tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56819663567055706532024-02-08T06:37:58.939-08:00EducationsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-39993888717933170522012-10-02T00:55:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:56:38.019-07:00Interview with Dr Renato C Nicolai, Author of "The Nightmare That Is Public Education"<div style="text-align: justify;">
A retired teacher and principal with thirty-eight years of experience
in public education, Renato C. Nicolai, Ed.D., taught 6th through 12th
grade and was both an elementary and middle school principal. In
education circles, he was known as Dr. Nicolai, which eventually was
shortened to Dr. Nick, and has stuck ever since.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tyler:
Thank you for joining me today, Dr. Nick. Obviously, the state of
public education in the United States is of great concern to many
people. To begin, will you tell us what you think is wrong with the
public education system?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr. Nick: Wow! What an opportunity! Yes,
I would be pleased to tell you what I think is wrong with the public
education system. My thoughts aren't in any order of priority; I'm
telling you about them as they come to mind.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What I think of first
is what I wrote about as the main emphasis in my book. Teachers
desperately need to improve the quality of their teaching, so,
specifically, what's wrong is that too many teachers are either
incompetent or mediocre instructors at best. Yes, if you had the
opportunity to stand by my side in the hundreds of classrooms I've
visited in my career, you would be both amazed and horrified at how much
poor quality teaching there is in our public schools. If parents only
knew how much more their children could be learning with instruction
from superb teachers compared to what they are most likely learning now
from incompetent teachers, they would be flabbergasted. That's how bad
it really is. This indictment of teachers, however, is not a major
problem at the elementary school, but is a serious and rampant problem
for sure at the middle school, junior high school, and especially the
high school level of education. Parents, you'll want to read about the
eight essential qualities most teachers don't possess. I've listed and
described them in the first chapter of my book.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tenure is another
critical problem. Once tenure is granted by a school district, an
incompetent teacher is a teacher for life. It's extremely difficult to
dismiss a teacher who has tenure. What's wrong with tenure is that it's
achievable so soon in a teacher's career (after only three years in most
cases), so final (once it's granted it's irrevocable), and so long
lasting (the teacher keeps it for as long as he/she teaches). What
happens is that some teachers work very hard during their first few
years on the job, receive tenure, and then slack off in their
performance because they know they can almost never lose their job.
Instead of tenure, public education should promote a system of
performance reviews that teachers are required to pass periodically in
order to keep their teaching position for the next two or three years.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The
way a teacher is evaluated is all wrong within the education system.
It's basically a sham and a joke. Collective bargaining contracts and
union involvement in teacher evaluations has watered down the process of
teacher evaluations to the degree that practically nothing worthwhile
results from the process. In my book, I have a chapter titled "What You
Don't Know Won't Hurt You," and the concept of teacher evaluation is
discussed in that chapter. If parents and the public at large knew how
ineffective and unproductive teacher evaluations are, they would demand a
more efficient system. The system as it exists in most school districts
today is a tactful process of saying the right words, doing what's
anticipated, and not ruffling anyone's feelings. What it should do is
help teachers improve the quality of their teaching to the degree that
they help students learn better, but it doesn't do that at all.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The
public education system is rooted in the false notion that all teachers
are qualified educators who can be trusted to make good decisions,
follow school district rules and regulations, work together in a spirit
of collegiality, promote the welfare of students as a priority, and,
generally, do what is just, moral, and professional. What's wrong is
that this description is simply not true; yet, school districts
throughout the United States allow teachers the freedom to work
unsupervised because they are assumed to be well-intentioned,
professional persons who have the best interests of students at heart.
Don't misunderstand me, please. Of course, there are many conscientious
teachers who do work well with each other and do have the best interests
of students at heart, but I believe that there are many more who take
advantage of academic freedom, collegiality, and lack of supervision to
do whatever they want within the four walls of their classrooms. This is
actually a very serious problem that is covered up by the educational
hierarchy.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another very serious wrong is the way in which school
districts manage the use of substitute teachers. Substitute teachers are
rarely observed to determine their competence, frequently assigned to
subject areas they have no qualifications to teach, and regularly
subjected to unbelievable disrespect and insolence from students. When a
substitute teacher is present in a middle school, junior high school,
or high school classroom, little or no learning takes place. That class
is a waste of instructional time, the students' time, and the
substitute's time as well. The three most common activities that take
place when a substitute takes over a regular teacher's class are the
showing of videos or DVDs, the administration of tests, and the
supervision of long, boring written or reading assignments left by the
regular teacher. The lesson plans left by most regular teachers for
substitute teachers to follow are generally a set of instructions on how
to occupy the time students have in class. The entire substitute
teacher system needs to be completely overhauled. Students must be
taught to respect substitute teachers, to assist them with the lesson,
and to be responsible for their own learning. Expectations that students
will cooperate with substitute teachers, that regular teachers will
conscientiously prepare quality lesson plans, that substitutes will
teach, and that administrators will monitor substitutes are so miserably
low, currently, that the education system simply accepts the status quo
of chaos, lack of learning, and disgraceful substitute teacher academic
and professional performance.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tyler, the public education system
in the United States is really in trouble. It's inundated with problems;
there are many things wrong with it. I could have written about lack of
student discipline, emphasis on sports over academics, permissiveness
throughout the culture of public schools, reticence about the problems
that exist, and much more. I believe that it has deteriorated so much
over the last fifty years, that mediocrity and incompetence are the
status quo. Parents don't even realize that the system is so bad. What
they see and experience is what they think is how the system should be.
They don't understand how much better it could be and how their children
could be receiving a more superior educational experience.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tyler:
Dr. Nick, will you tell us a little bit about your background in
education-where you taught and the subjects you taught, as well as your
experience as a middle school principal. What personal experiences have
led to your current viewpoints?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr. Nick: My first full time
position in public schools was as a 9th and 11th grade teacher of
English at El Camino High School in South San Francisco, California (a
city separate from San Francisco). After teaching two years, my
assignment changed to teaching English half the school day and
counseling the other half. In my third year as a teacher at this school,
I was elected president of the local teachers' union and the following
year chairman of the School District Negotiating Council. In my fifth
year, I was appointed Assistant Principal of Parkway Junior High School
(7-9) in the same school district.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
During the seven years I held
this position as assistant principal, I enrolled in a doctoral program
at the University of Southern California, and from 1969-1972 I achieved a
Doctor of Education degree in Educational Administration and Secondary
Curriculum. My dissertation, which researched the administrative
behavior of superintendents of schools, was the first dissertation
sponsored by the newly formed Association of California School
Administrators (ACSA).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In 1974, I was selected Principal of Isaac
Newton Graham Middle School (7-8) in Mountain View, California. You
asked me to share my experience as a middle school principal, and I'm
pleased to do so, but I want you to know that I could easily write
another book about those experiences alone. So, I'll try to give you an
encapsulated answer. I think I could best describe my experiences as a
middle school principal as a continuing five year roller coaster ride
because I never knew when my feelings, emotions, and experiences would
be up or down. On the up side, I was thrilled to see many students learn
to their potential as a result of the excellent teaching of some superb
teachers. After all, helping young people learn is what education is
all about. I also observed some outstanding teachers whose skills and
methods motivated students to excel beyond their own personal
expectations. That was extremely exciting. As the leader of a
neighborhood school, I grew personally as an educator because I had the
opportunity to influence curriculum, work for the educational benefits
of students, and associate often with community leaders in various
agencies (fire department, police department, recreation department,
mayor's office, and so on). These experiences made me a better
principal. On the down side, I learned quickly that many teachers should
never have been allowed to enter a classroom to teach. They were not
suited to interact with adolescents and teenagers; they didn't have the
skills needed to help young minds understand concepts and ideas; they
failed to devote themselves to learning how to teach expertly; they
didn't know how to control and manage a class of thirty students. I also
realized what some of the problems were that I had to deal with
(incompetent teachers, low quality curriculum, collective bargaining
contracts to name a few) but that I didn't have the power to bring about
effective change. That was frustrating to no end. Finally, the lowest
possible experience for me was to meet so-called teachers who had
literally given up; that is, they had decided to go through the motions
of teaching only. They were no longer eager to teach, didn't look
forward to meeting their classes, and did as little as possible to meet
their professional responsibilities. I left out so much that I feel my
answer is inadequate. I can see the joy on the faces of students who won
academic and sports awards, the enthusiasm of both staff and student
body at our annual soft ball game, the annual parent club barbecue, and
so much more.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I remained at Graham for five years and then moved
on to an opportunity in southern California as the Administrative
Director (Superintendent/Principal) of Chatsworth Hills Academy, a
private school in Chatsworth, California. I preferred serving in public
education, so I returned to Graham as a 7th grade core teacher, teaching
English and social studies (world history). In October of my second
year back from southern California, I was asked by three Santa Clara
County superintendents to head up a "joint powers" school named The
Institute of Computer Technology as an on-loan school administrator.
