May, 2010
28
May 10
Paying Students to Study?
Photo: Flickr Creative Commons - Conspirator
Education is a popular topic for discussion in governments all over the world. Politicians suggest strategies for smaller classroom sizes, teachers campaign for better salaries, and many countries have come together to support free and compulsory education as a right for every child. But what about the idea of paying students at primary or secondary school level to achieve better results? Would that be a way to improve completion rates and test scores?
This was what two studies set out to answer; when the idea that education as a means to employment and higher earning levels is distant and inconceivable, would an immediate financial reward encourage students to do well? The first study was undertaken by Joshua Angrist of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Victor Lavy of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Their study included 40 high schools in Israel, where only a few students usually received their graduation certificates. The incentive was a cash bonus of about $1450 if they passed all their tests and finished school. The results saw an improvement in about 1/3 of the students which is quite good, however it was mostly girls who were close to graduating that showed the improvement.
In the United States, Roland Fryer of Harvard University carried out an ambitious set of experiments involving 38,000 students from various states in government-run schools that perform poorly. Roughly half of the students were paid based on their test results and grades, or for reading books and wearing uniforms. The outcome of the test showed no significant improvement in boys or girls, compared with the other students. Mr Fryer concluded that what the study did not take into account was other factors that contribute to successful education: the learning environment, the skill of the teachers etc, and that money alone could not produce the good results. Students don´t neccessarily know how to do better, it´s not always a conscious decision.
And what about the kids that are already good students? And the ones that no matter how hard they try, they cannot make the grade to qualify for the reward? Do we really want to confuse the boundaries between education and working for money? Definitely food for thought.
Source: The Economist
26
May 10
10 Steps to Become a Celebrity Personal Assistant
Have you ever thought about how cool it would be to work as a celebrity personal assistant? To enjoy an incredible lifestyle that most people can only dream about, including flying first class, chatting with other celebrities and going to upscale parties? Actually, being a personal assistant to a celebrity also means that you are responsible for that celebrity’s success and career development.
Does this sound like a great job to you?
If so, here are 10 steps to your dream position as a CPA:
1. Pick a Celebrity
You can choose to assist not only actors and rock stars, but also professional athletes, politicians, bestselling authors, wealthy families, business executives etc. Choose the field you’re interested in.
2. Develop Your Skills
Celebrities are currently looking for technologically advanced assistants with strong computer and typing skills. Most of them are also interested in your etiquette knowledge, communication skills and personal shopping abilities.
3. Get Some Training
Currently there are no formal university qualifications (that we know of) to become a celebrity personal assistant, but you can develop many of the necessary skills in related programs, such as: Executive Secretarial Certificate, Personal Assistant Course, Office Administration, or an Events Management Diploma.
4. Get Some Experience
The best way to learn is to practice. Become a non-celebrity PA first.
5. Find a Job Opening
Try to meet celebrities through networking, volunteering or working as a production assistant on a movie set. Look for job openings through word of mouth and via the internet. Advertise yourself in a trade magazine or publication.
6. Get in Touch With the Celebrity
Send your resume to the celebrity and follow it up with a phone call. Get in touch with the celebrity’s agent, attorney, or even their current personal assistant as they may have an opening in the future or know someone who does.
7. Avoid Common Mistakes
Don’t provide too much personal information about yourself. Don’t mention you are hoping to start your own career in show business soon. Instead, focus on what you have to offer the celebrity.
8. Join an Agency
Register yourself in top CPA employment agencies. Network with existing celebrity personal assistants and start filling in when someone is sick or on vacation.
9. Interview
During the interview your personality match with the celebrity is just as important as your CV. Be honest and direct when you speak.
10. Join Professional Organizations
There are professional organizations that assist celebrity personal assistants with their career development. Madonna’s assistant became her manager. Other assistants moved on to executive positions in the film industry. Good luck!
21
May 10
5 Study Abroad Scholarships That Will Blow Your Mind
Studying abroad is an eye opening experience for students. One thing it should not do is break the bank, but unfortunately it is not cheap to study in another country. Luckily there are literally thousands of scholarships available to students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, who want to study abroad. Many of them are given out to specific fields of study, but below we have found five international study abroad scholarships that offer money to a wide range of students:
Gilman International Scholarship Program
For: U.S citizen undergraduate students in financial need.
Scholarship of: Up to $5,000
This program offers grants to pursue academic studies abroad. It is a congressionally funded program that gives awards to about 1700 students a year. Recipients are chosen based on a variety of factors including financial need, chosen country of study, disability status and ethnic background, among others.
Boren Awards for International Study
For: U.S. citizens studying abroad that want to “add an important international and language component to their education.”
Scholarship of: Up to $20,000 a year ($30,000 for the fellowship)
The Boren Awards are a privately funded, federally regulated set of scholarships and fellowships that offer funding to American students for study abroad programs. They are interested in funding the study of languages that are less mainstream, like Arabic and Turkish.
