A Self-Appointed Teacher Runs a One-Man ‘Academy’ on YouTube


CAROL’S SUMMARY:

Salman Khan, 33-year-old began making lecture videos from his home studio in 2006; and has now become The Khan Academy on YouTube. Khan has created over 1,400 videos on various academic subjects. Khan states in the article below, “The Khan Academy explicitly challenges many of higher-education’s most sacred assumptions: that professional academics make the best teachers; that hour long lectures are the best way to relate material; and that in-person teaching is better than videos. Mr. Khan argues that his little lectures disprove all of that.” Khan has received over $150,000 in donations and has helped many students further understand classroom material. “When I called a couple of students who posted enthusiastic posts to Facebook, they said they saw it as a helpful supplement to the classroom experience,” said Khan.

YouTube is a great way to communicate with others and to share new ideas. Creative thinking is important in achieving academic success. Not every student learns the same way and having alternative teaching options is another way to help students become more successful. LifeBound’s materials designed for grades 5-12 promote students to be creative.  Through tips and helpful strategies students can become more academically and career successful.. LifeBound is currently networking through Facebook, Twitter, and a blog page. To learn more about LifeBound’s materials visit www.lifebound.com or email contact@lifebound.com.


ARTICLE:

A Self-Appointed Teacher Runs a One-Man ‘Academy’ on YouTube

Are his 10-minute lectures the future?

The Chronicle of Higher Education

By Jeffrey R. Young

June 6, 2010

The most popular educator on YouTube does not have a Ph.D. He has never taught at a college or university. And he delivers all of his lectures from a bedroom closet.

This upstart is Salman Khan, a 33-year-old who quit his job as a financial analyst to spend more time making homemade lecture videos in his home studio. His unusual teaching materials started as a way to tutor his faraway cousins, but his lectures have grown into an online phenomenon—and a kind of protest against what he sees as a flawed educational system.


http://chronicle.com/article/A-Self-Appointed-Teacher-Runs/65793/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

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College awareness: How much is too much?


Carol’s Summary:

A Michigan School district has recently started a program to inform children about college options from as early as preschool and kindergarten, which begs the question: How early is too early for children to start thinking about college? 

During the district’s week-long college awareness program, elementary school children write about what career they’d like to have and even take a walking tour of Eastern Michigan University. There are concerns that a program like this may put too much pressure on such young children.

In San Francisco schools, a program was announced to begin next fall that will provide a college savings fund for each child entering kindergarten in one of their public schools.  Between $50 and $100 in deposits will be put in each child’s account annually, and they will also be encouraged to start thinking about college at an early age.

While it is important for children to think about college and what they would like to do in the future, what age is an appropriate time to do so? At LifeBound, we believe it is important to discuss the importance of all stages of education in all stages of life.

Our book Success in Middle School introduces students to the possibility of going to college and what steps to take to succeed throughout middle school and beyond, in order to build and maintain a strong academic basis for attending college. For more information about Success in Middle School and other Lifebound books, visit www.lifebound.com or e-mail contact@lifebound.com.

Article:

The Washington Post

June 3, 2010

College awareness: How much is too much?

By Valerie Strauss

How old should children be before they are asked to start worrying about going to college? Eight years old? Ten? Thirteen? Fifteen?

How about 5?

Here’s part of a story in the Detroit News about an early awareness program in the Kalamazoo School district:

At age 5, Jeremiah Kagumba spoke often of playing professional basketball. But after his elementary school held a college awareness week, he decided he would become a doctor.

To read the full article:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/higher-education/college-awareness-in-kindergar.html



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President of Kaplan College Campus Is Fired Over ‘English Only’ Dispute

Spanish-speaking students at Kaplan College in California recently faced discrimination in the form of English-only policies implemented by the college’s president, Dennis Manzo. Manzo has been fired for his actions, including publicly acknowledging the Spanish-speaking students in front of classmates.

