Education Short List

It’s a given, that in school there are tests to take.

An overwhelming majority of test-takers feel varying levels of building anxiety within the 36-48 hours preceding the exam. To help alleviate some of that nervous energy, educators provide their students with study skills, test prep packets, and time; in order to better prepare them. Another important aspect to the test preparation, one that is often overlooked, is what studying students should do with that last bit of time before an exam. That is the focus in this article.

It’s what I like to call, “A little R & R.” No, not ‘reading and arithmetic;’ instead, it’s rest and relaxation.

This part of the studying regiment is focused on what to do the day before and day of an exam. For most students who are getting ready for an exam, they utilize the last two days as a cram session (this is especially true of high-school and college students); in the hopes that last bits of information will be absorbed in their memory. Unfortunately, this isn’t accurate. Research shows that by preparing in advance and studying over a longer period of time, that a person is better enabled to recall more information with greater accuracy. Plus, what the person studying rarely realizes is that cramming information into the memory with such a short amount of time is actually counterproductive to the learning process.

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Let’s start with the day before the exam. The morning and early afternoon before should be the test should be the last time that you look at your notes. This should be the time when you are actually talking out loud to yourself about your notes; read your notes, ask yourself questions. By reading aloud, you are giving your brain another way to record and remember the information. Studying should stop by 3pm. The rest of the day should be spent relaxing; read, go for a walk, watch a movie, hang out with friends. {If the test you are taking the next day is, say, the SATs you can spend more time talking about the concepts of your exam with friends and family – but no actual studying}. For dinner be sure to eat a healthy and satisfying meal, no alcohol, excess sugar, or caffeine.

In fact, there should be no alcohol consumed at all that day; and caffeine and sugar should not be consumed after 12pm the day before. Avoiding alcohol seems like an obvious decision; but limiting caffeine and sugar are sometimes confusing to people. The reason you don’t want to ingest large amounts of these three is because the caffeine and sugar have a tendency to make people jittery and stay up longer. Add that with the anxiety of taking an exam, and it’s almost impossible to get a solid night’s sleep.

The evening before be sure to go to bed early. The human brain and body need at least 7.5 hours of sleep an evening. To help you calculate the time you should be going to bed, consider these factors. What time is your test tomorrow? How long will it take you to get there? Be sure to include time for breakfast. Once you know what time you should be asleep, two hours before that begin to winding down your day. You know the ways in which you relax best, so do those activities; read a book in bed, drink a cup of decaf tea, take a hot shower or bath, etc.

The morning of your test is here! Again, remember you want to wake up with plenty of time to eat breakfast and arrive to your test. This morning you need a breakfast that is going to carry you through whatever morning activities you have up until the end of your test. No coffee, caffeine, or sugar today – instead, focus on a meal that has plenty of protein and starchy carbs. I recommend having a bagel sandwich with egg and cheese on it. Also, your morning drink should include juice, water, or milk. Again, the goal here is to give your body the fuel it needs for a healthy day.

The day of your test, don’t study or look at your notes. By doing this, you won’t be remembering anything important. Instead, you’ll be psyching yourself out of what you do know and worrying about what it is that you think you forgot to study for. It’s very counterproductive. What can help you is to find someone you know who is also taking the same exam and talk about it with them. This activity will get you more into the conversation and less into worrying.

For those students taking a longer more comprehensive exam, such as the SATs or finals, there are a few different steps to take. Be sure to wear comfortable clothing, in layers, so you can add or remove clothing according to your body temperature. Also, bring several pencils and hair rubber bands for longer hair. It’s a good idea to not wear a watch and leave your cell phone in your car or backpack. When you are taking the test, be sure to give yourself a break, literally; take at least one bathroom break during the exam – even if you don’t need to use the restroom. Just by going outside of the testing area, walking around, and breathing – you are mentally making yourself ready to complete your test.

All of these preparation steps are meant to encourage your body and brain to be as relaxed as possible. By following these guidelines for the two days before a test, you will be reducing the anxiety you feel. And by reducing your nervousness about the test, you will allow yourself to perform better on it.

Another article that I wrote earlier, Learning is like Eating a Steak, gives pointers on how to study and learn better. That article focuses more on the learning process; whereas this one focuses on those last crucial hours before an exam.

http://educationshortlist.com/index.php?s=learning+like+steak&Search.x=0&Search.y=0&Search=Search

http://www.oregonlive.com/books/index.ssf/2009/09/essay_why_i_loathe_goodnight_m.html

There was a time no other words could stir terror for my wife quite like these: “In the great green room, there was a telephone, and a red balloon, and a picture of …”

In the dark places of her heart, the places we try never to let our children see, she loathed “Goodnight Moon.” I mean, loathed it.

