It seems like only yesterday that I was writing a blog post announcing the swingin’ party that TestSoup will be co-hosting at the ISTE 2011 conference in Philadelphia at the end of this month.  But that impression is entirely mistaken.  In fact, I wrote that post over a month ago now — back when our free karaoke tweetup only had something like a hundred pre-registered attendees.  Last I heard, which was over a week ago, we have around 400.  So if you haven’t done so already, I strongly encourage you to head on over to our Eventbrite page and reserve yourself a spot.

“But what if I’ve already registered?” you might ask.  A very good question, to which I have two answers.

First of all, don’t forget that you need to find one of us during the ISTE conference to claim your free VIP badge, which you will need to turn your attendance from pipe-dream to actual, factual reality.  We shouldn’t be that hard to find, really.  I mean, there are six of us co-hosts, and each of us will have multiple people on the ground, mingling with the crowd and attending various events for our own edification.

If you want to reach any of us during ISTE 2011, probably the best way to do that would be to @reply us on Twitter and establish a meeting place so that you can claim your pass to what promises to be one of the highlights of this year’s conference.  In case you need a refresher on who we are, our handles are as follows: @Collaborize, @SchoolTube, @Edutopia, @symbalooEDU, @findingDulcinea, and (of course) @TestSoup.

“But what else can I do?”  In my own humble opinion, I would suggest that you start getting excited for ISTE right now, and don’t stop until you are there, reveling in the magic of so much Ed Tech so close together.  This is TestSoup’s first conference ever, and from what we hear this one is absolutely a blast.  I’m sure our massive karaoke blowout on Tuesday night (the 28^th) won’t hurt.

Speaking of which, are you aware that SchoolTube has created a custom channel on their site for people to upload their own videos of past karaoke exploits?  Well they have, and although so far there haven’t been any takers, I’m optimistic that we’ll see something before the conference starts.  You can’t tell me that out of all those people who will be attending our tweetup that none of them have ever sang karaoke, or that no one has ever been filmed doing karaoke before.  Preposterous!

So unleash your wild side.  Get excited.  But above all, start planning your trip to ISTE 2011.  We’re getting closer every moment.

guest written by Eric Clark of Quincy Tutoring

In my role as Assistant Director of Academic Services at Eastern Nazarene College (ENC) in Quincy MA, part of my responsibility is proctoring the Accuplacer. Quite often, people call asking several different questions because they don’t understand why the assessment is being used, or what it is used for. Below I will address three common Accuplacer questions, after reading you should have a good understanding of the Accuplacer.

What is the Accuplacer?

The Accuplacer is a college placement test that is one of many assessments in the College Board family. The Accuplacer is a comprehensive assessment tool, which consists of six content strands (for content breakdown click here). Does that sound intimidating? Don’t be afraid, it is not very common that all six strands are used. It is up to the discretion of the institution as to which test strands are used to assess incoming students. At ENC, for example, we have opted to use the Reading Comprehension, Arithmetic, Elementary Algebra, and the Written Test. Each test has a developmental course attached to it, and if a student fails to meet the minimum benchmark, the student is automatically enrolled in that course. If you didn’t do well the first time, you can potentially retake the test in 30 days.

Why do I need to take the Accuplacer?

Want the honest answer? The college/university wants to assess your academic skill set. They may want to do this for several different reasons.

SAT scores are the most common reason students need to complete the Accuplacer. If any of your individual SAT scores failed meet the institutional standard, you will be required to take the Accuplacer (or equivalent test). The results of the placement test will identify the appropriate classes for the student to enroll.

Secondly, some schools do not require SAT, and the Accuplacer is a great way to identify appropriate classes for the student to take. Each institution wants to make sure they are not placing students in classes that are above their current academic ability. In the past, I have worked with many students that have earned their bachelors and were required to complete the Accuplacer when they were applying to a specialized program, like nursing. Please don’t be discouraged! Each program wants to assess your foundational knowledge. This isn’t a knock on your knowledge or the institution where you earned your undergraduate degree.

How can I prepare for the Accuplacer?

The initial answer would be tutoring, or small group instruction. Tutoring is a terrific way to learning the content if the student needs a professional to deliver the content in a way that is easy to comprehend. Not every student needs tutoring, and TestSoup is a great supplement to the online practice tests. TestSoup has a terrific battery of study materials that can be used on almost any electronic device. I would recommend tying the student material for yourself.

[Editor's Note: To try out our ACCUPLACER system, see our test page here.]

