Distance learning is gaining trust among students looking to upgrade themselves for better career prospects. Distance learning serves as an alternative for students looking out for graduation without undergoing any form of conventional classroom learning. With the rising competitiveness in the market, more and more adults are taking interest in pursuing higher education. Considering the rise in interest for higher education via Distance learning, education providers are looking forward to offer new technologies in order to meet this demand.
Online institute no doubt offer much of freedom and flexibility. Most students enrolling for accredited online degree program courses are working full-time and doing well in their jobs. They need a source of income to run their family's expenses and quitting jobs mean inviting financial problems. So, in order to upgrade their educational qualifications along with a job, distance learning courses are the preferred choice.
In online classes and course, students study about the business world via technical characteristics of an internet. The online classes and courses are accomplished on the internet in several different methods. The seminars and lectures can be brought on the internet and there are several of options for downloading and file uploading, forums, web chatting and video streaming. The students enroll in online degree program will be capable to reach the syllabus on the internet and normally there will be standard sessions with the other students and teachers. Just like the other course, classes are focused to the similar great standards while the homework is all the times present.
Distance learning is available for a wide spectrum of courses. And these courses have been steadily getting the popularity in the past few years due to the many different advantages which the students can get from them. And the very first advantage is a convenience thing. Persons don't have to go away their residences to take the classes. So that is why they can save their lots of money and time. Furthermore, it is perfect for those online students who have to manage academic, professional and family responsibilities. Another added benefit is that students have access to learning anywhere and at any time with no limitations and restrictions time and location of study. It gives students ample time to spend with their family and work. Also, distance online education saves the time and cost incurred in traveling.
The choice to become successful in your job depends upon your skill to obtain the right field regarding examine that fits the academic needs as well as profession targets.
Author writes article on online education in India. He is impressed with the evolution of technology which enables students to pursue their studies online. Colleges in Chandigarh are the perfect example of institutes which believes in accredited education.
By Jaspreet Singh Dutt A
Tips for Improving Your English Through Movies
Movies and films give more than just entertainment. Watching foreign language movies is a fun, motivating way to improve language skills. While enjoying a movie, you can be immersed into authentic and varied language, the visual context and new expressions that you may not find in a textbook. Below are some ways that watching English movies can help you to learn English, and guide you how to get the most out of this technique.
How watching movies helps to improve your English skills
1. Listening skills
Watching movies is a great way to boost your listening skills. You will hear English used in a natural way, informal English, slag words and phrases you do not often find in books or dictionaries.
2. Speaking skills
Repeating what you hear on the screen can go a long way towards improving your speaking skills, from your fluency, words linking, pronunciation, to correct intonation.
3. Vocabulary and grammar
You will have chance to learn many words, phrases and grammar and how they are used in real life.
Watching movies and films, obviously helps to improve your English. However, while some can use this technique effectively, many people find it difficult. For example, there are no subtitles; they have to keep on pausing and playing to understand; they find it difficult to take notes while enjoying the movie; they are not sure whether they can remember these words after.
So how can learning English through movies be made enjoyable and effective?
1. Enjoy them
You don't need to understand everything. If you try too hard, it will be frustrating experience studying the language. Instead, try catching words and grammar points you already know and those you are not familiar with. You can pause and replay when you find something interesting or if you want to verify something. It is easier and time-saving if you have both English subtitles in your mother language. Since not all films have these, you can check the movie transcripts.
2. Re-watching, listening and shadowing
Re-watch your favorite films, and replay your favorite scenes. The more you re-watch, the more you can focus on the speech because you already know what is happening in every scene. Instead of focusing on what is happening, you can give more attention to what you hear. If you don't have time to re-watch the movie, then listen to the film audio. You can rip audio from films, save them as Mp3 files, and play them while doing other things. Also, mimic the way the actors say the lines by repeating them. You can look at the transcripts while doing so.
3. Use movies to reinforce what you have learned from textbook lessons
You can remember lots of new words and grammar through watching movies. Just compile transcripts of your favorite films in a single document. For new words and grammar that you meet in the lessons from your ELICOS courses, you can find them in the script, then check when and how they are used in different scenes in the film. To better remember the words and grammar, you can re-watch, and listen to the audio, color-note the script lines of the scenes that have the words you are studying and repeat them. Repeat and act out the scenes until you can recite and understand them without looking at the transcript and your notes.
In a nut shell
Learning English through movies is an enjoyable and effective strategy to improve your language skills. Don't stress yourself too much! Just enjoy watching movies, re-watch, listen and mimic your favorite movies and scenes. The subtitles and transcripts are also a great help. By so doing, you may be amazed at your language improvement as time goes by!
Learning English can be very fun and effective if you take ELICOS course at Scots English College (Scots). As a government registered ELICOS provider, Scots offers various premium quality ELICOS courses right in the heart of Sydney's CBD. We also have practical tips and useful resources to help you learn English quickly, easily and effectively. Check out these helpful tips to improve your English through English movies.
By Suri Do
How watching movies helps to improve your English skills
1. Listening skills
Watching movies is a great way to boost your listening skills. You will hear English used in a natural way, informal English, slag words and phrases you do not often find in books or dictionaries.
2. Speaking skills
Repeating what you hear on the screen can go a long way towards improving your speaking skills, from your fluency, words linking, pronunciation, to correct intonation.
3. Vocabulary and grammar
You will have chance to learn many words, phrases and grammar and how they are used in real life.
Watching movies and films, obviously helps to improve your English. However, while some can use this technique effectively, many people find it difficult. For example, there are no subtitles; they have to keep on pausing and playing to understand; they find it difficult to take notes while enjoying the movie; they are not sure whether they can remember these words after.
So how can learning English through movies be made enjoyable and effective?
1. Enjoy them
You don't need to understand everything. If you try too hard, it will be frustrating experience studying the language. Instead, try catching words and grammar points you already know and those you are not familiar with. You can pause and replay when you find something interesting or if you want to verify something. It is easier and time-saving if you have both English subtitles in your mother language. Since not all films have these, you can check the movie transcripts.
2. Re-watching, listening and shadowing
Re-watch your favorite films, and replay your favorite scenes. The more you re-watch, the more you can focus on the speech because you already know what is happening in every scene. Instead of focusing on what is happening, you can give more attention to what you hear. If you don't have time to re-watch the movie, then listen to the film audio. You can rip audio from films, save them as Mp3 files, and play them while doing other things. Also, mimic the way the actors say the lines by repeating them. You can look at the transcripts while doing so.
3. Use movies to reinforce what you have learned from textbook lessons
You can remember lots of new words and grammar through watching movies. Just compile transcripts of your favorite films in a single document. For new words and grammar that you meet in the lessons from your ELICOS courses, you can find them in the script, then check when and how they are used in different scenes in the film. To better remember the words and grammar, you can re-watch, and listen to the audio, color-note the script lines of the scenes that have the words you are studying and repeat them. Repeat and act out the scenes until you can recite and understand them without looking at the transcript and your notes.
In a nut shell
Learning English through movies is an enjoyable and effective strategy to improve your language skills. Don't stress yourself too much! Just enjoy watching movies, re-watch, listen and mimic your favorite movies and scenes. The subtitles and transcripts are also a great help. By so doing, you may be amazed at your language improvement as time goes by!
Learning English can be very fun and effective if you take ELICOS course at Scots English College (Scots). As a government registered ELICOS provider, Scots offers various premium quality ELICOS courses right in the heart of Sydney's CBD. We also have practical tips and useful resources to help you learn English quickly, easily and effectively. Check out these helpful tips to improve your English through English movies.
By Suri Do
A Brief History of Special Education
Perhaps the largest and most pervasive issue in special education, as well as my own journey in education, is special education's relationship to general education. History has shown that this has never been an easy clear cut relationship between the two. There has been a lot of giving and taking or maybe I should say pulling and pushing when it comes to educational policy, and the educational practices and services of education and special education by the human educators who deliver those services on both sides of the isle, like me.
Over the last 20+ years I have been on both sides of education. I have seen and felt what it was like to be a regular main stream educator dealing with special education policy, special education students and their specialized teachers. I have also been on the special education side trying to get regular education teachers to work more effectively with my special education students through modifying their instruction and materials and having a little more patience and empathy.
Furthermore, I have been a mainstream regular education teacher who taught regular education inclusion classes trying to figure out how to best work with some new special education teacher in my class and his or her special education students as well. And, in contrast, I have been a special education inclusion teacher intruding on the territory of some regular education teachers with my special education students and the modifications I thought these teachers should implement. I can tell you first-hand that none of this give and take between special education and regular education has been easy. Nor do I see this pushing and pulling becoming easy anytime soon.
So, what is special education? And what makes it so special and yet so complex and controversial sometimes? Well, special education, as its name suggests, is a specialized branch of education. It claims its lineage to such people as Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (1775-1838), the physician who "tamed" the "wild boy of Aveyron," and Anne Sullivan Macy (1866-1936), the teacher who "worked miracles" with Helen Keller.
Special educators teach students who have physical, cognitive, language, learning, sensory, and/or emotional abilities that deviate from those of the general population. Special educators provide instruction specifically tailored to meet individualized needs. These teachers basically make education more available and accessible to students who otherwise would have limited access to education due to whatever disability they are struggling with.
It's not just the teachers though who play a role in the history of special education in this country. Physicians and clergy, including Itard- mentioned above, Edouard O. Seguin (1812-1880), Samuel Gridley Howe (1801-1876), and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787-1851), wanted to ameliorate the neglectful, often abusive treatment of individuals with disabilities. Sadly, education in this country was, more often than not, very neglectful and abusive when dealing with students that are different somehow.
There is even a rich literature in our nation that describes the treatment provided to individuals with disabilities in the 1800s and early 1900s. Sadly, in these stories, as well as in the real world, the segment of our population with disabilities were often confined in jails and almshouses without decent food, clothing, personal hygiene, and exercise.
For an example of this different treatment in our literature one needs to look no further than Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843). In addition, many times people with disabilities were often portrayed as villains, such as in the book Captain Hook in J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" in 1911.
The prevailing view of the authors of this time period was that one should submit to misfortunes, both as a form of obedience to God's will, and because these seeming misfortunes are ultimately intended for one's own good. Progress for our people with disabilities was hard to come by at this time with this way of thinking permeating our society, literature and thinking.
So, what was society to do about these people of misfortune? Well, during much of the nineteenth century, and early in the twentieth, professionals believed individuals with disabilities were best treated in residential facilities in rural environments. An out of sight out of mind kind of thing, if you will...
However, by the end of the nineteenth century the size of these institutions had increased so dramatically that the goal of rehabilitation for people with disabilities just wasn't working. Institutions became instruments for permanent segregation.
I have some experience with these segregation policies of education. Some of it is good and some of it is not so good. You see, I have been a self-contained teacher on and off throughout the years in multiple environments in self-contained classrooms in public high schools, middle schools and elementary schools. I have also taught in multiple special education behavioral self-contained schools that totally separated these troubled students with disabilities in managing their behavior from their mainstream peers by putting them in completely different buildings that were sometimes even in different towns from their homes, friends and peers.
Over the years many special education professionals became critics of these institutions mentioned above that separated and segregated our children with disabilities from their peers. Irvine Howe was one of the first to advocate taking our youth out of these huge institutions and to place out residents into families. Unfortunately this practice became a logistical and pragmatic problem and it took a long time before it could become a viable alternative to institutionalization for our students with disabilities.
Now on the positive side, you might be interested in knowing however that in 1817 the first special education school in the United States, the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb (now called the American School for the Deaf), was established in Hartford, Connecticut, by Gallaudet. That school is still there today and is one of the top schools in the country for students with auditory disabilities. A true success story!
However, as you can already imagine, the lasting success of the American School for the Deaf was the exception and not the rule during this time period. And to add to this, in the late nineteenth century, social Darwinism replaced environmentalism as the primary causal explanation for those individuals with disabilities who deviated from those of the general population.
Sadly, Darwinism opened the door to the eugenics movement of the early twentieth century. This then led to even further segregation and even sterilization of individuals with disabilities such as mental retardation. Sounds like something Hitler was doing in Germany also being done right here in our own country, to our own people, by our own people. Kind of scary and inhumane, wouldn't you agree?
Today, this kind of treatment is obviously unacceptable. And in the early part of the 20th Century it was also unacceptable to some of the adults, especially the parents of these disabled children. Thus, concerned and angry parents formed advocacy groups to help bring the educational needs of children with disabilities into the public eye. The public had to see firsthand how wrong this this eugenics and sterilization movement was for our students that were different if it was ever going to be stopped.
Slowly, grassroots organizations made progress that even led to some states creating laws to protect their citizens with disabilities. For example, in 1930, in Peoria, Illinois, the first white cane ordinance gave individuals with blindness the right-of-way when crossing the street. This was a start, and other states did eventually follow suit. In time, this local grassroots' movement and states' movement led to enough pressure on our elected officials for something to be done on the national level for our people with disabilities.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy created the President's Panel on Mental Retardation. And in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provided funding for primary education, and is seen by advocacy groups as expanding access to public education for children with disabilities.
When one thinks about Kennedy's and Johnson's record on civil rights, then it probably isn't such a surprise finding out that these two presidents also spearheaded this national movement for our people with disabilities.
This federal movement led to section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. This guarantees civil rights for the disabled in the context of federally funded institutions or any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. All these years later as an educator, I personally deal with 504 cases every single day.
In 1975 Congress enacted Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which establishes a right to public education for all children regardless of disability. This was another good thing because prior to federal legislation, parents had to mostly educate their children at home or pay for expensive private education.
The movement kept growing. In the 1982 the case of the Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the level of services to be afforded students with special needs. The Court ruled that special education services need only provide some "educational benefit" to students. Public schools were not required to maximize the educational progress of students with disabilities.
Today, this ruling may not seem like a victory, and as a matter of fact, this same question is once again circulating through our courts today in 2017. However, given the time period it was made in, it was a victory because it said special education students could not pass through our school system without learning anything. They had to learn something. If one knows and understands how the laws work in this country, then one knows the laws always progress through tiny little increments that add up to progress over time. This ruling was a victory for special education students because it added one more rung onto the crusade.
In the 1980s the Regular Education Initiative (REI) came into being. This was an attempt to return responsibility for the education of students with disabilities to neighborhood schools and regular classroom teachers. I am very familiar with Regular Education Initiative because I spent four years as an REI teacher in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At this time I was certified as both a special education teacher and a regular education teacher and was working in both capacities in a duel role as an REI teacher; because that's what was required of the position.
The 1990s saw a big boost for our special education students. 1990 birthed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This was, and is, the cornerstone of the concept of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for all of our students. To ensure FAPE, the law mandated that each student receiving special education services must also receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 reached beyond just the public schools. And Title 3 of IDEA prohibited disability-based discrimination in any place of public accommodation. Full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations in public places were expected. And of course public accommodations also included most places of education.
Also, in the 1990s the full inclusion movement gained a lot of momentum. This called for educating all students with disabilities in the regular classroom. I am also very familiar with this aspect of education as well, as I have also been an inclusion teacher from time to time over my career as an educator on both sides of the isle as a regular education teacher and a special education teacher.