Along with an on-loan administrator from IBM (Ken Butler), I helped this
new educational enterprise get its feet off the ground. It was exciting
work and I enjoyed hiring teachers, meeting technology experts at Apple
and IBM, developing curriculum, outfitting a school with security
systems, working with school superintendents, learning how to protect
valuable hardware and software, and a lot more. After doing what I was
hired to do, I returned to Graham, teaching English, social studies, and
geography to 7th and 8th graders, including the 8th Grade Honors
English program. I remained at Graham for the next twenty years and
retired in 2001.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
During my career, I've been a presenter at
various conferences, in-service sessions, and conventions. My
presentation topics were usually in the areas of teaching methods,
literature-based instruction, discipline, and classroom management. I've
also been a master teacher, chairman or member of numerous curriculum
committees, and an adjunct professor in the teacher training program at
National University.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My current viewpoints and attitudes toward
public education developed throughout my career based upon my personal
experiences as a teacher and principal, what I saw other educators do
and heard them say, what I read, what I learned best helped young people
reach their learning potential, what political reforms failed, and what
I learned about how young minds gain knowledge. For instance, there was
a time when I opposed vouchers; I'm adamantly in favor of them now. The
more choices parents have in the education of their children, the
better. I was a staunch supporter of tenure at the beginning of my
career until I witnessed how many deficient teachers hide their
incompetence under the protection of this law. Tenure should be
abolished. I'm sure you get the idea. I hold the views, attitudes, and
feelings that I do about education as a result of a life-long career in
schools. You know, children aren't the only ones who learn while at
school.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tyler: You mention that many teachers are not competent?
What is the reason for this, and why does the school system allow them
to remain in the classroom?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr. Nick: Why are many teachers incompetent? Here are some reasons to contemplate:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Because
they don't possess the personality needed to interact well with young
people. If a person doesn't like kids, doesn't enjoy being with them all
day long, doesn't look forward to teaching them, doesn't accept their
immaturity and want to help them become more mature, can't stand
constantly answering questions, can't accept individual differences
(race, ethnicity, gender, religion, etc), can't cope with special needs
(hyperactivity, behavior problems, and so on), then that person will
never be a competent teacher.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Because they don't possess, exhibit,
use, and treasure enthusiasm, and, so, they are truly boring to most of
their students. Ask any kid at a middle school, junior high school, or
high school in your community what they dislike the most about their
teachers, and, I guarantee you the answer will overwhelmingly be that
they are boring. And you know something, Tyler; the kids are right. Most
teachers are insufferably boring in how they teach. Enthusiasm is a
sine qua non for all competent teachers.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Because they don't know
how to get concepts and ideas across clearly to their students. They
don't possess the knowledge and skills needed to help students learn.
They just don't know what to do and end up quite often being frustrated
and saying something like, "Oh, those kids just can't learn this stuff."
That's an expression equivalent to defeatism and incompetence. If the
learning material is age appropriate and part of the accepted
curriculum, of course a normal, healthy student can learn it. It isn't
the student who is at fault; it's the teacher who doesn't have the
competence to design lessons, activities, and programs to help students
learn. The reason for this is that many teachers tell students but don't
show and teach.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Because they can't manage and control student
behavior. Teachers daily face challenging disciplinary and behavior
problems. If a teacher can't effectively handle these problems, that
teacher will never be a competent instructor-never! In this case, the
incompetence is in not knowing what to do when a disciplinary or
behavior problem presents itself because the teacher hasn't thought out a
personal Educational Philosophy for Control of Student Behavior. Every
teacher needs to do this to harmonize his/her personality with methods
of discipline. I explain this in detail in my book.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Because many
teachers don't manage classroom time efficiently. I devote an entire
chapter to this topic: "Wasted Time - Inept Instruction (Euphemism:
Teaching Mistakes). How can anyone consider a teacher competent when
that teacher tries to teach over the noise of unruly students, doesn't
know how to quell effectively unnecessary noise at the change of a
classroom activity, and allows students to talk whenever they want. This
inability to control noise leads to as much as 25% of each class period
being wasted. Many teachers can't even control the time at the end of
class when students get ready to leave and waste the ten or fifteen
minutes left.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Because many teachers can't effectively control
group learning. One of the most effective ways for students to learn is
to interact with each other, allowing students to help each other learn
in groups. Sometimes, students have just the right words and
explanations to help a fellow student understand a lesson. However, most
teachers don't control student groups effectively and so waste
tremendous amounts of instructional time.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Because many teachers
don't have high enough academic and behavioral expectations and
standards. In other words, many teachers don't challenge their students
enough academically and don't expect them to learn to the level of their
potential. Teachers must project an attitude of high expectations to
motivate their charges adequately. Most teachers don't even understand
this concept and need to learn it themselves. Not putting it into effect
in classrooms is indicative of ignorance and incompetence. In Chapter
Three, I wrote a seven-page description of the most important strategies
used by teachers who truly understand how to teach high academic and
behavioral standards. Teachers, you've never seen anything come close to
this practical list of how to teach standards.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Because some
teachers don't have a sufficient knowledge of the subjects they teach.
They don't! They are assigned to teach a subject they don't know
adequately or they don't even like. Many teachers are teaching subjects
and they don't have either a major in that field or a valid certificate
to teach it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are other reasons as well, but the few I
mentioned are really significant ones, aren't they? Now, what are the
reasons for these incompetencies and why do school systems allow these
incompetent teachers to remain in the classroom? Well, the first part of
the question can be answered easily. Students learning how to teach are
not being prepared adequately by schools of education. You know who
should teach prospective teachers how to teach? Not education
professors! No! Excellent, experienced, current and retired teachers who
know what a classroom is all about and who have a love for kids and
teaching in their hearts should teach candidates for teaching. Give me
proven experts at teaching young people, a group of twenty teacher
candidates for a year, and I know we could do a much better job of
teaching them how to be good teachers than any school of education in
the country.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Answering the second part of the question leaves me
with a heavy heart. The reason is that most school districts don't
effectively monitor and evaluate the progress, competence, and teaching
skills of new teachers. The procedures to do this are woefully
inadequate and rarely result in new teachers being dismissed if they are
incompetent. Teachers new to the profession learn more about teaching
from their own personal experiences the first three years on the job and
from other, experienced teachers than they do from any program
presented by the school district they work for. School districts don't
really know if a new teacher is mediocre or, worse yet, incompetent so
they grant tenure because they need a body in the classroom. There is a
tremendous shortage of teachers throughout our country today. Once
tenure is granted, it is virtually impossible to dismiss a teacher on
the basis of incompetence.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
(Due to space constraints a portion of this review was omitted -- please see Reader Views website for the entire interview.)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr.
Nick: Parents must be involved in their children's education from
preschool right through high school and, perhaps, even into college. The
tendency is for parents to step back from involvement when their
teenagers start high school. This is a serious mistake. Parental
involvement is critical during high school because the high schooler is
under tremendous pressure from peers mainly to experiment in many
different areas: drugs, alcohol, sex, ideology, cults, etc. That
involvement should take the form of proactive participation, diligent
observation, and ardent questioning. I recommend that parents do the
following to ensure that their children receive a quality education:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Parents
must communicate regularly in person, over the phone, and via e-mail
with the teacher throughout the school year about every aspect of their
child's learning by asking questions and seeking information about these
and other important aspects of schooling:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
homework</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
math skills</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
language arts skills (reading, spelling, grammar, writing)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
testing</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
behavior</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
grades</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
listening skills</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
attitude</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
participation and cooperation</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Parents
must frequently monitor the progress of their child's learning at home
and act as the most important teacher in their child's life.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Parents
should observe their child's teacher(s) to assess the teacher's quality
of instruction. My book is filled with tips for parents to do just
that. It also contains lists of questions for parents to ask and what to
look for in a classroom to determine if a classroom's physical
environment is organized as a valuable learning tool.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Parents should participate in the life of the school, if possible:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
join the PTA or parent club and participate in its activities and governance</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
volunteer as an aide at school</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
offer to assist the teacher with paperwork</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Parents
must attend school functions: Back-to-School Night, Open House, music
programs, special events, sports contests, fund raisers.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Parents must meet with the teacher at parent conferences and ask questions about their child's educational progress.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Parents
should introduce themselves to the principal and other persons in key
positions at the school to know who they are and to make sure these
school personnel know who the parents are.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Parents should
communicate their ideas and opinions to their elected school board
members, and, on occasion, attend a school board meeting.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Parents must be sure their child is equipped to do the best possible work at school by providing:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
necessary school supplies</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
a nutritious and balanced diet</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
enough sleep and rest</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
a positive attitude toward school and teachers</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
a distraction-free place for homework</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tyler:
Does the concern over public education have a place outside the school
system? What about people who do not have children? Why should they
care about things like millage elections, or want to pay more taxes, or
support the school system?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr. Nick: Yes, concern over public
education does have a place outside the school system. Most people who
don't have children, are retired and have no contact with children, or
whose children are now adults pay taxes and generally want a school
system that produces an educated person. These people are automatically
invested in the public school system as a result of their taxpayer
status and expect to receive good value for their tax money. I know I do
because 62% of my annual property taxes (nearly $3,800) goes to public
schools in the community where I live.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tyler: Students often do
not value the education they receive until years later. As a former
college English professor, I taught many lazy students, and I was
constantly in dismay that so many of them were even admitted to college
when they could not write a complete sentence. I frequently wondered
what they had done for thirteen years in the public schools? Do you
think the college system is in any way responsible for the decline of
public education in the elementary and high schools? Should entrance
requirements into colleges be raised?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr. Nick: I don't blame
our college system in any way at all for the decline of public education
in the elementary and high schools. State colleges and universities,
community colleges, private and religious colleges and universities-all
provide opportunities for students who are qualified to pursue them.