I could sympathize. Some well-meaning friend gave us the board-book version of Margaret Wise Brown’s perennial best-seller as a baby shower gift before our daughter was born. And, for the first three, maybe four hundred times through I could manufacture an enthusiastic reading voice while she followed along, mesmerized by the little rabbit’s ingenious ploy to put off bedtime by saying goodnight to everything in the great green room.

Then a trace of nausea would set in. Who, I would ask myself as I read on auto-pilot, who in their right mind — other than the person who chose to slop yellow paint several shades brighter than the sun in our master bath — who would paint their walls traffic-signal green and then cover the floors in a red the color of rage?

As our girl graduated to playing “where’s the mouse” with each double-truck picture in the book, my mind would really wander. Why doesn’t the rabbit say goodnight to the telephone? I mean, it’s the FIRST object mentioned in the book. Why don’t the kittens eat the mouse and leave its tail and one foot on the porch, as our cat would? Why doesn’t the mouse finish off the bowl full of mush? Maybe it’s rancid because this book has been festering since the 1940s.

“Daddy,” she would say, pulling me back from the glassy-eyed brink of a coma, “keep reading.”

Clearly, we had to hide “Goodnight Moon.” It was us or the book. Our daughter embraced other stories and moved on. We were a happier family for it. It’s possible that gas prices dipped, the stock market rallied and violence in Iraq ebbed.

Then our son arrived. Our own little bedtime-fighter. Our fast crawler, early runner, fearless climber. Our nonbook lover.

In a house of readers, concern grew as fast as our second child. Encouragement to read books, doubled. Pediatrician, pressed for answers. Aunts with older kids, cornered at family gatherings.

Until almost age 2, when the books came out, he would wander off to roll a toy truck or chuck a Mega Blok or perfect his long ball on the Little Tikes basketball hoop.

Then, one day while dismantling his bedroom, he found it: “Goodnight Moon.” So, innocently, I started reading about “the old lady whispering ‘hush.’”

Somehow, it spoke to him. Before we sensed danger, he was chasing us down to read it. “Moon,” he would say, pounding the hard book into me until its spine started to crack. Soon my own spine wasn’t far behind. “MOOOOOOOON!”

That’s how I came to love “Goodnight Moon.” This simple bedtime ritual set to gaudy illustrations had turned my book-avoiding son into a reader. I owed it a debt of gratitude. I Googled it, Wikipedia’ed it, New York Times-onlined it.

I learned that Brown’s book nearly faded off the publisher’s list years ago before gradually growing into a classic. Today, it seems, many parents consider it more important than milk to raising a healthy child. Six decades after publication, the book is like Brad Pitt in that movie, the one where he gets younger and better-looking as time goes on. A publisher’s rep told me that “Goodnight Moon” now sells 1million copies a year, more than ever. She didn’t want to discuss the fortune they pay out in royalties.

I prefer to think all that money goes to that little bunny, the junior insomniac who this year turns 62 and becomes eligible for Social Security.

In reality, according to an old Wall Street Journal article I mined off the Internet, Brown’s will bequeathed “Goodnight Moon” royalties to a neighbor boy. He grew up to squander most of the wealth the book brought him.

I obsess about that wealth — or rather a lack of it — often these days. With parenthood I became a full-time father and a part-time writer. I’ll publish 700 or 800 words that bring in a few hundred extra dollars in the spaces between diaper duties and preschool pick-ups, while my wife earns the steady paychecks.

Then, not long ago, the Social Security Administration mailed my annual statement. My small income and the SSA’s assumption (perhaps correctly) that my earnings potential has peaked resulted in a calculation that my monthly benefit will be just $612 when I qualify in another couple of decades.

The royalties alone for all those copies of “Goodnight Moon,” all 130 words of it, bring several times that sum on every day’s sales, day in and day out. With no poopy diapers.

The other day, our copy of “Goodnight Moon” finally gave out. The back cover, weakened as my son smacked it against me, separated from the rest of the book, taking the last few pages with it. This was my chance.

