Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from August, 2020

Writing Students Off

Blog:  Confessions of a Community College Dean Writing Students Off   “Some seeds are meant to spawn taller plants.  That is the way of things.”  - Fredrik deBoer   Most of us who came up through the reverse-funnel of competitive admissions internalized some version of what Fredrik deBoer wrote about in the Chronicle this week.  It’s the idea that some people have academic talent and some just don’t, and that beyond a certain point, pouring resources into helping those that don’t is simply throwing money down a rat hole.  At each stage of the tracking and winnowing process, the story goes, perspicacious institutions rightly separate the wheat from the chaff, the better to spend precious resources on those who are most able to thrive.  As for the rest, well, they’ll do what they’ll do.     It’s a frustrating argument because it’s closed.  How do you know who has what it takes?  They succeed.  Why don’t some students succeed?  Because they don’t have what it takes.  Easy!

OPINION: How one university can do better by the men and women its namesake enslaved

As America take steps to come to terms with systemic racism, we are seeing Confederate monuments taken down across the South, along with Christopher Columbus statues in the North and Midwest. There are proposals to rename public schools, streets and military bases named for Confederate soldiers and sympathizers, and questions being raised about memorials that honor Founding Fathers, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson . Universities are facing calls for action as well. James Madison University is changing the names of three buildings that previously honored leaders of the Confederacy. Princeton University has renamed what was the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs because of Wilson’s legacy of racism. George Washington University is likely to change the name of its athletic teams, the Colonials. At our own university, George Mason, new president Gregory Washington wrote in an op-ed that he was asked earlier this year, “Should George Mason U

“Get Out Of The Way”

Have you noticed some parents are too involved with their child’s learning? The ones that solve their problems, do their work, and give them answers? This has become increasingly apparent through distance learning, as some parents sit next to their child the entire class. Teachers, including myself, do this from time to time as well. If students work hard and use their resources, they are capable of getting the correct answers. They are also creative. Answers and solutions that students discover are often more clever than we could ever expect. It’s important to teach them skills and concepts, but it’s also important to know when to just get out of their way. LET THEM FIGURE IT OUT Knowing each student individually can help determine when to intervene and when to let them go. There are times that we need to step in and help students. However, oftentimes we need to let them discover ideas and concepts on their own. Allowing students to go through a “positive struggle” can develop persi

Amity University Admission 2020: Registration Extended (12th September), Syllabus, Exam, Paper Pattern

Amity University Admission 2020: Amity University Registration for UG/ PG courses has been extended. The last date is 12th September 2020. It is a private university that offers admission to candidates in various courses. Candidates who want to pursue their education in undergraduate or postgraduate programmes can apply for Amity University Admission 2020. However, the university shortlists […] The post Amity University Admission 2020: Registration Extended (12th September), Syllabus, Exam, Paper Pattern appeared first on Next in Career . from Next in Career https://ift.tt/31s49Av via IFTTT

Peter Greene: The Brookings Institution is in Charter School La-La Land

Peter Greene reviews a new charter school study from the Brookings Institution that exhibits near total ignorance of the perils of privatization. Any time that a study rests its case on DFER data, its a clue that it should not be taken seriously. DFER (Democrats for Education Reform) is an organization created by hedge fund managers to lobby for charter schools. Their “studies” and polling data supply talking points to advance their cause. Similarly, when a study cites Albert Shanker’s initial advocacy for charter schools but fails to acknowledge that he abandoned charters and concluded they were indistinguishable from vouchers, the author has done a slipshod job. Charter schools began thirty years ago. The research on them has repeatedly demonstrated that some get higher test scores, some get lower test scores, but on average they have produced no amazing innovations, no secret sauce. The Brookings author doesn’t know that. She seems to think that charters have discovered remarkable

Rajasthan BSTC Answer Key 2020 (Today After 6 PM) – Download PDF For GK, English, Sanskrit, Hindi, Mental Ability, Aptitude

Rajasthan BSTC Answer Key 2020 will be released today for SET A, B, C, D. The Department of Elementary Education Rajasthan will further be releasing the Rajasthan BSTC Answer Key 2020 shortly after the conclusion of Rajasthan BSTC 2020 Exam. The BSTC Answer Key 2020 will be subsequently released for the candidates who will be […] The post Rajasthan BSTC Answer Key 2020 (Today After 6 PM) – Download PDF For GK, English, Sanskrit, Hindi, Mental Ability, Aptitude appeared first on Next in Career . from Next in Career https://ift.tt/2mgngiu via IFTTT

