birth are remarkably similar and have not had the same experiences and upbringing.

The first example is one that lies heavily in favor of nurture, while the second is evidence supporting the nature argument. All in all, this is not something you should expect to see a clear cut answer on right away.

Image Source

Some Ideas for Additional Reading

Identical Strangers
The Jim Twins

What do you find to be the most compelling argument for either side of this debate? Do you think that nature or nurture has more to do with who you are as a person? (Admittedly, I can’t make a decision about this. Every time I find information that puts one side of the argument ahead of the other, I find something to counter it that lands me back in the middle. Maybe, it’s supposed to be that way; maybe it’s 50/50.)

Blog Post: The Science of Slacking Off

Penn Foster Adam — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:40:00 GMT

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Everyone slacks off every so often, but for some people finding any sort of motivation to do work is difficult. While this is often attributed to a “slacker” attitude—one that I definitely took on during my senior year of high school, by choice—a recent study by Vanderbilt University researchers suggests that your brain’s chemical composition may be to blame. The study, which was published today in Journal of Neuroscience, states that motivated “go-getters” willing to work hard for a reward had higher dopamine releases in the striatum and ventromedial prefontal cortex—the areas responsible for reward and motivation. “Slackers,” on the other hand, had high levels of dopamine in the anterior insula, which is involved in emotion and risk perception. What does this mean? Well, that perhaps the constant desire to slack off may not be entirely your own decision, for one thing.

The exciting part about this study is that these new findings about the role dopamine has on motivation can play an important part in treating depression, schizophrenia, ADHD and other mental illnesses related to decreased motivation. While this study only corresponded to a person’s short-term goals, eventually researchers plan to see how dopamine levels affect a person’s willingness to commit to long-term objectives.

To read the entire article, check out this link. What do you do to stay motivated? Do you ever get in a rut where finding the motivation to do anything seems impossible? How do you break out of it? Let me know in the comments section!

Blog Post: Penn Foster President Joe Gagnon (@PennFosterPres) is now on Twitter!

Penn Foster Adam — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:47:00 GMT

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Social media is great because it makes communication between two people very easy, regardless of whether or not they have ever - or will ever - meet. I've gotten in touch with authors, musicians, professionals and so many others I would never expect to talk with simply by tweeting at them or leaving them a Facebook comment. I've also found that those willing to put themselves out there for public discussion - business higher-ups, celebrities, etc. - are often more honest and open in their answers than one would expect. It's that honesty and openness that allows me to introduce the newest member of the Penn Foster Twitter Team: Penn Foster President Joe Gagnon!

For those that might have suggestions or comments that they think should be taken right to the top, Joe will be answering questions and addressing your concerns. He's also fairly new to Twitter, so why not give him a mention or retweet? Check out Joe's video message announcing his arrival to Twitter here, and make sure you follow him @PennFosterPres!

Blog Post: Feel Like No One is Actually Reading Your Resume? Tips to use Keywords in your resume. Penn Foster TV Episode 17

Penn Foster Steve — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:12:00 GMT

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Today I wanted to speak a little about using keywords in your resume. Many companies use computer software to pick out the best candidates for their job openings. If you stop for a second, you will realize this actually does make sense.

As our society shifts more and more online, it became easier for (more) people to apply for (less) jobs. In turn, it makes it difficult for one, or two, HR reps to sift through sometimes hundreds of resumes and applications in order to find the best applicants to interview. The software I speak of is often times what acts as the missing piece between your awesome resume and getting it to the right person… See, your resume might never actually be getting seen by a human’s eyes at all.

So how can you get pass this necessary evil step? Use keywords or specific phrases to trigger the software so that it flags you as a qualified candidate rather than an unqualified one. In this video blog, I compare finding a job to a lot like getting the best result on google. When you search for something specific you put specific phrases in the search bar on google. By the way, those phrases you’re searching for are called keywords. In order for a search result (website) to come up high in the thousands of results on google it needs to be search relevant, or in other words, it needs to contain the terms you searched for several times.

Do this with your resume!!! Tailor your resume differently to suite every single job you apply for. Three very important take aways with this method though:

Only apply for jobs youre qualified for (So you don’t waste your time)
Instead of chalking your resume filled with the wrong phrases, use the verbiage that’s written in the job opening’s description. I’ve worked several different places where the same tasks were called different things. That software is scrubbing through resumes looking for tasks you know how to do, just expecting you to know to call it the same thing that the employer does.
Don’t over use certain phrases.

