Carol’s Summary:

A recent article by Wall Street Journal reporter Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, brings new light to the evolving world of electronic books. The advent of electronic readers, like the Kindle, caused a boom in electronic books, but has yet to catch electronic college textbooks up in the trend, due to high prices and glitchy hardware.

Apple has taken this as an opportunity to jump in and make the iPad a competitor in electronic textbooks by designing interactive digital textbooks specifically for iPad’s and developing them based on the iPad’s strengths (color quality, video, touch screen, ability to browse additional resources, like Wikipedia and Google while reading a textbook). The iPad e-textbooks, Inkling, are a big,vibrant, interactive, technological step-up from the grey screen of current e-textbooks, that are mostly only digitized versions of print textbooks.

For text book publishers to succeed with digital learning, they need to think digitally, not in the traditional book mode.  Some publishers use static formats instead of the interesting capabilities which technology affords.  Learning can be revolutionized if we all think differently about how students like to learn–through games, interactivity, social input and other modes of experiential learning which technology can simulate.

As is with most things in college, cost is still an issue with the iPad starting at $499 and a Kindle’s large e-reader designed for textbooks costing $379. However, if e-textbooks become a demand, we can expect affordability to follow, and hopefully classrooms, libraries, malls and dorms full of engaged, motivated students.

Article: Textbooks Up Their Game

Although electronic book sales have exploded, digital college textbooks have been slow to get off the ground, in part because of high prices and hardware concerns. Now, a former Apple Inc. employee Matt Mac Innis, is trying to shake up the market with a new approach that tape into the iPad’s strengths.

To read the full article: http://bit.ly/9vN7XM

Remember those comprehension questions on SAT tests that ask, “Rudder is to ship, as bridle is to _________ (correct answer: horse)? Well, a similar analogy can be applied to high school and college… High school is to college as gym class is to team sports. In gym class you get exercise, just as you do when you play sports. But playing on a team involves a deeper, more focused commitment.

Likewise, what you can expect from college is a different kind of experience than high school. It’s more intense, and – for many students — more rewarding because it relates directly to their future. One thing’s for sure, knowing what to expect can help you make a smoother transition between the two worlds.

A is for Academics – Original thoughts count more in college. While you’re still in high school, strengthen your study habits. If you’re having trouble in a subject, don’t delay in getting help. And when you get to college, attend classes regularly and visit your professors during office hours.

I is for Independence - In college, you will become more independent than you were in high school. This means you need to make wise choices about your personal safety, finances, and overall well-being. You need to know when and where to get help in case you get sick or have trouble with a class.

M is for Marketability – The only goal of most high school jobs is to earn a little extra cash. But in college, you’ll need to think more strategically about work. You’ll want to look for internships, work study programs, and summer jobs that relate to your field of interest. Talk to someone who works in that field, and/or set up an appointment with a guidance counselor at school. Find answers to questions such as: Which college majors are ideal for this career? What kinds of skills are needed? What are the personal traits of people who are successful in this job (enjoy details, like to work alone, able to lead, etc.)?

Now, armed with a clearer picture of what will be expected of you in college you’ll know how to take AIM.

Carol’s Summary:
Several colleges and universities nationwide are dealing with an increase of problems associated with plagiarism—the act of using information without giving credit to the source, largely due to students’ use of the internet while doing research for essays. Students at schools like DePaul and the University of Maryland have recently been caught plagiarizing, after their professors noticed that their text was copied verbatim for websites like Wikipedia.

A professor at Rutgers University found that 40 percent of 14,000 undergraduate students surveyed from 2006 to 2010 admitted to copying a few sentences from sources when writing essays for school. Only about 29 percent students today feel that taking information from the internet is a serious offense and should be considered “serious cheating”. Some professors believe that plagiarism inhibits student’s creativity and writing skills.

In education, plagiarism is a serious offense, and students who are caught “stealing” information usually have to take a failing grade for the classes in which they plagiarized, and some may even be suspended from school altogether. Although it may be a tedious process, professors must be more aware than ever of plagiarism. Many colleges nationwide utilize computer software that tracks plagiarism attempts from students when they turn in their essays.

Our book, Study Skills for High School Students, talks about plagiarism and how serious of an offense it is. Plagiarism not only robs the original source of the credit they deserve but also takes creativity and credibility away from the student who plagiarizes. For more information about Study Skills for High School Students and other LifeBound books, visit www.lifebound.com.

Article:
Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age
By TRIP GABRIEL
At DePaul University, the tip-off to one student’s copying was the purple shade of several paragraphs he had lifted from the Web; when confronted by a writing tutor his professor had sent him to, he was not defensive — he just wanted to know how to change purple text to black.