Transforming Gen Ed

Blog:  Higher Ed Gamma When I look at the curricula at various colleges and universities, and compare it to the requirements-free education that I encountered at Oberlin in the early 1970s, I am struck by how detailed and prescriptive general education has become. To take one example: At the University of California at Santa Cruz, the list of general education requirements currently includes the following 15 categories: Cross-Cultural Analysis Ethnicity and Race Interpreting Arts and Media Mathematical and Formal Reasoning Scientific Inquiry Statistical Reasoning Textual Analysis and Interpretation Environmental Awareness Human Behavior Technology and Society Collaborative Endeavor Creative Process Service Learning Composition Disciplinary Communication It would certainly be possible to nit-pick, check for omissions, and call for an even longer list.  After all, there are no required courses in history, a foreign language, or government.  Nor are students

Course Hero Adds $70 Million to Series B Fundraise

When Course Hero raised $10 million in early February, the amount seemed curiously small for $1.1 billion “ unicorn ” valuation valuation it got. As it turns out, the company wasn’t done fundraising. Last week, Course Hero secured an additional $70 million in an extension of its Series B round, courtesy of some of the biggest names in the financial sector—TPG, Goldman Sachs Asset Management and GSV. The deal pushes the company’s Series B round to $80 million. (It kept its $1.1 billion valuation.) Andrew Grauer, co-founder and CEO of Course Hero, says this latest fundraise was “not in the works when we did the first close” of the Series B round, which was led by NewView Capital. That deal was focused on giving his employees an opportunity to sell their shares directly to NewView through a process called a tender offer . By letting staff sell some of their stock, the goal was to boost morale and energize the team to work for the long haul, Grauer said. The world has changed dramat

Special schools in England urgently seek coronavirus advice

Institutions awaiting greater clarity over safety rules days before many reopen Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Special schools in England are anxiously seeking updated coronavirus advice, only days before many reopen in a sector where social distancing is often impossible. The most recent guidance was published in July but those running special schools say they need greater clarity , particularly in relation to children with suctioning needs. Continue reading... from Teacher Network | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3bbc9MN via IFTTT

NERIST 2020: Exam Cancelled, Admission Notice (2nd week of September)

NERIST 2020: As per the latest notice, the NEE- I, II, III Exam has been cancelled. The revised notification regarding admission will be out in 2nd week of September. North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology is a science and technology-oriented higher education institute in Arunachal Pradesh. It provides the base, diploma and graduation degree […] The post NERIST 2020: Exam Cancelled, Admission Notice (2nd week of September) appeared first on Next in Career . from Next in Career https://ift.tt/2silEr7 via IFTTT

NERIST Admit Card 2020 (Cancelled): Download NERIST Hall Ticket PDF

NERIST Admit Card 2020: NERIST is the North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology located in Arunachal Pradesh. It provides higher education for students who want to study science. Students have to go through the entrance exam in order to fix their seat in the Institute. NERIST conducts the exam every year for the […] The post NERIST Admit Card 2020 (Cancelled): Download NERIST Hall Ticket PDF appeared first on Next in Career . from Next in Career https://ift.tt/2RKX10P via IFTTT

Writing: Teaching it Right Now

Dr. Elyse Eidman-Aadahl from the National Writing Project Teaches Us How From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter Writing has a powerful place in our classrooms right now. Dr. Elyse Eidman-Aadahl talks about the types of writing, research about writing, and how we can teach writing in the unique spaces and places we find ourselves this Fall 2020 in schools everywhere. No matter your teaching situation, you’ll find some ways that you can bring writing into your classroom. Sponsor: The Wipebook Workbook is designed for everything from sketching to notetaking and includes a graph, ruled, and blank pages. It is foldable but also stands up so each student’s whiteboard can be seen in your online classroom. You can purchase the Wipebook Workbook in packs of 25. That way, every student at home or in the classroom has their own dry-erase surface to help them visualize and work things out. These cost-effective dry erase surfaces are must-use tools

