By Sean Scarpiello
As education professionals continue to invest large amounts of money into education, it is easy to forget about simple, cheap, and easy ways to improve the education of all students in the classroom. Many people in our world today focus only on the costs of cutting edge technology in the classroom as well as the high costs of transporting students and sustaining school districts. As parents attend school board and parent teacher organization meetings, many parents fail to realize that a high quality education starts at home.
When young students enter elementary school, they look up to their parents to see how they discuss and handle education. If parents take their children’s education seriously, then there is a good chance that the students will begin taking their education seriously. Parents need to become involved in their child’s education. Every night, parents can check their child’s assignment book and be up to date on the homework, tests, and projects which need to be completed. Another way for parents to stay involved is by reviewing each night’s homework assignment. This does not mean simply check it over after the kids are asleep. This means at a scheduled time each night, perhaps after dinner, go through each homework problem and make sure each question is correct with the student. If there are incorrect or blank questions, take some time to correct them and make sure that both the question and the correct answer are fully understood. Parents could also come up with their own examples based off of questions their children had difficulty with. This will allow students become more prepared in the future when they will inevitably be asked a similar type of question later.
This exact idea can be also be implemented with tests. If parents make a point to know when upcoming tests are scheduled, so will students. Parents can review the test material with their child and quiz them on questions which will be found on the test. Elementary school students are not at a point where they can read a chapter in a textbook and absorb all of the information. These students learn by doing; therefore, by asking questions which stimulate their minds, they will grasp the concepts and material easier.
Parents can also improve their child’s education by asking them about their day. Asking about their teachers, friends, classes, lunch, and other topics will give parents insight on the problems their children face on a day to day basis. This also shows children that they have a support system at home standing behind them all through life. Then, children will be more likely to seek help if they have a problem, whether it is in a math class or with a friend at recess.
One last easy way to improve a child’s education is by assigning them homework each day during the summer. They really won’t enjoy doing a worksheet of math and English every day during the summer, but in the long run it will ensure that they do not forget material over the summer. It again shows young students that their parents place a high amount of importance on education. This in turn pushes students harder in class and allows them to succeed.
In general, when parents stress the importance of a quality education, children will often follow suit. This method of improving a child’s education can be used in all types of school settings. Even as education is quickly becoming digitalized, parents can continue to encourage their children to do well. Teachers are also encouraging parents to become more involved because not only does it help the teachers out, but the students as well.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
A New Push for Hands-On Learning
By Sean Scarpiello
The other day, I came across an article in the magazine “Fortune” on a new book which is challenging the ideas of traditional education. Harvard professor, David A. Kaplan’s book, Trusting What Your Told, looks at the way students are being taught and rethinks the ways to improve teaching. One of his overall ideas is to incorporate more hands on learning in the classroom and to have less structured instruction. He argues that students should be given the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered. How exactly will these ideas translate into the classroom?
Removing a lot of the structured curriculum mandated by the government in schools may sound like a terrible idea at first, but when we take into account what teachers could replace this time with, less structured time may be much better. If each class in school has a time devoted to simply asking questions, students may learn more. In addition, students’ interests may become peaked and they may find a passion for subjects in which they previously struggled. This, in fact, can end up boosting a student’s grade in the class. If teachers take 15 to 20 minutes at the end of each class to answer questions regarding all different areas of a subject, students may learn even more. If students do not have any questions, teachers can even come up with presentations that are thought provoking for students. Teachers also have the ability to look up the answers to many questions online and go over answers in class right as the questions are asked.
I myself would have liked the chance to be a part of such a program in school. For example, I had always found physics boring and tedious. However, if I had the opportunity to learn about the ground-breaking advances being made in advanced physics, I may have pursued the area. In classes like entry level physics, students are exposed only to the long formulas and intense amounts of math. If students were exposed to the topics advanced physicists are studying, such as string theory or faster-than-light speed, there would definitely be a growing interest among students.
One other idea I enjoy about Kaplan’s idea is that hands on teaching allows for much more learning. Currently, there is not much hands-on learning going on in schools. In my experience, I did not come into contact with hands on learning until my second year in college in Genetics class. On the very first day of this class, the professor handed out a worksheet with a pyramid of the different types of learning. At the bottom of the pyramid was memorization learning. At the top of the pyramid, there was analyzing, evaluating, and problem-solving based learning. This was the first class in my educational career where we were challenged to ask questions and evaluate our own questions. Also, all of us learned much more in this hands-on class than in other classes. This is because we were not being asked to simply memorize the material, but also put our knowledge to the test and work out problems. In addition, if students were exposed to more hands on learning earlier on in their education career, students would also develop critical thinking skills at a younger age. This would cause more students to not only be interested in certain subjects, but also be able to analyze and solve problems in these subjects at the same time.
In all, if education professions could implement some of Kaplan’s ideas into their curriculum, students would become much more adept in problem solving and critical thinking. Also, teachers would be able to motivate students to work hard in class by stimulating interest and introducing the interesting aspects of each subject being taught. Ultimately, this can lead to generations of students who are not only interested in the subject matter of courses, but also in learning.
Source: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/07/06/trusting-paul-harris/
The other day, I came across an article in the magazine “Fortune” on a new book which is challenging the ideas of traditional education. Harvard professor, David A. Kaplan’s book, Trusting What Your Told, looks at the way students are being taught and rethinks the ways to improve teaching. One of his overall ideas is to incorporate more hands on learning in the classroom and to have less structured instruction. He argues that students should be given the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered. How exactly will these ideas translate into the classroom?
Removing a lot of the structured curriculum mandated by the government in schools may sound like a terrible idea at first, but when we take into account what teachers could replace this time with, less structured time may be much better. If each class in school has a time devoted to simply asking questions, students may learn more. In addition, students’ interests may become peaked and they may find a passion for subjects in which they previously struggled. This, in fact, can end up boosting a student’s grade in the class. If teachers take 15 to 20 minutes at the end of each class to answer questions regarding all different areas of a subject, students may learn even more. If students do not have any questions, teachers can even come up with presentations that are thought provoking for students. Teachers also have the ability to look up the answers to many questions online and go over answers in class right as the questions are asked.
I myself would have liked the chance to be a part of such a program in school. For example, I had always found physics boring and tedious. However, if I had the opportunity to learn about the ground-breaking advances being made in advanced physics, I may have pursued the area. In classes like entry level physics, students are exposed only to the long formulas and intense amounts of math. If students were exposed to the topics advanced physicists are studying, such as string theory or faster-than-light speed, there would definitely be a growing interest among students.
One other idea I enjoy about Kaplan’s idea is that hands on teaching allows for much more learning. Currently, there is not much hands-on learning going on in schools. In my experience, I did not come into contact with hands on learning until my second year in college in Genetics class. On the very first day of this class, the professor handed out a worksheet with a pyramid of the different types of learning. At the bottom of the pyramid was memorization learning. At the top of the pyramid, there was analyzing, evaluating, and problem-solving based learning. This was the first class in my educational career where we were challenged to ask questions and evaluate our own questions. Also, all of us learned much more in this hands-on class than in other classes. This is because we were not being asked to simply memorize the material, but also put our knowledge to the test and work out problems. In addition, if students were exposed to more hands on learning earlier on in their education career, students would also develop critical thinking skills at a younger age. This would cause more students to not only be interested in certain subjects, but also be able to analyze and solve problems in these subjects at the same time.
In all, if education professions could implement some of Kaplan’s ideas into their curriculum, students would become much more adept in problem solving and critical thinking. Also, teachers would be able to motivate students to work hard in class by stimulating interest and introducing the interesting aspects of each subject being taught. Ultimately, this can lead to generations of students who are not only interested in the subject matter of courses, but also in learning.
Source: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/07/06/trusting-paul-harris/
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Computers in the Classroom Controversy
By Sean Scarpiello
While technology continues to advance at such a fast rate in the United States, schools are struggling to keep up with these fast paced changes. So, many schools in the United States continue to invest in the newest and fastest computers and tablets. Most teachers, students, and parents feel that as technology changes in the real world it is only natural for technology to progressively move into classrooms. But while most education professionals support technology in education, there are still others which feel that all of the new integrative technology in classrooms will hinder students.
One of the major fears of education professionals is complete reliance on technology. Some believe that as computers are being used more and more in our everyday lives, that schools will eventually dismiss the old fashioned pencil, paper, and textbook. I feel that this is very unlikely. Young students will always need to be taught how to write legibly, spell, and read from books. Plus, everyone continues to use these basic skills in their daily lives. Since members in society continue to handwrite notes, and read newspapers or menus there will always be a need for these skills. One problem I can see with too much technology in classrooms would be that students can often become too dependable on computers. For example, students may become too accustomed to spell checking applications on computers. These dependencies can then resurface in handwritten notes where students forget how to spell certain words simply because spell check was always there to correct it in the past.
Other professionals feel that when students learn from computers, the technology turns learning into a game rather than a sequence of problem solving. This argument may hold some water; however, I think that it is important to make learning interactive and fun for the students. This then allows students who typically lose interest or become frustrated with learning to keep trying. No one ever said that learning needs to be a long and tedious process. In fact, if students enter school with a positive mindset and are anxious to learn because it is fun, then they may learn even more. When compared to a classic pencil and paper worksheet, worksheets on an iPad allow students to check their work and see not only what they answered incorrectly, but why they were wrong. Technological “worksheets” may also allow students who excel in an area to be challenged more, while giving extra support to those who struggle with certain material. Technology essentially allows for a more individualized lesson, where as traditional education can appear cookie-cutter or not as tailored to every student’s needs.
One last problem that too much technology can cause in classrooms is the lack of personal interaction. As I have stated in past blog articles, large amounts of technology can also breed hermits. While social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter connect us, they equally disconnect us as people. In general, I feel that most education professionals recognize this idea and are ensuring that curriculums are set up so that there are enough teacher-student and student-student interactions.