It's the responsibility of the elementary and secondary schools to
prepare students to take advantage of those opportunities and meet those
qualifications. I do think these colleges and universities should
regularly evaluate their entrance requirements, as I'm sure they do, to
ensure that they maintain high standards of academic expectations.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
These
colleges and universities have a responsibility to graduate
well-educated and highly competent young people. Watering down the
entrance requirements to fill classrooms would be a disgrace and morally
reprehensible. Not all high school students should be expected to
attend a four-year college, although that's what many high school
counselors and administrators tell them is possible. I do blame some
schools of education, however, for the poorly prepared teachers they
seem to turn out by the thousands each year. School of education reforms
in recent years in teacher training programs, curriculum standards,
course content, and subject matter proficiency have not produced quality
teachers. If they had, our elementary and secondary school students
would be exceptionally successful learners and you would not have asked
this question. After all, teachers are supposed to help students learn
to their capacity.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tyler: Dr. Nick, how long do you think the
public school system has been declining? Do you believe it has affected
the American job force and economy?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr. Nick: The American public
school system has been declining over the last fifty to sixty years.
All you have to do is look at the statistics to see that the reforms
attempted during the past half century have not resulted in significant
changes in learning, test scores, and student achievement. In fact, in
most curricular areas, there has been little or no change at all, and in
math and English there has been decline.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Perhaps your readers
would be interested in an excellent article published in the September
2007 edition of Harper's magazine. It's titled "Schoolhouse Crock (Fifty
years of blaming America's educational system for our stupidity) and
presents an excellent analysis of educational reform over the past fifty
years.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This decline continues to affect the American job force,
businesses, and our national economy as well. Many businesses and
corporations have instituted their own systems of internal education to
train their work force properly to do the work expected of them because
they can't rely on the public schools.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Tyler: The ones who suffer
the most in this situation are the children, yet as children, students
are unlikely to know what they are not learning and how it will be
detrimental for them. Furthermore, they may be too intimidated by
teachers to complain when they are given more free time or fruitless
assignments or actual lessons. What if anything, can students do to
improve the quality of their own education?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr. Nick: At the
elementary school, middle school, and junior high school levels of
education, there is probably very little if anything the young people
who attend these schools can do to improve the quality of their own
education. They are too young, inexperienced, and immature. At the high
school, however, some students are mature and serious enough about their
own schooling to do something. I might add, though, that there are most
likely very few who would actually challenge the powers that be
(teachers, principals, superintendents, boards of education) for a
variety of reasons. The two most significant ones, in my opinion, would
be peer pressure and fear of retribution or retaliation on the part of
teachers or administrators. Nonetheless, here are some actions mature,
serious, intelligent, concerned high school students could do:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Go
to your principal and complain about the poor quality teaching you're
experiencing. Nothing will happen the first time, so go a second and
third time. Bring other concerned students with you.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Be polite but
assertive, telling your principal that you have a right to quality
instruction but aren't receiving it. Clearly state your areas of
complaint: too much classroom noise, inadequate instruction, lack of
teacher interest, and so on.
<br />Make an appointment with the superintendent to voice your concerns.
Present a plan of how your grievances can be redressed. Bring other
concerned students with you. Request permission to speak at a board
meeting and present your complaints to these elected officials.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-61352255359569257962012-09-27T00:54:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:54:38.960-07:00Moms Get Additional Scholarship Funds From Obama's New Educational <div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Because of President Obama's views that all working single moms
should be able to go back to school and continue their education, many
mothers that could not afford to do so can now earn their degree.<br />
The
Obama administration has realized exactly how important education is
for everyone and also that not everyone has the resources to do this.
Because of this the Federal Pell Grant has been increased in order to
ease the financial burden of those single working moms who are
struggling just to make ends meet. He has given those that make
sacrifices on a daily basis the chance to change their financial
futures.<br />
The first step in obtaining this type of grant is to go
online and fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Assistance
(FAFSA) form to make sure that you meet their qualifications. Once that
has been determined you will be notified as to the amount of federal
assistance that you may be expected to receive. At that point you simply
check out the different schools that you are interested in and that
offer the type of classes that you need and then apply to them.<br />
By
using President Obama's Scholarship for Moms program you are also
relieved of having to worry about how you will pay the money back as you
will not be required to do so.<br />
The President has given working
mom the necessary resources to go back to school and obtain their
degree; the rest is up to American mothers now.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-56435838708472339082012-09-19T00:53:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:53:31.947-07:00ds By Google Goal Setting Fitness Goals New Years Goals How to Set Goals Michel Maling Platinum Quality Author Platinum Author | 492 Articles Joined: June 24, 2009 South Africa Was this article helpful? 0 0 Ads by Google New York Film Academy www.NYFA.edu Hands-on Film School - Apply Today! BFA, MFA & Certificate Programs. Writer's Blog carolingsfromacrossroads.blogspot.com Carolings From A Crossroads Musings, anecdotes, poetry Need a 2013 Student Loan? www.studylink.govt.nz/ Changes to Student Loan & Allowance May Affect You. Check & Apply Today Training Materials CorporateTrainingMaterials.com Instructor led course material for training and development workshops. The 100-goal list www.tasksonsteroids.com Realize your dreams in life easily with CourseControl! Offshore Safety Training www.samson-tiara.co.id Internationally accredited survival training. HUET, T-BOSIET & more Self-Confidence eBook www.absoluteself-confidence.com A step by step guide to help you boost your confidence.only $3.99 Dinosaur toys and gifts www.everythingdinosaur.com Dinosaur toys, gifts and models Dinosaur educational toys, puzzles Whorush: 406 sites by this AdSense ID Get Out of Your Rut and Do Something New!<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
As I am a dancing teacher full time, I am lucky enough to get all
the school holidays off. Now with the Soccer World Cup taking place in
South Africa, the holidays have been extended to five weeks. To keep
myself productive and not throw any of the precious time away, I have
decided to set myself a new goal. If you keep on the same road day in
and day out, you get into a rut, so it is good to get out of your rut
and challenge yourself to do something new.<br />
It
hit me last night. My five week break will be used partly to complete
my outstanding admin work and prepare for our annual concert, as well as
build my own website from scratch. Okay, so I have been going with the
blogging for about a year now with five blog sites up and running, which
I still enjoy, but I think I need to challenge myself and learn some
new skills by learning to set up and host my own website.<br />
I have
been wanting to do this for quite some time, but felt that I never had
enough extra time to set aside each day to do this. As they say there is
no better time than the present to learn a new skill, so now that I
have the opportunity, I am going to grab it with both hands.<br />
I
realize that this is going to be a bit of a challenge for me, being a
not so technically brained computer whiz, but imagine the great feeling
when I get it right and launch a brand new website into cyberspace. That
is what life is about - setting yourself goals, and working through all
the challenges until you achieve what you set out to do. The personal
rewards are well worth the effort.<br />
First things first - I need to
educate myself. I have purchased a few do it yourself e-books, as well
as invested in Mark Joyners online affiliate course, so hopefully I am
going in fully prepared for what lies ahead. My goal is to have my
website up and running by the 10th of July 2010. I have decided to write
yet another blog, but this time I will tell all you other people out
there what it is like to launch your own website. Starting tomorrow, I
will post whenever I do something that leads me closer to my goal. I
would love to have comments and feedback from anybody who has been in
the same boat.<br />
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-59583205378920361702012-09-12T00:52:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:52:45.196-07:00America's Mothers Gain Access to Huge Grants and Scholarships From Obama's New Education Program<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
During this time of financial crisis, American moms have a
pleasant relief. It is nothing but about scholarship money. The
President Barack Obama has taken care of the educational need of the
American moms. The President's new stimulus package provides plenty of
scholarship money to eligible American moms to complete their degree
education. The grant money called Pell Grants is expected to increase
the career ambitions of moms for better paying jobs.<br />
The
Obama's scholarship for moms is provided to all eligible applicants
