Mexico’s higher education community is working to “combat soaring dropout rates, a lack of scholarly research, and the poor quality of many of the university’s academic programs,†with Proyecto Aula (Project Classroom), one of several reform efforts modeled after the European Union’s Bologna Process. This process “seeks to establish a common standard for university education and boost student and faculty mobility throughout Europe.†Dr. Jorge Balderrama, a physician, psychologist and professor, is helping lead this change, which “include instituting a flexible and multidisciplinary curriculum, a new emphasis on critical thinking and problem-based learning, and integrating research and technology into the classroom.â€
Teaching With Twitter: Not for the Faint of Heart
Twitter has taken the social media industry by storm, and a few teachers are trying to harness that power for education. In the article below, some colleges are testing a software named Hotseat, “which lets students key in questions from their cell phones or laptops, using Twitter or Facebook.†Sugato Chakravarty, a professor of consumer sciences and retailing at Purdue University is one of two professors testing Hotseat. Asked if students gain too much control of the classroom using Hotseat, Mr. Chakravarty replied, “students in class are online or texting on their phones anyway, so why not try to channel that energy to class discussion?†Monica Rankin PhD., an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, was looking to incorporate more student-centered learning activities in her U.S. History. After some trial and error, Dr. Rankin found that the most effective way to use Twitter to facilitate classroom discussions was to break students into small groups to first discuss the reading, and then have one person in each group tweet the most relevant comments from the group. The comments were projected on a screen for the rest of the class to see what others groups were discussing.
The Puzzle of Boys
CAROL’S SUMMARY:
Girls have been the center of academic debate for years, but now that they make up over half of the college student population, some scholars and psychologists worry about the achievement of boys. The article bellows mentions many books published over the last 20 years on the subject. There is a debate over whether there is a real problem boys are facing today, but many of these books discuss varying degrees of masculinity and the need to shed the stoic, emotionally closed-off stereotype boys.
A psychology professor at New York University, Niobe Way, recently finished a book on her interviews of teenage boys about their friendships. In these interviews, Way discovered that boys frequently said they liked their best friends because “They won’t laugh at me when I talk about serious things.†This emotionally intelligent side of boys is seldom seen and seems to disappear during high school. The article below states that:
“Touchy-feely talk about friendships may seem disconnected from boys’ academic woes, but Way insists they’re pieces of the same puzzle. ‘If you don’t understand the experience of boyhood,’ she says, ‘you’ll never understand the achievement gaps.’â€
Although these studies contain conflicting data, how can parents use this information to raise emotionally intelligent boys?
What can teachers, principals and districts do to make learning more appealing to boys while encouraging emotional intelligence?
How can a middle ground be reached to pull out the best strengths of boys and the best strengths of girls?
ARTICLE:
The Chronicle of Higher Education
November 22, 2009
The Puzzle of Boys
Scholars and others debate what it means to grow up male in America
By Thomas Bartlett
My son just turned 3. He loves trains, fire trucks, tools of all kinds, throwing balls, catching balls, spinning until he falls down, chasing cats, tackling dogs, emptying the kitchen drawers of their contents, riding a tricycle, riding a carousel, pretending to be a farmer, pretending to be a cow, dancing, drumming, digging, hiding, seeking, jumping, shouting, and collapsing exhausted into a Thomas the Tank Engine bed wearing Thomas the Tank Engine pajamas after reading a Thomas the Tank Engine book.
That doesn’t make him unusual; in fact, in many ways, he couldn’t be more typical. Which may be why a relative recently said, “Well, he’s definitely all boy.” It’s a statement that sounds reasonable enough until you think about it. What does “all boy” mean? Masculine? Straight? Something else? Are there partial boys? And is this relative aware of my son’s fondness for Hello Kitty and tea sets?
These are the kinds of questions asked by anxious parents and, increasingly, academic researchers. Boyhood studies—virtually unheard of a few years ago—has taken off, with a shelf full of books already published, more on the way, and a new journal devoted to the subject. Much of the focus so far has been on boys falling behind academically, paired with the notion that school is not conducive to the way boys learn. What motivates boys, the argument goes, is different from what motivates girls, and society should adjust accordingly.