But my wife by now had formed an uneasy truce with the book that turned our son into a little book guy. She painted our bright yellow bathroom a soothing green the paint store named “Balance” and then promptly went out and bought a new copy of “Goodnight Moon.” Its colors seem especially bright. Its cover is really hard.

At bedtime that night, our son grasped his new book and leaned over and bonked me in the head with it. “MOOOOOOOON!” he insisted, opening the book to the great green room.

Oh, how I loathe “Goodnight Moon.”

Remember when we were in junior high or high school? When you would call the girl or boy you liked, dial their number and then hang up real quick once they answered? Ahh, the good ol’ days. Or remember watching the Simpsons and listening to Bart crank call Moe’s Tavern? Funny stuff that Bart.

Ring Ring...crazy person on the line

Since starting my own business, a tutoring company, I have had some annoying, albeit interesting, crank calls. Five of those that were especially crazy stick out in my memories.

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– A girl called saying she was a homeless Romanian gypsy; wanted to learn how to read and write. She was homeless but wanted to pay by check. When I asked where Romania was, she said North Africa. When I asked her how she found out about our company, she said she looked it up on the internet. How exactly does a homeless person who can’t read or write or spell know how to search on the internet?

– A man called, after business hours, and left a message. In a very weird voice said, “Umm, I want, I want some of your tutoring…yea, yea, I want to get tutored. Hahahahah ‘F&^k You.’ My number is 555-555-5555″ The idiot left his phone number to that horrid message.

— A girl called to say that she doesn’t know how to read or write, but has to get her GED. She ran out of her trust fund and now needed an education. When I asked what was the last grade she completed, she said 10th grade. I asked if she knew how to read/write to that level – she said yes, but not after that. And that her trust fund ran out so now she needed to learn.

— A man called wanting tutoring for his special needs son. Wanted his son to learn ‘basic life skills.’ I actually believed this one, so I showed up to the appointment. No father, no son. When I called the phone number given to me – it was disconnected.

—A mother ‘desperate’ for tutoring for her son made me schedule a weekend appointment. I showed up, so did she — without the son. Instead of the consultation she wanted all of our forms and paperwork so she could take it home (all of our documents are copyrighted). She said to bill her for the time. Never could do that without an address or a consultation. Never heard from again.

There are other ones, but those are definitely the five weirdest.

Even though it takes time away from my day to handle crank phone calls, I learn a very valuable lesson from them.

When I first started my business, I would show up to all of the booked appointments, even when the customer didn’t. It was a loss of my time and my money. Each one of those ‘no show’ consultations led to a major change in our company’s policy. Now, for each consult we require a depost. Since the inception of the deposit requirement, I have only had one person never show up.

By looking at the whole picture, it’s easy to be irritated. But for me, I think it’s funny. Come on, how many homeless Romanian gypsies do you know that have a checking account? Plus, now, I’ve learned from those experiences, made my company stronger, and I am more protected from the gypsies.

Patterson, one of the world’s best-selling novelists, touts six children’s books he’s featured on his website ReadKiddoRead.com. His Daniel X: Watch the Skies is currently The New York Times’ No. 1 best-selling children’s chapter book.

James Patterson, children's author

The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Scieszka.
What if the Ugly Duckling grew up to be even uglier? These ­wonderfully warped fairy tales have shown up in a couple of my Cross novels, when Alex Cross would read Stinky Cheese to his kids. They always laugh uproariously, as did my son Jack when he was younger.

Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat.
Nate understands that you have to solve a few minor-league cases before you can move on to Sam Spade–style crime-stopping. Great stories and snappy, clear writing. Attentive readers can help Nate pick up clues along the way.

Sideways Stories From Wayside School by Louis Sachar.
Each chapter can stand alone, and kids can skip around to their favorite stories. Relatable because it’s school-based, it’s also insanely funny, in a black humor kind of way, so parents will like it, too. This might not make sense now, but: Beware of the kid wearing multiple raincoats!

My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett.
Something we often forget is that kids love to laugh, and books can achieve this sometimes even better than film or TV. What makes My Father’s Dragon work so well is how Elmer always seems to come up with the most unexpected solutions to problems he encounters on his journey. How did he know that two dozen pink lollipops and six magnifying glasses would come in handy?