To read the full article: www.nytimes.com

If you’re looking for work, it’s tempting to inundate the job market with your resume and take the first offer you get. But as a career seeker, you need to think strategically, while keeping your options open. You’ll have more success with landing a job—and being happy once you’re there—when you’ve assessed your needs, as well as the company’s, in advance. Following are ten things to consider before accepting a job offer.

1. Company culture. Does the company’s dress code, leadership style, and overall mission fit your personality and work habits? An interview can confirm your instincts and help you make an informed decision.

2. Salary. Be realistic. For most companies, the slow economic recovery doesn’t permit high starting salaries. However, after you’ve been offered the job, you have the chance to prove your worth.

3. Benefits. Does your employee package include medical and dental benefits? Are other benefits included in the employee package such as profit sharing? Is there a retirement plan or tuition reimbursement?

4. Opportunities for career advancement. What are the projected timetables for promotion? If the job doesn’t lead to advancement, does it offer an opportunity to sharpen your skills or meet people in your field? Think creatively to determine alternative ways that the job can bolster your career.

5. Training program. Will you receive formal training? Who will train you and for how long? Find out what tools the company offers to help you perform optimally.

6. Travel. Many corporate positions, particularly in sales-related fields, require travel. How often must you travel? What is the company’s policy for reimbursements? If travel is local, will you have use of a company car?

7. Commute. How much time will it take to get to and from your job each day? Is this acceptable to you? Is public transportation an option? Is there someone you can carpool with?

8. Evaluations. How often are evaluations given? What skills and qualities are rated on the evaluation? How does the company measure success within your position?

Carol’s Summary:

Teach for America, an organization that hires recent college graduates to teach in low-income public schools, has become more selective in choosing graduates to teach. Even many Ivy-league graduates have had difficulty getting accepted into the non-profit program. This year, about 4,500 candidates were accepted out of over 46,000 people who applied.

Teach for America not only benefits students in low-income schools, but also offers
Résumé credentials, job security for two years, and a beginning teacher’s salary. Teach for America applicants must complete an online application, a lesson plan, a written test, a phone interview, an in-person interview and a monitored discussion.

While many agree that Teach for America is a great program to recruit and train new teachers, others have mixed feelings due to the turnover rate of the program. According to a study from Harvard, about 61 percent of teachers stay after their two-year contract ends. Others go on to graduate school or to pursue other careers. Also, some education experts and critics say that students’ academic performance is often better when they have experienced teachers.

Schools in low-income neighborhoods are in the most need of good teachers, books and other materials; Teach for America provides new teachers with hand-on experience in the professional world. LifeBound provides frequent coaching and training sessions for teachers who are looking to find new ways to connect with students and work with them to ensure maximum success. We offer curriculum ideas along with our coaching and books. To learn more about LifeBound, visit www.lifebound.com or e-mail contact@lifebound.com.

Article:

A Chosen Few Are Teaching for America
By MICHAEL WINERIP
Published: July 11, 2010
HOUSTON — Alneada Biggers, Harvard class of 2010, was amazed this past year when she discovered that getting into the nation’s top law schools and grad programs could be easier than being accepted for a starting teaching job with Teach for America.
To read the full article: www.nytimes.com

Carol’s Summary:

The Lumina Foundation, which plays a key role in education nationally, is concerned about “initiative fatigue,” and will concentrate its efforts on getting more students to graduate from college. As someone who has spent the last sixteen years writing books for college students and working with professors to be more effective with freshmen, here is my advice:

1) Start students early on self-awareness. Many colleges wait until the first semester of freshmen year to help students with student success courses or remediation for math and English. These classes need to be taken the summer before freshmen year so that students can have the time to shore up their weaknesses, reflect on their goals, and hit the ground running by the time school starts in the fall.

2) Require that each college partner with feeder K-12 districts. There is not enough preparation academically, emotionally, and socially before students enter college. If colleges play a leadership role with their feeder K-12 districts, they can have a direct impact on what enters their gates instead of passively waiting to inherit woefully under-prepared students that tax the resources and people at the university level.

3) Require students to have at least two internships and make this clear freshmen year. Students without skills can’t get jobs in this economy or even in better economic times. Internships are arguably more important than any class they might take in college. Let’s
not keep this a secret.

4) Have grade level mentors for each student. Students need individual attention from older students who are role models for them. Colleges need to set up peer mentoring so that students can learn how to connect, ask questions and observe someone who has and is currently making good choices. They can aspire to being a leader and a role model themselves as they progress through college.