Now on to President Bush and his educational reform with his No Child Left Behind law that replaced President Johnson's Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The NCLB Act of 2001 stated that special education should continue to focus on producing results and along with this came a sharp increase in accountability for educators.
Now, this NCLB Act was good and bad. Of course we all want to see results for all of our students, and it's just common sense that accountability helps this sort of thing happen. Where this kind of went crazy was that the NCLB demanded a host of new things, but did not provide the funds or support to achieve these new objectives.
Furthermore, teachers began feeling squeezed and threatened more and more by the new movement of big business and corporate education moving in and taking over education. People with no educational background now found themselves influencing education policy and gaining access to a lot of the educational funds.
This accountability craze stemmed by excessive standardized testing ran rapid and of course ran downstream from a host of well-connected elite Trump-like figures saying to their lower echelon educational counterparts, "You're fired!" This environment of trying to stay off of the radar in order to keep one's job, and beating our kids over the head with testing strategies, wasn't good for our educators. It wasn't good for our students. And it certainly wasn't good for our more vulnerable special education students.
Some good did come from this era though. For example, the updated Individuals with Disabilities with Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) happened. This further required schools to provide individualized or special education for children with qualifying disabilities. Under the IDEA, states who accept public funds for education must provide special education to qualifying children with disabilities. Like I said earlier, the law is a long slow process of tiny little steps adding up to progress made over time.
Finally, in 2015 President Obama's Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced President Bush's NCLB, which had replaced President Johnson's ESEA. Under Obama's new ESSA schools were now allowed to back off on some of the testing. Hopefully, the standardized testing craze has been put in check. However, only time will tell. ESSA also returned to more local control. You know, the kind of control our forefathers intended.
You see the U.S. Constitution grants no authority over education to the federal government. Education is not mentioned in the Constitution of the United States, and for good reason. The Founders wanted most aspects of life managed by those who were closest to them, either by state or local government or by families, businesses, and other elements of civil society. Basically, they saw no role for the federal government in education.
You see, the Founders feared the concentration of power. They believed that the best way to protect individual freedom and civil society was to limit and divide power. However, this works both ways, because the states often find themselves asking the feds for more educational money. And the feds will only give the states additional money if the states do what the feds want... Hmm... Checks and balances, as well as compromise can be a really tricky thing, huh?
So on goes the battle in education and all the back and forth pushing and pulling between the federal government and the states and local government, as well as special education and regular education. And to add to this struggle, recently Judge Moukawsher, a state judge from Connecticut, in a lawsuit filed against the state by the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, rocked the educational boat some more when in his ruling he included a message to lawmakers to reassess what level of services students with significant disabilities are entitled to.
His ruling and statements appear to say that he thinks we're spending too much money on our special education students. And that for some of them, it just isn't worth it because their disabilities are too severe. You can imagine how controversial this was and how much it angered some people.
The 2016 United States Presidential election resulted in something that few people saw coming. Real Estate mogul and reality star Donald Trump won the presidency and then appointed anti-public educator Betsy Devos to head up this country's Department of Education. Her charge, given to her by Trump, is to drastically slash the Department of Education, and to push forward private charter schools over what they call a failing public educational system.
How this is going to affect our students, and especially our more vulnerable special education students, nobody knows for sure at this time. But, I can also tell you that there aren't many people out there that feel comfortable with it right now. Only time will tell where this is all going to go and how it will affect our special education students...
So, as I said earlier, perhaps the largest, most pervasive issue in special education is its relationship to general education. Both my own travels and our nation's journey through the vast realm of education over all of these years has been an interesting one and a tricky one plagued with controversy to say the least.
I can still remember when I first became a special education teacher back in the mid-1990s. A friend's father, who was a school principal at the time, told me to get out of special education because it wasn't going to last. Well, I've been in and out of special education for more than two decades now, and sometimes I don't know if I'm a regular education teacher or a special education teacher, or both. And sometimes I think our country's educational system might be feeling the same internal struggle that I am. But, regardless, all these years later, special education is still here.
In closing, although Itard failed to normalize Victor, the wild boy of Averyon, he did produce dramatic changes in Victor's behavior through education. Today, modern special education practices can be traced to Itard. His work marks the beginning of widespread attempts to instruct students with disabilities. Fast forwarding to 2017, for what happens next in the future of education and special education in our country... Well, I guess that depends on all of us...
Award-winning author, speaker and educator Dan Blanchard wants to share with you a little bit of his history and this country's history on the struggle of special education and regular education and thier relationship to each other throughout their history. Learn more about Dan at: http://www.DanBlanchard.net. Thanks.
Perhaps the largest and most pervasive issue in special education, as well as my own journey in education, is special education's relationship to general education. History has shown that this has never been an easy clear cut relationship between the two. There has been a lot of giving and taking or maybe I should say pulling and pushing when it comes to educational policy, and the educational practices and services of education and special education by the human educators who deliver those services on both sides of the isle, like me.
Over the last 20+ years I have been on both sides of education. I have seen and felt what it was like to be a regular main stream educator dealing with special education policy, special education students and their specialized teachers. I have also been on the special education side trying to get regular education teachers to work more effectively with my special education students through modifying their instruction and materials and having a little more patience and empathy.
Furthermore, I have been a mainstream regular education teacher who taught regular education inclusion classes trying to figure out how to best work with some new special education teacher in my class and his or her special education students as well. And, in contrast, I have been a special education inclusion teacher intruding on the territory of some regular education teachers with my special education students and the modifications I thought these teachers should implement. I can tell you first-hand that none of this give and take between special education and regular education has been easy. Nor do I see this pushing and pulling becoming easy anytime soon.
So, what is special education? And what makes it so special and yet so complex and controversial sometimes? Well, special education, as its name suggests, is a specialized branch of education. It claims its lineage to such people as Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (1775-1838), the physician who "tamed" the "wild boy of Aveyron," and Anne Sullivan Macy (1866-1936), the teacher who "worked miracles" with Helen Keller.
Special educators teach students who have physical, cognitive, language, learning, sensory, and/or emotional abilities that deviate from those of the general population. Special educators provide instruction specifically tailored to meet individualized needs. These teachers basically make education more available and accessible to students who otherwise would have limited access to education due to whatever disability they are struggling with.
It's not just the teachers though who play a role in the history of special education in this country. Physicians and clergy, including Itard- mentioned above, Edouard O. Seguin (1812-1880), Samuel Gridley Howe (1801-1876), and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787-1851), wanted to ameliorate the neglectful, often abusive treatment of individuals with disabilities. Sadly, education in this country was, more often than not, very neglectful and abusive when dealing with students that are different somehow.
There is even a rich literature in our nation that describes the treatment provided to individuals with disabilities in the 1800s and early 1900s. Sadly, in these stories, as well as in the real world, the segment of our population with disabilities were often confined in jails and almshouses without decent food, clothing, personal hygiene, and exercise.
For an example of this different treatment in our literature one needs to look no further than Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843). In addition, many times people with disabilities were often portrayed as villains, such as in the book Captain Hook in J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" in 1911.
The prevailing view of the authors of this time period was that one should submit to misfortunes, both as a form of obedience to God's will, and because these seeming misfortunes are ultimately intended for one's own good. Progress for our people with disabilities was hard to come by at this time with this way of thinking permeating our society, literature and thinking.
So, what was society to do about these people of misfortune? Well, during much of the nineteenth century, and early in the twentieth, professionals believed individuals with disabilities were best treated in residential facilities in rural environments. An out of sight out of mind kind of thing, if you will...
However, by the end of the nineteenth century the size of these institutions had increased so dramatically that the goal of rehabilitation for people with disabilities just wasn't working. Institutions became instruments for permanent segregation.
I have some experience with these segregation policies of education. Some of it is good and some of it is not so good. You see, I have been a self-contained teacher on and off throughout the years in multiple environments in self-contained classrooms in public high schools, middle schools and elementary schools. I have also taught in multiple special education behavioral self-contained schools that totally separated these troubled students with disabilities in managing their behavior from their mainstream peers by putting them in completely different buildings that were sometimes even in different towns from their homes, friends and peers.
Over the years many special education professionals became critics of these institutions mentioned above that separated and segregated our children with disabilities from their peers. Irvine Howe was one of the first to advocate taking our youth out of these huge institutions and to place out residents into families. Unfortunately this practice became a logistical and pragmatic problem and it took a long time before it could become a viable alternative to institutionalization for our students with disabilities.
Now on the positive side, you might be interested in knowing however that in 1817 the first special education school in the United States, the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb (now called the American School for the Deaf), was established in Hartford, Connecticut, by Gallaudet. That school is still there today and is one of the top schools in the country for students with auditory disabilities. A true success story!
However, as you can already imagine, the lasting success of the American School for the Deaf was the exception and not the rule during this time period. And to add to this, in the late nineteenth century, social Darwinism replaced environmentalism as the primary causal explanation for those individuals with disabilities who deviated from those of the general population.
Sadly, Darwinism opened the door to the eugenics movement of the early twentieth century. This then led to even further segregation and even sterilization of individuals with disabilities such as mental retardation. Sounds like something Hitler was doing in Germany also being done right here in our own country, to our own people, by our own people. Kind of scary and inhumane, wouldn't you agree?
Today, this kind of treatment is obviously unacceptable. And in the early part of the 20th Century it was also unacceptable to some of the adults, especially the parents of these disabled children. Thus, concerned and angry parents formed advocacy groups to help bring the educational needs of children with disabilities into the public eye. The public had to see firsthand how wrong this this eugenics and sterilization movement was for our students that were different if it was ever going to be stopped.
Slowly, grassroots organizations made progress that even led to some states creating laws to protect their citizens with disabilities. For example, in 1930, in Peoria, Illinois, the first white cane ordinance gave individuals with blindness the right-of-way when crossing the street. This was a start, and other states did eventually follow suit. In time, this local grassroots' movement and states' movement led to enough pressure on our elected officials for something to be done on the national level for our people with disabilities.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy created the President's Panel on Mental Retardation. And in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provided funding for primary education, and is seen by advocacy groups as expanding access to public education for children with disabilities.
When one thinks about Kennedy's and Johnson's record on civil rights, then it probably isn't such a surprise finding out that these two presidents also spearheaded this national movement for our people with disabilities.
This federal movement led to section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. This guarantees civil rights for the disabled in the context of federally funded institutions or any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. All these years later as an educator, I personally deal with 504 cases every single day.
In 1975 Congress enacted Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which establishes a right to public education for all children regardless of disability. This was another good thing because prior to federal legislation, parents had to mostly educate their children at home or pay for expensive private education.
The movement kept growing. In the 1982 the case of the Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the level of services to be afforded students with special needs. The Court ruled that special education services need only provide some "educational benefit" to students. Public schools were not required to maximize the educational progress of students with disabilities.
Today, this ruling may not seem like a victory, and as a matter of fact, this same question is once again circulating through our courts today in 2017. However, given the time period it was made in, it was a victory because it said special education students could not pass through our school system without learning anything. They had to learn something. If one knows and understands how the laws work in this country, then one knows the laws always progress through tiny little increments that add up to progress over time. This ruling was a victory for special education students because it added one more rung onto the crusade.
In the 1980s the Regular Education Initiative (REI) came into being. This was an attempt to return responsibility for the education of students with disabilities to neighborhood schools and regular classroom teachers. I am very familiar with Regular Education Initiative because I spent four years as an REI teacher in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At this time I was certified as both a special education teacher and a regular education teacher and was working in both capacities in a duel role as an REI teacher; because that's what was required of the position.
The 1990s saw a big boost for our special education students. 1990 birthed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This was, and is, the cornerstone of the concept of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for all of our students. To ensure FAPE, the law mandated that each student receiving special education services must also receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 reached beyond just the public schools. And Title 3 of IDEA prohibited disability-based discrimination in any place of public accommodation. Full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations in public places were expected. And of course public accommodations also included most places of education.
Also, in the 1990s the full inclusion movement gained a lot of momentum. This called for educating all students with disabilities in the regular classroom. I am also very familiar with this aspect of education as well, as I have also been an inclusion teacher from time to time over my career as an educator on both sides of the isle as a regular education teacher and a special education teacher.
Now on to President Bush and his educational reform with his No Child Left Behind law that replaced President Johnson's Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The NCLB Act of 2001 stated that special education should continue to focus on producing results and along with this came a sharp increase in accountability for educators.
Now, this NCLB Act was good and bad. Of course we all want to see results for all of our students, and it's just common sense that accountability helps this sort of thing happen. Where this kind of went crazy was that the NCLB demanded a host of new things, but did not provide the funds or support to achieve these new objectives.
Furthermore, teachers began feeling squeezed and threatened more and more by the new movement of big business and corporate education moving in and taking over education. People with no educational background now found themselves influencing education policy and gaining access to a lot of the educational funds.
This accountability craze stemmed by excessive standardized testing ran rapid and of course ran downstream from a host of well-connected elite Trump-like figures saying to their lower echelon educational counterparts, "You're fired!" This environment of trying to stay off of the radar in order to keep one's job, and beating our kids over the head with testing strategies, wasn't good for our educators. It wasn't good for our students. And it certainly wasn't good for our more vulnerable special education students.
Some good did come from this era though. For example, the updated Individuals with Disabilities with Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) happened. This further required schools to provide individualized or special education for children with qualifying disabilities. Under the IDEA, states who accept public funds for education must provide special education to qualifying children with disabilities. Like I said earlier, the law is a long slow process of tiny little steps adding up to progress made over time.
Finally, in 2015 President Obama's Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced President Bush's NCLB, which had replaced President Johnson's ESEA. Under Obama's new ESSA schools were now allowed to back off on some of the testing. Hopefully, the standardized testing craze has been put in check. However, only time will tell. ESSA also returned to more local control. You know, the kind of control our forefathers intended.
You see the U.S. Constitution grants no authority over education to the federal government. Education is not mentioned in the Constitution of the United States, and for good reason. The Founders wanted most aspects of life managed by those who were closest to them, either by state or local government or by families, businesses, and other elements of civil society. Basically, they saw no role for the federal government in education.
You see, the Founders feared the concentration of power. They believed that the best way to protect individual freedom and civil society was to limit and divide power. However, this works both ways, because the states often find themselves asking the feds for more educational money. And the feds will only give the states additional money if the states do what the feds want... Hmm... Checks and balances, as well as compromise can be a really tricky thing, huh?
So on goes the battle in education and all the back and forth pushing and pulling between the federal government and the states and local government, as well as special education and regular education. And to add to this struggle, recently Judge Moukawsher, a state judge from Connecticut, in a lawsuit filed against the state by the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, rocked the educational boat some more when in his ruling he included a message to lawmakers to reassess what level of services students with significant disabilities are entitled to.
His ruling and statements appear to say that he thinks we're spending too much money on our special education students. And that for some of them, it just isn't worth it because their disabilities are too severe. You can imagine how controversial this was and how much it angered some people.