Mary Isabel Sibley Fellowship
For: Female post-doctoral researchers who are studying Greek or French language, literature, archaeology or history.
Scholarship of: Up to $20,000
The Mary Sibley Fellowship is offered by the Phi Beta Kappa Society, but applicants do not have to be members to apply.
Central European University Fellowship
For: Postgraduate students from anywhere in the world.
Scholarship of: Monthly stipend, houseing and tuition waivers.
Central European University in Budapest, Hungary offers financial aid to help lower study costs. Students from all over the world are eligible to apply, no matter their field of study, if they plan to enroll at CEU.
SIT Study Abroad Scholarships
For: Future SIT students.
Scholarship of: A wide range of financial aid options and scholarships.
Students who apply for study abroad programs through SIT Study Abroad are eligible for a range of financial aid options and scholarships, including a number of study-specific funds that cater to particular interests. SIT operates programs all over the world, including Switzerland, Spain, Ireland, Netherlands, France, Iceland, Czech Republic and the Balkans.
19
May 10
Migration Changes and International Students in Australia
Source: Flickr Creative Commons - Marxchivist
The Australian government has recently modified the rules regarding student visas and permanent residency, revising the “skilled occupation” migration policy and cutting 217 occupations from the list of jobs that migrants can elect to study in order to later secure residency in Australia. By doing this the government also hopes to stop shady private institutes offering cheap courses to secure permanent residency for students, as around 1300 private institutions will have to re-apply for accreditation. Last year, many private institutions closed down, sparking backlash from the students involved, and shedding light on the “study in exchange for residency” loophole.
International students make up around 20% of all university students in Australia, and are one of the biggest sources of income for Australia. People are therefore concerned about the effect these changes will have, and that the reputation Australia has as an international study destination will be hurt. The country has already suffered from last year´s racial attacks on Indian students, who constitute a large percentage of the international student market. Security concerns mean potential students are looking to other international locations to undertake their studies, like Canada and the UK.
Some people, like the Chief of TAFE Directors Martin Riordan, have welcomed the changes. TAFE colleges constitute a large part of the higher education market, and the crack down on private institutions will no doubt have a positive effect on the international student enrollments at TAFE´s. At the same time, it also strengthens the quality of study options that are on offer.
There are also concerns that students who are currently studying in Australia and are planning to apply for residency will be penalised due to the new rules that were not in place when they made their initial decision to come to Australia. Should they be able to still apply for residency based on what was promised before the laws changed? This is yet to be decided.
17
May 10
Wedding Planning – Course of the Week
Photo: Flickr Creative Commons Clevercupcakes
Are you one of those people who just loves weddings? When you saw the film The Wedding Planner, did you picture yourself as Jennifer Lopez, happily planning that special moment in other people´s lives? Well, forget Hollywood because Wedding Planning is a real profession! There are many courses available all around the world that will equip you with the skills to be able to organise, market and manage the big event. Wedding planners are multi-taskers, event managers and business professionals and provide great customer service. They have a wide range of training, from small business management and starting your own business, to event management and even how to handle emergency situations.
UK Open Learning offers an Event Management, Wedding Planning and Business Course which is perfect if your scope is a little broader and you want to get involved in other event planning besides strictly weddings. The course is delivered online, making it flexible to the needs of modern students with an internet connection. You will even get allocated an experienced event planner as your tutor!
In Australia you can study a Diploma in Wedding Planning, designed by the Wedding Planning Association of Australia (WPAA). Here you will study the following subjects:
- Ceremonies and licences
- Wedding Etiquette
- Marketing
- Working with suppliers
There is the option for greater or fewer contact hours per week, depending on your work commitments, and the course is designed for people to be able to study while working full time.
It´s never too late to think about a career change or to return to study, and with the flexibility that institutes offer these days, it really makes it easy to get started and follow your Wedding Planning dreams! Think outside the box…
14
May 10
Prisoners vs Students = Education Debate
Photo: Brian Harkin for The New York Times
Students from Eugene Lang College, a divison of The New School in the US, recently experienced a taste of life inside a prison… but only for the duration of the debate they were there to participate in. The students battled it out against a team of prisoners on the subject of higher education in prisons, and whether the government should finance the programs. The somewhat ironically named Arthur Kill Correctional Facility have previously participated in debates with the New York Law School and St John´s University and remain undefeated in their two-year history of debating. Yes, it was the prison team that won the debate.
So who started with the upper hand? The students had the advantage of all the research they could get their hands on, including, as one prisoner pointed out, access to the internet. But the prisoners had real-life experience and a topic that hit very close to home. Three of the men on the prison team are actually special students at The New School, as are several other inmates. The students decided to take their argument beyond just the education system, quoting Foucault and talking about the class system.
Is it that surprising that the prison team won? Maybe it is, maybe it isn´t. What seems practical is that giving prisoners access to education while in jail has positive implications for the prisoners and in turn, for society. And what a great opportunity for the students to be able to enrich their education with such an experience.
