Using Education to Fight the Skills Gap
A problem has been looming in the United States industrial engine since the 1990s. According to author Gary J. Beach, it has widened considerably since 2000 and continues to affect the growth and strength of the economy. This has been named the “skills gap.” It has been examined, analyzed and
Vocational Training: America Needs to Lose The Stigma
If you live in North America, chances are you are hoping to attend college. It is, as President Barack Obama campaigned in 2008, something everyone hopes for themselves and/or their children to achieve. Yet, there is major problem in this approach – It ignores the fact that not everyone wants
Mobile Apps in Education
Mobile apps are truly changing the way we knew education just a few decades back. The ever increasing number of options for education is boosting the development of more and more educational apps. Let’s see how the apps are enticing teachers and educators to revise their teaching methods and how
MOOC – Higher Education For The Masses
MOOC: It sounds like an ultra, top, super-secret military program or maybe some new teenage catchphrase. In reality, MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Courses, and it is being hailed as the solution for higher education in poverty stricken or developing countries. In a nutshell, universities grant open access to
Boost Children’s Chances of Doing Well in School by Keeping Books at Home
Did you know that the more books you include in your home library, the greater determination your child will have to do better at school? It was recently claimed that parents can improve their children’s school results by simply providing them with regular access to books. This claim basically contradicts
Are We Preparing Students To Be Employees and Entrepreneurs In America’s Economy?
In 2006, J. Willard Marriott, Jr., Chairman and CEO of Marriott International, Inc. stated, “Our nation’s long-term ability to succeed in exporting to the growing global marketplace hinges on the abilities of today’s students.” He was commenting on the need for two parties two work together to ensure the economic
National Assessment of Educational Progress – What does it really tell us?
The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) started in 1964. The first voluntary assessments, however, did not take place until 1990. NACEP is the largest nation-wide testing and assessment of the knowledge base of students in the United States. The Congress has mandated this project. The administrator is the National
Retaking an Exam: How to Prep and Make it Easier
Exams are without a doubt stressful, and students should find a way to deal with them without having to turn to last minute options. Prior to starting an exam revision, students should be aware of their university’s examination procedures and processes. Retake planning Students should plan their time accordingly before starting
IDEA Stands for the Individuals with Disabilities Act
IDEA stands for the Individuals with Disabilities Act. The precursor of this Federal Law was the Education for All Handicapped Children Act made law in 1975. IDEA was enacted in 1990 and reauthorized 7 years later. In 2004, it was once again reauthorized. This time, IDEA was revised to ensure
Keeping Junk Food Out Of School
There is no doubt American children are gaining excessive amounts of weight. One of the sources of this weight gain, and controllable, is the school. Under such programs as the National Lunch Program (NLP) and free breakfast programs, children often receive their only main meal of the day at school.
Homeschooling: Advantages and Disadvantages
In 2001, around 1 million children were receiving homeschooling. This figure has continued to grow reaching around 2 million in the United States in 2012 (statistics differ on the exact number) and still showing indications of ongoing growth. There are many different reasons why parents choose to homeschool. For them
MOOCs Come of Age (Almost)
The number of “massive open online courses” or “MOOCs” continues to grow, led by Coursera with over 200 free courses offered by over 30 universities and almost 2.3 million students worldwide as of this writing. Also based in Palo Alto CA, Udacity claims over a million online students. Harvard’s and
Global Classroom: How the Khan Academy Came About
The story of the Khan Academy: In 2006, Salman Khan, a hedge fund manager in New York, began tutoring his cousins in New Orleans in high school math by posting a few videos on YouTube for them to use. Soon thereafter, Khan began to get fanmail and comments on his
Literacy Rates In The United States
In the 20th century several countries have had a higher rate of literacy than that of the United States. Among them is the Northern neighbor of Canada. Although the CIA World Fact Book now ranks Canada and the United States equally, it all depends upon the definition of the word