Meet Mike Reid, Creator of STUDTEGERY, an Educational Board Game

When Mike Reid is not working his theatre manager job, or TV/screenwriting (Pastor Greg - sitcom, Super Simple Science - TV science show, His Kids - kids talk show, BB's Bedtimes Stories with Monty - children's TV series), he is selling his educational board game STUDTEGERY. Learn more at http://www.studtegery.com, or check out STUDTEGERY on Teachers Pay Teachers.

1. How did you come up with the idea for STUDTEGERY?

During my time in college in the mid to late 80s, seldom did I go anywhere without a set of index cards with facts on them so I could study for my next test at a moment's notice. Also during that time, Trivial Pursuit became the most popular board game to sweep college campuses. When I started brainstorming the type of game I wanted to create, these two life experiences played a major contribution to the creation of STUDTEGERY.

2. What is the significance of the name of your game?

I wanted a name that represented what this board game does, which is to combine studying with strategy and makes studying fun. I remembered that Saturday Night Live skit where Will Ferrell's George W. Bush character used the made up word STRATEGERY and thought, "What if used the 'TEGERY' suffix in my game's name?" and the name STUDTEGERY was born. Furthermore, while the name still has most of "STUDYING" and a little bit of "STRATEGY" in it, well, most of the letters in "STRATEGY," it is fun to say. Go ahead and say it, STUDTEGERY.

3. Why do students--and teachers and parents!--like the game?

• Students like STUDTEGERY because it makes studying fun.
• Teachers like STUDTEGERY because it helps the struggling students review for tests more effectively than the ask and answer test review which the struggling students avoid partaking in for fear of being embarrassed if they answer incorrectly in front of their peers.
• Parents like STUDTEGERY because it is a fun way for them to be involved with their children's studies.

4. How can individual students adapt the game to suit what they need to study at a particular time?

The great thing about STUDTEGERY is from 3rd grade to graduate school, it works all subjects, classes, and courses as long as the student is studying for a multiple choice type test. While STUDTEGERY has no clue what you need to study, you and/or your teacher do. You and/or your teacher create the multiple choice test preparation questions/answers from your class lectures, notes, handouts, text books, etc, and you use those questions/answers for game play.

5. What was your process like in creating the game--from designing it to having it manufactured, and then marketing it?

The thought process with my design was to replicate a multiple choice test. Just like most multiple choice tests, I went with only black and white colors. The players' pieces and answer sticks were the letters "A," "B," "C," and "D."

As for getting STUDTEGERY manufactured, I went with a company called 521 Promo. I found their manufacturing prices to be very fair. I sent them the prototype I made from an old Trivial Pursuit game, and from there, we worked together on getting the graphics just right, then got the games manufactured and safety tested.

As for marketing STUDTEGERY, I am still riding the learning curve as I just launched the game. I first set up a website (www.studetegery.com) from which to sell STUDTEGERY. I have also made STUDTEGERY available for sale on Amazon.com and TeachersPayTeachers.com. Since my budget is extremely limited and school just started back, I am focusing on teachers, schools, PTA/PTOs, and homeschools in September and October, then onto parents and students for the Christmas season. Of course, I am working hard on getting distribution into brick and mortar retail stores.

Thanks, Mike!

Excerpt from How to Say

How to Say is a website with information geared toward people who are interested in learning different languages. It features vocabulary sets for over 10,000 words and phrases in ten different languages. It also includes posts about languages, travel, and related topics.

The following is a guest post reprinted with permission from How to Say.

Improve Your English Pronunciation

Let us be honest with ourselves. Reading about pronunciation is not going to take you anywhere. You have to speak English to master the pronunciations, and it doesn't matter if you go wrong. You fall down; you learn to get up.

Every English speaking country has its own form of English. There is the American English, British English, Australian English, etc. And then we have our own Indian English. Pronunciations are different in each country's English. Learning them all would be inane. Start with clarifying and neutralizing your own regional English accent and then move on to learning the accents and slang of other countries.