based on the application called Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA). From the information given by the applicants; a standard
formula is created to select the eligible moms. An Expected Family
Contribution Number (EFC) is created and this will be the deciding
factor for the award of grant.<br />
The applicants for Pell Grants must
be US citizens or other eligible non US citizens. Also they should have
completed high school or equivalent education and be eligible for
undergraduate studies. The Pell Grants are usually available to
undergraduate studies in general or professional disciplines.The study
may be either regular day, part time or an online course.<br />
Usually
the Pell Grant is given to the students by providing it to the school
account or paid directly to the student. The schools must inform the
student about the disbursement of grant and give the grant once in a
semester or at least twice in a year.<br />
In the United States, almost
all schools and universities participate in the federal Pell Grant
program. The guidance offices in these schools and colleges provide
necessary help in filling the FAFSA application. The students are
expected to produce the documents in respect of their income, family
status and work history to be considered for the award of the grant.<br />
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-4121421573907197522012-09-05T00:51:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:51:55.461-07:00Obama's New Educational Grants Allow All Mothers to Go Back to School - $10,000 in Scholarships<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
A good education is a foundation towards a good career. A
graduation can help you reach heights that just passing high school will
not. It is a known fact that every mother has a great influence toward
the child's education. So if you need to ensure every child gets proper
education and completes minimum graduation it is imperative that the
mother herself should know the importance of being a graduate.<br />
United
States as a large population of mothers working in dead end jobs as
they never completed their education. Taking care of their families
provides the mothers with very less opportunity to think about
themselves. The fact some of them overlook about getting a graduation is
in the long run it will help them in getting better jobs to provide
much better living for their children. It might take time and effort to
study now but the returns in the long run are definitely worth the
trouble.<br />
If you are a mother and you are wondering even after
having time and determination to put the effort to get a graduation
certification how to manage the financial aspect of the tutoring Obama
is providing a solution to the expenditure for the venture you are about
to undertake. The scholarship for single mothers is a grant that allows
mothers to avail grant money to complete their graduation.<br />
To
avail the grant fill up a "FAFSA" form and submit to the college you
want to join. On approval you will be informed through the college or a
"SAR" report will be sent to you.<br />
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-28851609533720673742012-08-29T00:50:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:50:53.004-07:00Take Advantage of a New Education - Online College Degree<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Many people face midlife crises and lose their perspectives in
life. This is true in many cases especially in case of women. While men
are busy with a career and are able to take all the changes in their
stride, women face a lot many issues, which are, inter related.<br />
Many
women leave their education mid way and dedicate their energies and
focus on raising their families and looking after them. This in fact
becomes a full time job. They lose track of the outside world, their own
identity as an individual and the years pass by without realizing. In
many other cases, women juggle with small time or part time jobs besides
looking after home and family.<br />
There comes a time when children
grow up and leave home to pursue their dreams. Suddenly the empty nest
syndrome is felt and this is when it hits women badly. By this time they
would be near menopausal age, which worsens the situation. Hormonal
imbalances coupled with emotional crises and other health induced
psychological disturbances can create havoc with their psyche.<br />
Counseling
coupled with changing ones lifestyle and habits will put them back on
the road to recovery. This is the time for all such women to re look at
their own life and pick up from where they had left off. This is one
good opportunity to continue with music lessons or with education.<br />
Does
it seem unrealistic when we talk about continuing education? You might
wonder how can women in their 40s or something can go to a regular
college. Well, we have the solution for this problem. online college
degree can be the ideal solution in such cases.<br />
An online college
degree does not call for students to attend regular daytime or evening
colleges. There are no classes. You can be connected to the college with
the Internet and online you can down load all course materials and
notes or lectures. You can also seek assistance and guidance from
faculty, which is available to you online, and help you with your
studies.<br />
Who ever said that online college degree admits people
below a certain age only? This is a misconception amongst people. Online
college degree is open to one and all regardless of your age and your
location or gender. As long as you satisfy and meet the entry criteria
of having completed high school education, you can seek admission
through online college degree.<br />
Need more justification to start
the process? Online college degree courses enable you to study and
complete the course at your own pace and from the comfortable
environment of your home. You can choose your own schedule and timing
for your studies. In fact this can bring about a welcome change in your
life to be able to devote two to three hours to studies, which becomes a
part of your self-discipline. Such an activity will help you feel
rejuvenated and perk up your energies too.<br />
Being able to get
creatively engaged, learning something new but at your own pace,
completing an exam and getting you degree can give you tremendous
satisfaction and boos your ego.<br />
Surely when you do your online
college degree, you will find your perspectives in life changing. It can
equip you to start of a new chapter in your life.<br />
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-31721386418390326122012-08-22T00:49:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:50:07.261-07:00Getting Back Into Education<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Going back in to education is not as daunting or as hard as if
once used to be. It is increasing popular now to find many people going
back to finish existing courses or to start a fresh in a new and
exciting career.<br />
Schools,
colleges and universities have so many different open, part-time and
full time courses for people wishing to go back and start again. Start
by ordering a new course guide or look online on their websites to see
what they have to offer both in courses and in funding and financial
support. A lot of the college ect offer apprentices or evening courses
so you can still fit in around your existing job or career. A lot now
offer nursery and crèche services too, which is really helping people
get back on track.<br />
Some courses that are run by the community are
free so ask around and do not be afraid to ring up and ask questions. A
lot of the back to education interviews are very informal and are not
there to test your ability but to really see what it is you want to
achieve and if this is the right path that you should take.<br />
Some
higher education courses at university will allow adult learners over
the age of 21 to enter the course training without the entry
requirements after a more formal interview has been arranged, you may
have to study along your degree a extra assignment but that will be
discussed and is not always the case so do not let that put you off.<br />
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-11199759408230846372012-08-15T00:48:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:49:21.980-07:00Plush Stuffed Toys As an Educational Tool<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Usually, plush stuffed toys are made to entertain kids and adults
alike. Custom plush toys have been willing characters in make-believe
tea parties and even for war games for young girls and boys. It's
because they are entertaining. There's no doubt about that. Even the
custom plush toys made nowadays are designed in such a way that they'll
be fun and entertaining. You can't blame a toy inventor for doing that.
There's a big demand for entertaining toys and it's very easy to do
them. All you need to do is team up with a great plush toy manufacturer
and you'll soon have them.<br />
But
nowadays, more and more people are realizing the potential of custom
plush toys to do something better. They're now realizing that plush
stuffed toys can be used to educate as well. If you're asking how
something that was supposed to be fun can become educational, think of
how effective an educational tool can be if they're fun. The problem
with a lot of educational tools is they're boring. Kids just want to
have fun especially if they don't understand yet the value of learning.
So it just shows that teaching them while they're playing works. You
capture their attention with colorful and fun toys and you use them to
educate the kids.<br />
But for them to be more effective, you can't
just use any plush stuffed toys. You can talk to your plush toy
manufacturer and tell them that you plan on making them as educational
toys. But before you do, it would be a good idea if you can come up with
a design for the custom plush toys first. It may sound hard to come up
with a design to make something that was designed for entertainment and
turn it into an educational toy. But really, it's very easy.<br />
First,
you need to determine the age group that you're targeting. If you want
to target kids below 3 years old, then it would be very easy. You just
need to come up with colorful custom plush toys to help stimulate the
brain using colors. As you go with higher age ranges, the plush stuffed
toys become more "complex". You can make five designs for the vowels.
You can make a design of an apple and have the letter 'A' on it. You can
then make a design of an elephant and put E on it. If you want to
target older kids, you can design something that is more for social
education. For example, you can make a batch patterned after a dolphin
if your community has a "Save the Ocean" campaign. It can help educate
the older kids about the importance of preserving the ocean.<br />
This
gives you a whole new market to work with. It shows proof that the
industry of custom plush toys is huge and there is still a big demand.