To view this entire article visit www.chronicle.com
Games Evolve as Tools for Teaching Financial Literacy
CAROL’S SUMMARY:
Financial literacy is not required for K-12 instruction, but it is an important real-world skill, especially amid today’s economic crisis. The President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy (founded January 2008) decided that it is the “policy of the Federal Government to encourage financial literacy among the American people.” In January 2009, the Council called for the United States Congress to mandate financial education for all K-12 students.
To improve financial literacy among students, online games are using simulations to appeal to today’s generation of gamers and provide easy integration in core curricula – a bonus since most teachers feel ill-equipped to teach financial literacy. The article below states “A game-based environment allows us to simulate these skills. [Students] can experiment for different outcomes, and they can, through trial and error, begin to develop those skills,†said Katherine Griffin, founder of Griffin Enterprises which created MoneyU, an online game that teaches financial concepts.
What can you as a parent do to promote financial literacy?
How can your child have a stake in their college financial planning now?
ARTICLE:
EducationWeek
November 16, 2009
Games Evolve as Tools for Teaching Financial Literacy
Online simulations emphasize skill development.
By Katie Ash
Although a majority of states do not require financial-literacy classes in K-12 schools, the nation’s recent economic struggles have spurred growing interest in the subject by educators—many of whom are turning to digital-game-based approaches to teach students about personal finance and investing.
“We are pretty much teaching the same things we were teaching prior to the recession, but the biggest difference is the general public is more receptive to the message,†said Laura Levine, a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy and the executive director of the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy, a Washington-based group of organizations that aims to improve financial literacy for students through research, advocacy, and educational resources.
Harnessing the power of digital environments might be an effective way to provide financial education to students, said Jack A. Naglieri, a professor of psychology at George Mason University, in Fairfax, Va., who has conducted research on the effectiveness of digital games for learning.
To view this entire article visit www.edweek.org
Report Highlights Characteristics of Colleges With High Transfer-Success Rates
CAROL’S SUMMARY:
Many students attend community colleges for general studies courses in hopes of transferring to a four-year institution to complete their bachelor’s degree. Unfortunately, not all of these students continue on, which is especially true for minority and low-income students. The article below introduces a new report, Bridging the Gaps to Success: Promising Practices for Promoting Transfer Among Low-Income and First-Generation Students by the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education, that “highlights the work of six Texas community colleges with higher-than-expected transfer rates among their students.†In the report, the Pell Institute found that all six of the Texas community colleges shared three main objectives:
1. Structured academic pathways
2. Cultures emphasizing personal attention to students
3. College presidents and staff from as culturally diverse backgrounds as their students.
The community colleges worked in conjunction both with high schools and their nearby four-year institutions to encourage college coursework in high school to prepare students for college level work and to ensure credit transfer when transitioning to four-year institutions. Starting at a community college is an effective way for students to jump-start their higher education pursuits because it’s more cost effective than going straight to a four-year university or degree program, and these students have an opportunity to prove themselves at the community college level by acquiring strong study skills and qualifying their desire to pursue a higher education. Conversely, if they decide college isn’t for them, they haven’t wasted a lot of time or money, and they can use this information to hone what it is they really want to do for a future vocation or career.
LifeBound’s book, Majoring in the Rest of Your Life: Career Secrets for College Students is a tool for college-bound students, and Pearson Education’s Keys to Effective Learning can help students sharpen their study skills for college level work. Here are questions pertinent to today’s article:
How can community colleges nationwide implement similar objectives to the ones in Texas?
What else can be done at the high school level to help prepare students (especially minority and low-income students) for the rigors of college?
How else can community colleges and four-year institutions ban together to ensure a smooth and effective transition?
ARTICLE:
Chronicle of Higher Education
November 19, 2009
Report Highlights Characteristics of Colleges With High Transfer-Success Rates
By Jennifer Gonzalez
Washington
A new report by the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education may provide clues on how best to shepherd students from two-year to four-year institutions.
The findings come at a time when the Obama administration has put out a clarion call to community colleges to educate an additional five million students by 2020, as part of his broader goal of increasing the proportion of Americans who are college graduates.