Learn the phonetics

There are phonetic symbols which indicate whether a word should be pronounced as "cat" or as "cut." These symbols are often found in dictionary. It is advisable to have a dictionary by your side all the time for quick meaning and pronunciation references.

Watch movies, and listen to songs and radio

The best way to improve pronunciation is not through reading grammar books, but by watching native English programs and movies with subtitles, and listening to English songs with the lyrics in front of you. Listening to the radio is another excellent way. You have less distraction visually and your entire concentration is on what is being said.

Understanding stress

Words that can be split into two or more syllables will have distinct stress. The shift in stress changes the pronunciations and in some cases their meaning. Stress markings can be referred to in a good dictionary.

Miscellaneous tips

If you have to communicate in English with another person and you are not sure about your pronunciation, it doesn't matter. Just give them a background of what you are going to talk about so that they can tune in.

For example, it will be a good idea to ask, "Can you help me? I need directions to this address," rather than jumping directly to the address.

Write down the words that trouble you often. There are plenty of websites where you can listen to pronunciations.

Just a word to conclude: "Practice makes perfect." Speak good English taking cues from the above-mentioned tips, and make your way up the ladder of mastering English.

Meet Kallie Clark, Educator and Postsecondary Counselor

Kallie Clark is currently a graduate student at the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration, and works as a graduate research assistant at the Consortium on Chicago School Research. Kallie is an experienced classroom teacher and counselor with experience working in both charter and traditional public schools. Kallie is highly skilled in providing postsecondary counseling to first-generation college students, low-income students, students of color, and undocumented students.

Learn more about Kallie's work by visiting her blog, Scribd page, and SlideShare site.

1. How did you first become interested in working in the field of education?

Like many of my students, I was the first in my family to graduate from college, and my family didn't have the financial resources to help, so I worked as a nanny throughout undergraduate school to help pay the bills. I loved working with young children and really thought I could have been a preschool teacher for the rest of my life and been happy. When I decided to pursue a master's degree, my first experience with graduate teaching was with college freshmen. I was surprised by how much I loved it! I never thought I would enjoy working with older students, but I did. After I graduated, I landed a job teaching in a local high school. It seemed like a natural progression to me. Over the years my role changed, and I moved into counseling. I loved helping students prepare for life after high school, and I really enjoyed the creative aspects of teaching and developing curriculum, but I knew I wanted to have an impact outside the walls of my classroom. That's why I decided to return to graduate school and study education research.

2. Would you tell us a little more about your work in postsecondary counseling?

My first experience working as a postsecondary counselor was with The Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago. I was a college counselor and college seminar teacher: meaning, I did both one-on-one counseling with the students, and I taught a college readiness course to seniors. It was an incredible learning experience for me. Similar to my own experience, my students were predominantly first-generation college students from low-income families. However, unlike me, my students had the additional hurdles of growing up in urban, sometimes violent neighborhoods. They also were predominantly students of color. The lessons I learned from my students not only helped me become a better teacher and counselor; they helped me become a better person.

As a college counselor, it was always my goal to help my student get into the college that would give them the best chances of graduating. Choosing a college is a careful balance between graduation rate, cost, and environment. I am a big fan of small liberal arts colleges. If I had to pick between a large public university and a liberal arts college, about 70-80 percent of the time I would lean towards the liberal arts college. The support services and sense of community is just so much stronger at a smaller school. When I send a student off to a liberal arts college, I know they aren't going to get lost in the shuffle: if they need help, I can be pretty sure someone is going to notice and reach out.

3. What are some of the documents you've created and shared via Scribd, and how can these help students and their families?

Navigating the college application process can be overwhelming. Things have changed a lot in the last ten years, and college admissions have become very technical and very competitive. Finding the right college takes planning and follow-through. That's why I am sharing the documents I created and used as a college seminar teacher. I am constantly uploading documents as time permits, but eventually parents and teachers will be able to access support documents for everything from building a college application list to building a class schedule. The "Matriculation Check-list" is one of the most important documents I share. It helps ensure that a student completes all the steps necessary to actually show up on campus in the fall, something many students take for granted after they have been accepted.

