Group items tagged

"As soon as it was explained to me, I said, "Wow. I know a lot of professionals who have first world career problems." In my line of work, I interact daily with people who are unemployed or under-employed - many of whom are professionally challenged. They've got outdated skills, or were part of a dying industry that lead them to where they are now. So, when I hear someone who is educated, articulate, and above all, employed, say one or more of the first world career problems below, it can be tough to find compassion for them. I have to remind myself that "perception is reality.""

From a business perspective, this is a supply and demand problem in that the demand for quality education is not being met by an adequate supply of learning opportunities. From a technology perspective, this is a problem that can now be solved with software. From a societal perspective, there should be alarm bells going off for everyone that this is an issue that requires our boldest ideas and brightest minds.

As I walk over to his computer I hope that this is a small problem with a simple fix. But then it begins. Another hand pops up in the air and murmurs of internet problems buzz through the room. I quickly realize that I am going to have to conduct the first day of my Multimedia class without the internet.

"In terms of culture, I could not be more excited about the Community Teaching Assistant (CTA) program as led by Norian Caporale-Berkowitz. CTAs are selected from the outstanding students from previous courses who have both mastered the material solidly and shown a natural inclination to teach their fellow students. They volunteer to be in the next session of the class and help in creating the culture of the next round and to be close to the next round of the students and help them through the materials in the course. What is especially cool is that we have a special forum for the CTAs and Teaching staff for the course where we discuss and solve problems and they help make sure that things are brought to my attention quickly that are important. I still am in the class discussions and do most of the content creation for the class - but I also have a group that can review my new materials before I release them and catch problems. I spend about an equal amount of time in the course forums and TA forum."

"Kno, in many ways is a case study in Silicon Valley hubris, where white-boarding and theoretical thinking doesn't always match up with the reality of the real world. A book publishing industry insider pointed out that Kno was trying to solve a problem that wasn't acute enough for the publishers and the end customers - students. It was a problem Kno wanted to solve for Kno."

"If technology is seen as the problem in driving the culture too fast for education to adjust and keep up, it may also be seen as a solution to that very same problem. If relationships are the stuff of better learning, then let technology provide better ways to relate. It is technology that can expand an educator's relationships beyond the limits of a school, or district, or state, or even a country. Relationships with other educators, without the expense of taking costly courses are made possible."

"PhotoMath reads and solves mathematical problems by using the camera of your mobile device in real time. It makes math easy and simple by educating users how to solve math problems."

With regard to Trend No. 1, 93 percent of the employers surveyed said that "a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly, and solve complex problems is more important than [a candidate's] undergraduate major." On Trend No. 2, the association's survey found that "more than nine in 10" employers surveyed said it was important that job candidates "demonstrate ethical judgment and integrity; intercultural skills; and the capacity for continued new learning. More than 75 percent of employers say they want more emphasis on five key areas, including critical thinking, complex problem-solving, written and oral communication, and applied knowledge in real-world settings."

" I lecture so that I can model how an expert approaches problems. If my students have read the book (or, for the flippers, watched the video) before class, they have (I hope) obtained some basic facts and also have at least the beginnings of an understanding of how those facts fit together. If I assign them problems or questions to grapple with, they will eventually work toward a deeper understanding of the topic at hand. What the in-class lecture adds is a model of how an expert approaches questions."

This year, Yik Yak is the app du jour; racist, sexist, and homophobic comments posted on Yik Yak have led to student protests on some campuses, and attempts by administrators to block access to the site on others. But Yik Yak is not the problem; in fact, I am confident that the hype over this particular app will soon die down, and it will be replaced by some new, more exciting tool. The problem lies in a culture that accepts - indeed embraces - the act of broadcasting, behind a protective mask of anonymity, statements that most would find offensive.

Coming up with the right question involves vigorously thinking through the problem, investigating it from various angles, turning closed questions into open-ended ones and prioritizing which are the most important questions to get at the heart of the matter.

"We force our youth into taking virtually all the same classes, subject them to the same standardized tests, and judge their future worth and potential off an average. In doing so, we bring smart students down to an average level, ignore average students, make under-achieving students feel absolutely hopeless, and leave brilliant students unchallenged and completely unmotivated. By destroying this natural variation we suppress the best parts of our human condition; the unique strengths and individualistic tendencies that lie within all of us."

"the biggest problem as succinctly as possible: Caring Doesn't Scale. This three-word sentence captures so much. First, it clearly communicates that "scale" has become a virtue. More importantly, it implies that old-fashioned virtues - things like caring about people - simply can't compare in importance to modern values like scale."

problems with klout scores are discussed

"More and more I am reading articles like this one Colleges worry about always-plugged-in students. In it they talk about college professors and administrators who have or are considering unplugging student's access to the internet or banning technology altogether so students will focus. These learning institutions are moving in the wrong direction! When we blame or ban the technology,  we solve our issue temporarily, but we are ignoring the root of the problem.  "

"Each attempt to "motivate" himself will only increase his stress and guilt as it widens the gap between his motivation and his follow-through, between how badly he wants to work out and his failure to do so. We have a misconception that if we only cared enough about something, we would do something about it. But that's not true. "

"Thinking about what science memes can do, I think there's something interesting in the Biofortified post. I don't think you can transmit Science by meme. It's too messy. But you can hope to transmit some science appreciation, or possibly highlight some scientific problems with viral images and memes."

"The frustrations teenagers experience with school are more a case of statistics and lack of experience than that of work ethic or "attitude" problems. These statistics are not tied to socioeconomic status, weight or time spent in a seat; they're genetic and experiential. We have a bell curve of abstraction and experience, and we're only beginning to think about how to honor that."