Carol’s Summary:

As the world becomes more complex, people lose their jobs and technology changes, professionals are returning to school. Experts say, today’s professional will change jobs five to seven times in their career. Professionals are furthering their education in a variety of ways, from attending state colleges to private graduate programs and from earning certificates to degrees in new careers.
More education will give the professional a more competitive edge. Furthering education doesn’t necessarily mean professionals need to go through another degree-seeking program but rather they need to take courses that increase skills needed in today’s technological world of work or earn certificates that will build a resume and make the professional an expert in a specific area.
Cathy A. Sandeen, dean of continuing education at U.C.L.A., suggested, “Look at trends in your field. Look at your current skills and what do you need to augment your skills to make you more relevant and more attractive in your field.”

This, however, is only advice for those who have jobs that are still stable in economic crisis. Sandra Marrin was a supervisor for a Jeep Grand Cherokee production line who took a buyout from Chrysler. Now, she works as a certified nurse’s assistant making one-third of what she once made because she knew she could find employment immediately in the medical field. Her plan is to become a registered nurse, followed by getting her master’s in nursing, which would have her making more than she did at Chrysler. Others who lost their jobs due to the state of the economy have returned to school for the built in networking opportunities with students and professors. When thinking through how to pay for future schooling and balance a reduction in income, create a solid financial plan for yourself. This will help you to be realistic about the short term sacrifices for the long term opportunity.

Versatility is a highly regarded skill for a professional, whether it shows itself within their original field or gives them the capacity to change their career halfway to retirement. Stay strong within yourself as you explore the many options ahead where you can use your gifts and talents.

Article: Learning curves on the career path

“Every day we know less and less about more and more,” said Ray Caprio, vice president for continuing education at Rutgers University.

Read the full article at: nytimes.com

Carol’s Summary:

A recent poll by Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation questioned 1,000 members of the public, parents, teachers and school administrators on pre-K students and learning disabilities. The results were contradictory. More than two-thirds of parents think specific signs of learning disabilities, like the inability to hold a pencil, rhyme words and make friends, are something their 2-4 year old will grow-out of, and therefore don’t seek early intervention. However, 78 % of those polled are aware that early intervention for learning disabilities is important. Most also believed children with disabilities have normal or above normal intelligence – but 80 % wrongly associated disabilities with mental retardation and autism.

Learning disabilities are neurological disorders not a cognitive impairment. This means the student’s disability is in how they process information not their capacity to learn information. Early intervention is important because, once recognized, a learning disability can be managed and halted so it does not follow a student to elementary and beyond. New initiatives are emphasizing the importance of early intervention and requesting to use Response to Intervention (RTI), an approach used in primary and secondary grades, in pre-k programs. The concerns surrounding the RTI approach in pre-K are: teachers will have the responsibility of diagnosing students with disabilities and may not have the expertise to effectively do so; money will be going toward this not-yet certain approach and away from current programs; and RTI needs to undergo more research before it is used as a tool to diagnose students.

Even so, this poll shows most parents are unaware of what a learning disability is and are in denial about the possibility of their child having one. Parental fear and the teacher’s inability to diagnose is causing a dangerous pause in a child’s early education. Early intervention brings the possibility of discovering a child’s unique learning ability before it’s defined as a feared learningdisability.

LifeBound encourages students to discover how they are unique in GIFTS AND TALENTS for teenagers. This book can help middle school kids identify their unique strengths whether it is baking cakes, digging ditches or conducting research.

Article: Identifying and Addressing Learning Disabilities in Preschoolers

More than two-thirds of parents think specific signs of learning disabilities* are something a 2-to-4 year-old will “grow out of” and are therefore more likely to delay seeking professional help, according to poll results released this week. At the same time, 78 percent of respondents recognize that early intervention is important.

Read the full article at: earlyed.newamerica.net