The 2016 United States Presidential election resulted in something that few people saw coming. Real Estate mogul and reality star Donald Trump won the presidency and then appointed anti-public educator Betsy Devos to head up this country's Department of Education. Her charge, given to her by Trump, is to drastically slash the Department of Education, and to push forward private charter schools over what they call a failing public educational system.
How this is going to affect our students, and especially our more vulnerable special education students, nobody knows for sure at this time. But, I can also tell you that there aren't many people out there that feel comfortable with it right now. Only time will tell where this is all going to go and how it will affect our special education students...
So, as I said earlier, perhaps the largest, most pervasive issue in special education is its relationship to general education. Both my own travels and our nation's journey through the vast realm of education over all of these years has been an interesting one and a tricky one plagued with controversy to say the least.
I can still remember when I first became a special education teacher back in the mid-1990s. A friend's father, who was a school principal at the time, told me to get out of special education because it wasn't going to last. Well, I've been in and out of special education for more than two decades now, and sometimes I don't know if I'm a regular education teacher or a special education teacher, or both. And sometimes I think our country's educational system might be feeling the same internal struggle that I am. But, regardless, all these years later, special education is still here.
In closing, although Itard failed to normalize Victor, the wild boy of Averyon, he did produce dramatic changes in Victor's behavior through education. Today, modern special education practices can be traced to Itard. His work marks the beginning of widespread attempts to instruct students with disabilities. Fast forwarding to 2017, for what happens next in the future of education and special education in our country... Well, I guess that depends on all of us...
Award-winning author, speaker and educator Dan Blanchard wants to share with you a little bit of his history and this country's history on the struggle of special education and regular education and thier relationship to each other throughout their history. Learn more about Dan at: http://www.DanBlanchard.net. Thanks.
Over the last 20+ years I have been on both sides of education. I have seen and felt what it was like to be a regular main stream educator dealing with special education policy, special education students and their specialized teachers. I have also been on the special education side trying to get regular education teachers to work more effectively with my special education students through modifying their instruction and materials and having a little more patience and empathy.
Furthermore, I have been a mainstream regular education teacher who taught regular education inclusion classes trying to figure out how to best work with some new special education teacher in my class and his or her special education students as well. And, in contrast, I have been a special education inclusion teacher intruding on the territory of some regular education teachers with my special education students and the modifications I thought these teachers should implement. I can tell you first-hand that none of this give and take between special education and regular education has been easy. Nor do I see this pushing and pulling becoming easy anytime soon.
So, what is special education? And what makes it so special and yet so complex and controversial sometimes? Well, special education, as its name suggests, is a specialized branch of education. It claims its lineage to such people as Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (1775-1838), the physician who "tamed" the "wild boy of Aveyron," and Anne Sullivan Macy (1866-1936), the teacher who "worked miracles" with Helen Keller.
Special educators teach students who have physical, cognitive, language, learning, sensory, and/or emotional abilities that deviate from those of the general population. Special educators provide instruction specifically tailored to meet individualized needs. These teachers basically make education more available and accessible to students who otherwise would have limited access to education due to whatever disability they are struggling with.
It's not just the teachers though who play a role in the history of special education in this country. Physicians and clergy, including Itard- mentioned above, Edouard O. Seguin (1812-1880), Samuel Gridley Howe (1801-1876), and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787-1851), wanted to ameliorate the neglectful, often abusive treatment of individuals with disabilities. Sadly, education in this country was, more often than not, very neglectful and abusive when dealing with students that are different somehow.
There is even a rich literature in our nation that describes the treatment provided to individuals with disabilities in the 1800s and early 1900s. Sadly, in these stories, as well as in the real world, the segment of our population with disabilities were often confined in jails and almshouses without decent food, clothing, personal hygiene, and exercise.
For an example of this different treatment in our literature one needs to look no further than Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843). In addition, many times people with disabilities were often portrayed as villains, such as in the book Captain Hook in J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" in 1911.
The prevailing view of the authors of this time period was that one should submit to misfortunes, both as a form of obedience to God's will, and because these seeming misfortunes are ultimately intended for one's own good. Progress for our people with disabilities was hard to come by at this time with this way of thinking permeating our society, literature and thinking.
So, what was society to do about these people of misfortune? Well, during much of the nineteenth century, and early in the twentieth, professionals believed individuals with disabilities were best treated in residential facilities in rural environments. An out of sight out of mind kind of thing, if you will...
However, by the end of the nineteenth century the size of these institutions had increased so dramatically that the goal of rehabilitation for people with disabilities just wasn't working. Institutions became instruments for permanent segregation.
I have some experience with these segregation policies of education. Some of it is good and some of it is not so good. You see, I have been a self-contained teacher on and off throughout the years in multiple environments in self-contained classrooms in public high schools, middle schools and elementary schools. I have also taught in multiple special education behavioral self-contained schools that totally separated these troubled students with disabilities in managing their behavior from their mainstream peers by putting them in completely different buildings that were sometimes even in different towns from their homes, friends and peers.
Over the years many special education professionals became critics of these institutions mentioned above that separated and segregated our children with disabilities from their peers. Irvine Howe was one of the first to advocate taking our youth out of these huge institutions and to place out residents into families. Unfortunately this practice became a logistical and pragmatic problem and it took a long time before it could become a viable alternative to institutionalization for our students with disabilities.
Now on the positive side, you might be interested in knowing however that in 1817 the first special education school in the United States, the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb (now called the American School for the Deaf), was established in Hartford, Connecticut, by Gallaudet. That school is still there today and is one of the top schools in the country for students with auditory disabilities. A true success story!
However, as you can already imagine, the lasting success of the American School for the Deaf was the exception and not the rule during this time period. And to add to this, in the late nineteenth century, social Darwinism replaced environmentalism as the primary causal explanation for those individuals with disabilities who deviated from those of the general population.
Sadly, Darwinism opened the door to the eugenics movement of the early twentieth century. This then led to even further segregation and even sterilization of individuals with disabilities such as mental retardation. Sounds like something Hitler was doing in Germany also being done right here in our own country, to our own people, by our own people. Kind of scary and inhumane, wouldn't you agree?
Today, this kind of treatment is obviously unacceptable. And in the early part of the 20th Century it was also unacceptable to some of the adults, especially the parents of these disabled children. Thus, concerned and angry parents formed advocacy groups to help bring the educational needs of children with disabilities into the public eye. The public had to see firsthand how wrong this this eugenics and sterilization movement was for our students that were different if it was ever going to be stopped.
Slowly, grassroots organizations made progress that even led to some states creating laws to protect their citizens with disabilities. For example, in 1930, in Peoria, Illinois, the first white cane ordinance gave individuals with blindness the right-of-way when crossing the street. This was a start, and other states did eventually follow suit. In time, this local grassroots' movement and states' movement led to enough pressure on our elected officials for something to be done on the national level for our people with disabilities.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy created the President's Panel on Mental Retardation. And in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provided funding for primary education, and is seen by advocacy groups as expanding access to public education for children with disabilities.
When one thinks about Kennedy's and Johnson's record on civil rights, then it probably isn't such a surprise finding out that these two presidents also spearheaded this national movement for our people with disabilities.
This federal movement led to section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. This guarantees civil rights for the disabled in the context of federally funded institutions or any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. All these years later as an educator, I personally deal with 504 cases every single day.
In 1975 Congress enacted Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which establishes a right to public education for all children regardless of disability. This was another good thing because prior to federal legislation, parents had to mostly educate their children at home or pay for expensive private education.
The movement kept growing. In the 1982 the case of the Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the level of services to be afforded students with special needs. The Court ruled that special education services need only provide some "educational benefit" to students. Public schools were not required to maximize the educational progress of students with disabilities.
Today, this ruling may not seem like a victory, and as a matter of fact, this same question is once again circulating through our courts today in 2017. However, given the time period it was made in, it was a victory because it said special education students could not pass through our school system without learning anything. They had to learn something. If one knows and understands how the laws work in this country, then one knows the laws always progress through tiny little increments that add up to progress over time. This ruling was a victory for special education students because it added one more rung onto the crusade.
In the 1980s the Regular Education Initiative (REI) came into being. This was an attempt to return responsibility for the education of students with disabilities to neighborhood schools and regular classroom teachers. I am very familiar with Regular Education Initiative because I spent four years as an REI teacher in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At this time I was certified as both a special education teacher and a regular education teacher and was working in both capacities in a duel role as an REI teacher; because that's what was required of the position.
The 1990s saw a big boost for our special education students. 1990 birthed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This was, and is, the cornerstone of the concept of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for all of our students. To ensure FAPE, the law mandated that each student receiving special education services must also receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 reached beyond just the public schools. And Title 3 of IDEA prohibited disability-based discrimination in any place of public accommodation. Full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations in public places were expected. And of course public accommodations also included most places of education.
Also, in the 1990s the full inclusion movement gained a lot of momentum. This called for educating all students with disabilities in the regular classroom. I am also very familiar with this aspect of education as well, as I have also been an inclusion teacher from time to time over my career as an educator on both sides of the isle as a regular education teacher and a special education teacher.
Now on to President Bush and his educational reform with his No Child Left Behind law that replaced President Johnson's Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The NCLB Act of 2001 stated that special education should continue to focus on producing results and along with this came a sharp increase in accountability for educators.
Now, this NCLB Act was good and bad. Of course we all want to see results for all of our students, and it's just common sense that accountability helps this sort of thing happen. Where this kind of went crazy was that the NCLB demanded a host of new things, but did not provide the funds or support to achieve these new objectives.
Furthermore, teachers began feeling squeezed and threatened more and more by the new movement of big business and corporate education moving in and taking over education. People with no educational background now found themselves influencing education policy and gaining access to a lot of the educational funds.
This accountability craze stemmed by excessive standardized testing ran rapid and of course ran downstream from a host of well-connected elite Trump-like figures saying to their lower echelon educational counterparts, "You're fired!" This environment of trying to stay off of the radar in order to keep one's job, and beating our kids over the head with testing strategies, wasn't good for our educators. It wasn't good for our students. And it certainly wasn't good for our more vulnerable special education students.
Some good did come from this era though. For example, the updated Individuals with Disabilities with Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) happened. This further required schools to provide individualized or special education for children with qualifying disabilities. Under the IDEA, states who accept public funds for education must provide special education to qualifying children with disabilities. Like I said earlier, the law is a long slow process of tiny little steps adding up to progress made over time.
Finally, in 2015 President Obama's Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced President Bush's NCLB, which had replaced President Johnson's ESEA. Under Obama's new ESSA schools were now allowed to back off on some of the testing. Hopefully, the standardized testing craze has been put in check. However, only time will tell. ESSA also returned to more local control. You know, the kind of control our forefathers intended.
You see the U.S. Constitution grants no authority over education to the federal government. Education is not mentioned in the Constitution of the United States, and for good reason. The Founders wanted most aspects of life managed by those who were closest to them, either by state or local government or by families, businesses, and other elements of civil society. Basically, they saw no role for the federal government in education.
You see, the Founders feared the concentration of power. They believed that the best way to protect individual freedom and civil society was to limit and divide power. However, this works both ways, because the states often find themselves asking the feds for more educational money. And the feds will only give the states additional money if the states do what the feds want... Hmm... Checks and balances, as well as compromise can be a really tricky thing, huh?
So on goes the battle in education and all the back and forth pushing and pulling between the federal government and the states and local government, as well as special education and regular education. And to add to this struggle, recently Judge Moukawsher, a state judge from Connecticut, in a lawsuit filed against the state by the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, rocked the educational boat some more when in his ruling he included a message to lawmakers to reassess what level of services students with significant disabilities are entitled to.
His ruling and statements appear to say that he thinks we're spending too much money on our special education students. And that for some of them, it just isn't worth it because their disabilities are too severe. You can imagine how controversial this was and how much it angered some people.
The 2016 United States Presidential election resulted in something that few people saw coming. Real Estate mogul and reality star Donald Trump won the presidency and then appointed anti-public educator Betsy Devos to head up this country's Department of Education. Her charge, given to her by Trump, is to drastically slash the Department of Education, and to push forward private charter schools over what they call a failing public educational system.
How this is going to affect our students, and especially our more vulnerable special education students, nobody knows for sure at this time. But, I can also tell you that there aren't many people out there that feel comfortable with it right now. Only time will tell where this is all going to go and how it will affect our special education students...
So, as I said earlier, perhaps the largest, most pervasive issue in special education is its relationship to general education. Both my own travels and our nation's journey through the vast realm of education over all of these years has been an interesting one and a tricky one plagued with controversy to say the least.
I can still remember when I first became a special education teacher back in the mid-1990s. A friend's father, who was a school principal at the time, told me to get out of special education because it wasn't going to last. Well, I've been in and out of special education for more than two decades now, and sometimes I don't know if I'm a regular education teacher or a special education teacher, or both. And sometimes I think our country's educational system might be feeling the same internal struggle that I am. But, regardless, all these years later, special education is still here.
In closing, although Itard failed to normalize Victor, the wild boy of Averyon, he did produce dramatic changes in Victor's behavior through education. Today, modern special education practices can be traced to Itard. His work marks the beginning of widespread attempts to instruct students with disabilities. Fast forwarding to 2017, for what happens next in the future of education and special education in our country... Well, I guess that depends on all of us...
Award-winning author, speaker and educator Dan Blanchard wants to share with you a little bit of his history and this country's history on the struggle of special education and regular education and thier relationship to each other throughout their history. Learn more about Dan at: http://www.DanBlanchard.net. Thanks.
Perhaps the largest and most pervasive issue in special education, as well as my own journey in education, is special education's relationship to general education. History has shown that this has never been an easy clear cut relationship between the two. There has been a lot of giving and taking or maybe I should say pulling and pushing when it comes to educational policy, and the educational practices and services of education and special education by the human educators who deliver those services on both sides of the isle, like me.
Over the last 20+ years I have been on both sides of education. I have seen and felt what it was like to be a regular main stream educator dealing with special education policy, special education students and their specialized teachers. I have also been on the special education side trying to get regular education teachers to work more effectively with my special education students through modifying their instruction and materials and having a little more patience and empathy.
Furthermore, I have been a mainstream regular education teacher who taught regular education inclusion classes trying to figure out how to best work with some new special education teacher in my class and his or her special education students as well. And, in contrast, I have been a special education inclusion teacher intruding on the territory of some regular education teachers with my special education students and the modifications I thought these teachers should implement. I can tell you first-hand that none of this give and take between special education and regular education has been easy. Nor do I see this pushing and pulling becoming easy anytime soon.
So, what is special education? And what makes it so special and yet so complex and controversial sometimes? Well, special education, as its name suggests, is a specialized branch of education. It claims its lineage to such people as Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (1775-1838), the physician who "tamed" the "wild boy of Aveyron," and Anne Sullivan Macy (1866-1936), the teacher who "worked miracles" with Helen Keller.
Special educators teach students who have physical, cognitive, language, learning, sensory, and/or emotional abilities that deviate from those of the general population. Special educators provide instruction specifically tailored to meet individualized needs. These teachers basically make education more available and accessible to students who otherwise would have limited access to education due to whatever disability they are struggling with.
