Posts Tagged ‘
higher education ’
I had lunch recently with an American friend working in Singapore. I explained to him how I conduct an international trade simulation with my economics students, and in the simulation, Singapore is one of the economic powerhouses. I asked him about the Singapore government, and whether it helps or hinders economic growth in that city-state.
He replied that government is one of Singapore’s strengths. How do they do it, I asked, when in much of the world government is viewed, at worst, as helplessly corrupt, and at best, inept.
It’s simple, he said. The Singapore government pulls the best and brightest from their high schools, sends them all over the world for top-notch higher education, then obligates them to serve in the government in exchange for the education, albeit with handsome salaries and benefits. The education, he explained, is to keep candidates beholden to the state, while the salaries are to keep them content and above reproach. The result, he suggested, is one of the most efficient and effective governments in the world.
Interesting model. Why not apply it to education?
Category:
career paths for teachers, professional development for educators, teacher compensation, teacher preparation |
1 Comment »
Tags: higher education, inspiration, international, professional development, teacher career paths, teacher preparation
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore–
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over–
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
- Langston Hughes
The Senate has defeated the “Dream Act” (The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act). This legislation offers a path to citizenship for children who arrived in the United States illegally as minors (under 15 years old). One of those paths is through completing a college degree. A bipartisan team of senators has sponsored this legislation since 2001; the most recent iteration tried to address the concerns of tuition costs and the possible domino effect of citizen sponsorship. In fact, despite the cries from opponents, if you read the actual parameters of the bill, you may be surprised to learn how really difficult it would be – even with the legislation – to become a citizen.
While both sides in the dispute over passage used social justice language and/or financial issues to justify their votes, I would like to add another argument in favor of the bill: developing our infrastructure. We don’t always think of education as an infrastructure issue. We cannot see the physical results like we see a bridge or a highway or repair of a school building. People are not outside schools in their orange vests or hard hats reminding us of “our tax dollars at work.” Yet teachers and other educators work to create and build skills and knowledge that are necessary for people to function successfully in our complex and interdependent system. To deny access to that system seems equally as near-sighted as not repairing bridges or letting school roofs leak. (more…)
Category:
education reform, Student Success |
1 Comment »
Tags: activism, education partnerships, higher education, political priorities, student achievement
When I posted an interview with former Western Oregon University professor, Bob Turner, about Oregon students’ college preparedness, I received a question about student work experience and partnerships between schools and local businesses. I didn’t have a simple answer – and still don’t – but, I have done some digging on Oregon’s policies.
The Oregonian recently published an article about a hands-on program for high school counselors to learn about trade apprenticeships so that they can better share accurate information with the students they serve. Given this recent article, I felt it was an appropriate time to revisit the issue of career preparation in our schools.
According to the Oregonian article: “Many students don’t consider a career in a trade because they’re only told about college, said John Nelsen, who organized this first Union Apprenticeship Teacher’s Workshop.”
It may be true that a lot of students are not informed of their options in the trades. A little research also indicates that there is great variance across the state in terms of what career-related information students receive. (more…)
Category:
education reform, Student Success |
4 Comments »
Tags: business community, classroom tactics, education partnerships, high school graduation, higher education, Oregon schools, student engagement, teaching strategies
My fondest memories of my years in a small Central Florida public school system in the 1960s and 70s are of my chorus and band instructors. I still have the “create your dream house” art project assigned in 7th grade art. I remember picking that class over the other elective, wood shop.
In 9th grade I got to choose a foreign language to learn, and those studies led to me taking a college semester abroad and then to living overseas on a scholarship for a year. I played on the junior high volleyball team. There was an enrichment center for accelerated students to attend once a week.
The academics weren’t stellar, but the breadth of the curriculum stirs envy by today’s public school standards. Not just in Oregon, music, band, team sports, wood shop, art, P.E. and foreign languages are increasingly viewed as “extras” that K-12 schools can’t afford.
And increasingly, the core services of public schools are at risk. Financial support from private sources, namely families with school-aged children and the communities around schools—the “users”–is increasingly counted on to preserve teaching staff, not just jazz band. (more…)
Category:
education reform, parent involvement |
2 Comments »
Tags: budget cuts, education reform, higher education, parent involvement, political priorities, school funding
Our family dinner conversations over the past year have featured an amusing role reversal. “Dad, did you get your homework done? No screen time until you do.” “Good job on your straight A’s, daddy!”
At age 48, my husband is back at school getting his Oregon teaching certificate. Just before he graduated from college in the 1980s, his Myers-Briggs test had predicted, “You are well suited to be a technology project manager, or a high school science teacher.” Check, and now check. Upon certification in 2011, my spouse hopes to land a position in science or math in an Oregon public school. (more…)
Category:
career paths for teachers, education reform, Teacher advocacy, Teacher Effectiveness |
4 Comments »
Tags: attrition, education reform, education statistics, higher education, teacher career paths, teaching strategies
With many of Oregon’s students graduating from high school last month, it seemed appropriate to look at the college and career readiness of Oregon’s high school graduates. So, I decided to conduct an interview with someone who has first-hand experience with Oregon’s grads.
Bob Turner is a former professor of biology at Western Oregon University. Prior to working at WOU, Bob taught at both Wesleyan University and Clackamas Community College. Bob holds a BS in Biology from Seattle University and a PhD in Embryology from the University of Oregon. His research interests include cell interactions in embryos and the immune system, nontraditional teaching methods, and peer mentoring to increase student success. His policy interests include the alignment of high school proficiency and university and community college expectations, the adoption of an internship/residency program for teachers in training, and objective models of student assessment for high school through college. (more…)
Category:
education reform, Student Success, teaching strategies |
4 Comments »
Tags: college readiness, high school graduation, higher education
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