Ultimately, we can see that while there is opposition to computers in classrooms, there is a lot of support for technology well. This essentially allows us to conclude that there should be a steady balance of instruction from teachers and technology. Society should never reach a point where a class is completely individualized technology based or a completely cookie-cutter education. Education needs to find a medium between the two extremes and in the next few generations of students we will be discovering exactly what works with education and technology and what does not.
Sources:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/10/02/f-vp-smol.html
http://www.cultofmac.com/68757/computers-in-schools-are-a-failure-apple-fellow-alan-kay/
While technology continues to advance at such a fast rate in the United States, schools are struggling to keep up with these fast paced changes. So, many schools in the United States continue to invest in the newest and fastest computers and tablets. Most teachers, students, and parents feel that as technology changes in the real world it is only natural for technology to progressively move into classrooms. But while most education professionals support technology in education, there are still others which feel that all of the new integrative technology in classrooms will hinder students.
One of the major fears of education professionals is complete reliance on technology. Some believe that as computers are being used more and more in our everyday lives, that schools will eventually dismiss the old fashioned pencil, paper, and textbook. I feel that this is very unlikely. Young students will always need to be taught how to write legibly, spell, and read from books. Plus, everyone continues to use these basic skills in their daily lives. Since members in society continue to handwrite notes, and read newspapers or menus there will always be a need for these skills. One problem I can see with too much technology in classrooms would be that students can often become too dependable on computers. For example, students may become too accustomed to spell checking applications on computers. These dependencies can then resurface in handwritten notes where students forget how to spell certain words simply because spell check was always there to correct it in the past.
Other professionals feel that when students learn from computers, the technology turns learning into a game rather than a sequence of problem solving. This argument may hold some water; however, I think that it is important to make learning interactive and fun for the students. This then allows students who typically lose interest or become frustrated with learning to keep trying. No one ever said that learning needs to be a long and tedious process. In fact, if students enter school with a positive mindset and are anxious to learn because it is fun, then they may learn even more. When compared to a classic pencil and paper worksheet, worksheets on an iPad allow students to check their work and see not only what they answered incorrectly, but why they were wrong. Technological “worksheets” may also allow students who excel in an area to be challenged more, while giving extra support to those who struggle with certain material. Technology essentially allows for a more individualized lesson, where as traditional education can appear cookie-cutter or not as tailored to every student’s needs.
One last problem that too much technology can cause in classrooms is the lack of personal interaction. As I have stated in past blog articles, large amounts of technology can also breed hermits. While social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter connect us, they equally disconnect us as people. In general, I feel that most education professionals recognize this idea and are ensuring that curriculums are set up so that there are enough teacher-student and student-student interactions.
Ultimately, we can see that while there is opposition to computers in classrooms, there is a lot of support for technology well. This essentially allows us to conclude that there should be a steady balance of instruction from teachers and technology. Society should never reach a point where a class is completely individualized technology based or a completely cookie-cutter education. Education needs to find a medium between the two extremes and in the next few generations of students we will be discovering exactly what works with education and technology and what does not.
Sources:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/10/02/f-vp-smol.html
http://www.cultofmac.com/68757/computers-in-schools-are-a-failure-apple-fellow-alan-kay/
Saturday, June 30, 2012
CINCH Learning
By Sean Scarpiello
This past week at the International Society of Technology in Education conference in San Diego California, McGraw Hill Education unveiled one of their newest and most innovative programs called CINCH Learning. This program is designed to teach students from K to12 math and science through a projector screen or computer. Also, CINCH Learning is cloud based, so students can access it from any laptop, tablet, or other device with an internet connection. So far, CINCH Learning sounds like a great piece of technology for any class room, but it has even more benefits to improve math and science education.
First, the CINCH Learning comes with hundreds of lessons for each grade level. The lessons are designed to meet each state’s curriculum requirements. The program also works alongside the textbooks in class, so teachers can use the program to teach an entire lesson, review lessons before tests, or even use the available lessons as enrichment. In addition, CINCH Learning comes with features like videos, tutoring, animations, labs, assessments, and problems. These extras are great because teachers can assign homework through the program. Assigning work would not only be simple for teachers and students, but fun for the students if the teacher assigns an educational video for students to watch.
This kind of program also allows teachers to spend less time planning lessons and more time focusing on individual students. CINCH Learning prides itself on being fully customizable. This lets teachers pick and choose exactly what kinds of work to assign and put on tests. It also gives teachers the ability to focus in on certain students having difficulty with the work so educators can hone in on each student’s weak areas. The program also allows students to easily ask questions to their teachers. Teachers can then gauge what problems to spend more time on in class and during reviews for tests.
CINCH Learning makes learning simpler and less time consuming for both the teacher and the student. Therefore, teachers can make sure that each minute spent in class is used effectively and efficiently. If students and teachers can identify weakness outside the classroom, schools can guarantee that time spent in the classroom is productive and valuable. This program also makes learning fun, so students can be interactive during their learning process instead of being discouraged or bored by reading thick textbooks.
Overall, this new digital program looks to be a great way to make learning easier for both teachers and students. This allows learning to be fun for students, while being efficient and effective for teachers. By keeping education interactive using technology, teachers can judge which concepts need to be reviewed in more detail and which students struggle with the material in class. CINCH Learning will definitely make an impact on students in all grades as schools across the country being to invest in the program.
Sources: http://www.mhcdi.com/cl_about.html
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mcgraw-hill-makes-digital-waves-at-international-education-technology-conference-2012-06-25
This past week at the International Society of Technology in Education conference in San Diego California, McGraw Hill Education unveiled one of their newest and most innovative programs called CINCH Learning. This program is designed to teach students from K to12 math and science through a projector screen or computer. Also, CINCH Learning is cloud based, so students can access it from any laptop, tablet, or other device with an internet connection. So far, CINCH Learning sounds like a great piece of technology for any class room, but it has even more benefits to improve math and science education.
First, the CINCH Learning comes with hundreds of lessons for each grade level. The lessons are designed to meet each state’s curriculum requirements. The program also works alongside the textbooks in class, so teachers can use the program to teach an entire lesson, review lessons before tests, or even use the available lessons as enrichment. In addition, CINCH Learning comes with features like videos, tutoring, animations, labs, assessments, and problems. These extras are great because teachers can assign homework through the program. Assigning work would not only be simple for teachers and students, but fun for the students if the teacher assigns an educational video for students to watch.
This kind of program also allows teachers to spend less time planning lessons and more time focusing on individual students. CINCH Learning prides itself on being fully customizable. This lets teachers pick and choose exactly what kinds of work to assign and put on tests. It also gives teachers the ability to focus in on certain students having difficulty with the work so educators can hone in on each student’s weak areas. The program also allows students to easily ask questions to their teachers. Teachers can then gauge what problems to spend more time on in class and during reviews for tests.
CINCH Learning makes learning simpler and less time consuming for both the teacher and the student. Therefore, teachers can make sure that each minute spent in class is used effectively and efficiently. If students and teachers can identify weakness outside the classroom, schools can guarantee that time spent in the classroom is productive and valuable. This program also makes learning fun, so students can be interactive during their learning process instead of being discouraged or bored by reading thick textbooks.
Overall, this new digital program looks to be a great way to make learning easier for both teachers and students. This allows learning to be fun for students, while being efficient and effective for teachers. By keeping education interactive using technology, teachers can judge which concepts need to be reviewed in more detail and which students struggle with the material in class. CINCH Learning will definitely make an impact on students in all grades as schools across the country being to invest in the program.
Sources: http://www.mhcdi.com/cl_about.html
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mcgraw-hill-makes-digital-waves-at-international-education-technology-conference-2012-06-25
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Backpack TV: A New Educational Video Site
By Sean Scarpiello
Backpack TV is an up and coming website which is trying to build off of the success of other educational websites such as Khan Academy and Just Math Tutoring. The goal of the site is to quickly bring educational videos to students in various academic subjects. Backpack TV mentions that their goal is not to completely teach a full course from beginning to end, but rather to help students study by offering videos for review of complex topics. So how exactly does Backpack TV hold up against its popular and highly successful counterparts?
First things first, I looked at some of the videos that Backpack TV had to offer. The site has hundreds of videos and the content of the videos were also very clear, relevant, and reliable. In fact, the site contained videos from teachers and websites I have used in class and recommended to others in the past. All of the videos on the site looked as if they could be accessed somewhere else online and there were no videos that belonged solely to Backpack TV. I feel that this is great because not only can students come to Backpack TV for help, but they can also use the site to help them find more educational videos. The site also provided a list of teachers that are in each video. This allows individual students to look at videos from several different teachers in a subject and then pick which specific teacher is the clearest or most helpful for the individual.
Although the content of the videos on Backpack TV is spectacular, I did find some weaknesses with the site. The main flaw was that the videos were difficult to access. The videos were grouped into subjects clearly, but after clicking on a subject, there was little or no organization of each of the different videos. For example, after clicking on the calculus subheading, I was brought to a “gallery” of videos which were not organized in any specific manner. The “list” option was not helpful either, as I was scrolling through lists of videos randomly chopped up into hundreds of different pages. Sites such as Khan Academy and Just Math Tutoring are successful because they are extremely easy to navigate. If I am looking for a video on find the slope of a tangent line, I can easily find it at Khan Academy or Just Math Tutoring, without having to search through several pages of material. If the entire list of Calculus videos were found on a single webpage and organized by specific headings and subheadings, Backpack TV would be much more effective as an educational video site.
