Education News
26
Apr 11
12-Year-Old Genius Expands Theory of Relativity
Jacob Barnett, a 12-year-old genius from Hamilton County, Indiana, is challenging Einstein’s theory of relativity and he’s working on solutions to prove Einstein might actually have been mistaken.
Some academics at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, have confirmed the boy is on the right way to coming up with something completely new. Curently Jacob Barnett works for Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis and is paid for doing what he likes most, which is explaining calculus using a whiteboard marker on his bedroom windows. In the YouTube video below, recorded by his mother, Jacob explains his expanded theory of relativity.
In his early childhood, Jacob was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of Autism, so his parents expected him to have problems in school. However his IQ is as high as 170. His parents realised they were wrong when by the age of 3 Jackob started solving 5,000 piece puzzles. He also grasped calculus, algebra and geometry in two weeks. As an 8-year-old he left high school and since than he’s been attending college-level advanced astrophysics classes.
He is an unusual boy, but like any other kid he loves playing video games, watching shows on the Disney Channel and sci-fi movies.
Source: Time.com
5
Apr 11
The Value of Post-Secondary Education
There have always been sceptics about the value of higher education. The recession and the way that the information technology sector has shaped and opened up the job market have not exactly helped. The cost of tertiary study can be epic and when you add to this IT role models like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg who never completed university, things are not necessarily propelling people towards undertaking a 4 year degree.
But the message to emerge out of the current recession, according to economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, is that if you want to keep your job, if and when it happens again, it´s better to be well-educated than well-paid. In 1973, only 28% of jobs required a post-secondary education, but in 2008 that figure was 59%. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce scholars say this number will increase to 63% within the next decade. In 2008, the median salary of a college graduate with a Bachelor of Arts was $55,777 USD, compared with $33,800 for those who are only high-school educated. The figures for unemployment percentages follow suit, with almost double the number of high-school only graduates unemployed compared with college graduates.
Jobs in the IT industry increased by 4.3% in the last year, and while a select few made it without higher education, about 86% of the industry has some form of tertiary study behind them.
Bottom line: the odds are better with an education, and the IT industry is booming. Click here to view some courses you can study in the United States.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com
1
Apr 11
Corporal Punishment Still Allowed in US Schools
Image via mediadump.com
Disciplining students with a cane or “paddling” as it is commonly referred to, is still allowed in 20 of the 52 states in the US. A recent case in Wichita Falls, Texas, has brought attention to the issue, after an 11th grade student received a paddling that put him in the hospital.
According to The Center for Effective Discipline or CED, corporal punishment exists today mainly in the southern states, where it is ingrained in the customs and traditions of small communities. CED are committed to educating parents and children about the effects of corporal punishment on children and alternatives in giving discipline. Since 1998 the 30th of April has been dubbed SpankOut Day USA, to bring about an end to hitting children, and to promote their motto “Raising Responsible (Good) Kids Without Hitting”. CED highlight the fact that if students are hit at school, they think it is ok to be hit at home, and the cycle of violence continues.
The student from Wichita Falls is currently involved in a legal case which may help bring an end to the hitting of students in Texas. Recently, legislators in New Mexico voted to end the practice in their state, although it still needs the approval of the local governor before the law is passed.
Interestingly, St. Augustine High School, the only remaining catholic school in New Orleans who practiced paddling, have recently banned the practice, only to be met with protests from current students and the school community who want it reinstated. They say that being able to utilise corporal punishment has contributed to character building and higher graduation rates, and the senior students say they can tell the difference between the older students and the newer ones who have not been exposed to the same traditions.
If you are interested in finding out more about GED and what they do, check out their website here.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com and http://www.stophitting.com
29
Mar 11
Occupations of the Future
The job market is constantly evolving. As technology advances, it creates openings in new fields and makes others obselete. The saavy job seeker should be up to date with trends and forecasts, to make an informed choice about what to study according to the market and where it´s going.
Which occupations are likely to experience an increase in demand in the coming years? Here we share a few tips on the industries that are on the rise.
- Organic Food Farmer.
The organic market currently makes up 10% of the food industry, and the majority of growth has been in recent years. An increase in demand for organic food means an increase in demand for the farmers of organic produce.