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New Group Will Help Community Colleges Become More Globally Focused

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

The Center for Global Advancement of Community Colleges aims to work with two-year institutions to help them strengthen their global focus. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education article below, “they will work to recruit more students from overseas and to build greater recognition of the American community-college system abroad.” The end goal is to ensure students graduate prepared for a global marketplace.

Community College students in America need to know about the world—cultures, economic disparities, languages, nuances in working environments—to be world-class ready upon graduation. This world knowledge can and should begin in high school and be emphasized throughout college. Almost every classroom has a rich ability to draw out the history and background of each student in that class, whether they are foreign born or their families immigrated to the U.S. hundreds of years ago. When students know more about the world, they will know more about themselves.

LifeBound shares this goal. All LifeBound materials profile international students and enforce 21st century skills so that students successfully transition from fifth through twelfth grade, graduate high school and enter college well aware of the world around them. Our get ready for college book, JUNIOR GUIDE TO SENIOR YEAR SUCCESS, for example, features college essays from students in Shanghai and Bangladesh as well as perspectives from people around the world who are solving the world’s greatest problems. Schools and curricula that promote worldwide understanding will help all students succeed in the years to come.

ARTICLE:

The Chronicle of Higher Education
May 13, 2010
New Group Will Help Community Colleges Become More Globally Focused
By Karin Fischer

Several veterans of international education have started a new membership organization that will seek to help community colleges become more globally focused.

The Center for Global Advancement of Community Colleges will work with two-year institutions to recruit more students from overseas and to build greater recognition of the American community-college system abroad.

To view this entire article visit www.chronicle.com

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Nation has high college remedial education rate

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

The data on remedial courses in college is startling. According to the Associated Press article below:

• Nationwide, about a third of first-year students in 2007-08 had taken at least one remedial course, according to the U.S. Department of Education. At public two-year colleges, that number rises to about 42 percent.
• In a 2007 ACT National Curriculum Survey of college professors, 65 percent said their states poorly prepare students for college-level coursework.
• The Alliance for Excellent Education estimates the nation loses $3.7 billion a year because students are not learning basic needed skills, including $1.4 billion to provide remedial education for students who have recently completed high school.

High schools today teach a broad understanding of a wide range of subjects, but college requires more specific skills and knowledge. Also, the recent focus on higher education has pushed academically weak students into college when they would otherwise prefer vocational training. “We’re telling kids you’ll be a third-class citizen if you don’t go to college,” said Marty Nemko, an education policy consultant and author. “And colleges are taking kids who in previous generations would not have gone to college.”

Properly preparing college-bound students, while giving students options such as apprenticeship programs similar to those offered in Finland, Japan and Germany would create a stronger workforce and ultimately strengthen the US economy. LifeBound’s books are designed to make cross-curricular connections with the courses students are already studying so that they connect their learning in class to their lives and other courses. Our new book, LEADERSHIP FOR TEENAGERS: From Antiquity to the 21st Century, exemplifies this strategy while helping students build the practical skills they need to make a difference in school, their community and the world as a whole.

ARTICLE:

Nation has high college remedial education rate
By CHRISTINE ARMARIO
Associated Press
May 11, 2010

DAVIE, Fla. — Professor Derron Bowen teaches high school math to college students, patiently chalking equations on the board on basic arithmetic topics such as the speed of a driver on a a 20-hour trip.

Bowen’s class at Broward College in South Florida is for students who didn’t score high enough on an entrance test to get into college-level math. In all, about two-thirds of students entering the community college need to take at least one remedial course in math, English or reading.

Nationwide, about a third of first-year students in 2007-08 had taken at least one remedial course, according to the U.S. Department of Education. At public two-year colleges, that number rises to about 42 percent.

Education observers worry that the vast numbers of students coming to college unprepared will pose a major roadblock to President Barack Obama’s goal for the United States to once again lead the world in college degrees.