It's not just the teachers though who play a role in the history of special education in this country. Physicians and clergy, including Itard- mentioned above, Edouard O. Seguin (1812-1880), Samuel Gridley Howe (1801-1876), and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787-1851), wanted to ameliorate the neglectful, often abusive treatment of individuals with disabilities. Sadly, education in this country was, more often than not, very neglectful and abusive when dealing with students that are different somehow.
There is even a rich literature in our nation that describes the treatment provided to individuals with disabilities in the 1800s and early 1900s. Sadly, in these stories, as well as in the real world, the segment of our population with disabilities were often confined in jails and almshouses without decent food, clothing, personal hygiene, and exercise.
For an example of this different treatment in our literature one needs to look no further than Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843). In addition, many times people with disabilities were often portrayed as villains, such as in the book Captain Hook in J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" in 1911.
The prevailing view of the authors of this time period was that one should submit to misfortunes, both as a form of obedience to God's will, and because these seeming misfortunes are ultimately intended for one's own good. Progress for our people with disabilities was hard to come by at this time with this way of thinking permeating our society, literature and thinking.
So, what was society to do about these people of misfortune? Well, during much of the nineteenth century, and early in the twentieth, professionals believed individuals with disabilities were best treated in residential facilities in rural environments. An out of sight out of mind kind of thing, if you will...
However, by the end of the nineteenth century the size of these institutions had increased so dramatically that the goal of rehabilitation for people with disabilities just wasn't working. Institutions became instruments for permanent segregation.
I have some experience with these segregation policies of education. Some of it is good and some of it is not so good. You see, I have been a self-contained teacher on and off throughout the years in multiple environments in self-contained classrooms in public high schools, middle schools and elementary schools. I have also taught in multiple special education behavioral self-contained schools that totally separated these troubled students with disabilities in managing their behavior from their mainstream peers by putting them in completely different buildings that were sometimes even in different towns from their homes, friends and peers.
Over the years many special education professionals became critics of these institutions mentioned above that separated and segregated our children with disabilities from their peers. Irvine Howe was one of the first to advocate taking our youth out of these huge institutions and to place out residents into families. Unfortunately this practice became a logistical and pragmatic problem and it took a long time before it could become a viable alternative to institutionalization for our students with disabilities.
Now on the positive side, you might be interested in knowing however that in 1817 the first special education school in the United States, the American Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb (now called the American School for the Deaf), was established in Hartford, Connecticut, by Gallaudet. That school is still there today and is one of the top schools in the country for students with auditory disabilities. A true success story!
However, as you can already imagine, the lasting success of the American School for the Deaf was the exception and not the rule during this time period. And to add to this, in the late nineteenth century, social Darwinism replaced environmentalism as the primary causal explanation for those individuals with disabilities who deviated from those of the general population.
Sadly, Darwinism opened the door to the eugenics movement of the early twentieth century. This then led to even further segregation and even sterilization of individuals with disabilities such as mental retardation. Sounds like something Hitler was doing in Germany also being done right here in our own country, to our own people, by our own people. Kind of scary and inhumane, wouldn't you agree?
Today, this kind of treatment is obviously unacceptable. And in the early part of the 20th Century it was also unacceptable to some of the adults, especially the parents of these disabled children. Thus, concerned and angry parents formed advocacy groups to help bring the educational needs of children with disabilities into the public eye. The public had to see firsthand how wrong this this eugenics and sterilization movement was for our students that were different if it was ever going to be stopped.
Slowly, grassroots organizations made progress that even led to some states creating laws to protect their citizens with disabilities. For example, in 1930, in Peoria, Illinois, the first white cane ordinance gave individuals with blindness the right-of-way when crossing the street. This was a start, and other states did eventually follow suit. In time, this local grassroots' movement and states' movement led to enough pressure on our elected officials for something to be done on the national level for our people with disabilities.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy created the President's Panel on Mental Retardation. And in 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which provided funding for primary education, and is seen by advocacy groups as expanding access to public education for children with disabilities.
When one thinks about Kennedy's and Johnson's record on civil rights, then it probably isn't such a surprise finding out that these two presidents also spearheaded this national movement for our people with disabilities.
This federal movement led to section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. This guarantees civil rights for the disabled in the context of federally funded institutions or any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. All these years later as an educator, I personally deal with 504 cases every single day.
In 1975 Congress enacted Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), which establishes a right to public education for all children regardless of disability. This was another good thing because prior to federal legislation, parents had to mostly educate their children at home or pay for expensive private education.
The movement kept growing. In the 1982 the case of the Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the level of services to be afforded students with special needs. The Court ruled that special education services need only provide some "educational benefit" to students. Public schools were not required to maximize the educational progress of students with disabilities.
Today, this ruling may not seem like a victory, and as a matter of fact, this same question is once again circulating through our courts today in 2017. However, given the time period it was made in, it was a victory because it said special education students could not pass through our school system without learning anything. They had to learn something. If one knows and understands how the laws work in this country, then one knows the laws always progress through tiny little increments that add up to progress over time. This ruling was a victory for special education students because it added one more rung onto the crusade.
In the 1980s the Regular Education Initiative (REI) came into being. This was an attempt to return responsibility for the education of students with disabilities to neighborhood schools and regular classroom teachers. I am very familiar with Regular Education Initiative because I spent four years as an REI teacher in the late 1990s and early 2000s. At this time I was certified as both a special education teacher and a regular education teacher and was working in both capacities in a duel role as an REI teacher; because that's what was required of the position.
The 1990s saw a big boost for our special education students. 1990 birthed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This was, and is, the cornerstone of the concept of a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) for all of our students. To ensure FAPE, the law mandated that each student receiving special education services must also receive an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 reached beyond just the public schools. And Title 3 of IDEA prohibited disability-based discrimination in any place of public accommodation. Full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, or accommodations in public places were expected. And of course public accommodations also included most places of education.
Also, in the 1990s the full inclusion movement gained a lot of momentum. This called for educating all students with disabilities in the regular classroom. I am also very familiar with this aspect of education as well, as I have also been an inclusion teacher from time to time over my career as an educator on both sides of the isle as a regular education teacher and a special education teacher.
Now on to President Bush and his educational reform with his No Child Left Behind law that replaced President Johnson's Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The NCLB Act of 2001 stated that special education should continue to focus on producing results and along with this came a sharp increase in accountability for educators.
Now, this NCLB Act was good and bad. Of course we all want to see results for all of our students, and it's just common sense that accountability helps this sort of thing happen. Where this kind of went crazy was that the NCLB demanded a host of new things, but did not provide the funds or support to achieve these new objectives.
Furthermore, teachers began feeling squeezed and threatened more and more by the new movement of big business and corporate education moving in and taking over education. People with no educational background now found themselves influencing education policy and gaining access to a lot of the educational funds.
This accountability craze stemmed by excessive standardized testing ran rapid and of course ran downstream from a host of well-connected elite Trump-like figures saying to their lower echelon educational counterparts, "You're fired!" This environment of trying to stay off of the radar in order to keep one's job, and beating our kids over the head with testing strategies, wasn't good for our educators. It wasn't good for our students. And it certainly wasn't good for our more vulnerable special education students.
Some good did come from this era though. For example, the updated Individuals with Disabilities with Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) happened. This further required schools to provide individualized or special education for children with qualifying disabilities. Under the IDEA, states who accept public funds for education must provide special education to qualifying children with disabilities. Like I said earlier, the law is a long slow process of tiny little steps adding up to progress made over time.
Finally, in 2015 President Obama's Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced President Bush's NCLB, which had replaced President Johnson's ESEA. Under Obama's new ESSA schools were now allowed to back off on some of the testing. Hopefully, the standardized testing craze has been put in check. However, only time will tell. ESSA also returned to more local control. You know, the kind of control our forefathers intended.
You see the U.S. Constitution grants no authority over education to the federal government. Education is not mentioned in the Constitution of the United States, and for good reason. The Founders wanted most aspects of life managed by those who were closest to them, either by state or local government or by families, businesses, and other elements of civil society. Basically, they saw no role for the federal government in education.
You see, the Founders feared the concentration of power. They believed that the best way to protect individual freedom and civil society was to limit and divide power. However, this works both ways, because the states often find themselves asking the feds for more educational money. And the feds will only give the states additional money if the states do what the feds want... Hmm... Checks and balances, as well as compromise can be a really tricky thing, huh?
So on goes the battle in education and all the back and forth pushing and pulling between the federal government and the states and local government, as well as special education and regular education. And to add to this struggle, recently Judge Moukawsher, a state judge from Connecticut, in a lawsuit filed against the state by the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, rocked the educational boat some more when in his ruling he included a message to lawmakers to reassess what level of services students with significant disabilities are entitled to.
His ruling and statements appear to say that he thinks we're spending too much money on our special education students. And that for some of them, it just isn't worth it because their disabilities are too severe. You can imagine how controversial this was and how much it angered some people.
The 2016 United States Presidential election resulted in something that few people saw coming. Real Estate mogul and reality star Donald Trump won the presidency and then appointed anti-public educator Betsy Devos to head up this country's Department of Education. Her charge, given to her by Trump, is to drastically slash the Department of Education, and to push forward private charter schools over what they call a failing public educational system.
How this is going to affect our students, and especially our more vulnerable special education students, nobody knows for sure at this time. But, I can also tell you that there aren't many people out there that feel comfortable with it right now. Only time will tell where this is all going to go and how it will affect our special education students...
So, as I said earlier, perhaps the largest, most pervasive issue in special education is its relationship to general education. Both my own travels and our nation's journey through the vast realm of education over all of these years has been an interesting one and a tricky one plagued with controversy to say the least.
I can still remember when I first became a special education teacher back in the mid-1990s. A friend's father, who was a school principal at the time, told me to get out of special education because it wasn't going to last. Well, I've been in and out of special education for more than two decades now, and sometimes I don't know if I'm a regular education teacher or a special education teacher, or both. And sometimes I think our country's educational system might be feeling the same internal struggle that I am. But, regardless, all these years later, special education is still here.
In closing, although Itard failed to normalize Victor, the wild boy of Averyon, he did produce dramatic changes in Victor's behavior through education. Today, modern special education practices can be traced to Itard. His work marks the beginning of widespread attempts to instruct students with disabilities. Fast forwarding to 2017, for what happens next in the future of education and special education in our country... Well, I guess that depends on all of us...
Award-winning author, speaker and educator Dan Blanchard wants to share with you a little bit of his history and this country's history on the struggle of special education and regular education and thier relationship to each other throughout their history. Learn more about Dan at: http://www.DanBlanchard.net. Thanks.
When Learning Doesn't Come Easy
From the moment we find out we are expecting a child, our minds and hearts overflow with hopes and dreams for them. My child will be the most beautiful, brilliant, talented little person to ever walk the Earth, right? And they are that to each of us!
But sometimes, we discover there is a "problem." The last thing we want to admit is there is something different or wrong with our child. It's a hard thing to do. Not that we love them any less! But let's be honest, we would rather sit around other moms and share how our 4 year old can read a chapter book, do multiplication at age 6 and paint like Rembrandt by age 7. Not to mention, they are also on their way to the Olympics in two different sports. Or at least it seems that way when you are the one quietly listening to all the achievements of other people's children!
So, let's get a few things straight... Most likely those other moms are exaggerating a wee bit! And there is nothing wrong with your child! Even if your child has a learning disability. She or he simply learns differently than the mainstream! And really, that is kind of cool!
I didn't always feel that way though. After struggling to teach my daughter to read for 3 years with little progress I was getting pretty frustrated and so was she. Each school session ended in tears and some days started in tears with the mere mention of reading. She had always loved books and being read to and was excited to learn how to read by herself. So, why was it such a struggle? Was I just a bad teacher? Was she too easily distracted and not self motivated enough?
We finally decided to get testing done at age 7. I had noticed a lot of letter and word reversal while reading and writing as well as in math. She complained of her head and eyes hurting when reading (and a vision test found her to have 20/20 eyesight). I needed to know what was holding us back. I knew she was extremely intelligent in so many ways but we were hitting a brick wall. Since we homeschool, we decided to have her tested with a private therapist. It took 4 hours to complete and when finished we were told she had visual and auditory processing disorders.
I then went into mom research mode! And as I read and searched the internet and library, I became more and more confused and overwhelmed! There did not seem to be any truly helpful book or website and those I found seemed to tell me different things! We did decide to go to vision therapy, which of course is not covered by insurance, are any of us surprised? But we felt it was worth a try and worth the money. In therapy, she worked on re-learning phonics using A Time for Phonics. We also did assigned therapy at home. After 6 months she finished and I could definitely see a huge improvement! We did not do auditory therapy with the therapist because of cost, but I did use a program called Earobics for at home. I also found the book, The Out of Sync Child and When the Brain Can't Hear very helpful.
My search continued to find other ways to help her learn in a way that fit her learning styles. You see, processing disorders and dyslexia do not have to be a roadblock! There are so many ways to learn. The point where I realized this was when I happened to find a book by Ben Foss, The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan. I encourage everyone to read it! Check out his website also! I kind of hate the word accommodations. It makes it sound like you need extra or special help, sort of like you are being allowed to cheat. There should be no shame in learning differently. Figure out what your child's strengths are and harness those skills. Don't focus on the standard way most kids are taught to read. I have been so incredibly thankful that we chose to homeschool because my daughter did not have to compare herself to others or be labeled in any way. But even if your child is in public or private school, remember your child is not broken, but the system may be. Advocate for your child to have the resources they need to excel and feel connected.
What resources can you use? Oh, there are so many! This is where I got overwhelmed! I am going to list some of the resources I felt were the best. But look around more and explore the options available!
-Audiobooks are your friend! Don't get behind learning because you can't read the material fast enough! If your child learns well by listening, give Audible a try. Amazon has audiobooks as well and so does your local library.
-A reading focus card. You can make your own or buy one. Also try printing your pages on yellow paper, or try other colors other than the usual white.
-Use a text-to-speech app such as Speak It or Talk to Me, and also a speech-to-text app such as Dragon Dictation. Another helpful app is Prizmo, users can scan in any kind of text document and have the program read it out loud, which can be a big help to those who struggle with reading.
-I love Snapwords for learning sitewords! There is also an app for Snapwords now!
-Fonts and background colors: Software that is regularly used in schools, such as Microsoft Word, is a good resource for fonts and background colors. Changing the background color to green, for example, can help with reading as can wearing green glasses. Fonts can also enable reading and understanding; teachers can download free specialist fonts, such as OpenDyslexic, which are free and can run on Microsoft software.
-All About Spelling, this curriculum is great for all children but the multi-sensory approach based on the Orton-Gillingham methods clicked with my daughter! We have not tried All About Reading but I would bet it is a good option.
-We used Rocket Phonics after we had finished vision therapy. It was developed by a dyslexic man, and it is fun! There are many games involved and interesting stories to read, not the usual boring books that are your typical easy reading.