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.
This novel might be intimidating if Selznick hadn’t decided to make half the story a cool flipbook of ­illustrations. It’s like watching and reading a great silent movie. An engaging story with fun, interactive elements that will help turn your kid into a reader.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.
The wildly popular Wimpy Kid books ­successfully bridge the gap between graphic novels and chapter books—which is quite a feat. Boys especially love this series.

http://www.theweek.com/article/index/99704/Best_books__chosen_by_James_Patterson

Are any of these books favorites of your children or students? I know that Diary of a Wimpy Kid is always one of the first choices; plus the Stinky Cheese Man. It would be fun to know which books make the cut off list for you.

I know, I know, there is an A in the word team, that the clique goes, “There’s no I in team;” but I believe that when it comes to academics that there’s no A goes all the way.

Although I don’t know who came up with the phrase, I do know that it’s said to encourage people who normally don’t like to share or work with others to do just that. And while that is a great (really it is) ideal, it isn’t realistic. Even more important is that the message being sent to students is a mixed one; ending in dismal results.

In every student’s life there are group projects. Usually it’s brought up with big projects, where parts can be broken down, and then distributed amongst the group. In an ideal world each person would work diligently on their assigned part, spend time as group making sure all of those pieces fit together perfectly, and smile with content looks on their faces as they receive the grade worthy of an A, for a ‘job well done.’ But we all know the reality of that. In fact, I can guarantee that each person reading this right now has a story they can share of when that didn’t happen to them. I myself can think of three.

So, why do we continue to do this? Why as educators do we still believe that group projects work? Who thought of them to begin with? If it’s to better prepare students for later life and working, I have two questions. One, why do we want to make school like work? And when does that actually happen at the office? It doesn’t; it’s the person who works the hardest for themselves that wins; or the person who screws over the others, takes all the credit and glory, and still wins.

Personally, I think that group projects should be part of the learning experience. Yet, I would take it from being larger graded work to more of an in-class set up. Then, students will understand the practicality of it, but not be hindered by the grade aspect.

Teachers are constantly being taught and told how to better instruct their students. From ‘teaching to the test’, thematic units, and multicultural education, there are a variety of strategies that can be implemented into lesson plans. When I was in graduate school I felt overwhelmed by the options available to teachers. The one that I related to the most is Multiple Intelligences.

Howard Gardner developed the theory of Multiple Intelligences in the 1970s. He viewed intelligence as ‘the capacity to solve problems or to fashion products that are valued in one or more cultural setting’ (Gardner & Hatch, 1989). And he believed that people learned and retained information in different ways, thereby meaning that their intelligence, or expertise, was lead by that certain method of learning.

Howard Gardner originally believed there were seven intelligences, and in the 1990s added the eighth – naturalistic. If I am correct in my research, he is currently conducting research to see if there are more.

Bodily-Kinesthetic

This area has to do with bodily movement and physiology. In theory, people who have bodily-kinesthetic intelligence should learn better by involving muscular movement, i.e. getting up and moving around into the learning experience, and are generally good at physical activities such as sports or dance.

Interpersonal

This area has to do with interaction with others. They communicate effectively and empathize easily with others, and may be either leaders or followers. They typically learn best by working with others and often enjoy discussion and debate.

Verbal-linguistic

This area has to do with words, spoken or written. They are typically good at reading, writing, telling stories and memorizing words along with dates. They tend to learn best by reading, taking notes, listening to lectures, and discussion and debate.

Logical-mathematical

This area has to do with logic, abstractions, reasoning, and numbers.

Visual-spatial

This area has to do with vision and spatial judgment. People with strong visual-spatial intelligence are typically very good at visualizing and mentally manipulating objects.

There appears to be a high correlation between spatial and mathematical abilities, which seems to indicate that these two intelligences are not independent.

Naturalistic

This area has to do with nature, nurturing and relating information to one’s natural surroundings. They are also good at recognizing and classifying different species. They must connect a new experience with prior knowledge to truly learn something new.

Intrapersonal

This area has to do with introspective and self-reflective capacities. Those who are strongest in this intelligence are typically introverts and prefer to work alone. They are usually highly self-aware and capable of understanding their own emotions, goals and motivations. They often have an affinity for thought-based pursuits such as philosophy. They learn best when allowed to concentrate on the subject by themselves. There is often a high level of perfectionism associated with this intelligence.

Musical

This area has to do with rhythm, music, and hearing. Since there is a strong auditory component to this intelligence, those who are strongest in it may learn best via lecture. In addition, they will often use songs or rhythms to learn and memorize information, and may work best with music playing in the background.