When it comes to finding a new job, there are two sides to every story, more than one word that means the same thing, and a reason that you’re not getting a call back. Subscribe to our video blog, and I will do everything I can to help you land that dream job.

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Penn Foster is the leading accredited school for online learning. You can earn your degree, career certificate, or high school diploma at home at your own pace. For more information please visit www.pennfoster.edu

If you arent a student just yet, and would like more information on Penn Foster classes, please visit the Penn Foster Website.

Thanks for reading.

Blog Post: Five iPhone Apps Great for Gardeners

Penn Foster Adam — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:20:00 GMT

Some people garden to get away from technology—to relax, to get rid of the constant buzz and computer-screen glow, to get outside and work with what our planet has given them. Gardening is a time of calm and tranquility, and there’s something great about having such a personal, uninterrupted, one-on-one relationship with the planet.

Others might be more willing to use some assistance in order to keep their gardens as full and healthy as possible. For those that don’t mind getting a little techy with their gardening, there are plenty of iPhone apps around to help you—from planning a garden for the first time to diving in to heavy landscaping, you’ll be covered on the digital end. Here are five iPhone apps great for gardeners of all experience-levels (and if you’re hesitant, but have an iPhone, just try out the free ones!):

Organic Gardening Planting Planner (FREE) – the perfect app for beginner organic farmers, the Organic Gardening Planting Planner will help you decide what to grow and when to start based on your location, weather conditions and more.
Climate Wise Plant Hardiness Zone Finder ($0.99) – similar to the first, this app will give you the hardiness zone, temperature range, frost dates and more based on your zip code. This is great to use when shopping for plants, rather than after they’re already planted.
Gardenista ($2.99) – a digital garden journal! Gardenista will recommend plants for your garden, but you can also keep track of your plants’ progress by uploading pictures to your library. A great gardening assistant, and it’s only $3!
Landscaper’s Companion (5.99) – For more advanced gardeners, this “gardener’s bible” has information on over 22,000 plants and allows you to take field notes and pictures to track your plants’ progress. While this is the most expensive app on the list, veteran gardeners might be willing to invest a little more into their gardening tech!
iScape (4.99) – For those unsure of how a plant will look in their garden, iScape is your tool. For $4.99, you can design your landscape by uploading a picture of your gardening area and pick what shrubs or plants you’d like to see in that landscape, allowing you to make informed decisions about the look of your garden without much experience.

So what do you think? I grew up loving both gardening and internet tech, so I could totally see myself using some of these apps. What about you? Do you see anything wrong with using phones in such a natural activity? Should this not be a concern at all? Drop me a comment and let me know!

Blog Post: American History & World History: Help Has Arrived!

High School Social Studies Instructor — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:57:00 GMT

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This week’s blog will stray a little from the ordinary current events set up. As many of you know, American History and World History have proven to be very difficult. To assist all of you, we created examination reviews to assist in preparing for the exams. The exam reviews are located on a website entitled Study Stack. Many students have used the reviews and have exhibited great improvement in their exam grades for the history courses.

After discussing the site features with several students, it is apparent that some features are not being utilized to their fullest potential. For example, did you know you can take practice quizzes and exams on the Study Stack site? You can also play games such as hangman, scrabble, and a bug eating game.

In addition, when you review the clues and answers, look the information up in the textbook to identify page numbers. Knowing the page numbers is a valuable resource as it will help you move through the real exams more efficiently and quickly. For example for the first World History review, one clue is The Nile River floods almost every fall, leading to an increase in the _________________. The answer associated with this is nitrogen content. If you look up Nile River in the index (located in the back of the book) you will see several page numbers. As you look at the information on those pages, you will notice one page (page 57) with information related to the answer (nitrogen content). Remember to write down the page number with a note of the clue/answer. Following this technique will surely help you do very well on the exams.

Finally, please let me know if this method improves your grades. If you ever have any questions about the Social Studies courses, please call the school and speak to me or Mr. Munley. We are available Monday through Friday, 8 A.M. through 7 P.M., Eastern Time. That is eleven hours daily, which is much more that a regular brick and mortar school. Good luck in your courses and we hope to hear some positive results!