Has this sparked any thoughts about your views on eduation programs in prisons?
Source: The New York Times
12
May 10
The Anti-Nobel Prize
“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ but, ‘That’s funny…” —Isaac Asimov
Have you ever read an article regarding scientific research about something that is seemingly unlikely and possibly worthless? If so, it is important to point out that many have a large budget to conduct research on these types of topics that they spend years investigating.
What kind of prize would you give to these people? It is actually called The Ig® Nobel Prize and it has been organized by an organization called Improbable Research since 1991. This foundation gives awards to scientific researchers who “first make us laugh and then think”. On their official website they explain that the goal is to motivate curiosity and make us ask ourselves how does one decide what is important and what is not, what is real and what is not, be it science or any other field.
The prizes are awarded at a ceremony at Harvard University and they are given out by real Nobel Prize winners. Then, the winners are invited to give a lecture at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) detailing their work.
Some of the winners of the 2009 award include:
- Public Health Prize: Dr. Elena Bodnar for inventing a bra that, in case of emergency, can become a face mask (each bra can be used by two people).
Dr. Elena Bodnar accepting her award.
- Chemistry Prize: Javier Morales, Miguel Apática and Victor Castaño from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, for transforming liquid into diamonds, specifically with tequila.
- Veterinary Medicine Prize: Catherine Douglas and Peter Wowlinson from the University of Newcastle in the UK, for proving that cows that are given a name produce more milk than those without names.
- Peace Prize: S. Bollinger, S. Ross, L. Oesterhelweg, M. Tahalí and B. Kneubuehl from the University of Bern in Switzerland, for determining by testing if it is better to be hit in the head with an empty bottle or a full one.
- Literature Prize: Went to the Irish Polish for giving out more than 50 traffic tickets to the person with the most tickets in the country, Prado Jazy, which in Polish means “Driver’s License”.
Educaedu would like to applaud all the winners. Congratulations.
10
May 10
Fashion Illustration – Course of the Week
It´s amazing how some people can just whip out incredible illustrations in only a few minutes. Contestants on the show Project Runway for example, get just 30 minutes or less to think about and sketch out their designs. It must take a lot of practice and skill to be able to do that. Apart from sketching for hours on end, is there a faster way to become the next big illustrator for Vogue magazine? It turns out that there is.
The Australian Institute of Fashion Design has a Fashion Illustration and Portfolio Development course to help you realise your dream. It is designed to improve your fashion drawing and illustration skills, using various rendering mediums (graphite, charcal, paint, etc.). Students will also learn how to professionally layout a portfolio, using techniques to enhance the design’s impact, communicate a design theme or story and create a flow through.
The following is a list of some of the topics that will be covered in this short course:
* Creating Fashion Stories
* Colour Schemes
* Using fashion figure templates/croqui
* Understanding the fashion figure proportions
* Using Various Rendering Techniques and Materials
* Mixed Media Techniques to Create Visually Stunning Presentations
* Using Watercolor Pencils, Gouache and Watercolor Paints, Pantone Marker Pens, Graphite and More
* Creating Different Illustration Styles
* Shading Garments on the Body
* Rendering Fabrics
* Portfolio Layout and Presentation
Your successful career as a fashion designer awaits you!
7
May 10
Glee Series Make Show Choirs More Popular in Schools
The characters on the hit show, “Glee” are not exactly part of the high school social elite. They are frequently ridiculed for their participation in a show choir and get grape slushies thrown in their faces on a regular basis. Due to the shows popularity, however, activity in the real world of show choirs has never been more popular.
“Glee,’’ which just returned after a four-month hiatus, has resonated among high school choral students. It has empowered students who are tired of being considered dorky, and boosted music programs across the country, with students lobbying for show choirs at their own schools.
The National Association for Music Education recently polled choral teachers to see whether the show has had an impact on their music programs – 43 percent said it had. They reported that students had been turning out in record numbers for auditions and pleading for choral arrangements of songs from the show.
John Burroughs High School in California performed on Oprah earlier this year. As you can see, they are quite talented and spared no expense. It´s good to see a TV show having such a positive effect in schools!
4
May 10
Read My Lips – Lipdub University
It all started in 2008 when six students at the Furtwangen University in Germany had a great idea. They proposed to create a “lipdub” -trying to lipsynch to a pop song while it plays in the background- and show different parts of their university’s campus in only one take.
This concept, which now has been dubbed Lipdub University, exploded on the internet and now there are more than 40 different universities participating around the world. The University of Alberta in Canada, Bucks New University in the UK, and Boston University in the United States are just a few examples of schools that have already made their own videos.
The production of the video can be problematic from a technical point of view and with the amount of people involved. It is not difficult to imagine that one might be embarassed to participate, even though looking at it objectively, the video has various benefits: first, it is good for the school in terms of promotion and free advertising; secondly, it is a fun way for students involved to get to know each other better.
The following is the original video created by those six German students:
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