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Graph of Multiple Intelligences

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I use Multiple Intelligences strategies because I feel that when students understand how they learn, they are more enabled to make lessons and life work for themselves. Also, as a classroom teacher by integrating Multiple Intelligences ideas into your lessons, it allows you to be more flexible and creative with their presentation. In math, have students write their answers on paper or wipe boards; use pictures to calculate results. Do more hands on experiments in science; take the class outside to read. Once you start adjusting your lessons and inserting Multiple Intelligences into it, you are making a variety of lessons, thereby bringing more creativity to the format, and engaging a larger range of your students.

An added benefit, is that when the theory of Multiple Intelligences is that when it is explained it can assists you in better understanding how you learn and retain knowledge and experiences. Therefore, by knowing how you learn you are then better-abled to ensure that when information is presented to you, that you in turn remember it in such a way that is best for your learning style.

To see what your learning style is, print out this quiz provided by Scholastic.

http://printables.scholastic.com/printables/detail/?id=36447&ESP=PRT/ib//acq/teachersapprec///teachersarticle/freeprintable

http://printables.scholastic.com/printables/detail/?id=36447&ESP=PRT/ib//acq/teachersapprec///teachersarticle/freeprintable

Ahh, the beginning of September. Time for one last family road trip. Time to get ready for school to begin, and the time to…be upset with the President’s speech to our school children?

Last week President Obama addressed school-aged students about education. As with any political speech there were boo-ers and cheer-ers. Personally, I believe that when the President speaks it’s important to listen; whichever political stance you take, the President should reaffirm your beliefs and values.

However, taking a political side is not the meaning of this post. Even though I am no longer in a classroom setting; I have talked to fellow teachers and students about their experience with the President’s address. Two teachers told me that they had the students listen to it, one told me that he had students write letters to the President, including their views, in response. Each student that I’ve spoken to said that their teachers didn’t really do anything with it, except listen to the speech and talk about it in the classroom. I felt confident that the reason many educators didn’t use this as a teachable moment was due to potential frustration expressed by their students’ families.

Although the speech has since passed, it is important to not pass by opportunities for teachable moments. President Obama did not speak to our nation’s children as just a Democrat; but as a father of children and the leader of our country. I am sure that there was a part of that speech that each person could find agreement with. Who doesn’t feel that watching less television is good? Or that children, and adults alike, should be aware of what they write on their social networking page? In short, each person is sure to find parts of the President’s speech that are relatable. Take the time and discover which passage connects with you, thereby creating a teachable moment for the children in your life.

Additional Resources and Commentary on President Obama’s speech

New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/09/education/09educ.html?_r=1&ref=education

Actual Speech Remarks from the President

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-in-a-National-Address-to-Americas-Schoolchildren/

Article from The Week Magazine

http://www.theweek.com/article/index/100390/Obamas_pep_talk_The_tempest_in_a_classroom

Secondary article from The Week Magazine on the President’s Speech

http://www.theweek.com/article/index/100140/Obamas_school_speech_lesson

Back in May I wrote about a unique charity program called, Donors Choose. Basically, it is an online charity program, where teachers in need across the country, can post what their classroom or school is needing. Then, anyone can log onto the site, see where they can help, and then do so. It is unique, in that, it allows schools from anywhere in the U.S. to receive support from people across the country.

This past weekend, I found out that Sonic Drive In is supporting Donors Choose through the month of September. As it is the beginning of the school year, schools, teachers, and students are in need – some desperately – of the tools that will allow their students to become successful. If you can, take the time to check out one of the sites and support your local school.

http://limeadesforlearning.com/microsites/limeades4learning/index.jsp

http://www.donorschoose.org/

This is an article I read earlier this year from the New York Times and Chef Tom Colicchio. I felt that it was relevant now, as kids are going back to school. Next week, I will be writing again about what our students are eating at school and how we can help to infuse more healthy food options.

The Man Himself -- Tom Colicchio

Chef Tom Colicchio is known in the culinary world for his Craft restaurants, but many people recognize him as the head judge on the popular cooking show “Top Chef.”

This weekend, Mr. Colicchio’s focus will shift to children, family food battles and the challenges parents face in trying to improve the quality of food their children will eat. We’ll be talking about how to raise a healthy eater as part of a panel at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. The panel also includes television personality Rachael Ray; cookbook author and parent Jessica Seinfeld; South Beach diet founder Dr. Arthur Agatston; and Brian Wansink, Cornell University professor and author of the popular book “Mindless Eating.”