“In order to achieve the president’s goal and the goals of so many others, like the Lumina Foundation, you have to tap into this population,” said Chandra Taylor Smith, the institute’s director. “Community colleges are a critical component to achieving the goal of educating more people.”
To view this entire article visit www.chronicle.com
Fairport battles gender gap with all-girls tech program
CAROL’S SUMMARY:
While more girls are enrolled in college now than boys– 44% of boys and 57% of girls, according to the American Council on Education’s Center for Policy Analysis–women aren’t entering technology fields at the same rate as men. In an attempt to close the gender gap in technology classes, Fairport Central School District in upstate New York will begin a two-year pilot program starting the fall of 2010 by offering four all-girl technology courses at two middle schools, a ninth grade school and Fairport High School. According to the article below, computer support specialist, systems administrator and engineering positions are expected to grow significantly by 2010, yet the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cites that although women make up more than half of the work force, they hold only 28% of positions in technology. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women make up a small proportion of professionals in key technology fields:
Physics: 21 percent
Computer science: 18.6 percent
Aerospace engineering: 11.5 percent
Electrical engineering: 10.1 percent
Civil engineering: 9.5 percent
Mechanical engineering: 7.1 percent
Data on gender differences shows there are immutable differences between boys and girls- that there are genetic differences between the sexes. Girls prefer collaborating and working in quieter environments to understand a concept or process completely. They focus on doing quality work and helping others. Boys, on the other hand, tend to complete tasks quickly and they also are more motivated by competitive environments with clearly defined winners and losers than girls. The idea of all-girl technology courses is to draw on this knowledge of different learning styles and make technology classes more inviting for girls.
Regardless of the student’s gender, here are questions to consider:
How can schools and parents best apply the data on gender differences to promote cognitive and emotional development in both boys and girls?
What competencies will students need in the future to thrive?
Other than reverting to single sex schools, which is one option, what can schools do to transform themselves into ‘learning communities’ dedicated to creating the conditions to develop the gifts, talents and passions of all learners?
ARTICLE
Democrat and Chronicle via ASCD feed
by Ernst Lamothe, Jr.
November 16, 2009
The Fairport Central School District has approved an aggressive approach to counteract the gender gap in technology classes. The district will begin a two-year pilot program starting next fall to create four all-girl technology courses — one each at Fairport High School, Minerva DeLand School (ninth grade), and Martha Brown and Johanna Perrin middle schools. Enrollment will be voluntary in compliance with Title IX.
“Girls sometimes won’t take technology classes because they don’t want to be the only girl in a class or in a technology club,” said Dave Allyn, a special assignment administrator for the Fairport school district. “Job growth is happening in engineering and some of the sciences where old stereotypes persist about those male-dominated fields, and we need to make our young women aware that there is an opportunity for them.”
To view the entire article visit
http://bit.ly/3uZnQI
Turnaround President Makes the Most of His Colleges’ Small Size
CAROL’S SUMMARY:
Leadership can be a vexing topic for me because while many people can manage, few people are inspiring enough to be leaders. I’ve seen that leadership skills are what propel principals to create better schools, teachers better classrooms and counselors better advocates for student success. Emotional intelligence has become a vital part of how today’s leaders meet the significant challenges they face. Being courageous enough to challenge a broken situation with several alternatives, champion a student who is letting themselves off the hook on their abilities, or call forth a colleague who can be performing optimally but is choosing mediocrity is the beginning of courageous conversations which change outcomes.
Small, liberal-arts colleges are facing hard times in today’s economy, and G.T. Smith is trying to change that through leadership and genuine relationships. In the Chronicle of Higher Education article below, Mr. Smith states “The underlying thing for me is relationships—hardly anything important happens that doesn’t have to do with relationships. It’s getting to know people, being interested in them. … Life is built on genuine relationships, where trust and integrity are without question. When that is there, there are no limits.” Mr. Smith’s role model for fostering a sense of community to improve failing small, liberal-arts colleges is Howard Lowry, the College of Wooster’s seventh president where Mr. Smith attended as a student. Mr. Lowry wrote an essay for The Atlantic Monthly in 1966 defending the liberal-arts college in response to W. Allen Wallis’s article predicting the coming irrelevancy of small colleges unless they conformed into university-like institutions. Mr. Lowry’s essay argued that small colleges give students “the capacity to survive change” during “a time when colleges are trying to prepare students for careers 10 years away that do not now exist.”
