Advancement of Teaching & Learning

Here is an example of taking it to scale....and the results are included within the link as well. 

Early counseling is important for students and families in that it addresses a deficiency in the college access continuum for many students, particularly low-income students and students who would be the first in their family to attend college," David Hawkins, NACAC's director of public policy and research.#

Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/05/16/nacac-study-says-counseling-can-affect-students-college-aspirations#ixzz2TXy9zMi7

We've read these reports for awhile, but this article's explanation is much better than many that I've reviewed.  It really gets down to the philosophical underpinnings of why their system works so much better than ours...

"MOOC News & Reviews is an online publication devoted to thoughtful critique of individual MOOC courses and to discussion of the evolving MOOC landscape.  It is a multi-authored, user-centric blog...

The following comments are based on personal experiences and are not all necessarily connected to this very important article.

There are myraid issues facing students with learning differences across the U.S.  Moreover, visuallly impaired students face even more daunting obstacles. Indeed their college graduate rates are considered the lowest of any population group on campus.  College professors often play an enormous role in their mounting frustrations by producing assigned reading materials late or at the very last moment.  If visually impaired students have access to assigned reading materials prior to the start of classes, student support (or access) services will have ample time to convert materials to audio or other accessible forms. This is too often not the situation.  Therefore, the students who typically need additional time to study and cover all the class materials can be the very last students with access to their class work.  Given everything else on their plates, late access to reading materials can be the final straw in their college survival.  It really doesn't need to be this way. Access Centers (student support) can't do this alone--they need the teaching faculty to be a their partner.  Student support centers are often under staffed and librarians, who must convert reading materials, are pushed by students who then need everything at the very last minute. 

Finally, professors often lack sensitivity or have never received professional development related to the range of students and disabilities they will be dealing within in their classrooms.  While assignments must be provided on time, meaning prior to the start of actual classes, universities also need to require their professors to attend additional, ongoing training to better understand the challenges many of their students face on campus.  

With the escape of three women held in captivity in Cleveland, Ohio for almost a decade, Elizabeth Smart's message is timely.  Smart is and remains ever-so impressive; speaking  from her own personal experiences. 

This is a must-read article for any states or schools considering abstinence only education.  While there has been evidence-based research for well over a decade telling us that comprehensive sex education is the correct program path, and that abstinence-only education flat out doesn't work (and if often quite harmful), that hasn't stopped the push for these programs in certain conservative quarters.  

These rankings are never perfect or all that accurate, but here it goes... (and I would add quite a few of the larger independent schools in Cleveland, Ohio to this list...really can't imagine that there are schools much better elswhere, but guess that depends on the ratings lens)

This should not surprise anyone...."We want to help K-12 students by helping their teachers," Coursera Co-Founder Andrew Ng said in a statement. "Many schools just don't have the resources to provide teachers and parents the training and support they need. By providing free online courses on how to teach, we hope to improve this."

Save this post for summer viewing! 

The program also features two short films profiling high school students with remarkable stories. The documentaries were produced by two-time Emmy-winning filmmaker Tony Gerber and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and MacArthur Genius Award-recipient Lynn Nottage. Musician John Legend hosted the event.

Should a tenured professor at Ball State University be allowed to  teach religion (or intelligent design) in a course billed as "science"?  This raging debate was initiated via the analysis of a University of Chicago professor who then flagged this course as quite troublesome--basically, a breach between the separation of church and state. On the flipside, Ball State students are not required to enroll in this particular course and we are not considering a K-12th grade public school, but a "public" college.  Ultimately, would students know the true course goals and objectives given its framed as scientific?  While a tenured professor may be able to teach whatever they so desire, (also debatable) can they do so in a manner that is less than transparent, open and honest? Overal, there are several academic and ethical issues at play...

This student's classroom rant has gone viral.  I can't say I feel comfortable with the outburst, but I certainly understand the reasons for it.  And, later, the student doesn't apologize for his classroom assessment when interviewed by the news media.  Handing out packets everyday to help students prepare for "tests" is an all too common classroom practice rather than fully engaging with the students and bringing learning to life. It isn't about a paycheck...and the teacher's non-engaging, monotone voice tells us part of the everyday story. 

I can't imagine why it would take this long for the ACT to sort through an online version.  It doesn't seem to be rocket science to move a test online, although security and the integrity of the test results are, indeed, top concerns. Nevertheless, getting the large testing agencies to offer their services in a manner where students don't have to drive long distances, get up at the crack of dawn to get to a test site, pay for hotel rooms, etc. would finally help provide broader and more equitable access to this highly overrated test.  It is often the less economically advantaged urban and rural students who suffer most.   

What a lesson!  I love this story.