- Genetic Counsellor
Genetic technology is advancing at a rapid rate, and parents may soon be able to choose certain genetic characteristics, such as the sex of an unborn child.
The continued growth and strength of the internet calls for IT professionals who can both protect websites and businesses, and help to patrol and stop hackers and other threats to computer systems.
- Social Media Manager
This job has really emerged in the last couple of years, with the global dominance of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. A mix between marketing and IT professions, companies both big and small are hiring social media managers to create and maintain the buzz around their brand.
As big business tries to become more eco-friendly and governments pass laws that aim to reduce our carbon footprint, the sustainability officer is the expert in working with new policies and procedures in this area.
Technology and demand to digitalise medical records is huge, and more people are going to be needed in this field to be able to deal with the workload.
- Mobile Application Developer
With the increase in the popularity of smart phones comes the increase in demand for application developers.
The Japanese have made a robotic carer to help with their ageing population and the demands on the aged care industry, and the increase in robots will require an increase in technicians to build and maintain them.
- Stem Cell Researcher
It´s still controversial but growth in this area is set to soar.
- Simulation Engineer
Simulators are used in many industries, such as in aviation and medicine, and as this specialist technology develops so too do the jobs.
Source: http://jobs.aol.com
21
Mar 11
Written Exams to Become Outdated?
Photo: Flickr Creative Commons ccarlstead
Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation in England, believe that written exams are becoming outdated because so many students today are using computers. Isabel Nisbet, the chief executive of Ofqual, said that written exams are becoming less relevant in our tech-savvy society as many students learn, explore and study more on computers than with conventional methods. Computerised exams would revolutionise the examination process and make it easier to correct and revise the exams.
While two other exam boards supported the idea, there has been some backlash from teachers and others in the education community, who say that it will facilitate cheating, contribute to the decline of handwriting and generally undermine educational values.
These days exam papers are often scanned and digitally marked, but last year some students mistakenly received lower grades and even missed out on their first university choice because of a computer error with the marking system. Referring to this incident, Miss Nisbet said
“Factors that contributed to the marking error included limited piloting of the new on-screen marking system, a lack of effective risk assessments and deficiencies in the role and training of examiners on the new system.”
With sufficient training and systems in place, computerised exams could be the new face of education, but perhaps not just yet.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk and http://www.ofqual.gov.uk
11
Mar 11
The Oscar for Education
Best Documentary Short Subject Academy Award, Strangers No More
Recently, Los Angeles held the 83th edition of the Oscars. Beyond the glamour of the red carpet, the celebration of the commercial cinematography and the reunion of the best actors and actresses in the world, it is worthwhile to emphasise the Academy Award winner for the best documentary short subject: Stranger No More. In the film, social problems and cultural differences are portrayed through the stories of 48 students of different nationalities and backgrounds in a school in Israel.
Besides the importance of education, this short film highlights the role of teachers in the educational process and the social and cultural inclusion of foreign students. In acknowledgment, the directors Karen Goodman and Simon Krika underline: “Through education peace really is possible“.
The development and prestige of independent cinema has grown and captured the interest of not only the general public but most importantly, of students. The world behind the camera is considered fascinating by many young people, attracted by what is known as the seventh art – Film Studies, they decide to pursue university programs in this area.
Some communication and new media programs include courses related to film in their curriculum, and they can provide you with more extensive training. However, for those who want to gain more specific knowledge in film there are undergraduate and graduate programs dedicated exclusively to Film.
Author: Lenice Laflor
Translated by Kasia Nosal
9
Mar 11
Skype in the Classroom
Skype has over 560 million registered users that are active in almost every country on the planet. Lots of people use Skype everyday, chatting or video chatting with friends and family. Skype has recently become popular among educators who are using it in the classroom in many innovative ways. It is a free and easy way for teachers to open up their students to a world way beyond their school. With Skype, students can learn from other students, connect with other cultures, and expand their knowledge in innovative ways.
Here we list some creative ideas of how to use Skype in your classroom:
- Videoconferencing in the Classroom - Utilising experts, authors, and guest instructors who would never otherwise be able to visit the school.
- Virtual Field Trips – Using video chatting to bring the field trip into the classroom – for example, visiting a TV production site guided by one of the student´s parents who works there, which includes all students despite budgetary or distance constraints.