How can today’s colleges and universities appeal to incoming freshmen’s need for belonging?
How can higher education foster a sense of community with high schools?
How can you be courageous as a leader in the role you play to challenge the status quo and bring about positive change?
ARTICLE:
November 15, 2009
Chronicle of Higher Education
By Scott Carlson
Elkins, W.Va.
Most people here know G.T. Smith simply as “Buck,” a grandfatherly figure who strolls around the wooded campus of Davis & Elkins College picking up bits of litter and chatting up students, professors, and groundskeepers by name.
But in higher education, Mr. Smith is known as a turnaround artist, a man with the talent and disposition to take a failing college and transform it into a winner. Here, at 74 years old, taking no salary, he is trying to save a tiny, debt-ridden college in one of the poorest states in the country. His strategy is so simple and earnest, it may sound naïve to the jaded.
To view the entire article visit
http://chronicle.com/article/Turnaround-President-Makes-the/49138/
Number of Foreign Students in the U.S. Hit New High Last Year
CARO’LS SUMMARY
President Obama is in China this week as part of his four-stop trip to Asia, having visited Japan and Singapore earlier this month, he arrived in Shanghai yesterday and will fly to Beijing later today. In a town-hall style meeting where the president spoke to college students in Shanghai–most were hand picked by the officials of the Chinese government–he praised their country for its spectacular rise in the global economy and said the United States welcomes their success. China experienced a sharp slowdown last year and early this year, but is now in the midst of another growth spurt. According to expert forecasters, the country’s economy is likely to grow by about 8 percent, by far the best performing major economy, accounting for much of the world’s economic growth this year. They are expected to surpass Germany as the world’s biggest exporter, and hit a trade surplus in excess of $200 billion.
One result of their country’s economic growth is an influx of Chinese students enrolling in U.S. colleges and universities, as the Chronicle of Higher Education article below reports. More Chinese families can afford to ramp up their children’s educational pursuits and many want to send them to the U. S. for higher education. According to new data from the Institute of International Education in its “Open Doors” report, “Some 671,616 international students attended U.S. institutions in 2008-9, an increase of almost 8 percent from a year earlier. First-time-student enrollments grew even more robustly, by nearly 16 percent.”
However, the news isn’t all good. “Everything has to be set against the economic crisis we’re mired in,” says Ken Curtis, assistant vice president for international education and global engagement at California State University at Long Beach. For example, a survey this fall of 700 institutions shows the downside: While half of the institutions reported foreign-student enrollment increases this year over last, a quarter experienced declines. A second recent survey, by the Council of Graduate Schools, found that growth in the number of first-time international students in American graduate schools was flat. Enrollments from India and South Korea, two of the three largest sources of foreign students, declined. “The question,” says Debra W. Stewart, the council’s president, “is the extent to which we can continue to rely on international students to feed our graduate schools.” Another issue is the decline in graduate enrollments. Both the Open Doors data and the council’s report suggest a shift in the makeup of the international student body in the U.S. The article reports: “If current enrollment trends hold, the number of foreign undergraduates, which includes students studying for associate or bachelor’s degrees, is poised to surpass the number of those pursuing graduate degrees.”
One reason for the declines in foreign-student enrollment is that students are looking elsewhere because the job outlook is bad here. “The U.S. was looked at as a land of opportunities. It was seen as a utopia for good students who were confident they would get jobs,” says Bindu Chopra, head of the Bangalore office of N&N Chopra Consultants, which advises students on studying overseas. “When they see that they are unlikely to get jobs, they’d rather not take loans and spend so much and go for a graduate degree.” Victor C. Johnson, senior adviser for public policy at Nafsa: Association of International Educators, says the recent slowdown points to the need for a national strategy for international-student recruitment. “We don’t want to wake up one day and find out that, because we have not adopted a national policy, we’re no longer competitive,” Mr. Johnson says. “We need to respond before it’s too late to do something.”