Something else I noticed which was flawed with Backpack TV was a Backpack TV Plus option which will be available in the future. This option would cost viewers $4.99 a month to view the same videos without advertisements. Unless this Plus option has much more bonus material or contains videos that are not available elsewhere for free, I think the Plus option would be a mistake. No one is going to pay to have access to videos they can find elsewhere without commercials. Even if the Plus option does have a lot of extra material, students will avoid spending money by simply finding other sites which offer educational videos at no cost.
Overall, Backpack TV has a fantastic collection of education videos available at no cost. However, the site can be improved drastically if the hundreds of videos were organized into an order which would allow users to navigate through lists of videos easier.
Source: http://backpack.tv/
Backpack TV is an up and coming website which is trying to build off of the success of other educational websites such as Khan Academy and Just Math Tutoring. The goal of the site is to quickly bring educational videos to students in various academic subjects. Backpack TV mentions that their goal is not to completely teach a full course from beginning to end, but rather to help students study by offering videos for review of complex topics. So how exactly does Backpack TV hold up against its popular and highly successful counterparts?
First things first, I looked at some of the videos that Backpack TV had to offer. The site has hundreds of videos and the content of the videos were also very clear, relevant, and reliable. In fact, the site contained videos from teachers and websites I have used in class and recommended to others in the past. All of the videos on the site looked as if they could be accessed somewhere else online and there were no videos that belonged solely to Backpack TV. I feel that this is great because not only can students come to Backpack TV for help, but they can also use the site to help them find more educational videos. The site also provided a list of teachers that are in each video. This allows individual students to look at videos from several different teachers in a subject and then pick which specific teacher is the clearest or most helpful for the individual.
Although the content of the videos on Backpack TV is spectacular, I did find some weaknesses with the site. The main flaw was that the videos were difficult to access. The videos were grouped into subjects clearly, but after clicking on a subject, there was little or no organization of each of the different videos. For example, after clicking on the calculus subheading, I was brought to a “gallery” of videos which were not organized in any specific manner. The “list” option was not helpful either, as I was scrolling through lists of videos randomly chopped up into hundreds of different pages. Sites such as Khan Academy and Just Math Tutoring are successful because they are extremely easy to navigate. If I am looking for a video on find the slope of a tangent line, I can easily find it at Khan Academy or Just Math Tutoring, without having to search through several pages of material. If the entire list of Calculus videos were found on a single webpage and organized by specific headings and subheadings, Backpack TV would be much more effective as an educational video site.
Something else I noticed which was flawed with Backpack TV was a Backpack TV Plus option which will be available in the future. This option would cost viewers $4.99 a month to view the same videos without advertisements. Unless this Plus option has much more bonus material or contains videos that are not available elsewhere for free, I think the Plus option would be a mistake. No one is going to pay to have access to videos they can find elsewhere without commercials. Even if the Plus option does have a lot of extra material, students will avoid spending money by simply finding other sites which offer educational videos at no cost.
Overall, Backpack TV has a fantastic collection of education videos available at no cost. However, the site can be improved drastically if the hundreds of videos were organized into an order which would allow users to navigate through lists of videos easier.
Source: http://backpack.tv/
Monday, June 18, 2012
More about Teacher Evaluation -
From the TN Report -
Did you know, for example, that “many teachers are not yet convinced of the benefits of the evaluation system”? Well, duh.
From the TN Report -
Did you know, for example, that “many teachers are not yet convinced of the benefits of the evaluation system”? Well, duh.
It’s a jargon-laden mess to read.
Take this sentence:
“A near-term focus for this work will be
to review and
revise the
rubrics
where appropriate
to align with and
reinforce the
Common Core State Standards to
create a coherent and
integrated set of expectations
for teaching and learning.”
“A near-term focus for this work will be
to review and
revise the
rubrics
where appropriate
to align with and
reinforce the
Common Core State Standards to
create a coherent and
integrated set of expectations
for teaching and learning.”
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Traditional Textbooks versus eBooks
By Sean Scarpiello
I was recently emailed a link to the article “10 Reasons Why Students aren’t Using eBooks,” and before I read this article, I decided to make my own list of why students simply aren’t buying eBooks. There are a handful of different reasons why students shy away from using these newer and often times cheaper alternatives to textbooks. Regardless of some of the obvious advantages to eBooks, I also found there are just as many disadvantages to eBooks.
First off, one of the main reasons I myself do not buy eBooks is because they are all computerized and integrate technology. This technology is not a bad thing, but I do not feel comfortable when we rely completely on technology. If, the device breaks or runs out batteries at an inconvenient time or place, the student is in trouble. College students already rely on technology too much, and to rely on a device which carries all of their textbooks and coursework is just too risky. Another aspect of the device which carries all of these eBooks is that students are reading their text for classes on a computer screen. Whenever I work on a computer too long or read too much off of a computer, I feel like my eyes are fried. Reading off of a computer screen also seems to make students tired and uninterested in the material. For me personally, I feel as if I do not grasp the material as well if I read my textbooks on a computer or other device. This is mostly because I do not feel comfortable studying on a computer.
This leads me to my next point that today’s college students are simply not accustomed to having their textbooks in digital form. Today’s college students all had the traditional paper textbooks and simply have become very accustomed to this form. On the other hand, I think that students that are being raised on iPads and laptops in elementary school will be more likely to buy eBooks as they go to college. College students these days have always used regular textbooks and do not want to change their habits. Plus, many students highlight, take notes, and scribble in their textbooks, so they know what is important and what their professor emphasizes in class. This cannot be done with eBooks. Thus students will shy away from this technology.
Another factor which plays into the textbooks versus eBooks debate is cost. College tuition is already very expensive. Once parents and students buy laptops, school supplies, and all the other necessities for college, there is no money left for a device to hold these eBooks. For some majors, regular textbooks alone can cost $800. If these sorts of students were to buy an iPad, they would spend $800 before having a single textbook. Also, once the student has the iPad or other device to hold the eBooks, they need to make sure they have enough memory to hold all of these textbooks. I can’t imagine that a 16 or 32GB iPad can hold more than a full year textbooks. Some eBooks are huge and take up a lot of space on a device. This limits college students.
Ultimately, it is easy to see that there are several reasons why college students are shying away from eBooks. I feel that in the future, as technology and students advance, we will see a change in this trend. For now though, I think college students are going to stick with what they know best – traditional textbooks. The article “10 Reasons Why Students aren’t Using eBooks,” (see link below) supports many of my ideas, plus incorporates some new ideas.
Source: http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/06/10-reasons-why-students-arent-using-etextbooks/
I was recently emailed a link to the article “10 Reasons Why Students aren’t Using eBooks,” and before I read this article, I decided to make my own list of why students simply aren’t buying eBooks. There are a handful of different reasons why students shy away from using these newer and often times cheaper alternatives to textbooks. Regardless of some of the obvious advantages to eBooks, I also found there are just as many disadvantages to eBooks.
First off, one of the main reasons I myself do not buy eBooks is because they are all computerized and integrate technology. This technology is not a bad thing, but I do not feel comfortable when we rely completely on technology. If, the device breaks or runs out batteries at an inconvenient time or place, the student is in trouble. College students already rely on technology too much, and to rely on a device which carries all of their textbooks and coursework is just too risky. Another aspect of the device which carries all of these eBooks is that students are reading their text for classes on a computer screen. Whenever I work on a computer too long or read too much off of a computer, I feel like my eyes are fried. Reading off of a computer screen also seems to make students tired and uninterested in the material. For me personally, I feel as if I do not grasp the material as well if I read my textbooks on a computer or other device. This is mostly because I do not feel comfortable studying on a computer.
This leads me to my next point that today’s college students are simply not accustomed to having their textbooks in digital form. Today’s college students all had the traditional paper textbooks and simply have become very accustomed to this form. On the other hand, I think that students that are being raised on iPads and laptops in elementary school will be more likely to buy eBooks as they go to college. College students these days have always used regular textbooks and do not want to change their habits. Plus, many students highlight, take notes, and scribble in their textbooks, so they know what is important and what their professor emphasizes in class. This cannot be done with eBooks. Thus students will shy away from this technology.
Another factor which plays into the textbooks versus eBooks debate is cost. College tuition is already very expensive. Once parents and students buy laptops, school supplies, and all the other necessities for college, there is no money left for a device to hold these eBooks. For some majors, regular textbooks alone can cost $800. If these sorts of students were to buy an iPad, they would spend $800 before having a single textbook. Also, once the student has the iPad or other device to hold the eBooks, they need to make sure they have enough memory to hold all of these textbooks. I can’t imagine that a 16 or 32GB iPad can hold more than a full year textbooks. Some eBooks are huge and take up a lot of space on a device. This limits college students.
Ultimately, it is easy to see that there are several reasons why college students are shying away from eBooks. I feel that in the future, as technology and students advance, we will see a change in this trend. For now though, I think college students are going to stick with what they know best – traditional textbooks. The article “10 Reasons Why Students aren’t Using eBooks,” (see link below) supports many of my ideas, plus incorporates some new ideas.
Source: http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/06/10-reasons-why-students-arent-using-etextbooks/
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
University of Minnesota's Open-Source Textbook Catalogue
By Sean Scarpiello
In an attempt to lower education costs, the University of Minnesota has started a new program where students have access to textbooks at low costs. With this program, students will be able to use a catalogue of online, open-source books. These books are much cheaper and easier to use than traditional textbooks. In addition, many educators feel that open-source books are currently being underutilized in schools. But what exactly are open-source books and why are they cheaper and sometimes easier to use?
Believe it or not, we use open-sources of information every day, sometimes without even knowing it. In fact, Wikipedia is an open-source. These sources have different licenses and copyrights which allow people to access these materials at low or no cost. Open-source books also have special licenses which lower the costs of publishing companies to print the books, so these books can be sold at cheaper prices. These books can also be copied without crediting the author. Since these books can be copied so easily, they are available in mediums other than print. Therefore, students with access to the University of Minnesota’s catalogue would have a wide variety of online textbooks available to them at the tips of their fingers for a very low cost. So far, the catalogue has more than 90 textbooks available and continues to grow.