4. For families who currently have a student in high school who would be a first-generation college student, what are some resources that you might recommend?

There are a lot of resources out there when it comes to planning for college. The problem I found was that they were either too broad or required too much time to navigate. Most parents don't have time to read an entire book about applying to college. I also found that for first-generation college students, these resources often avoided giving parents the unspoken truths that those of us who have already been to college know first-hand. For instance, not all colleges are created equal. Yes, there are actually lemon colleges, just like there are lemon cars. I also talk about the importance of environment and recommend families put long-term goals first when deciding if living at home or going away to school is going to provide students with the best chance of graduating. I have a series of PowerPoints on Slideshare that do a great job of helping parents get a crash course in college admissions and financial aid.

5. What are some ideas you've seen prove helpful for students when it comes to avoiding student loan debt?

Telling students to avoid student loan debt is like telling them to avoid buying a car. If you live in a major city with great public transportation or have enough money to take a cab every time you need to go to the grocery store, then sure, you can avoid buying a car. But, for most of us, buying a car is an important step in moving towards financial independence, even if it requires taking out a car loan. That car loan is seen as an investment if it gets you to work every day, right? We don't tell our kids to not buy cars; what we tell them is to buy a reliable and dependable car that will get them to work every day, and do it within a sensible budget. The same goes for student loans.

This conversation is really about long-term goals. It might sound like a lot to ask of a high school student, but really what I am talking about are those kids who already have their mind set on something. If a student is pretty sure they want to become a doctor and has the academic record to support those aspirations, then student loans will most likely be unavoidable (unless their family has the money to foot the bill outright). Getting into med school is an incredibly competitive process, so picking an undergraduate program with a strong reputation is important. For students who know they want to pursue a technical field, consider two-year colleges, and absolutely do not take out student loans. No student should ever take out student loans to attend a community college. For everyone else who is pretty sure they want to graduate from a four-year college but maybe not 100 percent sure of what the future holds, choose a college with the best graduation rate and reputation that you can get for an affordable price. I usually tell kids not to exceed the standard $5,500 student loan unless the school is top-notch. For low-income students who receive PELL and state grants, this is usually possible. For middle-income families, state schools are not always the best deal. Look to the small, private or faith-based colleges who have more liberal financial aid parameters.

What I would avoid doing at all costs is taking out personal loans for undergraduate study, and absolutely do not attend a for-profit college. All loans at the undergraduate level should be federal student loans to accredited not-for-profit colleges. I also recommend that parents do not take on PLUS loans unless they are financially savvy, understand that these loans will need to be taken out every year, and understand that these loans are not forgivable (even if the student doesn't graduate). There are loan forgiveness programs out there, but they are usually for specific fields, and most require that you work in a certain industry for a given time after graduation.

My last bit of advice is to start where you plan to graduate from, meaning that you start somewhere that offers a degree you can live with in case you aren't able to transfer. Transferring is a very risky plan, unless the student has strong family support and parents or guardians who can be involved to ensure the student actually gets (and passes) the classes they need to transfer and maintains the grades necessary to be admitted later. Life happens, and transferring is banking on the fact that the future will happen as you have planned. Rarely in life does anything happen as planned.

Thanks, Kallie!

Introducing X-Bandz, A Math Teaching Aid

When I was a kid, I remember learning about some tips for creating a good invention. One of the tips was to take an existing item, but to give it a unique twist. X-Bandz do just that. They take the idea of the colorful bracelets that kids love, but with the twist that the bracelets have math equations printed on them.

X-Bandz are a teaching aid designed to enable your child to master the multiplication and division facts quickly and easily. Educators have called X-Bandz for multiplication "a fun and unique learning method for young students." Instead of using old-fashioned flash cards, kids can play with these bracelets to learn multiplication facts.

