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MAKING THE RIGHT CONNECTION 
WITH MILLENNIALS
In This Issue:
What is Microlearning?
Study Tip: Create Your Own Microlearning
Coach of the Month: Alex Montoux
Quick Links

 
Academic Success Partner 
of the Month
This month we're excited to reacquaint you with one of our Success Partners doing great work in Education Therapy in southern California, 
Kimberly Green. An educational therapist going on 15 years now, Kim works with kids from as young as five, all the way up to 21 who are experiencing academic, social or emotional difficulties related to school. Going beyond a focus on specific subjects, Kim helps students to develop and build skills that may be lacking in a student, such as working memory, higher order thinking, problem solving and expressive language to name just a few. Having graduated from Cal State Northridge in 2002 with a Masters in Special Education, Kim has since developed a highly effective, collaborative approach, working with the student's parents, teachers and schools to build a platform for success. For more information, email Kim or call 310.702.4856.
Looking For A Student 
Community Service Opportunity?
Meet Rickey Smith, social entrepreneur and owner of the sustainable food business Urban Green. He's started a community education venture called the Urban Green Kids Row program, creating opportunities for kids from diverse backgrounds to participate in many activities related to food sustainability, from planting seeds  to learning about how organic food is grown and harvested. For more info on a terrific
community service and volunteering opportunity for kids, email Rickey, 

or call (800) 200 3320.

Check out Our  YouTube Video!
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Academic Success is very proud of the two-minute video we recently produced to give you a feel for who we are, our philosophy and the way we approach our work
How Academic Success Can Support You
At Academic Success we take great pride in finding the right coach to support the unique needs of each student we help.  Please check out the areas where we work on our  web site and let us know how we can support you.

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Looking for a College Counselor or Ed Therapist?
We work and partner with excellent Educational Therapists and College Counselors throughout the L.A. area.  Give us a call and we can recommend the right fit for your child.

310-823-4398
What Exactly Is A Millennial?

A millennial is usually defined as someone born between the early 1980's and 2000. 
And just as millennial kids are growing up in a very different technological landscape to those who have gone before them, their parents and educators are also grappling with how best to educate them in this new environment.
While the advantages of living and studying in a digitally connected world are obvious, millennials are also facing developmental challenges as a result of spending vast periods of time in front of a screen, whether it be a phone, tablet or computer. 
But with challenge comes opportunity for innovation. This month, a digital education expert offered ideas and strategies on Linkedin for gaining maximum impact with millennials in the class room. In the article, he touched on one of the most striking developments in education: the rise of Microlearning. 
In this issue, we'll explore the rapidly changing educational landscape confronting our millennial kids. We'll present different perspectives on Microlearning, why it's taking off in our schools and whether or not it's here to stay.   
At Academic Success, we know that keeping parents well-informed about their kids' changing academic environment can be a crucial factor in maintaining high achievement in the long run. 

Please call with any questions at (310) 823 4398 or

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All the best,

The Academic Success Team

"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often."
- Winston Churchill

Education News 

What is Microlearning? 
 
Microlearning is at the forefront of the many adjustments currently being made in our educational approach to millennials. Although it was a technique devised to deal with millennials' notoriously short attention spans, this article makes the case that microlearning may in fact be an effective educational tool for people of all ages.  

New Strategies 
for a New Generation
 
If there's one inescapable fact about the latest educational strategies being employed for millennials, it's that the digital component is taking up ever greater space in our curricula. This article paints a comprehensive picture of how millennials are learning, and what their education will look like in the future. 
  
Advice From A Millennial Parent 
and Teacher 

As a young educator and parent born after 1980, the millennial teacher and author of this Huffpost Education piece has sage advice for parents borne of personal experience from both sides of the teacher's desk. Her excellent insights that may be transformative in the classroom and at home. 

Taking A Macro View 
of Microlearning
 
As with the emergence of any new educational tool, there is vigorous debate over the efficacy of microlearning and its ability to have sustained success. This intelligent and comprehensive analysis of microlearning will offer readers a broader perspective of this new way of assimilating and retaining information in the 'ADD era'.

US Millennials Struggling to Keep Up

Whatever academic approach our educators decide to adopt, catching up to the rest of the world is going to be a challenge for millennials. This sobering US News & World Report article sheds light on the gap between our millennials and those from other countries. Alarmingly, it makes the case that in spite of the highest graduation rates in history, our millennials are experiencing a decline in skills. 

Study Tips 

Create Your Own Microlearning

While much of microlearning is done through the use of specialized computer programs in class and on apps, students who respond well to this new academic tool can create their own microlearning strategies for their homework.
Many kids find it hard to focus on one subject for sustained periods of time. One way to solve this is to break your study up into bite-sized chunks (another way of saying 'microlearning').
For example, a student may need to assimilate information from six pages in their history text book. Instead of reading the whole thing through and trying to find the through-line for the entire section, he or she could break it up into segments and digest each piece, testing themselves on the crucial information before they move on.
Similarly, chemistry students needing to study the seven base metric measurements could instead view their task as having to study only one. They would work on one at a time in short bursts, never worrying about all seven but slowly grouping in twos and threes until they were able to pull it all together.
Working this way not only will be effective for those students without long attention spans; it also is good training for problem-solving, because students learn how to focus only on what's in front of them. 

Coach Profile 

 
Meet
Alex Montoux,
  Coach Profile of The Month   

This month we'd like to introduce you to another of the new faces in our Academic Success coaching team, Alex Montoux. 
Alex originates from the Bay Area, in the heart of San Francisco. He moved early in life a little further south to Mountain View, where he attended Saint Francis High School. Alex is now studying mechanical engineering at UCLA. After taking a little time to adjust to his new surroundings, he is now relishing the highly competitive atmosphere. 
Alex's tutoring journey began as a sophomore in high school, where it was a service requirement. However, more and more students began to knock at his door and by the time he entered college, he was in high demand. Alex loves watching the kids grow, both academically and personally as they navigate their way through middle and high school. 
When not tutoring and studying himself, Alex is a passionate skier, which he has done since the time he could walk. He is a member of the UCLA ski team and skis at Mammoth every winter. This year he was made racing captain. Alex is delighted to have joined Academic Success.
 :   
We consider it a privilege and an honor to support students and their families throughout the Los Angeles area.  Please call us at any time; we welcome your thoughts and input.  We are available at 310-823-4398.

Sincerely,
 
Jamie Altshule
Academic Success, Inc.