-Math has been a struggle for us as well as reading. Memorizing facts is a challenge. I found a math program that uses learning by association, employing fact and process mnemonics called Semple Math.
-Get HANDS ON! Use clay, paints, blocks, magnets, etc. to practice letters, spelling, and sounds. Learn to write letters correctly first in sand with index finger, then move to writing with a pencil. Make it FUN! Use all the senses!
-Play games! Some we have used and enjoy are Sum Swamp, What's Gnu?, Scrabble, Very Silly Sentences, Boggle Jr. even card games like addition war (lay down two cards each and add together), or Alphabet Go Fish (you have to say the letter sounds), search Pinterest and the internet for fun games to practice math facts and letter sounds or spelling and sight words. Even if your child is older, there are hands on ideas that are fun and multi-sensory
Moms (and Dads), my point in writing this is to give you some starting points. And to let you know that you are not alone! I know it can be disappointing at first to learn your child is struggling in some way. But it can also feel like a weight has been lifted to know how your child learns and that there are ways to help and empower your little one. I know if you are in a school setting, you will have to explain to your child why they may go to a special class or take tests differently than the other kids. You have to trust yourself to know how to talk to your child. There are books for kids that talk about dyslexia and learning issues in a positive light such as, Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco, The Alphabet War by Diane Robb, and for older children May B by Caroline Rose or Niagra Falls, Or Does It? By Henry Winkler (yes, Fonzie from Happy Days!)
Try to emphasize his/her strengths and affinities and do not simply focus on his/her weaknesses and difficulties. Remind your child that he/she can, indeed, learn but that he/she learns in a unique way, and that is OK! We all are unique and have our own strengths and weaknesses. Love your child for who they are and hopefully, they will find the right tools to make learning soar!
I never thought I would see the day when my daughter's favorite activity was to read! Chin up, keep plugging away, lighten up and make it fun, and love them no matter what!
http://www.hardlifeforthefarmwife.wordpress.com
But sometimes, we discover there is a "problem." The last thing we want to admit is there is something different or wrong with our child. It's a hard thing to do. Not that we love them any less! But let's be honest, we would rather sit around other moms and share how our 4 year old can read a chapter book, do multiplication at age 6 and paint like Rembrandt by age 7. Not to mention, they are also on their way to the Olympics in two different sports. Or at least it seems that way when you are the one quietly listening to all the achievements of other people's children!
So, let's get a few things straight... Most likely those other moms are exaggerating a wee bit! And there is nothing wrong with your child! Even if your child has a learning disability. She or he simply learns differently than the mainstream! And really, that is kind of cool!
I didn't always feel that way though. After struggling to teach my daughter to read for 3 years with little progress I was getting pretty frustrated and so was she. Each school session ended in tears and some days started in tears with the mere mention of reading. She had always loved books and being read to and was excited to learn how to read by herself. So, why was it such a struggle? Was I just a bad teacher? Was she too easily distracted and not self motivated enough?
We finally decided to get testing done at age 7. I had noticed a lot of letter and word reversal while reading and writing as well as in math. She complained of her head and eyes hurting when reading (and a vision test found her to have 20/20 eyesight). I needed to know what was holding us back. I knew she was extremely intelligent in so many ways but we were hitting a brick wall. Since we homeschool, we decided to have her tested with a private therapist. It took 4 hours to complete and when finished we were told she had visual and auditory processing disorders.
I then went into mom research mode! And as I read and searched the internet and library, I became more and more confused and overwhelmed! There did not seem to be any truly helpful book or website and those I found seemed to tell me different things! We did decide to go to vision therapy, which of course is not covered by insurance, are any of us surprised? But we felt it was worth a try and worth the money. In therapy, she worked on re-learning phonics using A Time for Phonics. We also did assigned therapy at home. After 6 months she finished and I could definitely see a huge improvement! We did not do auditory therapy with the therapist because of cost, but I did use a program called Earobics for at home. I also found the book, The Out of Sync Child and When the Brain Can't Hear very helpful.
My search continued to find other ways to help her learn in a way that fit her learning styles. You see, processing disorders and dyslexia do not have to be a roadblock! There are so many ways to learn. The point where I realized this was when I happened to find a book by Ben Foss, The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan. I encourage everyone to read it! Check out his website also! I kind of hate the word accommodations. It makes it sound like you need extra or special help, sort of like you are being allowed to cheat. There should be no shame in learning differently. Figure out what your child's strengths are and harness those skills. Don't focus on the standard way most kids are taught to read. I have been so incredibly thankful that we chose to homeschool because my daughter did not have to compare herself to others or be labeled in any way. But even if your child is in public or private school, remember your child is not broken, but the system may be. Advocate for your child to have the resources they need to excel and feel connected.
What resources can you use? Oh, there are so many! This is where I got overwhelmed! I am going to list some of the resources I felt were the best. But look around more and explore the options available!
-Audiobooks are your friend! Don't get behind learning because you can't read the material fast enough! If your child learns well by listening, give Audible a try. Amazon has audiobooks as well and so does your local library.
-A reading focus card. You can make your own or buy one. Also try printing your pages on yellow paper, or try other colors other than the usual white.
-Use a text-to-speech app such as Speak It or Talk to Me, and also a speech-to-text app such as Dragon Dictation. Another helpful app is Prizmo, users can scan in any kind of text document and have the program read it out loud, which can be a big help to those who struggle with reading.
-I love Snapwords for learning sitewords! There is also an app for Snapwords now!
-Fonts and background colors: Software that is regularly used in schools, such as Microsoft Word, is a good resource for fonts and background colors. Changing the background color to green, for example, can help with reading as can wearing green glasses. Fonts can also enable reading and understanding; teachers can download free specialist fonts, such as OpenDyslexic, which are free and can run on Microsoft software.
-All About Spelling, this curriculum is great for all children but the multi-sensory approach based on the Orton-Gillingham methods clicked with my daughter! We have not tried All About Reading but I would bet it is a good option.
-We used Rocket Phonics after we had finished vision therapy. It was developed by a dyslexic man, and it is fun! There are many games involved and interesting stories to read, not the usual boring books that are your typical easy reading.
-Math has been a struggle for us as well as reading. Memorizing facts is a challenge. I found a math program that uses learning by association, employing fact and process mnemonics called Semple Math.
-Get HANDS ON! Use clay, paints, blocks, magnets, etc. to practice letters, spelling, and sounds. Learn to write letters correctly first in sand with index finger, then move to writing with a pencil. Make it FUN! Use all the senses!
-Play games! Some we have used and enjoy are Sum Swamp, What's Gnu?, Scrabble, Very Silly Sentences, Boggle Jr. even card games like addition war (lay down two cards each and add together), or Alphabet Go Fish (you have to say the letter sounds), search Pinterest and the internet for fun games to practice math facts and letter sounds or spelling and sight words. Even if your child is older, there are hands on ideas that are fun and multi-sensory
Moms (and Dads), my point in writing this is to give you some starting points. And to let you know that you are not alone! I know it can be disappointing at first to learn your child is struggling in some way. But it can also feel like a weight has been lifted to know how your child learns and that there are ways to help and empower your little one. I know if you are in a school setting, you will have to explain to your child why they may go to a special class or take tests differently than the other kids. You have to trust yourself to know how to talk to your child. There are books for kids that talk about dyslexia and learning issues in a positive light such as, Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco, The Alphabet War by Diane Robb, and for older children May B by Caroline Rose or Niagra Falls, Or Does It? By Henry Winkler (yes, Fonzie from Happy Days!)
Try to emphasize his/her strengths and affinities and do not simply focus on his/her weaknesses and difficulties. Remind your child that he/she can, indeed, learn but that he/she learns in a unique way, and that is OK! We all are unique and have our own strengths and weaknesses. Love your child for who they are and hopefully, they will find the right tools to make learning soar!
I never thought I would see the day when my daughter's favorite activity was to read! Chin up, keep plugging away, lighten up and make it fun, and love them no matter what!
http://www.hardlifeforthefarmwife.wordpress.com
Renewing A Student Visa
There are lots of things to consider when you are going to study in another country. Quite apart from the practical considerations involved with planning where you will live for the duration of your stay, you will also need to pay proper attention to legal matters, including the need to make sure your passport and visa are fully up to date.
It is quite common for a student visa to expire during your stay abroad, especially if your course is running for a year or more, so it can be a good move to find out in advance what you need to do when it does. This is likely to vary from country to country so the best idea is often to go to the relevant source of information for the country you will be staying in to make sure you know what to do and when you need to do it.
You can meet with problems if you forget to get a new visa and you suddenly find your old one has expired; while you won't automatically be sent home you will have to seek advice as soon as possible in order to try and solve the matter. You can see why getting some information well in advance is clearly the best solution.
Some countries, including the UK, offer a service which is designed to deal especially with student visas. This type of service ensures that a renewal happens in the fastest possible time with the minimum of hassle for the student. The USA is different again; their visa allows entry into the United States but nothing else. You will need other documentation in addition to this which is known as your 'Duration of Status'.
The best way forward is to check what you need before you go and apply for your visa in plenty of time. Make sure you are aware of exactly how far in advance you need to start the renewal process - it may be a very simple procedure or it may be best to allow a couple of weeks or more to complete it. Find out what will apply in the country you are visiting - the institution you are studying at should be able to tell you what to do and when. Most importantly visit your country's immigration department situated in your city to discuss and find out the best approach for renewal.
You should also find out whether the renewing authorities need to see any other documentation. For example in Spain you will have to provide a valid residence permit too. Passport photos and an application form are also required in many countries.
Remember though that in the end it is your sole responsibility to renew your student visa at the right time in order to be able to remain in the country and carry on studying. Forgetting to renew your visa is not generally viewed as a mere oversight; it is usually a criminal offence and as such you can be sent home. Forgetfulness is not an excuse to cover not having a valid visa, and if you are careful and you know in advance what to do and when, you shouldn't have any problems at all.
Academia International is a leading international college providing cooking courses, hospitality management training, hairdressing courses, and beauty courses. For a free brochure please visit Australia College.
It is quite common for a student visa to expire during your stay abroad, especially if your course is running for a year or more, so it can be a good move to find out in advance what you need to do when it does. This is likely to vary from country to country so the best idea is often to go to the relevant source of information for the country you will be staying in to make sure you know what to do and when you need to do it.
You can meet with problems if you forget to get a new visa and you suddenly find your old one has expired; while you won't automatically be sent home you will have to seek advice as soon as possible in order to try and solve the matter. You can see why getting some information well in advance is clearly the best solution.
Some countries, including the UK, offer a service which is designed to deal especially with student visas. This type of service ensures that a renewal happens in the fastest possible time with the minimum of hassle for the student. The USA is different again; their visa allows entry into the United States but nothing else. You will need other documentation in addition to this which is known as your 'Duration of Status'.
The best way forward is to check what you need before you go and apply for your visa in plenty of time. Make sure you are aware of exactly how far in advance you need to start the renewal process - it may be a very simple procedure or it may be best to allow a couple of weeks or more to complete it. Find out what will apply in the country you are visiting - the institution you are studying at should be able to tell you what to do and when. Most importantly visit your country's immigration department situated in your city to discuss and find out the best approach for renewal.
You should also find out whether the renewing authorities need to see any other documentation. For example in Spain you will have to provide a valid residence permit too. Passport photos and an application form are also required in many countries.
Remember though that in the end it is your sole responsibility to renew your student visa at the right time in order to be able to remain in the country and carry on studying. Forgetting to renew your visa is not generally viewed as a mere oversight; it is usually a criminal offence and as such you can be sent home. Forgetfulness is not an excuse to cover not having a valid visa, and if you are careful and you know in advance what to do and when, you shouldn't have any problems at all.
Academia International is a leading international college providing cooking courses, hospitality management training, hairdressing courses, and beauty courses. For a free brochure please visit Australia College.
How to Get University Scholarship
The opportunity for scholarship has always been life time ambition of many students. A lot of folks have been trying fruitlessly for loans to study but their effort has always been in opposite direction.
First of all you must have access to information which is a problem for many students; because many do not have access to information that will enable them have access to grant for their studies. But thank for internet; anybody can get the information now. To apply for the University of your choice. The University will then ask you to either fax, or scan and mail your credentials to them.
These are some of the Universities you can apply to for scholarship:- We have commonwealth foundation, we have Ford foundation that gives 100,000 Dollars to students, there is the University of Edinburgh that offers free Master program online.
There are very many others like the Africa Development Bank, Desmund Tutu's Masters, Edinburgh Global Master, Gordon Meculloch(MBA), Indian Government Scholarship Scheme for Africa. Commonwealth Scholarship, PhD fellowship for Developing Countries, Ford foundation Scholarship, Eric Bluemink Scholarship, Deroty Hodgkin PHD scholarship.
Other are Hubert Humphrey fellowship, International Fulbright service, PhD Scholarship from developing Countries at the ICCD, ACLS fellowships, Talent for governance Triangle etc.
It is the University that recommends you to these Organizations for sponsor. Like the one of Desmond Tutu, which is managed by a University in London. So all you need to do is to contact the University of your choice to process your application.
Their course duration is usually four years for undergraduate and a year or two for Masters. These Universities are mostly in UK. But we also have some in the U.S.A.
If you are oversea student, Educational studies provide you an opportunity to travel and study abroad for free without worry about visa and traveling expenses. Even at Embassy, they do not request for many documents because you are a student. Once you present your admission letter, they stamp your visa, and your visa is free.
Basically, what is required to qualify to study for degree programs is College education or their equivalent, while for Master Degree, you need a BSC.
So Watch out when these Universities will open their Scholarship position, so that you will apply. Do not forget somebody is paying all the bills including your accommodation, feeding, flight ticket, etc. Thanks, God bless.
He is the CEO, Zion Mensula International, an Entrepreneur, Internet Business Pioneer, He is earning a living from legitimate internet business opportunities, and he has trained lots of people on how to make a living online. He is making a difference being useful to his community.
First of all you must have access to information which is a problem for many students; because many do not have access to information that will enable them have access to grant for their studies. But thank for internet; anybody can get the information now. To apply for the University of your choice. The University will then ask you to either fax, or scan and mail your credentials to them.
These are some of the Universities you can apply to for scholarship:- We have commonwealth foundation, we have Ford foundation that gives 100,000 Dollars to students, there is the University of Edinburgh that offers free Master program online.
There are very many others like the Africa Development Bank, Desmund Tutu's Masters, Edinburgh Global Master, Gordon Meculloch(MBA), Indian Government Scholarship Scheme for Africa. Commonwealth Scholarship, PhD fellowship for Developing Countries, Ford foundation Scholarship, Eric Bluemink Scholarship, Deroty Hodgkin PHD scholarship.
Other are Hubert Humphrey fellowship, International Fulbright service, PhD Scholarship from developing Countries at the ICCD, ACLS fellowships, Talent for governance Triangle etc.
It is the University that recommends you to these Organizations for sponsor. Like the one of Desmond Tutu, which is managed by a University in London. So all you need to do is to contact the University of your choice to process your application.