Regards,

Brian Brown

Supervisor/Social Studies Instructor

Penn Foster High School

Blog Post: The Writing Skills Writing Assignment: Getting It Right the First Time

High School English Instructor — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 22:43:00 GMT

(Image courtesy of femme-moi-nin.blogspot.com)

The Writing Skills Writing Assignment is easily the most feared and disputed exam in the entire High School program. Why? For some students, it’s simply because they don’t like to write; for others, it’s because this exam is the first lengthy writing assignment they encounter, and it causes considerable anxiety. The fact remains, however, that this assignment is mandatory, and unless a student has received transfer credit for Written Communication, the essay must be completed before graduation can become a reality.

The Writing Skills Writing Assignment is, for many students, difficult to find. It does not currently have its own study unit (though it is in the works) and the assignment is explained at the end of Writing Skills, Part 1, Writing Skills, Part 2, and Writing Skills, Part 3. In the print study unit, the cover sheet can be found on the last page of Writing Skills, Part 3. If you are working online, this assignment does have its own PDF file, which gives only the information pertinent to the essay.

For The Writing Skills Writing Assignment, you, the student, are asked to write a three to ten page essay, which must be a MINIMUM of 750 words. It can be handwritten or typed and may be submitted by upload, mail, or fax. It is very important that this is an original essay. We are not looking for a research paper, but, rather, something that is written about you and in your own words. We are interested, in essence, in learning more about you and how you see the world.

Try to choose a topic that you can write about, either from your own personal experience or about a personal view that you hold. As long as the essay is based on your first-hand experience, just about any topic is fair game. Some of the most popular topic choices include the birth of a child; a parent, friend or relative who has inspired you; a wonderful or terrible trip; a memorable event in your life; a particular learning experience that has stayed with you; a first or most memorable pet; a favorite hobby; or a favorite or memorable activity. The key is to be careful not to explain the event in question without including your experiences. The essay must be from your perspective, in your voice, and describing your experiences with your chosen topic. Again, the goal of this essay is for us to learn more about you as a person through your interpretation of your relationships and experiences. You should be the focus.

Your essay should be completely unique to you. The body of your essay must show the reasoning behind your opinions (our opinions are rarely formed in isolation and we can often remember when and how they came to be) and must provide specific examples from your personal experience, which ultimately show your audience why and how you have the ability to write on your chosen topic (and also gives the audience a reason to accept your opinions as truth). All, or at least as great majority, of what you write must be based on what you already know and have experienced directly yourself. By showing this experience by specific examples of what happened to you or of what you directly observed happening to friends or family members, you are providing your own unique, distinctive perspective on the topic. Since it is difficult to develop original ideas on a topic about which you have little knowledge and/or no direct experience, it is not a good idea to research a general subject such as “golden retrievers” or “Abraham Lincoln.” Instead, choose a topic with which you do have experience.

Just about any topic will do, but once you have decided on a topic, you must then decide on an approach. Choose an original focus or “slant” to make your story interesting. If the story is interesting and memorable enough for you to convey, be sure that it comes across that way to your audience. For example, if you are writing about a vacation, show the reader, as a part of your introduction, your unique viewpoint on that experience. (For example, “My vacation to Hawaii was one of the most exciting times in my life” or “provided adventure” or “provided much-needed family time”.) Next, use that “slant” or thesis to guide you in choosing, as well as organizing, the details and examples you will include in your essay. Avoid giving only a list of general information or a diary account of what happened from the time you jumped out of bed and took a shower until you returned to bed at night. That type of story lacks reader appeal and does not help you to develop the focus on the actual experience. Tell your story the way you would if you were having a conversation; however, try to remember that the word choice and overall message must be appropriate for a large-scale academic audience as well.

Be wary of doing research on any essay topics unless you are simply trying to verify facts or provide statistics to support your ideas, as purely factual/general information cannot be the main focus of your essay. Also, research does have a downfall, in that we are often tempted to simply paraphrase what we have most recently learned. By merely restating or paraphrasing what you have learned through your research, you are not providing your original thinking. Using others’ opinions or ideas in your own words is not proper either, even if you agree with them. If you choose to include some information from your research, you should use only one or two items that support your opinion or viewpoint, making sure that the overwhelming majority of your essay is based on your direct knowledge and experience. For any information you use from another source, you must cite references (which is not covered in your course materials). If you find yourself having to cite references a total of more than two or three times in your essay, you are using too much information from another source and not enough from your own experience.