Up until now, this idea sounds great – a wide variety of textbooks available online for little or no cost. However, if we look at other open-sources of data, we may find that this new catalogue may have some flaws. One of the most famous open-sources everyone on the internet uses is Wikipedia. Many people do not realize that Wikipedia is an open-source encyclopedia updated by everyday people like you or me. Because of this, some college professor love open-sources like Wikipedia, while others absolutely despise them. Open-source textbooks are often licensed in similar ways as Wikipedia, where readers can update any obsolete data within a textbook, which can be both good and bad.
Open-sources are good in that textbooks are dynamic. For example, as different scientific studies discover new breakthroughs and discredit old material, textbooks can be updated accordingly. This makes the information we learn about in books just as engaging in material as professionals on the cutting edge of the field. On the contrary, open-sources can be bad when those updating the material are not reliable or experts in the material. There is a reason textbooks are expensive -- credibility. You wouldn’t want your lawyer or doctor to study from books written by just anyone. Therefore, the University of Minnesota needed to find a low cost method of only allowing credible sources into its catalogue.
The University of Minnesota found the solution to this problem by employing its professors to review open-source books. By utilizing its professors, the school is able to expand the catalogue with only the books deemed reliable by experts in the field. In some of these open-source books, any material that is outdated can be fixed by the professor as they review it. This is a great idea because the catalogue is composed of credible information cleared by experts in the subject.
Overall, this online open-source catalogue is a fantastic idea and has a lot of potential. It finds the perfect medium between sources like Wikipedia, which is free but not necessarily reliable, and traditional textbooks which are expensive but credible. The program is improved in that it takes advantage of a cheap and underutilized resource and will be able to lower the costs for students exponentially. Last, it incorporates technology, so people all over the world can easily navigate through this entire database of textbooks.
Source: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/05/10/university-minnesota-compiles-database-peer-reviewed-open-source-textbooks
In an attempt to lower education costs, the University of Minnesota has started a new program where students have access to textbooks at low costs. With this program, students will be able to use a catalogue of online, open-source books. These books are much cheaper and easier to use than traditional textbooks. In addition, many educators feel that open-source books are currently being underutilized in schools. But what exactly are open-source books and why are they cheaper and sometimes easier to use?
Believe it or not, we use open-sources of information every day, sometimes without even knowing it. In fact, Wikipedia is an open-source. These sources have different licenses and copyrights which allow people to access these materials at low or no cost. Open-source books also have special licenses which lower the costs of publishing companies to print the books, so these books can be sold at cheaper prices. These books can also be copied without crediting the author. Since these books can be copied so easily, they are available in mediums other than print. Therefore, students with access to the University of Minnesota’s catalogue would have a wide variety of online textbooks available to them at the tips of their fingers for a very low cost. So far, the catalogue has more than 90 textbooks available and continues to grow.
Up until now, this idea sounds great – a wide variety of textbooks available online for little or no cost. However, if we look at other open-sources of data, we may find that this new catalogue may have some flaws. One of the most famous open-sources everyone on the internet uses is Wikipedia. Many people do not realize that Wikipedia is an open-source encyclopedia updated by everyday people like you or me. Because of this, some college professor love open-sources like Wikipedia, while others absolutely despise them. Open-source textbooks are often licensed in similar ways as Wikipedia, where readers can update any obsolete data within a textbook, which can be both good and bad.
Open-sources are good in that textbooks are dynamic. For example, as different scientific studies discover new breakthroughs and discredit old material, textbooks can be updated accordingly. This makes the information we learn about in books just as engaging in material as professionals on the cutting edge of the field. On the contrary, open-sources can be bad when those updating the material are not reliable or experts in the material. There is a reason textbooks are expensive -- credibility. You wouldn’t want your lawyer or doctor to study from books written by just anyone. Therefore, the University of Minnesota needed to find a low cost method of only allowing credible sources into its catalogue.
The University of Minnesota found the solution to this problem by employing its professors to review open-source books. By utilizing its professors, the school is able to expand the catalogue with only the books deemed reliable by experts in the field. In some of these open-source books, any material that is outdated can be fixed by the professor as they review it. This is a great idea because the catalogue is composed of credible information cleared by experts in the subject.
Overall, this online open-source catalogue is a fantastic idea and has a lot of potential. It finds the perfect medium between sources like Wikipedia, which is free but not necessarily reliable, and traditional textbooks which are expensive but credible. The program is improved in that it takes advantage of a cheap and underutilized resource and will be able to lower the costs for students exponentially. Last, it incorporates technology, so people all over the world can easily navigate through this entire database of textbooks.
Source: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/05/10/university-minnesota-compiles-database-peer-reviewed-open-source-textbooks
Monday, May 21, 2012
Rita McGrath: On Digital Tech's Effects on Education
In a recent blog post, Columbia Business School professor Rita McGrath predicts seven changes that will upend traditional education. The bullet points:*Unbundling
*Accessibility
*Upending traditional teaching
*Upending traditional grading
and three more. McGrath lives in Princeton, travels worldwide as a consultant, and always impresses me with her 'I wish I'd thought of that first' wisdom. Here is the post.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Coursera: A Pioneer of Online Education
By Sean Scarpiello
The recent New York Times article, “Come the Revolution,” describes how Andrew Ng, an associate professor at Stanford, is heading a new program called Coursera that will revolutionize higher education all over the world. As we have seen recently, there has been a huge push to teach more students using technology as a medium. Using technology, teachers become facilitators and are able to educate a huge number of students. In fact there are over one million students enrolled in Coursera already. Coursera, like many other online educational programs, is a collection of videos, lectures, quizzes and links with more information. Although this new project is a path to the future of education, what exactly separates it from programs like Udacity or the Saylor Foundation?
Coursera, much like Udacity, is a free program of online classes taught by professors at schools like M.I.T., Princeton, Stanford, and others. However, Coursera offers a larger selection and much broader material in its courses in contrast to Udacity. Coursera was also much more user friendly was very straightforward. As users scroll down a list of courses and their dates, short introduction videos were available to watch and inform students about the content of each class. These videos made the courses clear and concise.
In fact, Coursera was so easy to use that I signed myself up for a 4 to 5 week course on the Fundamentals of Pharmacology taught by a professor at University of Pennsylvania. Signing up was simple. All I did was fill in my name, email, and password, then I received an email confirming the course. The course does not start until June, so the confirmation email explained that it will inform me when watch lectures and take the quizzes. It is easy to see how over one million people have already enrolled in classes. Ng described how in one of his classes on Coursera, there were around 100,000 students being taught at once, all through the internet. It is cool to think that I will have classmates from all around the world taking this same pharmacology course.
Overall, this experiment of mine will give everyone a chance to see exactly how these new online programs work. We will be able to see what works well and what doesn’t. Programs like Coursera and Udacity are truly blazing the trails leading to the future of education. As education moves online, it is up to today’s students in these programs to help make adjustments and critiques. Education is inevitably going to end up online, as it is a low cost and effective way to educate the masses using current technologies.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/opinion/friedman-come-the-revolution.html
https://www.coursera.org/
http://www.udacity.com/
The recent New York Times article, “Come the Revolution,” describes how Andrew Ng, an associate professor at Stanford, is heading a new program called Coursera that will revolutionize higher education all over the world. As we have seen recently, there has been a huge push to teach more students using technology as a medium. Using technology, teachers become facilitators and are able to educate a huge number of students. In fact there are over one million students enrolled in Coursera already. Coursera, like many other online educational programs, is a collection of videos, lectures, quizzes and links with more information. Although this new project is a path to the future of education, what exactly separates it from programs like Udacity or the Saylor Foundation?
Coursera, much like Udacity, is a free program of online classes taught by professors at schools like M.I.T., Princeton, Stanford, and others. However, Coursera offers a larger selection and much broader material in its courses in contrast to Udacity. Coursera was also much more user friendly was very straightforward. As users scroll down a list of courses and their dates, short introduction videos were available to watch and inform students about the content of each class. These videos made the courses clear and concise.
In fact, Coursera was so easy to use that I signed myself up for a 4 to 5 week course on the Fundamentals of Pharmacology taught by a professor at University of Pennsylvania. Signing up was simple. All I did was fill in my name, email, and password, then I received an email confirming the course. The course does not start until June, so the confirmation email explained that it will inform me when watch lectures and take the quizzes. It is easy to see how over one million people have already enrolled in classes. Ng described how in one of his classes on Coursera, there were around 100,000 students being taught at once, all through the internet. It is cool to think that I will have classmates from all around the world taking this same pharmacology course.
Overall, this experiment of mine will give everyone a chance to see exactly how these new online programs work. We will be able to see what works well and what doesn’t. Programs like Coursera and Udacity are truly blazing the trails leading to the future of education. As education moves online, it is up to today’s students in these programs to help make adjustments and critiques. Education is inevitably going to end up online, as it is a low cost and effective way to educate the masses using current technologies.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/opinion/friedman-come-the-revolution.html
https://www.coursera.org/
http://www.udacity.com/
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Column: Shaq on importance of college education
This was in USA Today - 5-5-12
=== Words to the Wise - I HOPE so ====
Column: Shaq on importance of college education
By Shaquille O'Neal
Updated 1d 14h agohttp://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2012-05-03/shaquille-oneal-doctorate-nba-education/54733922/1
By Shaquille O'Neal
Updated 1d 14h agohttp://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2012-05-03/shaquille-oneal-doctorate-nba-education/54733922/1
I will be receiving an
education doctorate degree
from Barry University, a small Catholic school inMiami Shores.