Recently I spoke with Mr. Colicchio, who has a teenage son, about the challenges parents face when it comes to feeding their kids.

Does having a father who is a chef make a difference in your son’s eating habits?

I don’t think having a father as a chef makes you any more or less susceptible to eating unhealthy food. If he’s out with his friends he’s going to do what his friends are doing. He’s like most kids. He’s not a chicken finger kid, and we’re not big fast food eaters. But it’s still a struggle to get him to eat healthy food. He’d rather grab a Sprite. But he enjoys good food. His idea of a great meal is seafood.

What do you think is the most important thing you’ve done to shape his eating habits?

We’re eating healthier food at home, so he’s eating what we’re eating. For us the challenge is he likes soda and he likes sweets, so we have to limit that. I think the patterns are set very early when the kids are young. But at the same time, there are some flavors kids just don’t like. For him, he’ll eat peas, but he doesn’t like broccoli. Green was always an issue. For a while he wouldn’t eat anything with chopped parsley. He still doesn’t eat raw tomatoes, it’s the gook inside. I had the same issue when I was a kid. But there are also things he loves that he probably wouldn’t if he hadn’t been exposed to them. For instance, he loves caviar.

Do you talk to him about healthy eating?

Giving him a choice between something that is unhealthy and something healthy, that’s not the choice. It’s between good and bad, well prepared and poorly prepared. He used to complain that the school cafeteria food was so bad he wouldn’t eat it. He used to like boxed mac and cheese, but once he got the real stuff, he said he didn’t want the boxed stuff anymore.

Does it surprise you how popular your show is with kids?

I travel around and hear from so many kids. Their parents say they were always very picky but they watch the show and they want to try stuff. The show is entertainment, but I think it has done so much for the public perception of what food can be.

Should restaurants be doing more to promote healthful eating?

What chefs can do when it comes to getting the word out is have people understand food differently. If food is well sourced and well prepared, I don’t think the word healthy needs to be brought into it. It’s healthy because it’s wholesome. That’s what we should focus on. You can buy a box of low-fat macaroni and cheese made with powdered nonsense. I’m not worried if I’m using four different cheeses and it’s high in fat. It’s real food. That’s what’s more important.

What do you say to parents who work all day and rely on packaged foods for convenience?

I want to feed my kid something that is real and not processed. It’s hard to do. People are working and busy. The question is: Is it worth it? Is it worth stopping at the farm stand or supermarket to buy fresh ingredients? Even just choosing whether to buy a head of lettuce. Do you buy fresh or the prewashed lettuce in a bag with the nutrients leached out of it? That’s what’s more important to me.

But isn’t cooking something from scratch going to be a lot easier for you than most people?

I think some people think that just because you’re a chef, you’re eating gourmet meals every night. It’s not the case. It’s just not practical. For me, though, I do think it’s probably much easier to just go to a farmers’ market and just put something together. I don’t have to look for a recipe.
Question

Can you give me an example of a quick recipe you might make at home?

I can go out and buy clams and some shallots and garlic, chop it up, put some wine in it, olive oil. Let the clams steam open, add chopped up tomatoes and mustard greens and toss with pasta. That is going to take me 20 minutes. It’s a great simple pasta dish. It is that easy. Anybody can do it if they want to do it. It just takes practice.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/even-top-chefs-have-picky-kids/?ex=1250744400&en=e2d92e7e05c573c3&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=HL-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M082-ROS-0209-PH&WT.mc_ev=click

Although this blog is centered in Portland, Oregon I work diligently to provide information and resources that pertain to education and small businesses from around the United States. However, I found a list of statistics that are specifically about PDX and felt that this was an opportunity to shine a line on Oregon.

PDX Index for Small Businesses by Ariel Bleicher, printed in Portland Monthly Magazine

17 Age of Paresh Patel in 1992, when he started Courtesy Vending with one machine; today the company has 1,500 machines.

26 percent of small businesses owned by women in Oregon.

73 percent of small businesses in Oregon with no employees other than the owner (in other words, sole proprietorship).

95 percent of businesses in the metro area with fifty or less employees.

500 maximum number of employees a magazine publisher can hire and still qualify as a small business.

1,000 is the maximum number of employees a cereal manufacturer can hire and still qualify as a small business.

1,239 number of loans (totaling $273 million) the Small Business Administration granted to Portland businesses in 2008.

259,023 number of Oregonians employed by small businesses in Portland.

Do you know how your city or state compares?