Be sure to write from your perspective, in your own voice, using the pronoun "I". We want to see that you can organize your own ideas and thoughts (not someone else’s) logically, that you can write paragraphs that are organized and built around central topic sentences, that your ideas flow clearly from one sentence to the next and from one paragraph to the next, and that you have the ability to write complete sentences with varied sentence structures. Of course, you are always expected to use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Once the essay is complete, it is time to submit.

If you want to upload the exam from your student homepage, you will need to be sure that the exam is saved properly. Your essay should be typed and saved in MS Word (.doc or .docx) or in a comparable word-processing program that will allow you to save your file in Rich Text Format (.rtf). If your document is not saved in MS Word or as an .rtf file, we will NOT be able to open and grade your submission. Your essay will be returned to you for revision until it has been submitted correctly.

If you want to mail your exam for grading, you can either utilize a beige Penn Foster High School exam envelope (which should have been sent with your Written Communication shipment), or you can send the exam in a plain white mailing envelope. If you opt to send your exam in a standard mailing envelope, please be sure to include the cover sheet found in the back of Writing Skills, Part 3, as well as adding your student number and the exam number (00786800) beneath the return address on the envelope.

Last, but not least, if you want to fax your exam for grading, the process is simple. You should include the cover sheet from Writing Skills, Part 3 and fax your entire document to the attention of an English instructor at 570-961-4038.

We strive to grade all exams within five business days, but this is, quite obviously, affected by the volume of submissions.

If you’re one of the lucky high school students who needs to complete Written Communication, I wish you good luck. If you have any questions or concerns about this assignment, please do not hesitate to contact Meghan or me. We’re in the office from Monday through Friday, so we can pretty easily be reached by telephone (1-888-427-1000) or email (edserv@pennfoster.com), but we’re also available here on eCampus (Alanna/Meghan), as well as on Facebook (Alanna/Meghan).

Let us know if there is anything we can do for you!

Blog Post: A Cure for that Wired and Tired Feeling!

Penn Foster Adam — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:56:00 GMT

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When I get home from work, I either feel ready to take on chore after chore or completely wiped out. I felt the same way in school—if I wasn’t too exhausted from a stressful day, I was busy trying to cross off everything on my to-do list. Relaxation is rarely an option, and even if I want to relax I find that it doesn’t come easy. I just read this article from Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald from The Huffington Post in which she describes this type of stress as a “wired and tired” feeling, and that’s exactly how I can feel at times (which, according to Dr. Fitzgerald, is also what her patients say when she uses that phrase). To help get rid of this anxiousness and aid relaxation, Dr. Fitzgerald suggests several herbs that are known to both give you energy (to get rid of that tired feeling) and help you stay calm (so you don’t feel so wired!)

I think this article is a great introduction to herbology and natural health practices—many of which are becoming increasingly accepted in mainstream medicine, and therefore making their way into college curriculums. Check out the article, and let me know what you think! Have you tried natural or holistic treatments before? How did it work? Would you ever try it? Drop me a comment and I’ll let you know how I feel about it!

Blog Post: What can you do for just $1? Lots!

Penn Foster Adam — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:30:00 GMT

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For just $1, throughout April, you can sign up for any Penn Foster program and get started on continuing your education! I started thinking about some other uses for a single dollar, and while none of them were quite as exciting as starting an education, some of them were definitely fun! Here are a few things you can do with a dollar bill—besides cover your first month of school, that is:

Buy a treat at the farmers market! If you don’t see anything for $1, simply ask what you can buy for a dollar and you won’t go home hungry.
Tuck it away as a surprise to yourself! Put the dollar in a tin or drawer that you aren’t constantly opening. It will be sure to turn up when you least expect it, and you’ll be happy with yourself for not having already spent it! Which leads me to my next tip…
Save it! This sounds like the most boring tip, but next to investing it in an education, saving your dollar is definitely the smartest move you can make. Even putting $1 a day into your checking or savings account can add up over time!
Plan a dollar store day! If you’re creative enough, you can get an entire day’s worth of fun out of a single dollar with something from a dollar store. A pack of wiffle balls or a cheap set of watercolors probably won’t cost you more than $1, and you can keep your friends, family, and even yourself entertained for a few hours!
Make an origami elephant!

And while I’m sure there are dozens more, I’m still sold on a $1 down-payment towards your education as the best option here. If you’re not convinced, why not check out our program listing and see if any of these possible futures is with one of your dollar bills! Can you think of a better way to spend $1? How about something more creative? Leave a comment and let me know what you’ve got!