The degree isn't honorary.
I worked for it, and I'm as proud of this as anything I have accomplished in my life.
I worked for it, and I'm as proud of this as anything I have accomplished in my life.
While I did this for two people — my mother and myself —
it certainly would be nice if it could have a broader impact.
Too many young kids —
particularly black kids —
are still dropping out of school way too early.
Too many young kids —
particularly black kids —
are still dropping out of school way too early.
This country will never compete globally whennearly one in four kids fails to complete high school on time.
For you parents out there: Don't just encourage your children to complete high school, which should be a basic step toward a much bigger education. I was fortunate to have a mother who understood the value of education, even as she saw me join the NBA and have a successful basketball career.
For you parents out there: Don't just encourage your children to complete high school, which should be a basic step toward a much bigger education. I was fortunate to have a mother who understood the value of education, even as she saw me join the NBA and have a successful basketball career.
My mom knew that education not only would help me down the road, it also would make me a better person.
It's understandable when young athletes lured by the big money of the NBA decide to pass up college. But that makes no sense for the thousands and thousands of young athletes who will never make it to the pros.
It's understandable when young athletes lured by the big money of the NBA decide to pass up college. But that makes no sense for the thousands and thousands of young athletes who will never make it to the pros.
And even those lucky few need to understand that a career in athletics is fleeting —
education isn't.
Although I entered the NBA draft after my junior year at Louisiana State University in 1992, I later took correspondence courses to earn my bachelor's degree.
education isn't.
Although I entered the NBA draft after my junior year at Louisiana State University in 1992, I later took correspondence courses to earn my bachelor's degree.
Education matters.
It instills self-discipline.
It exposes a person to a world of shared knowledge.
It forces us to stay attuned to current events. And most important, it helps each of us understand how and where we fit into this world.
My doctoral degree from Barry is in Organizational Learning and Leadership, with a specialization in Human Resource Development.
It exposes a person to a world of shared knowledge.
It forces us to stay attuned to current events. And most important, it helps each of us understand how and where we fit into this world.
My doctoral degree from Barry is in Organizational Learning and Leadership, with a specialization in Human Resource Development.
People won't be surprised to learn that
my doctoral project was titled:
"How Leaders Utilize Humor or Seriousness in Leadership Styles."
I'm a big believer in the power of humor, particularly in stressful situations.
But this is no laughing matter. If there's one thing I hope people take from this personal milestone, it's that education matters for your entire life.
my doctoral project was titled:
"How Leaders Utilize Humor or Seriousness in Leadership Styles."
I'm a big believer in the power of humor, particularly in stressful situations.
But this is no laughing matter. If there's one thing I hope people take from this personal milestone, it's that education matters for your entire life.
A degree,
whether high school or doctoral,
is not a finish line;
it's simply a mile-marker.
whether high school or doctoral,
is not a finish line;
it's simply a mile-marker.
My learning will continue. I want others to come along for the ride.
Shaquille O'Neal is a retired 15-time NBA all-star and member of four championship teams. He is a basketball commentator for TNT and has a variety of business interests.
Shaquille O'Neal is a retired 15-time NBA all-star and member of four championship teams. He is a basketball commentator for TNT and has a variety of business interests.
=== Words to the Wise - I HOPE so ====
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Harvard and MIT Launch $60M Non-Profit Online EdX Platform
MORE GOOD NEWS.
Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology today are launching a non-profit, open-sourced joint online learning venture called EdX, with the first courses to start in the fall of this year.
Basically, Harvard is jumping in as an equal partner to a previously announced project called MITx, with each school putting up $30 million in funding and contributing faculty leaders.
The two Boston area schools are essentially leapfrogging Stanford University, where a set of online classes last year gave rise to the creation of two for-profit companies led by the Stanford professors who taught the classes — Sebastian Thrun’s Udacity and Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng’s Coursera. Stanford is still figuring out its own approach to online learning.
Monday, April 30, 2012
How TED-Ed and Khan Academy Work
By Sean Scarpiello
Earlier today, I was browsing the internet for different topics to blog about, I found I was struggling for ideas. So, I turned to the Straube Twitter site (straube_nj) to try to find some ideas. I saw two posts which struck some interest, one involving TED-Ed and the other Khan Academy. Intrigued, I went to the link of each tweet and read about what each had to say, and learned a lot about each of these education sources were all about.
I first went to the TED-Ed website and found a lot of education videos. I watched a few of these videos and they were not the type of education videos I had expected to be typical of learning. These were animated videos where the narrator was a character in the clip. The characters were funny and interactive with the viewer. As I went through the site finding videos that interested me, I noticed few things about the video which made them successful as learning tools. First, they were clear, concise, and to the point. When teaching young students, this is especially important. Also, these videos were colorful and well animated, plus they gave the students a physical sense about what was going on. To demonstrate the size of an atom, the video used everyday objects students run into, such as marbles, blue berries, and baseball stadiums. This is a fantastic way to teach students because educators are taking abstract ideas, like atoms, and making them tangible and easy to see.
Probably the most important aspect of the videos I discovered had to do with the material being taught. I found that there was relatively little information packed into a five minute video; however, this doesn’t matter at all. I found that the purpose of these videos weren’t to cram information into students’ heads, but rather to make them interested. This is the key to students’ success. If educators can get students interested in chemistry, math, English, or even philosophy, students will be successful. I must admit that after watching some of the chemistry videos, my interest in the field was increased, despite currently taking a chemistry course where the material is a bit dry. With so many other distractions in students’ lives’, such as sports, television and videogames, educators need to focus more on developing an interest in students rather than forcing information into their brains. If students have an interest or passion in a field, they will more readily do homework for the class and success will come naturally.
This same idea of developing students’ interest in a subject was the same basis for success for the Khan Academy link. The case studies where different schools saw success was not based as much on higher test scores, but rather an increase in the students’ interests in each subject. Some teachers and parents describe how their children found that math was more fun because of Khan Academy. By turning schoolwork and homework into a game, students don’t view it as work. It is important for students to find a passion for a subject at an early age. This allows students to become interested and set goals for them to reach. These goals give students something to work towards. Plus, finding a passion in a particular class is much easier at a young age because it is easier to fall in love with a class like chemistry or physics before the subject matter becomes tough or dry.
Overall, the success in our students does not depend on these new innovative technologies cramming information into students’ heads, but simply increasing their interest in a particular field. Then students can develop a passion for the material and success will come naturally.
Sources:
https://twitter.com/#!/straube_nj
http://ed.ted.com/
http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/04/12-inspiring-schools-using-khan-academy/
Earlier today, I was browsing the internet for different topics to blog about, I found I was struggling for ideas. So, I turned to the Straube Twitter site (straube_nj) to try to find some ideas. I saw two posts which struck some interest, one involving TED-Ed and the other Khan Academy. Intrigued, I went to the link of each tweet and read about what each had to say, and learned a lot about each of these education sources were all about.
I first went to the TED-Ed website and found a lot of education videos. I watched a few of these videos and they were not the type of education videos I had expected to be typical of learning. These were animated videos where the narrator was a character in the clip. The characters were funny and interactive with the viewer. As I went through the site finding videos that interested me, I noticed few things about the video which made them successful as learning tools. First, they were clear, concise, and to the point. When teaching young students, this is especially important. Also, these videos were colorful and well animated, plus they gave the students a physical sense about what was going on. To demonstrate the size of an atom, the video used everyday objects students run into, such as marbles, blue berries, and baseball stadiums. This is a fantastic way to teach students because educators are taking abstract ideas, like atoms, and making them tangible and easy to see.
Probably the most important aspect of the videos I discovered had to do with the material being taught. I found that there was relatively little information packed into a five minute video; however, this doesn’t matter at all. I found that the purpose of these videos weren’t to cram information into students’ heads, but rather to make them interested. This is the key to students’ success. If educators can get students interested in chemistry, math, English, or even philosophy, students will be successful. I must admit that after watching some of the chemistry videos, my interest in the field was increased, despite currently taking a chemistry course where the material is a bit dry. With so many other distractions in students’ lives’, such as sports, television and videogames, educators need to focus more on developing an interest in students rather than forcing information into their brains. If students have an interest or passion in a field, they will more readily do homework for the class and success will come naturally.
This same idea of developing students’ interest in a subject was the same basis for success for the Khan Academy link. The case studies where different schools saw success was not based as much on higher test scores, but rather an increase in the students’ interests in each subject. Some teachers and parents describe how their children found that math was more fun because of Khan Academy. By turning schoolwork and homework into a game, students don’t view it as work. It is important for students to find a passion for a subject at an early age. This allows students to become interested and set goals for them to reach. These goals give students something to work towards. Plus, finding a passion in a particular class is much easier at a young age because it is easier to fall in love with a class like chemistry or physics before the subject matter becomes tough or dry.
Overall, the success in our students does not depend on these new innovative technologies cramming information into students’ heads, but simply increasing their interest in a particular field. Then students can develop a passion for the material and success will come naturally.
Sources:
https://twitter.com/#!/straube_nj
http://ed.ted.com/
http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/04/12-inspiring-schools-using-khan-academy/
Sunday, April 29, 2012
President Obama signed an Exec Order that added “New Protection for veterans and military families misled or bilked by career colleges and technical programs that target their federal education benefits. "They don't care about you," he declared, "they care about your cash.”” AP
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/149395065.html
LVKen7@Gmail.com
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/149395065.html
LVKen7@Gmail.com
Friday, April 27, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Videos Improving Education
By Sean Scarpiello
Recently in my Genetics class, many students were struggling to understand some of the concepts we were learning in class. Upon discovering the class’s difficulty with some of the material, the professor asked us what kind of learners we were. She passed out some notecards and we each wrote whether we were visual, auditory, or experimental learners. After tallying up the cards, the professor found that the majority of the class was visual learners. My professor was then presented with a challenge. How can she help her students understand concepts in a visual manner that went beyond the textbook and its pictures? My genetics professor turned to a type of media that is underutilized in the education field yet works great.