4 tips for teacher-family communication this school year

It’s been proven that parent engagement in their child’s education creates positive academic and social-emotional effects. When COVID-19 prompted school closures across the world, diligent family involvement became critical to students’ social, emotional, and academic well-being. At Galena Park Independent School District (ISD) near Houston, we recognize the importance and value of consistent communication between home and school. To ensure that students and their families have the support they need, we encouraged proactive communication and provided guidance for teachers to stay connected when the pandemic struck in March 2020. Related content: 5 ways COVID-19 made me a better teacher As the 2020-21 school year approaches, I’d like to offer the following tips to support communication between home and school. 1. Evaluate needs To create a sustainable communication plan, you’ll need to collaborate with your district community to identify what families need and how you can offer

6 keys to producing effective digital content

Today’s educational environment requires that teachers become not only content and pedagogical experts, but also technology experts. This reality has become even more clear with the COVID-19 pandemic, as local, state and national-level educators and leaders grapple with how to open schools, pivot to online instruction or develop some middle ground. In the new frontier of education, we now understand how important digital content is to virtual learning. K-12 students live in increasingly digital worlds and their use of video, whether they are following YouTube and Instagram influencers, or communicating with their friends through Snapchat or other video messaging, has become an integral aspect of socializing for children and youth. Related content: 5 new strategies for digital content Educators must embrace digital video tools and platforms as one of the many tools in their teacher toolkits to meet their students where they are, engage students in the ways that they learn, and build

NUS president Larissa Kennedy: 'I worry universities won't put student and staff safety first'

The education system reproduces inequality, says the new president of the National Union of Students, and Covid-19 has made this clearer than ever Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage It’s over two weeks since a disastrous A-level results day , and yet the fallout continues . Nearly 40% of predicted grades were downgraded by a flawed algorithm that was introduced when students’ exams were cancelled during the Covid-19 lockdown. Four days later, after much public outcry, the education secretary Gavin Williamson announced that results would instead be based on teachers’ own assessments. Lots of students who made their grades after the U-turn lost their 2020 university places. Related: UK university reopenings risk Covid 'public health crisis', teaching union warns Continue reading... from Teacher Network | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3gCIr4s via IFTTT

Why Deaf Students Need Access to ASL Stories During Distance Learning

For Melissa Malzkuhn, the best part of creating storybook apps in American Sign Language and English is seeing children’s reactions. “They retell the stories, or they pick up a sign or phrase, or they repeat something they find funny. It’s incredible, always incredible and uplifting when you see kids learning, absorbing and enjoying,” she said. Malzkuhn is the founder and creative director of Gallaudet University’s Motion Light Lab . Since 2013 her team has worked with Deaf storytellers and artists to create bilingual stories for their VL2 ASL Storybook Apps . Exposure to stories in ASL is essential for young Deaf students, she said. “ASL is their natural visual language, and they learn swiftly. You can see the foundations being built.” But with schools across the country closed amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Deaf children have less access to such stories. About 73% of Deaf and Hard of Hearing children live in homes where family members do not regularly sign, according to a 2014 nati

Freshmen: Create Good Habits to Achieve First Year Success

Your freshman year of college is one of momentous change and growth. Prior to starting my journey at the University at Buffalo, I was terrified of what college held for me . I knew almost nobody on campus and came from a high school program that had roughly 18 people in it compared to a university with a student body of 30,000. Additionally, obvious differences like more demanding work terrified me of what was about to lay ahead. Because I am a History major with a focus on Education, I spent many days back at my high school obtaining classroom observation hours. Senior friends still in high school and about to go off on the same journey would ask me, “how did you survive your freshman year?” The fear of the freshman year of college is universally terrifying, but I took advantage of the challenges thrown at me and was able to succeed. While explaining a key fundamental difference between high school and college, I ask students this question: “whose fault is it if you fail?” Most st

Some HBCUs bristle at being held up as sign of Trump's concern for race

During a Republican National Convention that seemed in part intended to try to convince voters that President Trump is not a racist, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said that impression "could not be more wrong." And like the speaker after speaker who made that point last week, including First Lady Melania Trump, Carson said one piece of evidence of this was the president's support for historically Black colleges and universities. “My husband’s administration has worked to try to effect change when it comes to issues around race and religion in this country,” Melania Trump said last Tuesday night. Then as did Vernon Jones, a Democratic state representative from Georgia, and South Carolina Republican U.S. senator Tim Scott, Black civil rights activist Clarence Henderson, and the president himself in his speech on Thursday, she pointed as evidence of this to a bill Trump signed last year that made permanent one of the main sources of funding for HBCUs