Their course duration is usually four years for undergraduate and a year or two for Masters. These Universities are mostly in UK. But we also have some in the U.S.A.
If you are oversea student, Educational studies provide you an opportunity to travel and study abroad for free without worry about visa and traveling expenses. Even at Embassy, they do not request for many documents because you are a student. Once you present your admission letter, they stamp your visa, and your visa is free.
Basically, what is required to qualify to study for degree programs is College education or their equivalent, while for Master Degree, you need a BSC.
So Watch out when these Universities will open their Scholarship position, so that you will apply. Do not forget somebody is paying all the bills including your accommodation, feeding, flight ticket, etc. Thanks, God bless.
He is the CEO, Zion Mensula International, an Entrepreneur, Internet Business Pioneer, He is earning a living from legitimate internet business opportunities, and he has trained lots of people on how to make a living online. He is making a difference being useful to his community.
How to Change Status From Student F1 Visa to H1B Visa?
F1 Visa is non-immigrant student's visa. To attend college and universities in U.S.A., international students would need F1 Visa to enter U.S.A.
H1B Visa is non-immigrant temporary work visa. Employers in U.S.A. can hire foreign workers who meet minimum requirements set by United Stated Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Minimum Requirements are further divided into two categories
Students can apply for specialty occupations. If student is hired, employer will typically apply for H1B Visa. Application process for the employer will be usually handled by Employer's Immigration attorney.
Before applying for H1B Visa, one has to ensure H1B quota is still available. USCIS have total of 65,000 H1B Cap under General category and 20,000 exclusive for students who obtained Masters or higher degree from U.S. Universities.
USCIS accepts H1B visa application starting April 1st every year for the next Fiscal Year. It will take 15 days to few months for USCIS to approve the H1B Visa application. Fiscal year for USCIS started October 1 of each year and runs till September 30 of next year.
Student can start working for the employer with approved Employment Authorization Card. Visa application can be then submitted to USCIS. After H1B approval, F1 status will change to H1B from the start date in approval document.
In most cases, it's not required to get H1B Visa stamping to start working, if the student is already residing in U.S.A.
Visit Happy Schools Blog to know if USCIS is still accepting H1B Visa 2011 applications and why it takes over 4 months get approval notice.
H1B Visa is non-immigrant temporary work visa. Employers in U.S.A. can hire foreign workers who meet minimum requirements set by United Stated Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Minimum Requirements are further divided into two categories
- Employer Job Requirements
- Employee Requirements
Students can apply for specialty occupations. If student is hired, employer will typically apply for H1B Visa. Application process for the employer will be usually handled by Employer's Immigration attorney.
Before applying for H1B Visa, one has to ensure H1B quota is still available. USCIS have total of 65,000 H1B Cap under General category and 20,000 exclusive for students who obtained Masters or higher degree from U.S. Universities.
USCIS accepts H1B visa application starting April 1st every year for the next Fiscal Year. It will take 15 days to few months for USCIS to approve the H1B Visa application. Fiscal year for USCIS started October 1 of each year and runs till September 30 of next year.
Student can start working for the employer with approved Employment Authorization Card. Visa application can be then submitted to USCIS. After H1B approval, F1 status will change to H1B from the start date in approval document.
In most cases, it's not required to get H1B Visa stamping to start working, if the student is already residing in U.S.A.
Visit Happy Schools Blog to know if USCIS is still accepting H1B Visa 2011 applications and why it takes over 4 months get approval notice.
US: Why Should You Choose to Study There
As per a survey conducted named "The Value of Education Foundations for the future" by HSBC, Indian parents have the USA as the most preferred educational destination. The average fee of tuition for a student is almost 33,215 US dollars per year. The parents are equally eager to send their students to foreign destinations for education so that their wards could benefit from international exposure and getting an education in the most reputed of universities. But parents are also worried about their child getting homesick in a foreign environment.
The students also have the option of pursuing their education along with part-time earning opportunities. These part time earning opportunities are available to the student under OPT (optional practical training). The students can work up to a duration of a year if they are from a non-science background. But when they are pursuing a degree in the science, engineering, technical and mechanical backgrounds, they are eligible to pursue an OPT of up to 36 months. The students get different benefits like becoming a part of a culture that is different than their own. Apart from that, they also mingle with students from different backgrounds, which also, helps in developing essential life skills.
The USA has the most top notch universities in the world like University of Harvard. The country also allows complete flexibility to its students. They don't need to pursue the entire 4 years in the same institution. They can change after pursuing two years of academic education in a single university.
For pursuing the rest two years of their academic degree, they can shift to a different university. Every course in the US has a certain number of credit hours associated with it. A single credit hour is associated with 12 and a half hours with a teacher in a class over 15 weeks. It also includes a minimum number of 25 hours devoted by students to student work outside the class distributed over a 15 week time period. Every subject has 3 credits which, implies devoting 37 hours in a teacher's class over a 15 weeks time and 75 hours during the same time span. So, this requires students on a US student visa to expend at least 2 ½ hours per week in a 15-week time span and 5 hours in additional work outside the class during the same time.
The students need to devote hours as per the number of credits linked to their subjects. Some subjects have more credits linked with them like 4 or 5. They have to devote 1 hour extra over the 15-year time span in class.
Visa House can help you in getting a US student visa. Nancy Damon is a freelance visa consultant and author. She can offer complete guidance on various issues like F1 visa.
The students also have the option of pursuing their education along with part-time earning opportunities. These part time earning opportunities are available to the student under OPT (optional practical training). The students can work up to a duration of a year if they are from a non-science background. But when they are pursuing a degree in the science, engineering, technical and mechanical backgrounds, they are eligible to pursue an OPT of up to 36 months. The students get different benefits like becoming a part of a culture that is different than their own. Apart from that, they also mingle with students from different backgrounds, which also, helps in developing essential life skills.
The USA has the most top notch universities in the world like University of Harvard. The country also allows complete flexibility to its students. They don't need to pursue the entire 4 years in the same institution. They can change after pursuing two years of academic education in a single university.
For pursuing the rest two years of their academic degree, they can shift to a different university. Every course in the US has a certain number of credit hours associated with it. A single credit hour is associated with 12 and a half hours with a teacher in a class over 15 weeks. It also includes a minimum number of 25 hours devoted by students to student work outside the class distributed over a 15 week time period. Every subject has 3 credits which, implies devoting 37 hours in a teacher's class over a 15 weeks time and 75 hours during the same time span. So, this requires students on a US student visa to expend at least 2 ½ hours per week in a 15-week time span and 5 hours in additional work outside the class during the same time.
The students need to devote hours as per the number of credits linked to their subjects. Some subjects have more credits linked with them like 4 or 5. They have to devote 1 hour extra over the 15-year time span in class.
Visa House can help you in getting a US student visa. Nancy Damon is a freelance visa consultant and author. She can offer complete guidance on various issues like F1 visa.
Getting an F1 Visa Is a Dream-Come True for Students
Getting an "F1" visa has become a primary requirement for students who want to stay in the US for the purpose of their education.
The student can obtain a F1 visa after applying with the I-20 form received from the school into which his admission gets approved. The F1 visa also allows the students to leave the US, but they can return back if they have the valid I-20 form with them.
With a F1 visa, a student can only get into the US a month prior, to the beginning of his classes at the chosen university or college.
It's important that with a F1 visa, the students only stay in the US till the duration of their course also specified on their I-20 form. The students can extend their stay for not more than a period of 60 days from the time at which their course ends. However, they can extend their stay if they have been approved for an optional practical training (OPT) in the US.
The benefit of doing a 1 year OPT is allowed to all those students, who have devoted at least 9 months towards their degrees. They can opt for this training either after completing their degree or during pursuing it only.
During the pursuance of their course, the students can also do the OPT, which will make them eligible to get a sponsorship visa (H-1B visa) from any good company in the US after completing their graduation.
However, there is another privilege for students who hail from the engineering, science, mechanical and technical educational backgrounds which is that they can opt for 3 years of optional practical training.
The students also get the liberty for doing OPT during the pursuance of their degree. When they are pursuing graduation, they can get the freedom to work for 40 hours during college breaks but lesser than that during classes.
Pre-completion OPT is defined as the working condition under which a student can work during the time of his classes. Since they are already pursuing a degree, they need permissions to carry on with that kind of OPT. During the classes, they can work part time but during vacations, they can work for a full-time shift.
Another condition is post-completion OPT, under which a student can work for more than 20 hours in a week because this kind of OPT is allowed after the completion of the degree. All the months devoted by a student to a post-completion OPT are calculated, after deducting those devoted to a pre-completion OPT.
So, students who are opting for a student visa to the USA have nothing to lose. They can use their OPT experience to get good jobs in America and convert their F1 visa into an H-1B visa.
Nancy Damon is a freelance visa consultant. Currently she handles all kinds of cases in immigration, work and study visas to Europe, Asia, Australia and USA. You can get more information about study abroad from her. Contact her at http://www.visahouse.in
The student can obtain a F1 visa after applying with the I-20 form received from the school into which his admission gets approved. The F1 visa also allows the students to leave the US, but they can return back if they have the valid I-20 form with them.
With a F1 visa, a student can only get into the US a month prior, to the beginning of his classes at the chosen university or college.
It's important that with a F1 visa, the students only stay in the US till the duration of their course also specified on their I-20 form. The students can extend their stay for not more than a period of 60 days from the time at which their course ends. However, they can extend their stay if they have been approved for an optional practical training (OPT) in the US.
The benefit of doing a 1 year OPT is allowed to all those students, who have devoted at least 9 months towards their degrees. They can opt for this training either after completing their degree or during pursuing it only.
During the pursuance of their course, the students can also do the OPT, which will make them eligible to get a sponsorship visa (H-1B visa) from any good company in the US after completing their graduation.
However, there is another privilege for students who hail from the engineering, science, mechanical and technical educational backgrounds which is that they can opt for 3 years of optional practical training.
The students also get the liberty for doing OPT during the pursuance of their degree. When they are pursuing graduation, they can get the freedom to work for 40 hours during college breaks but lesser than that during classes.
Pre-completion OPT is defined as the working condition under which a student can work during the time of his classes. Since they are already pursuing a degree, they need permissions to carry on with that kind of OPT. During the classes, they can work part time but during vacations, they can work for a full-time shift.
Another condition is post-completion OPT, under which a student can work for more than 20 hours in a week because this kind of OPT is allowed after the completion of the degree. All the months devoted by a student to a post-completion OPT are calculated, after deducting those devoted to a pre-completion OPT.
So, students who are opting for a student visa to the USA have nothing to lose. They can use their OPT experience to get good jobs in America and convert their F1 visa into an H-1B visa.
Nancy Damon is a freelance visa consultant. Currently she handles all kinds of cases in immigration, work and study visas to Europe, Asia, Australia and USA. You can get more information about study abroad from her. Contact her at http://www.visahouse.in
The Importance Of Work Experience
Students who work as they go through college with internships, part-time and summer jobs give themselves an important advantage in the job market when they graduate. Since not all working students understand how they benefit from their work experiences, it is important for them to think about their jobs as a way to support their career goals. For that to happen, students should understand five factors that improve their odds for employment success:
1. Experience - Knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things. Employees who are experienced can anticipate problems and know how to handle the issues that crop up. They quickly get things running smoothly again and can maximize productivity. Since some skills and abilities only come with experience, employers love candidates who have already demonstrated their capabilities and work ethic in the workplace. Real world emergencies, accidents, mistakes, equipment failures and the difficulties and pressures that go with them will test any employee. The way students react to them depends on the experience and understanding they gain on the job.
2. Performance - Employers seek candidates who will perform well for them. Although doing well in the classroom is highly desirable, that doesn't always translate into good performance on the job for every student. That's why employers want to see or learn about a student's job performance every place they have worked. The more positive comments they hear from previous employers, the more likely it is that they will have a serious interest in the student.
3. Reliability - Employers select employees who are reliable. They show up every day on time and are ready to work. These employees are highly productive. They regularly exceed quantity, quality and timeliness requirements. They always get the job done, even when they are unsupervised. Being someone an employer can count on is critical to employment success.
4. People - Employers are usually more interested in candidates who get along well with and are respected by others in the workplace. They know that the workplace often requires collaboration, cooperation and teamwork, in order to get the job done well. Students who get along well with coworkers and help them achieve results will be in high demand.
For students, the workplace is where they build relationships with people who can help them in the job market. There are people in the workplace who can help students gain the information and training they need to perform at a high level. Students should also look for other employees to include in their employment networks. Additionally, when students impress company executives with their performance, those executives may be willing to serve as references and may even offer students full-time jobs when they graduate.
5. Accomplishments - Employers try to hire people who learn quickly, work hard, help them make money, create harmony and efficiency in the workplace and strengthen relationships with customers. Therefore, students with Internships, part-time and summer jobs can create an impressive resumé by emphasizing their accomplishments in these areas.
Students who view college jobs as merely a source of spending money, without considering these five points, are missing out on important opportunities to make themselves highly attractive to the employers with the best jobs at graduation. The most effective students always use those work experiences to learn something new, perform at a high level, meet new people, establish relationships, add to their list of accomplishments, build their brands and enhance their reputations.
Bob Roth, a former campus recruiter, is the author of five books, including: A Successful Senior Year Job Search Begins In The Freshman Year. Known as The "College & Career Success" Coach, Bob writes articles for College Career Services Offices, Campus Newspapers, Parent Associations and Employment Web Sites. Bob has created The Job Search Preparation System™ for colleges to use to help students find greater success in the job market. Visit Bob's web site http://www.the4realities.com.
1. Experience - Knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things. Employees who are experienced can anticipate problems and know how to handle the issues that crop up. They quickly get things running smoothly again and can maximize productivity. Since some skills and abilities only come with experience, employers love candidates who have already demonstrated their capabilities and work ethic in the workplace. Real world emergencies, accidents, mistakes, equipment failures and the difficulties and pressures that go with them will test any employee. The way students react to them depends on the experience and understanding they gain on the job.
2. Performance - Employers seek candidates who will perform well for them. Although doing well in the classroom is highly desirable, that doesn't always translate into good performance on the job for every student. That's why employers want to see or learn about a student's job performance every place they have worked. The more positive comments they hear from previous employers, the more likely it is that they will have a serious interest in the student.
3. Reliability - Employers select employees who are reliable. They show up every day on time and are ready to work. These employees are highly productive. They regularly exceed quantity, quality and timeliness requirements. They always get the job done, even when they are unsupervised. Being someone an employer can count on is critical to employment success.
4. People - Employers are usually more interested in candidates who get along well with and are respected by others in the workplace. They know that the workplace often requires collaboration, cooperation and teamwork, in order to get the job done well. Students who get along well with coworkers and help them achieve results will be in high demand.
For students, the workplace is where they build relationships with people who can help them in the job market. There are people in the workplace who can help students gain the information and training they need to perform at a high level. Students should also look for other employees to include in their employment networks. Additionally, when students impress company executives with their performance, those executives may be willing to serve as references and may even offer students full-time jobs when they graduate.