The professor went online and found videos on different credible sites of the different processes her students were having difficulty with. The detailed pictures in our textbooks did a mediocre job of explaining the different processes that we were learning about, but the online videos gave us much greater understanding of the material. When students were able to see exactly how proteins and DNA were interacting in the cell in real time, they were able to grasp the difficult concepts easier. This also allowed the teacher to pose questions about the set up. After the video presentation, students were able to answer questions about how different manipulations of the DNA, proteins, and cell would have on the entire process. So not only were students able to learn about the concepts on a basic level, but the teacher was able to get students to understand the concepts to a degree where students could analyze and manipulate the information. Overall, I felt this was a great way which is often underutilized by both teachers and students.
A few days after this genetics video, I needed to study for an integral calculus exam where I found myself struggling to remember concepts taught before spring break. I understood the different steps of the math for the most part, but I still needed guidance to walk me through some problems again so I could completely grasp the concepts. After looking at my vague notes, I turned to YouTube to help me out. I actually found a lot of math videos of a tutor working the problems out step by step and explaining each step along the way. The link provided led me to the tutor’s site where there were hundreds of videos on everything from basic algebra to multivariable calculus. The site, justmathtutoring.com, was also credible, which was crucial for proper studying. In all, I watched the problems and even did the math along with the tutor to see what mistakes I was making and why those mistakes were wrong. I pretty much had my own tutor which I could replay multiple times and even email questions if I had any.
Overall, I feel that videos are drastically underutilized in education. There are so many different types of media these days that we often forget to employ all of them to their full ability. I think that many more students and teachers could benefit by watching videos which simply explain concepts in a different manner than what the textbook says or how the professor teaches them. This will allow students to have a much better understanding of the material so they can analyze and work with this information better in both tests and future jobs.
Recently in my Genetics class, many students were struggling to understand some of the concepts we were learning in class. Upon discovering the class’s difficulty with some of the material, the professor asked us what kind of learners we were. She passed out some notecards and we each wrote whether we were visual, auditory, or experimental learners. After tallying up the cards, the professor found that the majority of the class was visual learners. My professor was then presented with a challenge. How can she help her students understand concepts in a visual manner that went beyond the textbook and its pictures? My genetics professor turned to a type of media that is underutilized in the education field yet works great.
The professor went online and found videos on different credible sites of the different processes her students were having difficulty with. The detailed pictures in our textbooks did a mediocre job of explaining the different processes that we were learning about, but the online videos gave us much greater understanding of the material. When students were able to see exactly how proteins and DNA were interacting in the cell in real time, they were able to grasp the difficult concepts easier. This also allowed the teacher to pose questions about the set up. After the video presentation, students were able to answer questions about how different manipulations of the DNA, proteins, and cell would have on the entire process. So not only were students able to learn about the concepts on a basic level, but the teacher was able to get students to understand the concepts to a degree where students could analyze and manipulate the information. Overall, I felt this was a great way which is often underutilized by both teachers and students.
A few days after this genetics video, I needed to study for an integral calculus exam where I found myself struggling to remember concepts taught before spring break. I understood the different steps of the math for the most part, but I still needed guidance to walk me through some problems again so I could completely grasp the concepts. After looking at my vague notes, I turned to YouTube to help me out. I actually found a lot of math videos of a tutor working the problems out step by step and explaining each step along the way. The link provided led me to the tutor’s site where there were hundreds of videos on everything from basic algebra to multivariable calculus. The site, justmathtutoring.com, was also credible, which was crucial for proper studying. In all, I watched the problems and even did the math along with the tutor to see what mistakes I was making and why those mistakes were wrong. I pretty much had my own tutor which I could replay multiple times and even email questions if I had any.
Overall, I feel that videos are drastically underutilized in education. There are so many different types of media these days that we often forget to employ all of them to their full ability. I think that many more students and teachers could benefit by watching videos which simply explain concepts in a different manner than what the textbook says or how the professor teaches them. This will allow students to have a much better understanding of the material so they can analyze and work with this information better in both tests and future jobs.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Redwood City School District and iPads
By Sean Scarpiello
The Redwood City School district has recently invested a lot of money into technology for its students. A large portion of the money has gone towards iPads which are being distributed to all students and teachers. Like many other school districts in America which are also undergoing large changes by incorporating technology into education, the Redwood City School District is making sure it gets the most bang for its buck. In fact, the district is going above and beyond to make these new iPads a daily part of school for its students.
In order to maximize their technological resources, administrators are ensuring that all instructors are knowledgeable in using the iPads. This is important because it is easy for districts to assume that all teachers are up to date with the latest technology. Also, the iPads are being used to their full potential. Teachers are storing assignments on the iPads which make their job easier in case they forget an assignment at home or at school. iPads also enable students to turn in work electronically, reducing the amount of paperwork both teachers and students need to deal with in traditional schooling.
One program available with the new technology in school is called PowerSchool. This program enables parents to track the grades and progress of their children. It is great to utilize this resource because statistically, students whose parents are actively involved in their children’s education do better in school. This also gives the parents the opportunity to know what their children are learning about in school, so they are able to help their children and ask questions about class. Plus, by making it easier for parents to stay involved with their children’s classwork, they can be updated by the teacher and keep the teacher informed of any of their children’s difficulties with the material taught in class.
One other innovative uses of the school district’s new technology are by teaching students after school. Using the Khan Academy education software, students can be assigned certain videos to watch which deal with what is being taught in class. This is a very good idea because students will be able to learn from the comfort of their homes, in a way that is not tedious or boring. All students like to watch movies instead of classwork, so they would be anxious to learn in this new and creative way.
There are currently over 20,000 applications available in the iTunes Store which are designed solely for education, so possibilities are endless. Plus, colleges and universities are beginning to bring technology into their classrooms as well. This allows students to be more prepared for both higher education and the workplace.
Overall, it is a good idea for school districts to introduce their students to technology in schools. Eventually, schools everywhere will incorporate a lot of technology so it is best to start off students while they are young. Also, new software, computer programs, and apps are being released every day, making the process of education easier for teachers, students, parents, and administrators.
Sources:
http://redwoodcity.patch.com/articles/elementary-school-teachers-embrace-technology-others-wait
http://www.onlineuniversities.com/digital-classroom
The Redwood City School district has recently invested a lot of money into technology for its students. A large portion of the money has gone towards iPads which are being distributed to all students and teachers. Like many other school districts in America which are also undergoing large changes by incorporating technology into education, the Redwood City School District is making sure it gets the most bang for its buck. In fact, the district is going above and beyond to make these new iPads a daily part of school for its students.
In order to maximize their technological resources, administrators are ensuring that all instructors are knowledgeable in using the iPads. This is important because it is easy for districts to assume that all teachers are up to date with the latest technology. Also, the iPads are being used to their full potential. Teachers are storing assignments on the iPads which make their job easier in case they forget an assignment at home or at school. iPads also enable students to turn in work electronically, reducing the amount of paperwork both teachers and students need to deal with in traditional schooling.
One program available with the new technology in school is called PowerSchool. This program enables parents to track the grades and progress of their children. It is great to utilize this resource because statistically, students whose parents are actively involved in their children’s education do better in school. This also gives the parents the opportunity to know what their children are learning about in school, so they are able to help their children and ask questions about class. Plus, by making it easier for parents to stay involved with their children’s classwork, they can be updated by the teacher and keep the teacher informed of any of their children’s difficulties with the material taught in class.
One other innovative uses of the school district’s new technology are by teaching students after school. Using the Khan Academy education software, students can be assigned certain videos to watch which deal with what is being taught in class. This is a very good idea because students will be able to learn from the comfort of their homes, in a way that is not tedious or boring. All students like to watch movies instead of classwork, so they would be anxious to learn in this new and creative way.
There are currently over 20,000 applications available in the iTunes Store which are designed solely for education, so possibilities are endless. Plus, colleges and universities are beginning to bring technology into their classrooms as well. This allows students to be more prepared for both higher education and the workplace.
Overall, it is a good idea for school districts to introduce their students to technology in schools. Eventually, schools everywhere will incorporate a lot of technology so it is best to start off students while they are young. Also, new software, computer programs, and apps are being released every day, making the process of education easier for teachers, students, parents, and administrators.
Sources:
http://redwoodcity.patch.com/articles/elementary-school-teachers-embrace-technology-others-wait
http://www.onlineuniversities.com/digital-classroom
Friday, March 30, 2012
How Higher Education Helps the Economy
Via: Online Universities Resource
Source: http://www.onlineuniversities.com/higher-education-help-economy
The Importance of Our Favorite Teacher
By Sean Scarpiello
Everyone has that one teacher that they remember from high school, college, or even elementary school who they remember as their favorite teacher. People remember these teachers because they did not just teach, but they inspired. Many teachers these days simply teach the material in the curriculum, which is fine. However, the teacher everyone remembers was the one that pushed their students harder, went above and beyond their duty as a teacher, or had faith in their students when everyone else had lost it.
Teachers at all different levels, from kindergarten to graduate school, should aspire to be this one teacher that is remembered. Being a teacher is not an easy job and teachers’ roles in students’ lives are often downplayed by society. For many students as in poorer areas of the country, teachers can replace the role of a parent. School is sometimes the only place in some students’ daily life where there is structure. For this reason, teachers are on the forefront of fixing many of the problems in the poorer intercity schools. Students who have a teacher that truly inspires that a young, will be more likely to enjoy school, and not see learning as boring.