So if you're looking to join in, you don't have to worry about competing
in a saturated market. All you need to do is to specify a target market
for your plush stuffed toys. A good example is those looking for
educational tools. You just need to team up with a reliable plush toy
manufacturer to make it happen.<br />
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-66186327860105354812012-08-08T00:46:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:47:17.299-07:00Educational Device From LeapFrog<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
LeapFrog is doing its best to maintain competition with the
handheld devices like the iPhone, iPad Touch and the Nintendo DS with
the announcement of the Leapster Explorer, its next generation
educational gaming-device.<br />
The
explorer has features like a 3.2 inch sharper touch screen with a
resolution of 230x420 pixels and a meliorated processing power which
allows it to run Flash-based games, 3D graphics and videos. The Explorer
was launched on July 12th with 18 Leaplet Learning-Apps and 12 games at
a price of $69.99. The Apps are cognate to some small and simple
educational games that are found in the Apple App stores. The two-pack
Learning Apps cost $14.99 while the cartridges of games cost $24.99. The
launch titles are inclusive of Disney Fairies, Wolverine and X-Men, Ben
10, Dora the Explorer, Disney Princesses, Toy Story 3 and The Penguins
of Madagascar.<br />
As stated by the San Francisco Chronicle, Explorer
is also being billed by LeapFrog as an eBook reader and claims that
children can read them in the Tag library. It also has a $24.95 camera
accessory that is available and has the potential of unlocking new
experiences of gaming like the visual scavenger-hunts.<br />
LeapFrog
has made a move with a price tag of $69.99 which is relatively
affordable. This should be able to appeal parents who are on a budget.
With the help of Explorer, kids will be able to learn school-skills,
life skills, creativity and much more. The learning experiences
encourage them to discover new stuff ever day as there are unlimited
ways to learn while playing from ebooks, games, videos and more.<br />
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-52368586284033692522012-07-31T00:45:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:46:20.447-07:00Our Search For New Educational Ideas Continues!<div style="text-align: justify;">
The options for schooling are numerous and in 2010 we explored
several of them. I hope that 2011 continues to offer new and innovative
ideas for development of the Intellectual Path.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
During
2010, I explored several known options for schooling including home
schooling, magnet schools, charters schools and online schools. Each of
these has evolved out of a concern that our nations educational system
is failing. Costs are rising, almost out of control, and performance by
our students is either lagging behind the world, or at best, matching
it. But our nation needs leadership in the educational sector and
keeping the status quo just isn't good enough.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The four primary
alternatives previously explored in 2010 have some things in common from
which we can perhaps learn something. Whether it's a home school, a
charter school, or magnet school, we find that smaller class sizes
matter, and do benefit student performance. We also find with these
three alternatives that less bureaucracy and less requirements to meet
onerous bureaucratic rules and regulations benefits the students. Where
teachers and administrators are held to more direct performance
standards, they live up to them! We did see that in many cases, the use
of technology can leverage the student's experience, and the case of
undergraduate programs, may provide a much less costly alternative to
community colleges or universities.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In all cases, we find that the
importance of school to the students support group is important. Where
students have a strong family around them that is supportive of
life-long learning, they tend to be more intellectually curious and
generally better students. Tied to this, we did also discuss the
importance of a nation generally sharing a set of values and morals. We
discussed the 1963 Supreme Court decision that eliminated prayer from
our public schools, and accelerated a movement toward our nation looking
inward to solve its' problems, not upwards!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Perhaps the most
uniform finding in 2010 is that the problems with our nation's schools
are complicated, mostly because of the size and diversity in the system.
The current public school system attempts to be all things to all
people catering to all religions, all scholastic aptitudes, and all
other general qualities of the student body. Perhaps this is a situation
that is at the root of the problem. Like so many other institutions
that get unwieldy and unmanageable as they get big (the federal
government comes to mind, or General Motors), the public school system
may just be so big that it cannot effectively perform its task. Perhaps
as we move forward continuing to look for better solutions, we'll find
that just as private businesses change to accommodate customer demand,
schools will have to as well. And perhaps that change will include more
specialized schools, either in academic concentrations, or even in the
trades.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I think also that we'll continue to see a growth in the
home school movement. As I've discussed in earlier articles, this is not
purely a religious issue, but rather is a method of parents taking
direct responsibility for the education of their children. By
definition, you have involved parents, and the systems, structures and
resources to successfully home school a child are growing and evolving
rapidly.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I am aware that the issues facing education of a child
are complex, and as the father of six, I'm intimately aware of the
issues parents face. I do believe though that we can find solutions to
these problems, but to do so, as with so many other things, we need to
think truly outside of the box and not be chained to ideas of the past
that, although we can learn from them, are holding us back from
embracing new and innovative ideas.</div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-67987922376807830702012-07-24T00:44:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:45:06.721-07:00New World - New Work - New Education<div style="text-align: justify;">
This was the title of one of my very recent speech at a local
business school, where I literally went mad, shouting and screaming at
professors and teachers to help them realize what we all are doing to
the future of our students!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I
am a corporate trainer and have nothing to do with the educational
systems and models. However, my pain is obvious and apparent, and so
thought of sharing it with you people... I can only wish that I am taken
positively, and even if this is not the case, I personally won't mind
much.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This article has to do nothing with any of my deliberate
research - it is very spontaneous, blunt and "as I thought" kind of
stuff.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To make things look more professional, I have included several quotes to help you realize my pain.
<br />We are living in the world that was never so unpredictable,
materialistic, fast-paced and crazily growing. Everything is changing,
and changing with immense pace. What is true today will be an obsolete
literature tomorrow.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The bad news is that Education system in
Pakistan is as good as the democratic or the religious state of this
very country - Confused, Haphazard and typically ad-hoc. The good news
is that this system is not that good in any other part of world, so as
we can consider them the bench mark. US, UK, Germany, France, India,
Singapore and all others... we all are sailing in one direction.
<br />The first and the greatest flow in educational models is the
judgmental approach... the approach which tells student how good or bad
they are. The misery is that most students take it very seriously. Shame
on us as teacher and facilitators to do such a crime. If the creator
never did it for humans, how dare can we do it to our fellow-beings.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another
concern, that has been disturbing my mind is the amazing "irrelevance".
What is taught at schools - Primary, Secondary, Higher Secondary,
Colleges, Universities... what so ever - it has to do little or mostly
nothing with the real world. Educational syllabus is structured,
predictable and provides an outline - Real world is insanely
unpredictable, least structured and has no boundaries. How, by any
means, can we prepare the youth of today for the challenges of tomorrow
with such a syllabus. Food for thought: How many schools include
Reader's Digest as the part of their syllabus... A teacher asked me why
to do so - I screamed, "Why Not!"... At least it has a connection to
what the child sees outside your "Prison look-alike" schools. Think
about it as well... University students having laptops with a Wi-Fi
connection, where they search the taught topic, come up with the most
recent literature available, and discuss it further. It may sound odd to
many, but you know what - it will be a hell to many of us around [so
called teachers], because than we know - they [our students] will beat
the living hell out of us!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have been reading and listening about
ever increasing tuition fees of schools at all levels. Honestly, I
don't mind it, as I know, it's just the beginning. Educational and
Healthcare cost will further rise by many folds in near future... my
complain is only that by charging such a hefty amount, what's the use if
these schools are producing nothing but clones... In my opinion, if a
school system can't ignite the spark in the kid to be him / her self -
the school system should be immediately adjourned. Today, when I recall
my best teachers, it is true for them that "They made me fall in love.
They helped me figure out who I was."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Our toughest "learning
achievement"-mastering our native language-does not require schools, or
even competent parents. It does require a desperate need-to-know. Great
teachers are great learners, not imparters-of-knowledge. Great teachers
ask great questions-that launch kid's lifelong quest of discovering
more. The world is not about "right" & "wrong" answers; it is about
the pursuit of increasingly sophisticated questions-but the misery is
that we increasingly reward answers, and penalty is the very fate of
questioning individual. Shame Shame! Please note... The Three Most
Important Letters ... WHY?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Richard Paul, Director, Center for
Critical Thinking says, "We need to shift the focus of learning from
simply teaching students to have the 'right answer,' to teaching them
the process by which educated people pursue right answers."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now
consider what Jordan Ayan had to say in his book, AHA!... "My wife and I
went to a [kindergarten] parent-teacher conference and were informed
that our budding refrigerator artist, Christopher, would be receiving a
grade of Unsatisfactory in art. We were shocked. How could any child-let
alone our child-receive a poor grade in art at such a young age? His
teacher informed us that he had refused to color within the lines, which
was a state requirement for demonstrating 'grade-level motor skills.' "</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Schools
are busy participating in the massive suppression of creative genius...
If you are reading this article, and belong to any senior level
position with your school - try this, and you'll testify my words (not
99 but 100%)... Go and ask, "How many artists are there in the room?
Would you please raise your hands. FIRST GRADE: In mass the children
jump from their seats, arms waving. Every child is an artist. SECOND
GRADE: About half the kids raised their hands, shoulder high, no higher.