One of the cool things about X-Bandz is that they are fun and can be used like rewards/gifts, which helps kids build more self-esteem, which in turn can help their performance in math.

This is an affordable educational product at just $5.99 for a pack of 12 bands. Really I think these would be a cool stocking stuffer. My parents always threw in a little something educational with my holiday gifts, and I think I would have gotten a kick out of these myself.

They can be purchased on Amazon or at www.xbandz.com.

Meet Mauricio, Founder of NEWinPM, a Website for Project Management Education

Mauricio is the founder of NEWinPM.com, a modern e-learning site that first launched in January 2013. Since then, the educational materials on the site have been helping students from all over the world to study project management and prepare for their CAPM Certifications. If you are just beginning your project management studies, NEWinPM was designed with you in mind. Check out the following link to learn more about how to get CAPM certified.

1.When you came up with the idea for an e-learning site, why did you choose to focus on project management?

Education has always been a thing of high importance to me and close to my heart. I am a Project Manager myself within a MNC. We never wanted to restrict our business to a particular region or space. Project Management today is one of the most important stepping stones to one's career and professional needs.

The reason for choosing online education and especially imparting Project Management study was to make sure that students and professionals all over the world, and especially beginners, get to know Project Management better through our Online Courses and learn the necessary steps to progress in their careers.

2. What is the PMBOK, and why is it so important to people who want a career in project management?

PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) is a study guide from the PMI (Project Management Institute) to share the best practices involved in Project Management operations. It consists of a collection of processes and concepts that are vital to Project Management implementation across multiple industries.

For those who are passionate about Project Management and are looking for a breakthrough in their careers by writing their Project Management entry level exam (CAPM), PMBOK will teach all the basics of Project Management and the guidelines followed in Project Management. Aspirants should follow this book so that they will be able to leverage all the concepts in their real time work, too.

3. What is CAPM certification, and how does your site help people prepare for this credential?

CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) is an entry-level certification from the PMI that helps beginners and aspirants gain fundamental knowledge of the processes involved in Project Management.

NEWinPM is a modern online educational platform that focuses on imparting Project Management education for those who want to undertake CAPM and other Project Management exams. Our practices follow the latest knowledge books from the PMI and ensure that students and professionals stay up-to-date with the concepts.

4. Would you tell us a bit more about the resources your site provides to help people get started in project management?

NEWinPM offers tailored services to suit the needs of different individuals. Our approach is very unique in its way where we offer video tutorials that add a great value to learning. We also have tons of study materials, quizzes, and games that help in the learning process and make it far interesting.

For our students we also offer many tips and tricks, as well as community support where they will interact with fellow students and enrich their knowledge. Our forums and articles offer plenty of Project Management news and knowledge that can be very valuable for students and professionals.

5. If you were talking to someone who had never taken any sort of online class or study program before, what would you describe as some of the specific benefits of the e-learning format?

The convenience of learning at any time and anywhere makes e-learning the best way to gain knowledge. Today in this fast-paced world, the majority of the students and professionals are busy with personal and professional commitments that make it hard for them to study effectively.

NewinPM has taken the leap here to address these issues. We offer convenient e-learning project management coaching for CAPM that is fully packed with all the resources from videos, books, quizzes, article sections, forums, community discussion, and much more than you may ever want.

Thanks, Mauricio!

Meet James Drury, Educator

James Drury is an educator who has taught a multitude of students for the past three decades. He has taught in a multitude of settings, including middle and high school and ranging from at-risk through gifted.

The founder of Education Is Smart, James has developed a book and materials for students, parents, mentors and schools. With the help of donations, he works to provide the book and materials free to at-risk students.

1. How do you connect with at-risk students through your project, Education Is Smart?

The goal is to get the word out about the importance of staying in school. The connection is made through the interactive book and package featuring 25 Q/A relating to education, quotes, stats, definitions, and lessons at the end of each question. This is a great tool for students, teachers, mentors, parents, and schools. The objective is to raise funds and provide the book to at-risk students for free. Many at-risk students come from families that do not have the means to provide reading material, especially non-fiction.