When everyone thinks back to their schooling, their favorite teacher did not usually teach their easiest class. Actually, it is quite the opposite. The teachers that inspire students make the work challenging by keeping students on their toes. One professor that I heard of during college showed up to class on the first day and said that his class will probably be the hardest class that his students will ever take. He tells the class that few, if any students, will get A’s, but he also tells the class to prove him wrong. A couple lazy students drop the class, but the majority of the class is driven by the professor’s attitude. In attempt to prove the professor wrong, students work harder and longer to do well. Ultimately, most of the class ends up with a good final grade. On the last day of classes, the professor tells his students not to give away his secret to success. To this day the professor continues this tactic and keeps finding that it motivates his students.
In all, everyone has the teacher that they remember. Teachers’ jobs are juggling acts between parents, the curriculum, administration, and students, so it is often easy to forget ways to inspire students. Every now and then, we should take time to remember our favorite teachers and what made us go above and beyond to achieve success in the classroom, because more often than not, teachers’ inspiration can help us succeed in the real world too.
Everyone has that one teacher that they remember from high school, college, or even elementary school who they remember as their favorite teacher. People remember these teachers because they did not just teach, but they inspired. Many teachers these days simply teach the material in the curriculum, which is fine. However, the teacher everyone remembers was the one that pushed their students harder, went above and beyond their duty as a teacher, or had faith in their students when everyone else had lost it.
Teachers at all different levels, from kindergarten to graduate school, should aspire to be this one teacher that is remembered. Being a teacher is not an easy job and teachers’ roles in students’ lives are often downplayed by society. For many students as in poorer areas of the country, teachers can replace the role of a parent. School is sometimes the only place in some students’ daily life where there is structure. For this reason, teachers are on the forefront of fixing many of the problems in the poorer intercity schools. Students who have a teacher that truly inspires that a young, will be more likely to enjoy school, and not see learning as boring.
When everyone thinks back to their schooling, their favorite teacher did not usually teach their easiest class. Actually, it is quite the opposite. The teachers that inspire students make the work challenging by keeping students on their toes. One professor that I heard of during college showed up to class on the first day and said that his class will probably be the hardest class that his students will ever take. He tells the class that few, if any students, will get A’s, but he also tells the class to prove him wrong. A couple lazy students drop the class, but the majority of the class is driven by the professor’s attitude. In attempt to prove the professor wrong, students work harder and longer to do well. Ultimately, most of the class ends up with a good final grade. On the last day of classes, the professor tells his students not to give away his secret to success. To this day the professor continues this tactic and keeps finding that it motivates his students.
In all, everyone has the teacher that they remember. Teachers’ jobs are juggling acts between parents, the curriculum, administration, and students, so it is often easy to forget ways to inspire students. Every now and then, we should take time to remember our favorite teachers and what made us go above and beyond to achieve success in the classroom, because more often than not, teachers’ inspiration can help us succeed in the real world too.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Websites that offer free and engaging educational content
Online education is a complex subject. Usually when people think about online education, they think about online college programs that offer accredited courses and ultimately a degree in a subject. Under this common perception, the web is merely a new space for a collegiate atmosphere, a place where someone can just as legitimately earn a meaningful degree as they could on a university campus. Although when you think about it, the web educates us in countless ways outside of the formal online college classroom setting. Sites exist solely for the purpose of educating any willing reader about a host of topics, from horticultural blogs to niche news sites. It’s just a matter of looking properly for someone who wants to get a substantial (and free) education on the web.
I’d like to offer you two sources that feature free educational content, material that can be quite valuable to anyone hungry to learn new information. The first source is untraditional in the way it relays information, while the second one conforms more to the typical online education archetype. Enjoy!
TED talks
TED talks are among the most revolutionary outlets for the free exchange of profound ideas on the internet. The premise of the TED initiative is simple: professionals in various industries including science, design, and business give informative lectures for no longer than 18 minutes on any topic that they feel they should share with the public. The TED group selects the best of these lectures to post on their website, where anyone can view or share them. The subjects are many and profound, among them are candid and detailed discussions of the environment, the human brain, behavioral sciences, and career advice.
Some may argue that the short running time of TED talks don’t leave enough room to discuss matters in depth or with enough substance, but those people miss the entire point of TED talks. They are meant to inspire viewers, to get them to alter their traditional mode of thinking in an effort to elicit meaningful change in the world. If you have the time to spare, definitely check out this site. It’ll be worth the effort.
Open Yale Courses
For people who are looking for a more material that follows a more traditional and collegiate track, I can’t recommend any site more highly than Open Yale Courses. This is an official listing of courses from Yale University (yes, that Yale) offered entirely for free. The site offers streaming lectures and downloadable course materials in dozens of disciplines, including biology, architecture, music, and sociology among others. Most of the offered open courses allow you to watch real Yale professors discussing material as if you were their own student, giving the whole process an authenticity found lacking in other online course materials.
Though there are many classes offered through Yale’s program, the list is by no means comprehensive. Luckily Yale changes out some open courses from time to time, so if you might have luck finding an appealing course later on if nothing initially strikes your interest. Either way, there is several years’ worth of material to be sifted through on this site; all of it is highly valuable.
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Katheryn Rivas, who writes for online universities blog. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katherynrivas87@gmail.com.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Last nite - 3-12-12 on 60 Minutes TV Show, they did a segment on the Khan Academy.
Here is the link http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57394905/khan-academy-the-future-of-education/
Here is the link http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57394905/khan-academy-the-future-of-education/
It is something that ALL people - interested in Education should see.
LVKen7@Gmail.comSaturday, March 10, 2012
Correcting the Problems of Online Education
By Sean Scarpiello
In the recent article, “Udacity: A New Type of Education,” there was a lot of discussion on both the pros and cons of this new type of online education. Online education is quickly rising in popularity for its low cost. This means more and more education professionals are entering this field... As the head of the Udacity project, Sebastian Thrun, is beginning to enroll more students into more classes, he is addressing the problems of Udacity and finding new and innovative ways to fix them.
The first major problem Thrun is fixing is Udacity’s ability to give credit to students who pass the class. At the moment, students can take this college level class, complete all of the work and assignment, yet not receive any credit for all of their hard work. Since Udacity is not technically an accredited university, at the moment, degrees for classes cannot be given to students. Udacity is fixing this flaw by acting almost like a recruiting agency for companies to help their students get jobs. For example, if a company is in need of an employee with certain credentials, Udacity will give the company a list of students in the area who are qualified in certain fields and have passed Udacity’s classes. This is a great way to solve the accreditation problem because students are taking the Udacity classes to improve their knowledge at the workplace and to get better jobs in general.
One other problem that Udacity is fixing in their future classes is the social aspects of learning. Large class sizes, especially large class sizes online, can lead to the lack of student to student and student to teacher interaction. This needs to be addressed because students can learn a lot by asking other students and the professor questions. Udacity’s plan is to have interactive office hours for students. This acts as a time for students to ask the professor questions about the course and any problem they have had with the course material. Also, discussion forums will be set up online for students to interact with each other Here, students can ask each other questions, share opinions, and decide which topics the class should review with the professor.
Overall, there is a general rise in the popularity in online education. Many different universities and education professionals are beginning to start online education programs. There is a high demand in this field but as online education becomes more and more developed, only the best online programs will survive. Udacity is a pioneer in this field is well on its way to becoming successful. These new improvements to the curriculum are setting Udacity up above the rest of the programs. Ultimately, this rush to online education will lead to an entirely new form of education altogether where more students are being educated at lower costs.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/05/education/moocs-large-courses-open-to-all-topple-campus-walls.html?pagewanted=2&sq=moocs%20education%20classes&st=nyt&scp=1
In the recent article, “Udacity: A New Type of Education,” there was a lot of discussion on both the pros and cons of this new type of online education. Online education is quickly rising in popularity for its low cost. This means more and more education professionals are entering this field... As the head of the Udacity project, Sebastian Thrun, is beginning to enroll more students into more classes, he is addressing the problems of Udacity and finding new and innovative ways to fix them.
The first major problem Thrun is fixing is Udacity’s ability to give credit to students who pass the class. At the moment, students can take this college level class, complete all of the work and assignment, yet not receive any credit for all of their hard work. Since Udacity is not technically an accredited university, at the moment, degrees for classes cannot be given to students. Udacity is fixing this flaw by acting almost like a recruiting agency for companies to help their students get jobs. For example, if a company is in need of an employee with certain credentials, Udacity will give the company a list of students in the area who are qualified in certain fields and have passed Udacity’s classes. This is a great way to solve the accreditation problem because students are taking the Udacity classes to improve their knowledge at the workplace and to get better jobs in general.
One other problem that Udacity is fixing in their future classes is the social aspects of learning. Large class sizes, especially large class sizes online, can lead to the lack of student to student and student to teacher interaction. This needs to be addressed because students can learn a lot by asking other students and the professor questions. Udacity’s plan is to have interactive office hours for students. This acts as a time for students to ask the professor questions about the course and any problem they have had with the course material. Also, discussion forums will be set up online for students to interact with each other Here, students can ask each other questions, share opinions, and decide which topics the class should review with the professor.
Overall, there is a general rise in the popularity in online education. Many different universities and education professionals are beginning to start online education programs. There is a high demand in this field but as online education becomes more and more developed, only the best online programs will survive. Udacity is a pioneer in this field is well on its way to becoming successful. These new improvements to the curriculum are setting Udacity up above the rest of the programs. Ultimately, this rush to online education will lead to an entirely new form of education altogether where more students are being educated at lower costs.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/05/education/moocs-large-courses-open-to-all-topple-campus-walls.html?pagewanted=2&sq=moocs%20education%20classes&st=nyt&scp=1
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Looking at Liberal Arts Education to Advance the Future of Education
By Sean Scarpiello
As society pushes to bring a better education to more people, certain educational institutions will benefit while others will struggle. One of the providers of education which may struggle in this transition from traditional education to the future of education is liberal arts schools. Liberal arts colleges are often criticized for being expensive and for lacking a wide range of majors. These drawbacks of a liberal arts college education make such colleges inefficient which is why many education professionals feel that there will be less and less of these colleges in the future. Is it smart to scrap the ideals of a liberal art education or can we learn something from them to incorporate into the future of education?