The hands are still. THIRD GRADE: At best, 10 kids out of 30 would
raise a hand, tentatively, self-consciously. By the time you'll reached
SIXTH GRADE, no more than one or two kids will raise their hands, and
then ever so slightly, betraying a fear of being identified by the group
as a 'closet artist.'</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now if this happens to you, come and meet
me - as I will personally congratulate you for participating in this
mass 'creativity destruction campaign'.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For what I had to say, and
what I have to say about the school system, a substantial amount of
testimony exists from highly regarded scientists like [Nobel laureate]
Richard Feynman, Albert Einstein, and many others, that scientific
discovery is negatively related to the procedures of school science
classes.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One last word - "Learning is never divorced from
feelings." Children learn what makes sense to them; they learn through
the sense of things they want to understand.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-78827721872673956032012-07-17T00:43:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:44:04.282-07:00Cyber-Kids - The New Education<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Computer software, as we know it today, was first used in the
early 1940s. Built in 1943, the Type 19 Synthetic Radar Trainer was a
flight simulator manufactured to mimic on-board instrument data for
pilots in training. This program would lay the basis for educational
curriculum across the United States. The Type 19 was not only the
introduction of applicable computer software, it was the precursor to
the educational uses of computer programs and software worldwide.<br />
The
first educational curriculum fashioned for schools was the product of a
joint collaboration between IBM and Stanford University. Although
nominal programming languages, like BASIC and LOGO, were being taught to
doctoral level students as early as 1963, the 1967 release of IBM's
project was a failure. Its prohibitive cost of $10,000 was
insurmountable for the school districts of the time.<br />
The personal
computer made its debut in 1975 with the launching of the Altair 8800.
This computer changed the opinion of educational software entirely by
making the dream of computing without a massive mainframe a reality. The
introduction of a computer costing approximately $2000, meant schools
districts could begin to incorporate computers and educational software
into select schools. The subsequent release of the Commodore PET and the
Apple II further fueled the demand for computer-based education in
schools.<br />
During the 1980s and early 1990s, the majority of
educational software programs were developed for the Apple II platform.
The inclusion of superior graphics and sound quality, however, spurred a
phenomenal demand for fun and appealing learning games. Additionally,
the ascendance of the Internet in the mid 1990s opened the market to a
larger amount of learning program manufacturers. Whether you owned a PC
or a Macintosh, it was easy to be bewildered by the sheer volume of
available educational games.<br />
The prevalence of educational software
has resulted in its inclusion in virtually every grade level of
learning. This software is often geared towards making education fun.
Popular characters, vivid colors, and captivating soundtracks have
revolutionized these learning games. The mixture of education and fun is
what makes educational software so popular. Learning simple arithmetic
is now a magical quest or a ride through the cosmos, while reading and
writing comprehension are used to decode sacred scrolls that zap
attacking goblins. This model of learning has made learning software a
seemingly permanent facet of contemporary education.<br />
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-39297980994525400682012-07-10T00:42:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:43:05.325-07:00Teaching Our Kids - The New Education<div style="text-align: justify;">
Teaching our Kids</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When
our kids go to school, what do they learn? They learn from two levels,
one level is from the schools curricula, the other from their peers, but
it's not so much what they learn, but how they learn to learn.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Learning
"what" involves remembering what happened yesterday. We don't have to
create a new writing system every year, we can use the one developed
years ago. In the same manner, we learn how to become engineers,
doctors, and attorneys. This is one level of necessary learning; by
memorizing the past.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There is another level of learning, however, a
level that in many ways is far more important than any other - a level
of insight. Insight is another way of saying spontaneous discovery
without books or lectures; a discovery about ourselves and about life.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
At
this level of insight, a student might be studying about world wars,
which would be about yesterday. Then, suddenly, the student might
spontaneously question the whole concept of war itself. He or she might
even come to a conclusion that war is caused by individuals, the
microcosms of countries that fight with each other. This might in turn
challenge the student to discover a solution, within each individual, to
mankind's Achilles Heal; the wars that tear humanity apart.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This
type of insight and inquiry is quite removed from dreary memorization,
so mundane, yet admittedly necessary in education. This insight is the
life that is missing in education, and why students are dropping out in
droves. The spontaneity of life, the adventure, and discovery of life is
missing, and we search for ways to instill this passion that students
so need and deserve.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, how do we promote this spontaneity among
our students? How do we encourage them to think for themselves instead
of conform to a failed system that turns its back on life's realities
and continues to promote illusions through dry concepts and dated
ideology? It all begins with each teacher letting go of his or her past.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The
past is tradition, security, and beliefs, and completely ignores this
very moment and what is actually happening in it. The teacher that
teaches current events from a standpoint of teaching how the past
influences current human behavior does a service to her students, but if
that teacher has not gone deeply inside of herself, and discovered her
own thoughts and feelings, and how her thoughts and feelings create the
hypocrisy of tradition and the illusion of security in beliefs and
ideals, then she can never teach passionately, and passion is the
difference.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When she sees clearly that conformity in education is
safe, that it is risk free, but that it is also killing all hope of
positive change in a world that is becoming more aggressive and violent
each year by spitting out little automatons that recite the dogma of
economics that so separate us, only then will she teach differently.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Street
smart, intelligent kids aren't buying it anymore, even though they
can't communicate what they are feeling. It is an isolation from life
that they feel in our educational institutions, an estrangement, a
disconnect, and they are simply dropping out. This is what is actually
happening, and the drop outs aren't unintelligent; in many ways they are
heads and shoulders above our outdated systems.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The kids want to
know why we are struggling to make so much money, why things have become
more important than people. Is it because we are fearful that we don't
have enough? The dress codes of our kids, the old, ragged, baggy
clothes, are a dead give away of their feelings. They are mocking our
values.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Our kids want to know, for themselves, what life is really
about. But since their educators have never taken the time to find out
for themselves what life is all about, and are themselves simply
products of the establishment, we are in a gigantic "Catch 22" with no
way out. But our kids are taking a way out; they are dropping out.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As
with many things, such as health care and a basic, respectable standard
of living, this article will be ignored by policy makers, the ones in
power, the ones perpetuating an educational system that is a dinosaur.
Nothing changes until change is forced upon us, because we become
comfortable. "Let them drop out, who cares? Let them live on the street
and starve, who cares; I am taken care of."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's only when the
tide becomes overwhelming that the ones in power are replaced, but if
the students still have not learned to go deep within themselves and
actually question power, and question the hatred and greed that
separates us, then the new ones in power will only succumb to the same
pressures as their predecessors, and humanity will continue down the
same road of violence since the beginning of time.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Who will
instill in our kids the passion of discovery, the challenge of the
inward journey so that things can change? What religious institution is
teaching this instead of indoctrinating their youth with stale ideals
and rote dogma? Who has the courage to forge a new, brave world?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Who
will teach our kids to awaken themselves and discover their real
potential, not the potential to be a successful businessman, but to be a
human being, a potential that lies dormant? How do we teach our kids to
be visionaries, fearless and unencumbered to change a world that is on
the verge of self-destruction? We need visionaries, not robots.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-19247676118117582932012-07-04T00:41:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:42:07.215-07:00Online Schools - The New Education Frontier<div style="text-align: justify;">
Online schools have become the new education frontier due to the
possibilities they provide for those who cannot attend traditional
college. Accredited online and distance learning programs can offer
studies that will help students obtain the education necessary for
entrance into a professional career. Students can study around their
current employment and personal lives to prepare for a better future.
Numerous online schools and colleges offer training that can be
completed at different levels and specific fields of study, allowing
students to follow the career training path that meets their goals.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Prior
to enrolling in an accredited online program, students should decide on
the career that they will be pursuing. Many options are available to
ensure that the training received will meet the standards for the
desired occupation. Studies can be completed in areas such as:
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>Accounting and Finance</li>
<li>Graphic Design</li>
<li>Business</li>
<li>Management</li>
<li>Travel and Tourism</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
After choosing the profession
that will be pursued, students will need to select the level of training
that they wish to obtain in order to enter the workforce. The level of
certificate or degree that is available will depend on the career that
is chosen.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Various levels of accredited online learning are
available to those who have an interest in obtaining an education
through distance learning. Students can choose to earn a:
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>Certificate</li>
<li>Associate</li>
<li>Bachelor</li>
<li>Master</li>
<li>Doctoral</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
...degree depending on the career they
are pursuing. The level of educational study that is chosen will
determine how long students must spend on their studies. Certificate
programs can range from a couple of months to around one year.
Undergraduate degree training programs typically last two to four years,
and graduate degrees can take an additional two to four years of
training to obtain. Coursework will vary by level of online schooling
and the career being pursued.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Students can choose from specific
areas of study that will help them obtain the education they deserve.
Different fields offer a variety of career and specialization options
for students. Online schools offer training in technical writing, real
estate, education, computer networking, and more. Other opportunities
for online training include the study of media studies, information
technology, human services, and much more. After selecting the career
and training area, students can enroll in an accredited online program
and begin completing the training needed for a professional career. Once
training is completed students can seek employment in a number of
professional workplaces.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-85568458235838589632012-06-29T00:40:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:41:04.653-07:00Education Secretary Michael Gove's New Education Policy to Turn Schools Into 'Academy' Faces Hurdles<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
In one big of the biggest policy changes to have hit the Britain
education system in over a decade, Education Secretary Michael Gove sent
invitations to over 20,000 schools in Britain to upgrade to Academies.