- Foreign Language Learning and Cultural Exchange – Teachers use Skype to connect local students with native speaking students from other countires.
- After School Help – Tutors and teachers can provide after school help to students needing extra attention via Skype.
- Student Inclusion - Helping an ill classmate join the classroom from home.
- Foreign Culture Lessons – Skype allows students to see in real-time what people’s lives, homes, schools, weather, and more look like in other countries.
- Volunteer to help kids in India learn English – Connect with schools in developing countries for both cultural connections and educational benefits.
Skype has recently launched Skype in the Classroom, a free directory that connects teachers and helps them use Skype to enrich students’ educational experiences.
Source: teachingdegree.org
2
Mar 11
Living in the Information Age – 174 Newspapers a day
If you think you’re suffering from information overload, we don’t blame you. Each day, every person is bombarded by the amusing equivalent of 174 newspapers of data, comparing to just 40 newspapers full of information per day in 1986. However, the scientists from the University of Southern California lead by Dr Martin Hillbert proved that we’re not even close to being saturated with information. The study, whose results were published this February, cross-examined humankind’s ability to handle information and how it has changed over the last 25 years.
Some of the main findings prove that:
- The growth in the internet including email, twitter, social networking sites, and mobile phones means that the average person produces daily the equivalent of 6 newspapers of data compared with just two and a half pages per day 24 years ago.
- Thanks to 24-hour TV, radio and mobile phones we receive 5 times more information than we did in 1986.
- There is now 295 exabytes of data floating around the world – that’s 29,500,000,000,000,000,000,000 pieces of information.
- 2002 could be considered the beginning of the digital age, the first year worldwide digital storage capacity overtook total analog capacity. As of 2007, almost 94 percent of our memory is in digital form.
Dr Martin Hillbert says that the figures, despite showing enormous growth, prove that we are only in the middle of the information age and he assures us the human brain is very plastic and very good at understanding and processing information. It seems for now, we have nothing to worry about.
Source: uscnews.usc.edu and telegraph.co.uk
21
Feb 11
Google Art Project
Source: http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl
Last week Google unveiled its latest initiative Google Art Project, in which a selection of high-resolution images of famous art works are available online on a new website.
The project utilises the Street View tool, usually reserved for exterior landscapes, letting users take a virtual 360 degree tour of 17 of the world’s most acclaimed museums such as MoMA in New York, the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid or the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Users also have the ability to view individual pieces that have been photographed at a high resolution, enabling art fans to see the full details of the selected works (imagine being able to see an almost microscopic view of the brushstrokes of Van Gogh’s paintings!).
The web site also offers you the chance to create your own personal gallery, where you can save your favorite works, add comments and then share it with anyone.
For fans of art, museum lovers and for those who enjoy cultural activities in general, this initiative is a great opportunity to access museums and works of art that may have otherwise been out of reach. And in terms of art education, while nothing can replace the gallery, this sort of accessability can only be a good thing.
18
Feb 11
Why do Chinese Pupils Perform so well?
Photo: Alamy
According to a British ethnic breakdown of exam results published this week, children of Chinese origins whether rich or poor, have the best results of all ethnic groups in national curriculum tests at age 11. They outperformed caucasian British children by 6%. Similarly, British Chinese youngsters are the highest performing ethnic group in England for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject). Further evidence of Chinese students’ success was shown through the PISA, a global exam of 15-year-old students, where students from Shanghai got the best scores and were ranked at the top.
Why do Chinese pupils perform so well at school? What can we learn from them? We asked our colleague Ying, the Content Manager for Educaedu China, to give us some insight:
- Fierce competition
With such a huge population, and the fact that there can be 1000 people fighting for 1 job, it’s pretty common that children and students in China study a lot more than others. And the competition is not just between students but also parents. A pupil who performs well gives the parent a sense of superiority among other parents, so they help their children by signing them up for various tutoring classes after school.
- Academic score matters
The Chinese are taught during their entire childhood that ranking matters a lot. And GPA (Grade Point Average) is considered to be the easiest way to evaluate one’s ability. A GPA of 3.9 usually guarantees a much better school/university and a much better life compared to a GPA of 3.89.
Source: guardian.co.uk and independent.co.uk
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