2. What inspired you to write the book, The Value and Importance of an Education?

I was inspired to write the book because many students do not truly understand the impact that education has on their life. Also, for many at-risk students there is no one providing them the guidance or motivation to stay in school.

3. What responses have you received so far from parents, teachers, and other mentors about your book and materials?

Feedback has been positive and appreciative

4. Are there particular approaches you've found to be especially effective in reaching out to at-risk students?

The book provides mentors and parents the opportunity to discuss certain issues that the student may be dealing with in school. The quotes are to inspire... when the student feels down... sometimes maybe a quote is all they need to persevere.

5. What can people do who want to get involved in helping more students stay in school?

In addition to getting involved in their own communities, people can reach out through our website, where their donations will help us distribute our book and other materials for free to kids who need the encouragement, resources, and support.

Thanks, James!

Meet Aaron Sherman, Founder of Storyboard That

Storyboard That, founded by Aaron Sherman, is an innovative technology to rapidly and easily create storyboards online. Storyboards have countless applications in the business and educational world. They are also a lot of fun! Aaron has a BS in management, and an MS in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He worked for 9+ years in both technology and marketing across the globe in Boston, Barcelona, and Sydney and brings to the table a powerful vantage point of common problems regardless of location and an astute understanding of communication opportunities.

1. What is it about the combination of words and pictures used in storyboards that encourages creativity?

Research has long shown that most people learn and remember better with a visual aspect. At their core, people are storytellers, and we best communicate and engage in that fashion. Combing pictures and words gives you storyboards.

2. How have you found storyboards helpful in your own personal and professional work?

Having spent a fair amount of time in the corporate world, both as a technologist and a marketer, I have witnessed more times than I can count the two sides unable to easily communicate. For marketers, the 'problem" and therefore "solution" is so obvious they don't understand why the developers "don't get it." Meanwhile, on the technology side, the developers are juggling so many activities, they don't understand why a marketing request is important or how it fits into the bigger picture. By breaking down an idea into a very simple story, it lets both sides look at the same problem together, and I apologize for the pun, but be "on the same page" and then work together towards a joint solution.

On a personal side storyboards are just fun. I get tremendous pleasure reading and looking at the creativity of Storyboard That's global audience. It also gives me an excuse to practice my Spanish trying to understand some of my audience.

3. What makes storyboards useful in schools as well as in business settings?

Effective communication and communication via storytelling are critical skills in today's workplace. In order to be effective, authors need to figure out what they want to say, why they want to say it, and how they are going to say it. Storyboards are a very powerful framework for this because they force the author to be concise (3-6 cells), think in a linear fashion (storyboards force the questions of "what's next"), and clearly show context of who, when, and where.

When students create book reports via storyboards, they are practicing these critical skills without realizing it. As students mature and their storyboards become more sophisticated, again and again they are breaking down their thoughts into bite-sized, easily consumable chunks.

4. What are the benefits of using the tools on your website to share storyboards with other people, rather than just making storyboards for brainstorming (etc) and not sharing them?

In my entire life I cannot think of one example where I shared work with someone and did not leave with new ideas and a different perspective. I constantly share my own storyboards with my fiancé to get her opinion on dialog and imagery or even find out if I missed the point completely. People are social: we like to talk, and we love to criticize and give feedback. Every storyboard has its own URL, so it is easy to send it to a friend.

That being said there is nothing wrong with making a few storyboards just to privately organize your thoughts.

5. How do you see Storyboard That growing over the next few years?

Storyboard That and its parent company Clever Prototypes are at their infancy right now. Clever Prototypes' stated mission is to help develop solutions to make people enjoy their days more by improving communication, ideation, and looking for ways to take old tasks and make them more fun. The focus right now is on continuously making our storyboard creator the best technology out there and making it easier for people to access it.

Thanks, Aaron!