5. Accomplishments - Employers try to hire people who learn quickly, work hard, help them make money, create harmony and efficiency in the workplace and strengthen relationships with customers. Therefore, students with Internships, part-time and summer jobs can create an impressive resumé by emphasizing their accomplishments in these areas.
Students who view college jobs as merely a source of spending money, without considering these five points, are missing out on important opportunities to make themselves highly attractive to the employers with the best jobs at graduation. The most effective students always use those work experiences to learn something new, perform at a high level, meet new people, establish relationships, add to their list of accomplishments, build their brands and enhance their reputations.
Bob Roth, a former campus recruiter, is the author of five books, including: A Successful Senior Year Job Search Begins In The Freshman Year. Known as The "College & Career Success" Coach, Bob writes articles for College Career Services Offices, Campus Newspapers, Parent Associations and Employment Web Sites. Bob has created The Job Search Preparation System™ for colleges to use to help students find greater success in the job market. Visit Bob's web site http://www.the4realities.com.
Feel Inspired And Take A Look At Engineering Courses In London
One of the most famous and prolific UK engineers was Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Born in 1806 in Portsmouth on the south coast of the UK, he went on to be chief engineer of the Great Western railway running all the way from London to Exeter. Isambard also designed the Bristol Clifton suspension bridge in the late 1820s, and the worlds largest ship at the time 'the Great Eastern' in 1858.
Isambard Kingdon Brunel died in London, during 1859. Throughout his relatively short life he had created many engineering marvels that are still are still noted as some of the best in the world, even in today's society with the highrise buildings or skyscrapers being built-in china and the USA, what Brunel achieved during his time still stands out as something special.
Long before Isambard Kingdom Brunel, famous buildings and structures were built and created, the Pharos of Alexandria, the pyramids of Egypt, the Acropolis in Greece and the great wall of china, stand as some of the best accomplishments of ancient engineers.
From an early age many youngsters love building things. Playing with interlocking blocks as a toddler is something that most of us have done. As we grow, the idea of building the highest tower using what we can find in the toy box. And then on to building dens and tree houses in the garden, most of us have a wish to be creative and are intrigued to see how things work from an early age.
In many ways this is a form of engineering, the putting together of materials to build and create and to see what can be achieved with design and planning. A summary of civil engineering is the design construction and maintenance of such things like roads, bridges, dams and buildings. All of which youngsters love to do whether they know it or not.
There are many types of engineering, from mechanical and electrical engineering all the way through to chemical and computer engineering. To become qualified, many years of study are needed. Either a two-year course at college or A levels in various subjects like maths and science, then university to gain degrees in a chosen field. After achieving the needed qualifications, finally on a career within the industry.
A current report suggest that there are over 46,000 graduate engineers coming through university each year. 5.4million people within the UK are already employed in this sector, which is a huge amount of people, bearing in mind the UK has in the region of 65 million inhabitants. The engineering industry employs over 8% of the UK work force.
Further training within each sector is so important, the advancement of science and technologies change the boundaries of what can be done every year and to keep up with advances further study is needed. Keeping up with these trends and making sure as people stay a valuable asset to the company they work for.
For further training there are courses that are available, a city the size of London has a variety of courses that can be attended, just make sure the one you book is fully accredited. These courses are attended by those that want to improve through new relevant ways and experiences in the industry.
Courses can be booked on-line and are available all year around. The courses are usually kept small so usually no more than 10 attend. It is usually possible to get a discount if the courses are booked a month or two in advance.
While in London why not take a visit to some of the vast structures and achievements of the London skyline that are famous worldwide, London Bridge built-in 1824, the Millennium Wheel built-in 1999 or the recently built Shard Building, the 310m high skyscraper in Southwark. You may get some inspiration for the next project that you will work on.
London Training for Excellence are one of the UK's fastest growing companies, they are proud to offer over 300 unique courses covering a vast range of sectors. The company look to offer clients the chance to improve performance through highly relevant, innovative and professional training courses. Their experienced team assist clients to understand their personal requirements. London Training for Excellence share their passion of education through their approach to the courses they offer; courses that provide insightful, high quality and exceptional content. To learn more, please visit http://www.londontfe.com
Isambard Kingdon Brunel died in London, during 1859. Throughout his relatively short life he had created many engineering marvels that are still are still noted as some of the best in the world, even in today's society with the highrise buildings or skyscrapers being built-in china and the USA, what Brunel achieved during his time still stands out as something special.
Long before Isambard Kingdom Brunel, famous buildings and structures were built and created, the Pharos of Alexandria, the pyramids of Egypt, the Acropolis in Greece and the great wall of china, stand as some of the best accomplishments of ancient engineers.
From an early age many youngsters love building things. Playing with interlocking blocks as a toddler is something that most of us have done. As we grow, the idea of building the highest tower using what we can find in the toy box. And then on to building dens and tree houses in the garden, most of us have a wish to be creative and are intrigued to see how things work from an early age.
In many ways this is a form of engineering, the putting together of materials to build and create and to see what can be achieved with design and planning. A summary of civil engineering is the design construction and maintenance of such things like roads, bridges, dams and buildings. All of which youngsters love to do whether they know it or not.
There are many types of engineering, from mechanical and electrical engineering all the way through to chemical and computer engineering. To become qualified, many years of study are needed. Either a two-year course at college or A levels in various subjects like maths and science, then university to gain degrees in a chosen field. After achieving the needed qualifications, finally on a career within the industry.
A current report suggest that there are over 46,000 graduate engineers coming through university each year. 5.4million people within the UK are already employed in this sector, which is a huge amount of people, bearing in mind the UK has in the region of 65 million inhabitants. The engineering industry employs over 8% of the UK work force.
Further training within each sector is so important, the advancement of science and technologies change the boundaries of what can be done every year and to keep up with advances further study is needed. Keeping up with these trends and making sure as people stay a valuable asset to the company they work for.
For further training there are courses that are available, a city the size of London has a variety of courses that can be attended, just make sure the one you book is fully accredited. These courses are attended by those that want to improve through new relevant ways and experiences in the industry.
Courses can be booked on-line and are available all year around. The courses are usually kept small so usually no more than 10 attend. It is usually possible to get a discount if the courses are booked a month or two in advance.
While in London why not take a visit to some of the vast structures and achievements of the London skyline that are famous worldwide, London Bridge built-in 1824, the Millennium Wheel built-in 1999 or the recently built Shard Building, the 310m high skyscraper in Southwark. You may get some inspiration for the next project that you will work on.
London Training for Excellence are one of the UK's fastest growing companies, they are proud to offer over 300 unique courses covering a vast range of sectors. The company look to offer clients the chance to improve performance through highly relevant, innovative and professional training courses. Their experienced team assist clients to understand their personal requirements. London Training for Excellence share their passion of education through their approach to the courses they offer; courses that provide insightful, high quality and exceptional content. To learn more, please visit http://www.londontfe.com
Homework Doesn't Have to Be a Battle of Wills
Homework. It doesn't have to be a daily battle of wills between child and parent. There are several strategies and elements that a parent can use to maximize an opportunity to support a child's education and to massage the parent/child bond. For the parent, it is a way to understand what is going on at school and an opportunity for communication. Simply put, a parent has the ability to guide a child to positive feelings about education and to the rewards of good efforts.
Teachers need to have parents on their side, not for the teacher's benefit, but for the child's. When a parent gets involved and stays involved on a routine basis, this catapults the child to another level. A parent who reads to a child, models life-long learning, participate in school events and monitors homework time is doing his or her job of setting up the child for success.
The Five Essential Elements of Helping Your Child with Homework are: knowing the homework basics and the whys; knowing how to set up a proper environment; knowing how to monitor a child's work; knowing how to provide the appropriate guidance; and knowing how to communicate with your child's teacher.
Essential Element # 1 - Homework Basics
Getting to know the basics of homework, the ins and outs of the process, is critical. Think of it as a perfect platform for a parent to be involved, in a very meaningful way, in a child's education. Think of it as one of the greatest challenges that a parent can ever face. Finally, think of it as an everyday routine that needs to be a primary function of family life.
Think about the reasons for homework to begin with. This is ammunition for a parent when responding to the typical child question, "Why do I have to do homework?" Homework helps the child do the following things: reviews previous learning; provides opportunity to practice; readies the child for the next lesson; expands reference skills using the library and internet; supplements and extends learning; provides opportunities for exploring subjects in more depth; helps the child become an independent worker; and allows for exploring individual interests. Keeping these lofty goals in mind will help a parent when the child starts to balk from time to time. Patience and perseverance is the mental state that parents must adopt. Staying in a positive mode, along what might prove to be a bumpy road, is the preferred approach.
Essential Element # 2 - A Proper Homework Environment
If a child believes that a parent cares and that there is a good reason to complete assignments, the child will value education and the routine of homework. A child needs to see that homework is as essential to education as training is to an athlete.
There are several considerations, which provide a great deal of flexibility, when setting up a good homework environment for a child. A parent should work with a child to make some of these decisions together. Research shows that the following areas need to be addressed: schedule a priority time, which may need to flex if there are dance lessons, sports teams, etc.; choose a specific place that is comfortable and works for the family; minimize distractors, such as TV; organize school supplies and materials; be a good role model by reading, playing educational games, and other appropriate activities; and show interest in what the child is working on.
Essential Element # 3 - Monitoring the Homework Routine
How closely a parent should monitor the homework time will vary from child to child. Those who do not work well independently will, of course, need intensified monitoring. Teachers may have varying views on the parent's monitoring role. It is imperative that a parent talk with the child's teacher to get an understand of the best way to support the child at home. A "never, never rule" is that you never do your child's homework.
Being available for and in close proximity to the homework area is important. At the end of the homework time, a parent needs to thoroughly check to see that the assignments are complete. Asking the child what they were supposed to do and having them explain the assignment is a very effective way to wrap up the summary portion of the homework routine. This can also be a good way to start the session if the child tends to procrastinate about getting down to the assigned tasks. A parent should always be alert to teacher comments that may be on homework and other school papers. These can be red flags for the parents.
Essential Element # 4 - Providing the Appropriate Guidance
Supporting homework routines includes the appropriate guidance in scheduling other activities. Left to their own devices, most children will choose TV or video games over homework. There is a place for the television watching and the game playing, but a parent and child need to formulate a limited time for these. Homework has to be the priority.
Some of the specific techniques in guidance can include the following: encourage independence in completing homework; assist the child with organization skills, such as using folders; reinforce good study skills; help with practice and drills, for example multiplication flash cards; help the child learn about budgeting time to complete all tasks; talk about the assignments with the child; and provide praise throughout.
Essential Element # 5 - How to Communicate with the Classroom Teacher
A parent should contact the child's teacher if the following issues arise: directions for homework are not clear; the parent can't provide the necessary materials and supplies; the child is overly disorganized; the assignments are too easy or difficult on a consistent basis; and the child has missed several days of school and is behind on a massive amount of work.
As early as possible, contact the child's teacher when there is a problem. A parent should take some notes to the meeting in order to be specific about what problem needs to be addressed. Work together to find a solution. It important that whatever is agreed upon that the parent and teacher monitor the results. If there no change after 3 o 4 weeks, the parent should follow up with another meeting request. Don't let things go wrong too long.
The homework environment does not have to be a battleground. However, it can easily turn into one if the parent does not see the big picture and take control of the situation. A parent needs to seize this daily routine as an opportunity to be involved with the child and to be the child's number one supporter for school success. Here's a chance for a parent to give a meaningful gift to a child - a positive attitude toward responsibility, independence and educational accomplishments.
Copyright usage: No permission is needed to reproduce this story. The About The Author statement must remain in tact. I possible, we also request notification of where the article is being used so reciprocal links can be considered. barb@sbmag.org
Barbara Snyder M.A. Ed. is a retired California Distinguished School Principal and Coordinator For Human Resources. She has a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She holds elementary education, secondary, community college, and administrative credentials. She is currently the publisher of [http://EducationResourcesNetwork.com], co-publisher of Strictly Business Magazine at [http://www.sbmag.org] and Student Teacher Supervisor at Chapman University.
Teachers need to have parents on their side, not for the teacher's benefit, but for the child's. When a parent gets involved and stays involved on a routine basis, this catapults the child to another level. A parent who reads to a child, models life-long learning, participate in school events and monitors homework time is doing his or her job of setting up the child for success.
The Five Essential Elements of Helping Your Child with Homework are: knowing the homework basics and the whys; knowing how to set up a proper environment; knowing how to monitor a child's work; knowing how to provide the appropriate guidance; and knowing how to communicate with your child's teacher.
Essential Element # 1 - Homework Basics
Getting to know the basics of homework, the ins and outs of the process, is critical. Think of it as a perfect platform for a parent to be involved, in a very meaningful way, in a child's education. Think of it as one of the greatest challenges that a parent can ever face. Finally, think of it as an everyday routine that needs to be a primary function of family life.
Think about the reasons for homework to begin with. This is ammunition for a parent when responding to the typical child question, "Why do I have to do homework?" Homework helps the child do the following things: reviews previous learning; provides opportunity to practice; readies the child for the next lesson; expands reference skills using the library and internet; supplements and extends learning; provides opportunities for exploring subjects in more depth; helps the child become an independent worker; and allows for exploring individual interests. Keeping these lofty goals in mind will help a parent when the child starts to balk from time to time. Patience and perseverance is the mental state that parents must adopt. Staying in a positive mode, along what might prove to be a bumpy road, is the preferred approach.
Essential Element # 2 - A Proper Homework Environment
If a child believes that a parent cares and that there is a good reason to complete assignments, the child will value education and the routine of homework. A child needs to see that homework is as essential to education as training is to an athlete.
There are several considerations, which provide a great deal of flexibility, when setting up a good homework environment for a child. A parent should work with a child to make some of these decisions together. Research shows that the following areas need to be addressed: schedule a priority time, which may need to flex if there are dance lessons, sports teams, etc.; choose a specific place that is comfortable and works for the family; minimize distractors, such as TV; organize school supplies and materials; be a good role model by reading, playing educational games, and other appropriate activities; and show interest in what the child is working on.
Essential Element # 3 - Monitoring the Homework Routine
How closely a parent should monitor the homework time will vary from child to child. Those who do not work well independently will, of course, need intensified monitoring. Teachers may have varying views on the parent's monitoring role. It is imperative that a parent talk with the child's teacher to get an understand of the best way to support the child at home. A "never, never rule" is that you never do your child's homework.
Being available for and in close proximity to the homework area is important. At the end of the homework time, a parent needs to thoroughly check to see that the assignments are complete. Asking the child what they were supposed to do and having them explain the assignment is a very effective way to wrap up the summary portion of the homework routine. This can also be a good way to start the session if the child tends to procrastinate about getting down to the assigned tasks. A parent should always be alert to teacher comments that may be on homework and other school papers. These can be red flags for the parents.
Essential Element # 4 - Providing the Appropriate Guidance
Supporting homework routines includes the appropriate guidance in scheduling other activities. Left to their own devices, most children will choose TV or video games over homework. There is a place for the television watching and the game playing, but a parent and child need to formulate a limited time for these. Homework has to be the priority.