According to his new policy academies will be able to work independently
without having to report back to the local authority and prepare their
own teaching method and curriculum. This bill does not place a cap on
their salary that will be offered to a head teacher, meaning head
teachers are in for one heavy treat this time around. This policy is
aimed at improving stagnant British education system and to lower
existing corruption in it. All the responses to his invitations,
estimated to be around 2000 primaries and 500 secondary, will be put on a
fast track processing system, providing the title 'academy' to those
schools which prove themselves outstanding.<br />
There
are also people who are skeptic about the amount of freedom this bill
offer to academies, despite the assurance offered by Michael Gove that
no school will be entitled with the title 'Academy' without sufficient
inspection. Since this freedom can be miss-utilized by bad companies or
religious extremist groups to bring forward their agenda.<br />
It has
not even been a day since Michael Gove announced his new education plan
to revamp the existing education system in Britain; his policy has
already started facing flak from many influential corners and think
tanks associated with the Britain education system. Chris Keates who is
the general secretary of the teaching union NASUWT, expressed her
disapproval towards this new policy saying the policy was disappointing.
She also said that this policy fails to improve the existing education
quality as the term 'academy' does not mean the school associated with
the term offers excellent quality of education. She made his point on
basis of statistics which clearly proved that existing academies were no
better in their performances when compared to ordinary schools. Given
the current economic scenario in Britain where tackling the budget
deficit should be the frontline concern of the existing government, this
policy offers a very costly solution to a problem that is not known to
exist.<br />
One of the current members of the Shadow Cabinet, Ed Balls
points out towards the fact that this policy will end up creating a
divide, on side there will be academies, which will have full
independence and financial support from the government and the other
side will have schools deemed as second graded, creating a two tier
education system, which is completely against the motto behind the
creation of Academies Programme. There also lingers another danger which
has gone unnoticed. The academies, which no longer have to answer to
the local governing bodies and with their financial might backed by the
government itself, will suck all the talented teachers from other
smaller schools, leaving them in further deteriorating conditions.<br />
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-37939121842591064262012-06-22T00:39:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:40:16.858-07:00The Story of New Education 3.0<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans school
districts were in shambles. Eighty-five school districts were hurt by
the natural disaster. A district called Jefferson Parish was granted
twenty million dollars from Cisco to turn sixteen of its schools into
models of the new education 3.0. Education 3.0 is a new model for
schools that have full wireless connectivity, all new network upgrades,
advanced classroom technology and upgraded date centers, plus a lot
more. The education 3.0 is a total overhaul from the traditional school
ways. Not only does education 2.0 incorporate technology into its
classrooms, the classrooms revolve around it.<br />
By
having all classrooms and educational buildings begin to change to the
new education 3.0 it will greatly impact learning on the 21st century
student. Educators and officials need to realize that the 21st century
kids learn different than back in the day and schools need to change
their curriculums according to the new technological standards of this
century. How are schools going to prevent dropouts and prevent failure
if they don't catch the student's attention? As much as we think that
school is school and a student shouldn't have to be entertained at
school, its important for school officials to realize that maybe
bringing in more interesting lesson plans will help the students to get
better grades. Not only do better grades help the student but also it
boosts schools ratings by having a majority of successful students.<br />
With
education 3.0 not only do the students reap the benefits from this, the
schools do also. The more technology a school has to offer and the more
technology it utilizes the smoother a school operates. In turn a
smoother operating school produces better jobs, better students and
happier teachers and staff. Teachers are beginning to have fun while
teaching and instead of the old, watch a lecture and take notes; every
lesson now revolves around technology. Weather it be talking to a class
while presenting a 3-d lesson plan, utilizing computers or the internet,
using handheld technological devices to help assist with class work or
something as small as a new projector to project information fro the
internet, all of these assist education 3.0 in making the schools fully
technological.<br />
Education 10 was the basic lecturing in front of a
chalkboard. The old education 2.0 was a program designed to incorporate
21st century technology into the classrooms. As this began to be a
success, Cisco realized they needed to go above and beyond to make a
real difference in student's grades and demeanor while in school. While
education 2.0 replaced chalkboards with projectors and educational
software, education 3.0 replaced traditional projectors with 3-d
projectors and glasses for all the students to be able to dissect a 3-d
image.<br />
Its so important for schools to change their traditional
ways and fully make the classrooms based o0n technology, this world
revolves around technology now and if students don't have the correct
skills technology wise, jobs will be hard to find.<br />
</div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-51852937977015883622012-06-15T00:39:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:39:29.529-07:00Our New Education System<div style="text-align: justify;">
Throw out the old standards of reading, writing, arithmetic. Forget
the patriotism of the founding fathers that gave us liberty and freedom.
Make sure we recite the Pledge of Allegiance with politically correct
words. And let's learn about the environment and its global warming.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As
your little ones go off to school, keep in mind that our new education
system is one that is more globally focused and that sheds any influence
of its national patriotism. The new motto is "We Are The World," rather
than "God Bless America." Everything reflects on banishing the thoughts
of traditionalism, and to progress to new standards that are more
worldly compatible.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The new criteria has dumbed down our
generations, and the mindset has indoctrinated our children for
Liberalism. Each generation gets a little more off track from
traditional ethics. It is replaced by Liberalism and relativism rather
than absolutism and in some cases truth, which must take a backseat to
compromise.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Look around at the result. Our teens today forgot how
it is to be respectful. As God has been stripped from our society, they
have been indoctrinated with the narcissism of this age that has
encouraged them to question authority. They get out of college and
expect jobs that puts them right at the top. And somewhere along the way
they have lost touch with common sense. The education standards have
slacked and some of our teens are as dumb as nails having no initiative.
They lost sight of our American system. The only "system" they know is
the latest video game console.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
No child left behind has come to
mean that no child will be given a failing mark. In some Liberal
districts, educators are restricted from passing the whole class until
all children exceed so that the self-esteem is not harmed. If they can't
pass, the grades are curved so that each one can succeed. So the whole
standard of the class is based on the dumbest kid.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Experiments of the 21st Century</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Goals
2000 led the way for a politically correct environment where global
indoctrination could be introduced into the schools. It was a radical
experiment, but it brought in the Liberalism that helped fuel the
declined of public education. The idea was to socially prepare students
for the future. It focused more on recognizing alternative lifestyles,
different family structures, and to instill in them the right to
activism.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
They have been redirected from the knowledge of the
principles of the Declaration of Independence and the rights of the
Constitution, of what men have fought for to bring them freedom, but
they sure know that a family can be made up of two mommies, that single
parenthood is normal, and that you can have safe sex by using a condom.
And if you get that wrong, there's always the "right to choose."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The
message they have been taught by some of your teachers is that war is
evil and is the result of greedy Capitalists who want more oil. They
have been led to believe that Democrats are good and Republicans are
selfish. And they want you to know that with the government's help, you
can have what you can't provide for yourself and that it should be a
right.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Social Experimentation</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It isn't by accident that the
heritage of our country has been suppressed. Your children are under a
grand social experiment where they are taught that "We are the world."
They are being told that to recognize multiculturalism, we have to know
about the customs of world cultures, as they are more important than our
American culture. They want us to know that we are all one on this big
ball we call Earth. And while that may be true under God, they want you
to believe it without God, because not everyone believes in this "God."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Our Hijacked System</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The
reason for this shift in education isn't because we have become wiser
than our primitive ancestors. It is because global Elitists have found a
way to indoctrinate our generations. In an interview with G. Edward
Griffin, Norman Dodd, Directer of Research under the Reese Commission in
1954, revealed that several tax-exempt agencies took over the education
system in the 1950's. Foundations like the Rockefeller, Ford and
Carnegie Endowment were given the power by government to restructure the
education system. But these foundations were actually fronts for
Communist and Socialist agendas. Their mentors were followers of
Socialists such as Karl Marx and Cecil Rhodes.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What the heads of
the foundations vowed to do was to reverse the student's influence from
an American mindset to a Social Union style mindset. In that manner,
they could indoctrinate students towards globalism that they, the
Elitists, control. Their goal was to redirect students from the
knowledge of the principles of the Declaration of Independence and of
the Constitution, so that in the next generation they would have a
Socialist world view. Our generation is experiencing the effects right
now. Social Security, National Banking, multi-tier tax system, and
government funded education are all influences of Socialism..</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
History Re-Written</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In
that interview with Griffen, Dodd claims the foundations set up an
agency, called the American Historical Society, in which they hired
their own people to oversee an operation to rewrite history so that it
was compatible with their new agenda. The Elite then positioned their
agents in strategic places in education where they would control the
boards, assuring the progression of their agenda.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The plan is for
the heritage of America to be exchanged for a Liberal Socialist style
mindset where the Elitists have control over the masses. Through public
funding, the government would be used to offer incentives to districts
that used their syllabus. Many have caved since funding is slacking.