To view this entire article visit www.google.com

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Lingering Seniors Get a Soft Shove From Cal State

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

Students with more credit hours than necessary to graduate, but chose to stay in college for more than four years, or “super seniors,” are now seeing a push from California State’s 23 campuses. Due to budget cuts that led to enrollment reductions, the campuses hope to encourage super seniors to graduate in order to make room for new students.

The Cal State administration feels this program is a low-cost way to reduce enrollment pressures and possibly raise their graduation rate (in the fall of 2008, 3 percent of all undergraduates at the Northridge campus alone consisted of super seniors). Each campus will take differing actions, but according to the Chronicle of Higher Education article below, “most will involve holding departments responsible for super seniors, expanding focused advising services, and setting new limits on financial aid.”

The difficulty will be determining which students are staying to party and avoid the real world of work and which students are truly lost, trying to find their desired career path through trial and error. College is a time of self-discovery and character building, and like with most things, each person is on their own clock. We don’t want to rush students through such a pivotal time in their lives. That’s why LifeBound’s materials help 5-12 grade students discover their gifts and talents, become emotionally intelligent, encourage critical and creative thinking and develop effective study habits – to lead them to earlier self-discovery and prepare them for academic, social and emotional success in order to make the most of college. My book, MAJORING IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, is a great resource for students unsure of their direction in life and seeking guidance. To learn more about LifeBound’s resources or to request a free review copy of any of our texts visit www.lifebound.com or email contact@lifebound.com.

ARTICLE:

Chronicle of Higher Education
May 2, 2010
Lingering Seniors Get a Soft Shove From Cal State
Like other colleges, the system seeks to help longtime students move on
By Josh Keller
Northridge, Calif.

California State University at Northridge just wants Randy Vitangcol to graduate already.
Mr. Vitangcol has been in college since 2005. He is on his second major. By the time he plans to finish college next spring, he expects to have amassed twice as many credit hours as he needs to complete the requirements for his current major, financial services.

“I’ve been in college for so long, sometimes it feels like I don’t know anything else,” he admits. He compares himself to Van Wilder, one of a long line of cinematic college students who party endlessly and studiously avoid graduation.

The Cal State system has historically taken a lax attitude toward “super seniors,” students with large numbers of credit hours who linger in college for more than four years. But no more. After budget cuts forced sharp enrollment reductions over the past few years, many of the system’s 23 campuses have taken aggressive measures to thin their ranks and make room for new blood.

To view this entire article visit www.chronicle.com

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Grade-A ideas

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

The Boston.com article below outlines five creative approaches some Boston schools are taking to “reinvigorate education for all ages.” Among them is teaching Arabic. Nancy Rhodes of the Center for Applied Linguistics says the federal government supports Arabic since “They see it as a real necessity for security and diplomacy issues,” but classes fill up immediately because many students see it as an opportunity to stand out on college applications.

Another approach was inspired by Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus. Researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education are developing hands-on virtual field trips for middle school students to study science. According to the article, “EcoMUVE, a multi-user computer program will enable students to immerse themselves in an ecosystem and gather data to solve problems.” Christopher Dede, one of the lead researchers, explains “We know that active learning is more powerful than passive learning. In virtual worlds, you are not only active, you are in the middle of it. You are wearing the shoes of a scientist.”

Interactive learning engages students and enables them to practice their critical and creative thinking skills in order to apply new knowledge and experiences to information they already know. CRITICAL AND CREATIVE THINKING FOR TEENAGERS promotes these skills and encourages students to apply them to the real world around them, not only academically, but in their personal lives and in their careers. For a free review copy call our toll free number at (877) 737-8510 or email contact@lifebound.com.

Lastly, even teachers need to take a break to find their centers and return to students more effectively. While the article mentions meditation for teachers, coaching your peers/co-workers is also another way to help guide them through sticky situations or ruts in their instruction. For more information on coaches training visit www.lifebound.com or email contact@lifebound.com.