About the author: Eric Clark is the founder and CEO of Quincy Tutoring, an online tutor network.  Quincy Tutoring also offers affordable standardized test prep, and fully endorses TestSoup’s flashcard system.  Follow Eric on Twitter and Facebook.

When you think about it, who do you trust most when it comes to test prep?  Odds are, you have your own system for preparing for exams that you developed through years of trial and error.  You know approximately what works and what doesn’t for you.

But let’s take a step back from that.  How consciously did you develop your own study habits?  Did you pay close attention as you cultivated this style of yours, or did you just get used to doing what came easiest and most naturally?  Hopefully you didn’t just wing it, but even if you put a lot of thought and effort into your study system there is likely still room for improvement.

We study for so many tests in our lives that the act of studying becomes routine.  We stop paying close attention to our methods and we just focus on the simple fact that we are “studying.”  It becomes more about fulfilling an obligation; putting a check in the box.  And our retention of the material falls by the wayside, along with our study habits.

Why is this?  Perhaps because even though the need to practice has been drilled into us since we were very young, most people pay very little attention to how they are practicing.  In other words: we know that we need to study often, but we fool ourselves into thinking that we are studying when we really aren’t, or when we’re only phoning it in.

TestSoup aims to change that.  We want to remind people that there are smarter ways to study out there.  You know the phrase “work smarter, not harder” right?  It also applies to studying.  Why bother sitting in front of a text book for hours when you could get so much more out of making studying an active process?  If you can learn the material more quickly, why waste time doing things any other way?

Getting back to the original question of this post: who do you trust the most when it comes to study habits?  Rather, who should you trust most when it comes to study habits?  Most likely, you should trust someone who actually has devoted years and years to consciously developing the most effective study system.

In other words: trust a tutor.  They know what they’re talking about.  Not only are they experts on the specific subject matter, they have spent their careers working out clever ways to make the most out of every hour spent studying.

That’s why TestSoup is embarking on a quest to find expert tutors to write guest posts for our blog filled with study hints and tips.  We’re going to be looking for the best, the brightest, and the most creative.  We want to help you learn all you can about study methods, so the next time you need to study for a big test you won’t just being repeating those same, tired moves you’ve been making since middle school.

When we are young, our lives are defined by the summer.  We look forward to it almost deliriously.  In fact, I think the only time we weren’t counting down the days until summer vacation was when we were counting down the days to some shorter (but closer) vacation.  Three months of idleness is enough to make anyone with a full-time job more than a little jealous.

They say that summer used to be a time when students stayed home to help out on with the harvest.  This was, of course, in the days before a measly 2% of Americans called themselves farmers.  Our society has shifted from agrarian and rural to knowledge-based and urban.  Today, only 17% of people live in what can be considered truly “rural” parts of America.

Assuming that summer once had a purpose, what is its purpose now?  Are we simply so used to this rotation that we don’t dare change it?  More than likely.  Globalization has made the nine-to-five office job all but irrelevant these days, yet people still find themselves falling into familiar work patterns.  Change is hard for us to accept, apparently.

Now, let the record show that we at TestSoup are not advocating for the end of summer vacation.  Long live summer vacation!

But long live education, as well.

Today’s American students have a tough time keeping up when it comes to math and science.  We’ve already tried throwing money at the problem.  Spending per pupil in America on public education has increased from $2,500 in 1960 to $10,000 today (in inflation-adjusted dollars).  Clearly, the key to churning out well-equipped students is not to be found in expensive tech or other budget-busting fads.

Real education happens when students are actively engaged in the lesson.  This can be the result of any one — or a combination — of several factors: Quality teachers, a naturally inquisitive mind, supportive family members or friends, or even a desire to get an “A.”

That’s the first part of the equation.  The second part is the work.  An engaged student is a great and powerful thing, but if you don’t take steps to keep him or her that way then you won’t get very far.  That’s why the summer is such an important time for students.  Three months is a long enough time to forget the vast majority of what you learned during the past nine — or enough time to forge it into a solid foundation for next year.

America used to make its living with our hands and our backs.  During this time it made sense for students to neglect their studies in favor of the harvest.  But now we make our living with our minds.  Should the fact that we have no fields to plow mean that we are allowed to do nothing for three months?

Take the summer for what it is: a chance to unwind and recharge your batteries.  But also as a time to set yourself up for success next year.  Read books.  Sign up to take classes that you are interested in but had no time for during the school year.  Parents (if you have little children), send your kids to a camp that’s more than just playing outside.  And teachers, please use the time to improve your skills as well.  Our students’ futures are in your hands.