Home-schooling has been a problem for their plan, since home-schooled
children have access to information that exposes their historical
tampering. In the future, there will be bills proposed to regulate
home-schooling so that mandates can be put on the criteria.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The
plan is to get all citizens on board with their agenda for a New World
Order. Some agents in the government are doing all they can to stifle
the voice of those in criticism with the agenda. They want no one to
stop their fascist dictatorship. And they will try to get to your
children through the education system. The same tactic was used by
Hitler. Just another example how it mirrors the Socialism system.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Our Defense</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Wise
parents can monitor their children's teaching and question what they
learned. They should discern the tactics and head it off by "debriefing"
their children to know the truth. And that is why you need to be active
in your child's education.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Attend school board meetings and have a
voice. If they shut you up, remind them that this is your forum as
well. Better yet, run for a position and be involved directly.</div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-82665517814525130092012-06-08T00:38:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:38:34.788-07:00Raising Children"news education"<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Maria Montessori believed that in order for the world to become a
more peaceful and more civilized society for people to live in, the new
generations must be taught to live in harmony and their hidden
potential must be developed to the fullest. She believed that the only
way to do it was through education. However, there was a need for the
old educational system to be reformed as it was too teacher-centered, so
it would not be able to maximize the potential in each child. The
traditional system also did not prepare the child for life in society as
the activities did not teach the child to work in collaboration with
others, neither did it teach the child important skills such as
concentration, responsibility and perseverance. She felt that the
teacher's job should be that of an observer; alert to the needs of the
child and ready to react appropriately as "any form of education must be
based on the personality of man". (Absorbent Mind, Chapter 1, p. 8) As
such, there arises a 'new education' system which proves to be effective
all around the world even till today.<br />
<br />
In
addition to imparting knowledge to the children, Montessori felt that
their physical and social development should also be taken into
considerations. It is important that the teacher observe the children to
find out what they need and thereby providing them with their needs. In
other words, the teacher or parent should understand the learning style
of the child and thereby pitching the lessons according to the child's
needs. She also believed that it should be part of education that a
child is taught to be caring and compassionate towards others, but he
must first be showered with care and concern himself. Thus, it is just
as important to care about the hygiene and welfare of the child.<br />
In
this new education, Montessori described the importance of providing a
child-centered and conducive learning environment. She stressed that
there are differences between the learning objectives and methodologies
between a child and an adult, thus they should not be taught in the same
way or even use the same furniture. An adult is concerned with the end
result of the task at hand; therefore, he tends to rush in order to
finish the job quickly. He would not repeat the same task numerous times
in order to perfect it.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, a child differs from
an adult in that he is still developing and constantly learning, thus he
needs to interact with his environment to absorb information for his
own development. He has what Montessori describes as an absorbent mind. A
child will be able to absorb the specific skills that he needs to learn
through repeated activities. He needs to make use of his environment
and carry out repeated work to develop his personality, habits and
physical being, so he will do a task numerous times in order to perfect
it. Montessori believed that each child is a different individual, so he
will have his own sensitive periods to absorb different skills
perfectly. This new education allows each child to set his own pace for
learning as he is free to select the materials that he wishes to work
on. Multi-sensory materials are used in these classrooms for the
children's hands-on activities and they get to progress from the simple
to abstract concepts without any pressure from the teacher. The child is
led to experience a sense of accomplishment as he discovers the skills
on his own.<br />
During each sensitive period, a different skill is
learned and after the skill is perfected, the child will naturally drop
the activity and proceed on to something else. With the traditional
education system, the child is forced to perform the task that the
teacher has assigned. He would then be deprived of the freedom to learn
or perfect the skill that he desired to during that sensitive period.
Therefore, Montessori believed that it is more important for the teacher
in the new education system to "discover the potentialities of each of
the students and of offering him means and motives which could awaken
his latent energies so that he might continue to use, expand, and
coordinate them through proper exercise". (Discovery of the Child,
Chapter 2, p. 33) She believed that it is more important for the teacher
to be an observer in the classroom and that the teacher should prepare
the lessons and materials to suit the learning ability of the individual
child. In this way, the child's self-confidence is built up as the
teacher is neither demoralizing nor judgmental. Similarly, if the
parents are willing to assist the child by teaching him through the use
of a method most suited to his learning style instead of forcing him,
the child will be able to excel in every way. Parents must believe that
every child is capable of learning.<br />
<br />
In Montessori's new education,
she showed that it is important that "a school allows a child's
activities to freely develop". (Discovery of the Child, Chapter 1, p. 9)
However, this would be difficult with the use of the rigid furniture in
the traditional classroom. Besides restricting the students' movements
as they were not allowed to move about to change the materials that they
would like to work on or to move the furniture around independently,
Montessori felt that these furniture also hindered the proper
development of the children's spinal cord because the children were
forced to remain in the same position at the desk for hours. Instead,
she advocated the use of child size furniture and floor mats in the
Montessori classroom. Such furniture are not so intimidating and the
children can have the freedom to move around independently when they
need to.<br />
Since the child will not be forced to carry out
activities against his wishes, Montessori described this new education
to be a system whereby the children will learn spontaneously. She had
tested out this system in many Montessori schools and even up till
today, children in Montessori classrooms enjoy carrying out their
activities in an orderly, prepared and tranquil environment. Under this
new education, the child learns to work quietly and with full
concentration as he focuses on the task at hand. He will not be
distracted by others around him nor will he give up easily as he will be
able to correct his own mistakes through the use of the specially
prepared materials. This is an important skill to develop as many
children in the elementary schools are still not able to concentrate and
they lack perseverance skills too. She believed that developing the
child's spontaneous interest in learning will develop his personality
such as kindness, warmth and perseverance which is necessary for peace
and civilization in the society.<br />
<br />
Montessori believed that this new
education must start from birth in order for its effect to be obvious
as the child, no matter how young, is capable of learning and he will
absorb what he sees or hears from the environment around him. She
believed that through the use of appropriate materials at the suitable
timing, a child will be able to learn very easily. As such, the job of
the teacher as an observer is very important. Montessori had proven the
success of this new education, which probably accounts for its
popularity all around the world.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5681966356705570653.post-81532390697158864502012-06-01T00:34:00.000-07:002012-10-03T00:34:56.560-07:00New Educational Digital Learning Tools Will Sense Student Boredom and Other Emotions<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Well, it's been a long time since I was in school, but I can tell
you one thing I was bored out of my mind in elementary school, junior
high, high school, and it wasn't until college that I really felt
challenged, probably because I was taking 33 credits in one semester. In
fact, I can remember telling some of my classmates that I believe that
our school system was nothing more than a prison for kids, and later I
likened it to a day care center for working couples' children - I kind
of still believe that. Okay so, let's talk about this for a moment.
Specifically, I would like to address the issue of student boredom.<br />
<br />
Now
then, as the class sizes get bigger, our education system will rely
more on computerized teaching to tackle the challenges and economies of
scale. It will also help the budget which is burdened by legacy costs,
top heaviness, and over regulation from the federal level, things like
NCLB for instance. What about the future of education, digital learning
tools, and our new social networking in information age?<br />
<br />
There was
a cool little article recently in SpaceDaily entitled; "New computers
respond to students' emotions, boredom," written by Staff Writers at
Notre Dame and published on March 07, 2012. The piece stated:<br />
"Emotion-sensing
computer software that models and responds to students' cognitive and
emotional states - including frustration and boredom - has been
developed by University of Notre Dame and colleagues from the University
of Memphis and MIT."<br />
Neurologists have discovered that just
before a human makes a mistake, their brain wave has a little flicker,
and interestingly enough, many videogame companies now have brainwaves
they can induce into the player for emotions such as fear, contentment,
love, and anger. This makes the game seem more real, tapping into the
emotional component of the human brain. Since emotions such as boredom
or frustration is rather easy for artificial intelligence, we have a
delightful opportunity at hand.<br />
<br />
In fact, many help-lines in larger
corporations now read the voice of the person calling in needing help,
and it can tell if they are frustrated, angry, and then decide what to
do about it. You see, these types of similar tools for education make a
lot of sense. Students that are enjoying their subject matter will learn
better, and isn't that the goal of teaching. Putting kids in large
classrooms and making them do rote memorization is cruel and unusual,
and it's time we stopped creating schools which were nothing more than a
prison for kids. Please consider all this and think on.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02323174335612263559noreply@blogger.com0