If the Lumina Foundation works intently with colleges to make these kinds of changes, the graduation rates will improve greatly. Visit www.lifebound.com or email contact@lifebound.com to learn more about LifeBound’s goals, books and programs.

Article:

Lumina Foundation Will Shift Away From New Projects, State Leaders Are Told

BY: ERIC KELDERMAN

Published: July 14, 2010

The Lumina Foundation for Education has become one of the best-known higher-education philanthropies in the country, spending nearly $50-million annually on projects to improve college completion, but now the foundation is worried about “initiative fatigue,” said Jamie P. Merisotis, the group’s president, in remarks here on Wednesday.

To read the full article:www.chronicle.com

Carol’s Summary:
The Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University released a report on Tuesday, which predicts that about 63 percent of jobs will require employees to have at least an associate’s degree by 2018. The report states that millions of job seekers will be under-qualified; leaving many employers understaffed and with a possible need to outsource job positions.
The report states that there will be a need for 22 million workers who have at least an associate’s degree, but 3 million positions will be left unfilled. The most in demand fields will be in health care, technology, and education, all of which require some kind of post-secondary education.

A post-secondary education is not only important for finding a job but is essential to one’s overall financial well-being. A post-secondary education is one of the most valuable tools that a person can have. Majoring in the Rest of Your Life and Keys to Success are both books that prepare college students for success in college and in the workforce.

Majoring in the Rest of Your Life is good for high school seniors as well since it guides students through the transition from high school to college, from living at home to being independent and from working a job to preparing for a career. Keys to Success offers study tips and provides students the opportunity to apply their academic knowledge in real-life situations.

LifeBound materials and academic coaching are geared towards preparing students, parents and teachers to transition smoothly through the process of acquiring and using education in the real world. Visit www.lifebound.com or e-mail contact@lifebound.com to learn more about our books, curriculum and academic coaching.

Article:
More Employers to Require Some College, Report Says
By JACQUES STEINBERG
June 14, 2010
The number of jobs requiring at least a two-year associate’s degree will outpace the number of people qualified to fill those positions by at least three million in 2018, according to a report scheduled to be released Tuesday by the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University.
The report makes clear that some education after high school is an increasing prerequisite for entry into the middle class. In 1970, for example, nearly three-quarters of workers considered to be middle class had not gone beyond high school in their education; in 2007, that figure had dropped below 40 percent, according to the report.

To read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/education/15degree.html?ref=education

http://cew.georgetown.edu/

CAROL’S SUMMARY:

Developing emotional, social and cognitive intelligence is important to understanding and becoming a great leader according to Dr. Richard E. Boyatzis. Professor of Organizational Behavior and Psychology at Case Western Reserve University and Professor in Human Resources at EASDE in Barcelona, Dr. Boyatzis sees leadership as the ability to connect emotionally with others and inspire them. He states in a recent podcast that “Adults can improve their emotional, social and cognitive intelligence competencies—those that distinguish outstanding performance in management, leadership and other professions, by as much as 70%!”

Emotional and social intelligence is at the center of LifeBound’s mission to prepare students for college, career and life success because these skills are not only important in the world of work, but also throughout school. Students need to be able to form strong relationships with others in order to function effectively in teams, participate in study groups and join extracurricular activities. Life success requires not just book smarts, those who struggle academically, do better when challenged emotionally and socially which teaches them how to persist.

ARTICLE:

The Hay Group posted a 4 part podcast by Dr. Richard E. Boyatzis titled, “Developing emotional, social and cognitive intelligence in graduate, undergraduate and executive students.”

To listen to all 4 podcasts visit http://www.haygroup.com/ww/Media/Details.aspx?ID=27430.

Carol’s Summary:

College Confidential is launching a new search engine that allows students and parents to select from optional criteria and in order to match them with specific higher education institutions that meet their direct criteria. Often, students choose a college based solely on location and tuition costs and miss out on other important opportunities. College Confidential is taking the next step in providing students with the skills necessary to pursue their dreams and reach towards success.

Not only is the search engine exceptional, they have also developed an online community that links parents and students with people of like mind. There are also parent forums to answer questions and several tools to assist students in figuring out which school is the best fit for them.

So many factors are in important in determining what career path to choose and what educational path t o follow to get there. Majoring in the Rest of Your Life is a resource that through self-discovery, explores students’ options and provides the skills necessary to follow them through. Students need to be prepared for success not only in college, but in the rest of their lives. To learn more about Majoring in the Rest of Your Life as well as other LifeBound books and materials, visit www.lifebound.com or e-mail contact@lifebound.com.

To learn more about College Confidential visit www.news.cincinnati.com

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