A big benefit to U.S. students is for students whose families can’t afford to send them abroad or who may have other reservations about foreign travel, an influx of international students means the world is coming to them. U. S. students need to become more globally minded and see their gifts and talents in the context of our global world. LifeBound’s book, Junior Guide to Senior Year Success: Becoming a Global Citizen, sets a new standard for getting ready for college by helping students think more broadly about their education in the global economy and how this impacts their future career. Study abroad and other programs are explored in the text, and students are exposed to real-life stories about “globe savers,” featuring people around the globe who are tackling some of our world’s biggest problems. For a review copy, please call the LifeBound office toll free 1.877.737.8510 or email us at contact@lifebound.com.
How can we help our U.S. students make the most of this opportunity to form relationships with students from other countries and become a global citizen?
How can we successfully balance and leverage integrating a high number of Chinese students on U.S. campuses while maintaining our recruiting numbers at the graduate level? What might be the alternatives to this prescribed method?
As this articles raises, how can we help ensure that Chinese students in the U.S. don’t cloister together rather than branching out while they’re here and forming relationships with their global counterparts?
ARTICLE
November 16, 2009
CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION
By Karin Fischer
The number of foreign students attending American colleges hit an all-time high in 2008, capping three consecutive years of vigorous growth, according to new data from the Institute of International Education.
Some 671,616 international students attended U.S. institutions in 2008-9, an increase of almost 8 percent from a year earlier. First-time-student enrollments grew even more robustly, by nearly 16 percent.
But the rosy data highlighted in the annual “Open Doors” report may obscure some potentially worrisome trends. Though graduate programs typically rely more on international students, enrollment grew far more strongly at the undergraduate level, where the number of students jumped 11 percent, than at the graduate level, where enrollments climbed a little more than 2 percent. What’s more, the increase in students pursuing undergraduate studies was largely dependent on enrollment from China, which shot up by 60 percent.
To view the entire article visit
http://bit.ly/3QPxuh
For-Profit Colleges Say They Are Key to Obama’s College-Completion Goal
CAROL’S SUMMARY:
The Chronicle article below points out that for-profit colleges can play a big role in the Obama Administration’s goal of having the world’s highest number of college graduates by 2020. Several statistics are cited, most from the National Center for Education Statistics, unless otherwise noted as follows:
- Approximately two million students attend for-profit colleges, or about eight percent of the college-going population
- Between the 1996-7 and 2006-7 academic years, the number of associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees awarded by private, for-profit institutions rose at a faster rate than the number of those degrees conferred by public and private nonprofit colleges: The number of associate degrees conferred by for-profit institutions more than doubled during that 10-year span, to almost 118,000. For public institutions, the number increased by 22 percent, to 567,000, during the same period. At private, nonprofit colleges the number of associate degrees decreased by almost 11 percent, to 44,000. Associate degrees awarded by for-profit institutions made up 16 percent of all associate degrees awarded in 2006-7, up from 10 percent in 1996-7.
- The number of bachelor’s degrees conferred by for-profit institutions increased even more quickly, to 71,000 from 12,000
- Students at for-profit institutions also tend to complete associate degrees faster than students at nonprofit colleges: The average time to completion at a for-profit college is 25.4 months, compared with 32 months at a nonprofit institution.
- Almost half of students enrolled at a for-profit college are the first in their family to pursue a higher education, and the same proportion of for-profit-college students come from families with an income below $40,000, according to the Career College Association.
For-profit institutions for all their merits also have their flaws. Some scholars point out that proprietary institutions are less academically rigorous and offer a narrow range of degree options as compared to community colleges and state institutions. Additionally, they have higher default rates on student loans than students at nonprofit colleges. The article also cites a report by the Government Accountability Office that disclosed shady practices by some officials at for-profit colleges who’ve helped students pass basic-skills tests or obtain invalid high-school diplomas so they could be eligible for federal aid. The Obama administration is reviewing rules that govern for-profit institutions to address these issues.