I am personally an advocate of a liberal arts education. They have many more pros than cons, but overall provide a better education than larger universities. First off, liberal art colleges typically have smaller class sizes which are very important. Professors are able to track each individual’s progress and make sure students are coming to class. This cannot be said about massive universities where classes are held in huge lecture halls and the professors rarely learn the names of all their students. Also, smaller class sizes mean that students in class get to interact with each other. This again is a huge benefit not only for the education aspects of college, but also the social aspects of education. Being able to interact well with others in the workplace is vital, especially as the average worker has more and more different jobs. Education cannot always be about memorization of facts, but it should include the application and analysis of this knowledge. Larger universities struggle at making their students communicate the information they are studying.
This lack of communication in the education field leads to an antisocial aspect of society. Already there is a lack of person to person communication due to technology like Facebook, emails, and texts messages. A liberal arts education forces students into an uncomfortable atmosphere and subjects, thus allowing students to work their way through problems together, much like in the workplace. As we enter this new era of education where masses of people are being educated at low costs, it is import to try and incorporate the communication aspects of education. In all colleges, students learn more outside the classroom than inside the classroom. In computer based education, it is often easy to avoid dealing and interacting with people, an aspect of all occupations.
One way to incorporate communication into education for the masses is by having video conferences or debates through the internet. The program could be set up much like a classroom in a liberal arts college where a professor moderates the discussion. Also through this, there will be a flow of ideas around students. Students can learn a lot from listening to others because everyone brings their own perspective to the table. This allows students to begin thinking outside of the box and critically.
Overall, liberal arts colleges may not be the most efficient, but we still need to keep the ideals of a liberal arts education around as we transition into a farther reaching educational system. One such example would include the communication and interpersonal aspects of education, which can easily be overlooked in this digital age.
As society pushes to bring a better education to more people, certain educational institutions will benefit while others will struggle. One of the providers of education which may struggle in this transition from traditional education to the future of education is liberal arts schools. Liberal arts colleges are often criticized for being expensive and for lacking a wide range of majors. These drawbacks of a liberal arts college education make such colleges inefficient which is why many education professionals feel that there will be less and less of these colleges in the future. Is it smart to scrap the ideals of a liberal art education or can we learn something from them to incorporate into the future of education?
I am personally an advocate of a liberal arts education. They have many more pros than cons, but overall provide a better education than larger universities. First off, liberal art colleges typically have smaller class sizes which are very important. Professors are able to track each individual’s progress and make sure students are coming to class. This cannot be said about massive universities where classes are held in huge lecture halls and the professors rarely learn the names of all their students. Also, smaller class sizes mean that students in class get to interact with each other. This again is a huge benefit not only for the education aspects of college, but also the social aspects of education. Being able to interact well with others in the workplace is vital, especially as the average worker has more and more different jobs. Education cannot always be about memorization of facts, but it should include the application and analysis of this knowledge. Larger universities struggle at making their students communicate the information they are studying.
This lack of communication in the education field leads to an antisocial aspect of society. Already there is a lack of person to person communication due to technology like Facebook, emails, and texts messages. A liberal arts education forces students into an uncomfortable atmosphere and subjects, thus allowing students to work their way through problems together, much like in the workplace. As we enter this new era of education where masses of people are being educated at low costs, it is import to try and incorporate the communication aspects of education. In all colleges, students learn more outside the classroom than inside the classroom. In computer based education, it is often easy to avoid dealing and interacting with people, an aspect of all occupations.
One way to incorporate communication into education for the masses is by having video conferences or debates through the internet. The program could be set up much like a classroom in a liberal arts college where a professor moderates the discussion. Also through this, there will be a flow of ideas around students. Students can learn a lot from listening to others because everyone brings their own perspective to the table. This allows students to begin thinking outside of the box and critically.
Overall, liberal arts colleges may not be the most efficient, but we still need to keep the ideals of a liberal arts education around as we transition into a farther reaching educational system. One such example would include the communication and interpersonal aspects of education, which can easily be overlooked in this digital age.
Monday, February 20, 2012
The Saylor Foundation and Free Education
By Sean Scarpiello
Recently, I found out about a website called saylor.org which has a mission to provide a free education. Michael J. Saylor, the CEO of a business intelligence firm called MicroStrategy, founded the nonprofit organization in order to bring education to students at no cost at all. The concept of the Saylor Foundation sounds great, but does the website actually prove to be a quality source of education?
When I first logged into the site, I discovered that there were classes in all types of subjects from chemistry and mathematics, to mechanical engineering and business administration. Out of curiosity, I picked the subject of biology to see what it had to offer. I found that the site had a lot of different courses to offer such as cancer biology, human anatomy, botany, and more. However, as I scanned the list of courses, I noticed that not all of them were complete. Some classes were 95% complete, and others even less. This made me question the credibility of the courses. Later on, I read about how the Saylor Foundation contracts real college professors from around the globe to create these courses. It is great that college professors are making the courses, but I found it odd that the courses were incomplete.
As I dove deeper into individual courses, I found that the courses are split up into units and from there into readings on different topics. The readings are essentially links that take the user to different websites which contain articles, videos, and demonstrations on the specific topic. Of the several links I visited, I found that some of them were very reliable and accredited sources. Also, some links led me to YouTube which was a bit of a shock. These videos are being hand chosen by college professors, but I would approach anything taught by a YouTube video with caution. Overall, I found that the information being taught all looked to be correct, but it felt like something was missing. Some vital aspects of some courses were not emphasized or completely overlooked. For example, in an intro biology course, the site talked about the linkages holding together sugars, but it completely ignored the different types of sugars as well as the combinations that sugars can form when linked. In laymen’s terms, there was a quite a bit of key info missing from an entry level course. Also, due to the linked readings, the course felt chopped up in a way. As there was no single source of information, I could see students new to the material struggling to grasp it.
Another aspect of the website I read about was that the institution was not accredited; therefore, it could not give out degrees. However, upon completion of the course and a passing grade on the tests and quizzes, the site would allow the student to print out a certificate of completion. I found this a bit odd because although the student passed a college level course designed by professors, employers will not really accept a printed out certificate.
Overall, I do not think the Saylor Foundation’s courses can be considered completely up to par with a college level curriculum. However, I do not feel that the site is completely useless. The resources and quizzes offered by the site can be a great way to review for tests in classes being taken at a college. Also, the courses could act as a way for students to get their feet wet with some of a course’s material before they take the class. Perhaps students entering an intro chemistry class in college can review the course using this site during the summer. This would definitely help out in the fall when students may struggle to grasp the concepts in class. In the future, if the Saylor Foundation can find a way to be accredited while boosting some of their class material, I think the site will definitely be a success.
Source: http://www.saylor.org/
Recently, I found out about a website called saylor.org which has a mission to provide a free education. Michael J. Saylor, the CEO of a business intelligence firm called MicroStrategy, founded the nonprofit organization in order to bring education to students at no cost at all. The concept of the Saylor Foundation sounds great, but does the website actually prove to be a quality source of education?
When I first logged into the site, I discovered that there were classes in all types of subjects from chemistry and mathematics, to mechanical engineering and business administration. Out of curiosity, I picked the subject of biology to see what it had to offer. I found that the site had a lot of different courses to offer such as cancer biology, human anatomy, botany, and more. However, as I scanned the list of courses, I noticed that not all of them were complete. Some classes were 95% complete, and others even less. This made me question the credibility of the courses. Later on, I read about how the Saylor Foundation contracts real college professors from around the globe to create these courses. It is great that college professors are making the courses, but I found it odd that the courses were incomplete.
As I dove deeper into individual courses, I found that the courses are split up into units and from there into readings on different topics. The readings are essentially links that take the user to different websites which contain articles, videos, and demonstrations on the specific topic. Of the several links I visited, I found that some of them were very reliable and accredited sources. Also, some links led me to YouTube which was a bit of a shock. These videos are being hand chosen by college professors, but I would approach anything taught by a YouTube video with caution. Overall, I found that the information being taught all looked to be correct, but it felt like something was missing. Some vital aspects of some courses were not emphasized or completely overlooked. For example, in an intro biology course, the site talked about the linkages holding together sugars, but it completely ignored the different types of sugars as well as the combinations that sugars can form when linked. In laymen’s terms, there was a quite a bit of key info missing from an entry level course. Also, due to the linked readings, the course felt chopped up in a way. As there was no single source of information, I could see students new to the material struggling to grasp it.
Another aspect of the website I read about was that the institution was not accredited; therefore, it could not give out degrees. However, upon completion of the course and a passing grade on the tests and quizzes, the site would allow the student to print out a certificate of completion. I found this a bit odd because although the student passed a college level course designed by professors, employers will not really accept a printed out certificate.
Overall, I do not think the Saylor Foundation’s courses can be considered completely up to par with a college level curriculum. However, I do not feel that the site is completely useless. The resources and quizzes offered by the site can be a great way to review for tests in classes being taken at a college. Also, the courses could act as a way for students to get their feet wet with some of a course’s material before they take the class. Perhaps students entering an intro chemistry class in college can review the course using this site during the summer. This would definitely help out in the fall when students may struggle to grasp the concepts in class. In the future, if the Saylor Foundation can find a way to be accredited while boosting some of their class material, I think the site will definitely be a success.
Source: http://www.saylor.org/
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