ARTICLE:

Boston.com
THE EDUCATION ISSUE
Grade-A ideas
From virtual-reality science instruction to meditation for teachers, these approaches aim to reinvigorate education for all ages.
By Patti Hartigan
May 2, 2010

Art From the Start The current rage in education is STEM, or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. But creative types are working valiantly to turn STEM into STEAM – with the A standing for the arts. At the Boston Arts Academy, for instance, the arts are infused in every subject. While creative pursuits are often the first to go when budgets are cut, this high school continues to innovate as it engages students through the arts. The ninth grade just wrapped up a unit on African civilization with a multimedia celebration called “Africa Lives.” The students got their hands dirty. And they mastered the material.

“High school shouldn’t be a preparation for life,” says co-headmaster Linda Nathan. “It should be life.”

To view the entire article visit www.boston.com

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Can Learning Be Improved When Budgets Are in the Red?

When budgets are in the red, one option for student success is, at $13.95, MAJORING IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. This book can be used in the summer bridge program or throughout the year in a student success class. This is the first book I wrote and it contains all of the things that employers expect from college graduates, but few people ever bother to tell freshmen so that they can plan for a bright future. Many of the specific tips raised in this important article point directly at student engagement. If we can’t engage them in thoughts about their future and what it might look like, how can we expect them to persist?

Additionally, every chapter of this book features a student who has an internships. Experience is the most valuable thing a college student can get, but they won’t get it in class. Their leadership activities, volunteer activities and internships is the way their experience and practical knowledge can happen.

For budget-strapped universities, this is the best value for college freshmen.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ARTICLE

By W. Robert Connor and Cheryl Ching

A year ago, President Obama set an ambitious goal for American higher education. Alarmed by statistics from the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation that showed the United States is falling behind other developed countries in that regard, he announced that “by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.” That’s a commendable goal, but for it to amount to anything, the quality of student engagement and learning has to improve as well. Can that be done at a time when college budgets are under strain on many fronts?

To view entire article visit
http://bit.ly/aeQB2t

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Want a Higher G.P.A.? Go to a Private College

Grade inflation has risen among private colleges, especially in the last decade. However, my colleagues who teach at a range of colleges from four year to community college to career schools, believe that students have come to expect that because they are paying for college they should be getting—not earning—good grades. Many professors feel that the students have the “you work for me” attitude. You can see how these behaviors, when unaddressed, create problems of expectation and work culture once these students graduate and begin work in a professional environment. Professors can most help students by emphasizing:

1) The extent to which you are challenged—even if you earn a C—is more important than taking an easy teacher where you get An “A”

2) The real-world expects you to challenge yourself in increasingly more complex ways. If you expect your boss to let you off the hook on a non-deliverable or late work, think again. This could cost you a pay increase or even your job.

3) Focus as much on the interesting experiences you can create for yourself as, in the end, these are often more important than your GPA unless you want to become a professor, a research scientist or get into medical school.

4) Ask the question: if you were a manager, would you hire yourself based on these actions?

Bottom line is that we can’t continue to coddle today’s students or we won’t have a strong, resilient, capable and forward-thinking people to solve our greatest problems in business, community, science, and world-wide issues.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ARTICLE
Want a Higher G.P.A.? Go to a Private College
By CATHERINE RAMPELL
Over the last 50 years, college grade-point averages have risen about 0.1 points per decade, with private schools fueling the most grade inflation, a recent study finds.

The study, by Stuart Rojstaczer and Christopher Healy, uses historical data from 80 four-year colleges and universities. It finds that G.P.A.’s have risen from a national average of 2.52 in the 1950s to about 3.11 by the middle of the last decade.

http://nyti.ms/9WAXLu

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Community colleges turn to online classes as enrollments spike

Distance-learning has risen in the last year 22% at community colleges. Non-traditional students and students who want the flexibility of on-line courses are powering this trend. If you are a student thinking about one of these courses, here are some things to keep in mind to ensure your success:

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