Whether enrolling in a for-profit or traditional institution, many students enter college in the United States without the basic academic skills needed to be successful in their coursework. Researchers from the Manhattan Institute Center for Civic Information found that only 32% of students leave high school academically prepared for college (Greene & Foster, 2003). This percentage is even lower among Black and Hispanic students (20% and 16%, respectively).
Bridget Terry Long, an Associate Professor of Education and Economics at Harvard Graduate School of Education, has analyzed this issue, which lies at the intersection of K-12 and higher education. “These staggeringly [dismal] figures are especially disconcerting, because these students are likely to need remediation in college – and far less likely to complete a degree – than classmates who enter with higher levels of skill. Ultimately, not having a college degree means these individuals will have a harder time finding meaningful work in today’s knowledge economy.”
To read the results of her report, visit:
http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/leadership/LP101-407.html
LifeBound’s mission is to fully prepare students for success in the 21st Century starting at the fifth grade level, since middle school is when many students begin to slip academically and behavior patterns are formed that contribute to or detract from their future success in school and in life. To receive review copies of LifeBound’s student success and transition materials, please contact us by calling toll free at 1.877.737.8510, email at contact@lifebound.com or visit us online at www.lifebound.com.
ARTICLE
Chronicle of Higher Education
Washington
With about two million students in the United States now attending for-profit colleges, a number that is expected to double by 2015, leaders of those institutions say their sector must play a key role if President Obama is to meet his goal of having the world’s highest number of college graduates by 2020.
The institutions are still viewed with skepticism by some consumers and policy makers, but for-profit colleges have grown steadily. Their officials say the colleges’ performance records on enrollment and graduation demonstrate the extent to which they can fulfill America’s higher-education needs.
 To view the entire article visit
Job Woes Exacting a Toll on Family Life
CAROL’S SUMMARY:
As the title of the New York Times article below reveals, when parents are under stress from a job loss their children also feel it. In this economy, unemployment is equally scary for both adults and children, and kids will pick up on the nonverbal cues and sense the stress. The article also cites a recent study from the the University of California, Davis, which “found that children in families where the head of the household had lost a job were 15 percent more likely to repeat a grade.” In an earlier study, Ariel Kalil, a University of Chicago professor of public policy, and Kathleen M. Ziol-Guest, of the Institute for Children and Poverty in New York, “found that adolescent children of low-income single mothers who endured unemployment had an increased chance of dropping out of school and showed declines in emotional well-being.”
Psychologists agree that being honest with children about a parent’s job loss is better than trying to hide it from them, but you also don’t want to overwhelm them with details. School psychologist Dr. Karen Mackler of the Lawrence Public Schools says, “Give them facts in doses they can handle. You do not want children thinking or feeling they are the cause of the stress. Reassure them that this is a temporary setback and that you will get through it as a family. Straightforward communication in times of stress will actually strengthen the family unit.â€
Additionally, real opportunities exist for parents to model resiliency to their kids and show their ability to be creative with new opportunities, such as working with a career coach and volunteering while out of work. These are skills parents want their children to use when facing their own setbacks. Career coaching can help give parents the tools for being proactive in their job search and figuring out what the next best steps might be. Coaching techniques, which center around asking powerful questions, can also help parents connect with their children and form a closer bond as a family, which is key to surviving difficult times. Today many schools offer programs on coaching skills to help parents open the lines of communication with their kids. For more information about coaching, please visit www.lifebound.com and click on “coaching,” or call us toll free and we can let you know when we might be presenting at a school in your area offering parent sessions on coaching skills. Parents who are out of work need all the support we can give.
ARTICLE:
Job Woes Exacting a Toll on Family Life
By MICHAEL LUO
New York Times
Published: November 11, 2009
THE WOODLANDS, Tex. — Paul Bachmuth’s 9-year-old daughter, Rebecca, began pulling out strands of her hair over the summer. His older child, Hannah, 12, has become noticeably angrier, more prone to throwing tantrums.
Initially, Mr. Bachmuth, 45, did not think his children were terribly affected when he lost his job nearly a year ago. But now he cannot ignore the mounting evidence.
To view this entire article visit www.nytimes.com