Some of the specific techniques in guidance can include the following: encourage independence in completing homework; assist the child with organization skills, such as using folders; reinforce good study skills; help with practice and drills, for example multiplication flash cards; help the child learn about budgeting time to complete all tasks; talk about the assignments with the child; and provide praise throughout.
Essential Element # 5 - How to Communicate with the Classroom Teacher
A parent should contact the child's teacher if the following issues arise: directions for homework are not clear; the parent can't provide the necessary materials and supplies; the child is overly disorganized; the assignments are too easy or difficult on a consistent basis; and the child has missed several days of school and is behind on a massive amount of work.
As early as possible, contact the child's teacher when there is a problem. A parent should take some notes to the meeting in order to be specific about what problem needs to be addressed. Work together to find a solution. It important that whatever is agreed upon that the parent and teacher monitor the results. If there no change after 3 o 4 weeks, the parent should follow up with another meeting request. Don't let things go wrong too long.
The homework environment does not have to be a battleground. However, it can easily turn into one if the parent does not see the big picture and take control of the situation. A parent needs to seize this daily routine as an opportunity to be involved with the child and to be the child's number one supporter for school success. Here's a chance for a parent to give a meaningful gift to a child - a positive attitude toward responsibility, independence and educational accomplishments.
Copyright usage: No permission is needed to reproduce this story. The About The Author statement must remain in tact. I possible, we also request notification of where the article is being used so reciprocal links can be considered. barb@sbmag.org
Barbara Snyder M.A. Ed. is a retired California Distinguished School Principal and Coordinator For Human Resources. She has a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She holds elementary education, secondary, community college, and administrative credentials. She is currently the publisher of [http://EducationResourcesNetwork.com], co-publisher of Strictly Business Magazine at [http://www.sbmag.org] and Student Teacher Supervisor at Chapman University.
Homeschooling Is A Beautiful Thing
As a parent educator, you have the freedom to weave your family's values, your educational goals, and your children's passions into the living journey of homeschooling. You get to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. You do not need to become entangled or even burdened with what the school down the street is up to, because you have the ability to design a program that is perfectly suited for not only each of your children, but your entire family as well.
To be a successful homeschooler you need a foundation, a plan, and sheer determination.
Foundation
This is the most essential piece to the homeschooling puzzle.
You need to lay a solid foundation for your children and your family.
Plan
It is true, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
The good news is, in homeschooling the plan is fluid and changeable. You do not need to stick with plans that are failing, but you do need a plan.
Homeschooling is wonderful, but it is also wonderfully hard. It is a huge undertaking to not only educate your child, but keep your home from falling apart simultaneously. There will absolutely be days when you question everything. There will be more than one day, week, or year that you fear that you are ruining your child's education. This is normal.
Before you go any deeper into this thing called homeschooling, you should:
Determine that you will stay the course.
Determine to never quit out of frustration. When those days come that cause you to believe you should quit, declare it a free play day, go to the library, visit a veteran homeschooler, or go to the zoo.
Just determine to never quit out of frustration.
Understand that homeschooling is hard, but that just because it is hard does not mean that you are unqualified. Honestly there is no one more qualified to teach your children than you are. You know their strengths, weaknesses, and passions better than anyone else.
Homeschooling can be extremely fun, rewarding and exhausting. It is worth every bit of effort to be able to see your child blossom into a curious learner.
If what you are currently doing is not working, go back and look at your foundation and plan.
As a veteran homeschooler, I can assure you that it is very common for homeschoolers to go on tangents. It is also common to throw out topics or whole curriculums that are not a good fit for your family.
Change is good.
Homeschooling is good. It is not for everyone, but it is good!
Sharing tried and true homeschooling resources, templates, tips, advice, and encouragement is our passion. Visit http://abetterwaytohomeschool.com/ today!
To be a successful homeschooler you need a foundation, a plan, and sheer determination.
Foundation
This is the most essential piece to the homeschooling puzzle.
You need to lay a solid foundation for your children and your family.
- What does your ideal homeschool environment look like?
- What do imagine your daily routine to look like? How will the house run in the midst of your homeschool day?
- Will your children help around the house?
- What part will both you and your spouse play in their education?
- Will you incorporate your faith into the school day?
Plan
It is true, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
The good news is, in homeschooling the plan is fluid and changeable. You do not need to stick with plans that are failing, but you do need a plan.
- What grade levels are your children?
- What subjects are required in your state?
- What topics would you like to teach your children?
- Will you design your own teaching materials or acquire them from a big curriculum company?
- How long will your school day/year be?
- Where will you find coaching, mentoring, and encouragement?
Homeschooling is wonderful, but it is also wonderfully hard. It is a huge undertaking to not only educate your child, but keep your home from falling apart simultaneously. There will absolutely be days when you question everything. There will be more than one day, week, or year that you fear that you are ruining your child's education. This is normal.
Before you go any deeper into this thing called homeschooling, you should:
Determine that you will stay the course.
Determine to never quit out of frustration. When those days come that cause you to believe you should quit, declare it a free play day, go to the library, visit a veteran homeschooler, or go to the zoo.
Just determine to never quit out of frustration.
Understand that homeschooling is hard, but that just because it is hard does not mean that you are unqualified. Honestly there is no one more qualified to teach your children than you are. You know their strengths, weaknesses, and passions better than anyone else.
Homeschooling can be extremely fun, rewarding and exhausting. It is worth every bit of effort to be able to see your child blossom into a curious learner.
If what you are currently doing is not working, go back and look at your foundation and plan.
As a veteran homeschooler, I can assure you that it is very common for homeschoolers to go on tangents. It is also common to throw out topics or whole curriculums that are not a good fit for your family.
Change is good.
Homeschooling is good. It is not for everyone, but it is good!
Sharing tried and true homeschooling resources, templates, tips, advice, and encouragement is our passion. Visit http://abetterwaytohomeschool.com/ today!
How To Finish Your Homeschool Year Strong
If you are a homeschool mom, chances are this time of year you are getting the itch to finish things for this school year. It's sunny outside which means the kiddos are not as focused as they were a month ago and let's be honest, we homeschooling mamas are ready for a break too. Summer is so close we can smell it and after a long winter who doesn't want to get some sunshine therapy! However, you probably have a bit more schooling that needs to be completed before you can officially wrap things up which can be grueling to do at times.
Never fear fellow homeschoolers, I have learned a few tips over my last 5 years of homeschooling on how to finish your homeschool year strong and to keep you from pooping out.
1. Do more hands on learning
Those experiments you skipped during winter when your days were packed, now is a great time to do them! Not only will it be fun for the kiddos and a great change of pace for them and you but you'll also be reviewing previous material at the same time. What homeschooler doesn't love that!
2. Get outside
Now that the weather is warmer take the lessons outside. Pack up the books and move the learning outdoors. Hearing the birds singing, getting some Vitamin D and lots a fresh air can be very energizing. Spread a blanket out on your lawn or at a local park. Pack some water and snacks and enjoy learning in a natural setting. (Just don't forget the sunblock!)
3. Get moving
Play learning games that involve moving. For example, if your kids are learning addition write the numbers in chalk on a sidewalk and give them a problem and then have them jump to the correct answer. We are currently doing this with multiplication and division facts. Don't forget to move with them. It's a great way to get some physical activity for yourself too!
4. Take some me time for yourself
This time of year I start to feel burnt out and my child picks up on that quickly. She then starts to feel burnt out as well so over the years I have learned that the best thing that I can do as a mom and a homeschooler is to take a little time and do something I enjoy. You have to fill yourself up before you can pour into others. I take an hour and read on the deck or watch an inspirational sermon. I grab my camera and go for a ride looking for great scenery. Whatever fills your love tank, do that! It will help you to feel better so that you can finish those last few weeks strong.
5. Field Trips
Now is the perfect time to take a few field trips. Visit the zoo, the aquarium, local museums... whatever you like. It will give the kids and you a much needed break from your routine but still allow for lots of fun learning that your children will remember forever.
6. Offer the Kids Extra Motivation
This is the time of year that I like to offer a little extra motivation. Extra screen time, video game time, the promise of a lunch date at a restaurant, extra art time... whatever your child loves. Use those as incentives when it seems that your kiddos are being sluggish and watch them work!
7. Remember that you don't have to finish everything
I taught public school for 10 years and we never finished an entire text book. Many times the material is reviewed at the start of the next school year so don't put extra pressure on yourself to finish every single lesson. Do what you can and when it's time for summer break, pat yourself on the back for what your homeschool did get accomplished.
8. Give Yourself Grace
It's all OK mama. I promise. You and your children have worked hard all year and they have learned more than you probably realize. Forgive yourself for the mistakes you made this year or what might not have gotten covered as much as you wanted it to. Be proud of what you did and take some time to recharge as a family.
Summer is almost here and the school year is almost over so have a little fun, get outside, get moving, get creative with your lessons, do those lost experiments and most importantly celebrate what you got accomplished this year.
Melodye Reynolds
Be sure to visit the blog for more homeschool tips!
Never fear fellow homeschoolers, I have learned a few tips over my last 5 years of homeschooling on how to finish your homeschool year strong and to keep you from pooping out.
1. Do more hands on learning
Those experiments you skipped during winter when your days were packed, now is a great time to do them! Not only will it be fun for the kiddos and a great change of pace for them and you but you'll also be reviewing previous material at the same time. What homeschooler doesn't love that!
2. Get outside
Now that the weather is warmer take the lessons outside. Pack up the books and move the learning outdoors. Hearing the birds singing, getting some Vitamin D and lots a fresh air can be very energizing. Spread a blanket out on your lawn or at a local park. Pack some water and snacks and enjoy learning in a natural setting. (Just don't forget the sunblock!)
3. Get moving
Play learning games that involve moving. For example, if your kids are learning addition write the numbers in chalk on a sidewalk and give them a problem and then have them jump to the correct answer. We are currently doing this with multiplication and division facts. Don't forget to move with them. It's a great way to get some physical activity for yourself too!
4. Take some me time for yourself
This time of year I start to feel burnt out and my child picks up on that quickly. She then starts to feel burnt out as well so over the years I have learned that the best thing that I can do as a mom and a homeschooler is to take a little time and do something I enjoy. You have to fill yourself up before you can pour into others. I take an hour and read on the deck or watch an inspirational sermon. I grab my camera and go for a ride looking for great scenery. Whatever fills your love tank, do that! It will help you to feel better so that you can finish those last few weeks strong.
5. Field Trips
Now is the perfect time to take a few field trips. Visit the zoo, the aquarium, local museums... whatever you like. It will give the kids and you a much needed break from your routine but still allow for lots of fun learning that your children will remember forever.
6. Offer the Kids Extra Motivation
This is the time of year that I like to offer a little extra motivation. Extra screen time, video game time, the promise of a lunch date at a restaurant, extra art time... whatever your child loves. Use those as incentives when it seems that your kiddos are being sluggish and watch them work!
7. Remember that you don't have to finish everything
I taught public school for 10 years and we never finished an entire text book. Many times the material is reviewed at the start of the next school year so don't put extra pressure on yourself to finish every single lesson. Do what you can and when it's time for summer break, pat yourself on the back for what your homeschool did get accomplished.
8. Give Yourself Grace
It's all OK mama. I promise. You and your children have worked hard all year and they have learned more than you probably realize. Forgive yourself for the mistakes you made this year or what might not have gotten covered as much as you wanted it to. Be proud of what you did and take some time to recharge as a family.
Summer is almost here and the school year is almost over so have a little fun, get outside, get moving, get creative with your lessons, do those lost experiments and most importantly celebrate what you got accomplished this year.
Melodye Reynolds
Be sure to visit the blog for more homeschool tips!
Today's Educational System
 |
| Today's Educational System |
The reality is that children today are not encouraged to learn or memorize but rather they are simply encouraged to show up for so many days out of a school year. They gain no work ethic from this. It is amazing how the numbers that are slapped on paper are what claim the child's potential.
There was a meeting at the network that I work for and it explored how today's youth are not college material and unlike the olden days children do not move out of home at the age of 18, Children tend to still live at home between the ages of 18-25 due to the complete laziness they have been conditioned to in the educational system.
The vast majority of today's youth do not know what accomplishing a goal is thanks to the 36 hours a week, ten months out of every year that they spend in what has become America's educational environment.
Not knowing the meaning of earning something is what this world has come to. Children are being taught that simply going through the motions is what matters. Then when they get out in the real world reality is their biggest slap. They have difficulty not only keeping but finding jobs due to the fact that they cannot even fill out an online job application and properly complete an assessment test. An assessment test shows the work ethic that you have, it shows your ability to work with others as well as your ability to take initiative when needed.
Apparently schools are suffering financially and as far as enrollment for both public and private schools. It is hard to support something that doesn't support your child having the future that they should be helping provide.
I do not condone what goes on today in the schools. Middles school a bully can throw a fit if their victim ignores them and be told by a mediator that they have to be nice to the bully. In High School the Teachers throw fits when the assessment test results show that the children are struggling. Yet, at the same time you see teachers in the news for "fudging" grades to make themselves look good and Principals being arrested for stealing money from the schools.
The Problem With College and Career Readiness Education
Preparing our children to be successful in college and once they step out into the workplace is certainly an educational goal worth striving for, but should college and career readiness by the ultimate goal of the traditional education system?
I am proof that focusing on college and career readiness can actually work. I graduated with high honors from both college and graduate school. I have a job and time to blog and come up with other fun ideas and projects. I have good communication skills, interpersonal skills, work with people and take on leadership roles.
However, when I think back and reflect about my years in primary and secondary school, I know there is so much information that is missing. For me, those first years of school seem to be a blur. I know I did receive some information, I know I was there at school, in a room with a teacher and other 20 or 30 students, I know I had the books and I also know, I was a very distracted girl, I know I did not like all they taught and felt no inspiration to learn. Nevertheless, I did the work, I got passing grades, and moved up from one grace to the next until I was "ready".
Yes, many students reach a level of "college and career readiness". But what does that really mean? Even more worrisome, could that be the only goal that is worth it?
New schools and new teaching and learning models have been sprung up for years in different countries around the world. In the US these "avant-garde" schools are implementing many different approaches to teaching and learning. These schools are mostly private schools or public charter schools. Unfortunately, many of the students that need these schools the most, as they provide greater literacy reinforcement and a new source of inspiration to learn beyond the expected bottom line, are missing out.
What happens when we forgo true mastery of skills, abilities and understanding for the quick and ready-made? When we don't allow the teaching and learning process enough flexibility and resources to provide individual attention to students and support to teachers? What happens when the aim of traditional schools continuous to be the mass production of "workers", giving just enough time, tools and strategies to grasp the very basic concepts and understanding to move on? The answer is simple and worrisome, where the original goal was to produce "useful and moral citizens" the reality is that we are producing nothing more than mediocre children.
Of course many students in traditional educational systems succeed. But shouldn't the aim be the success of ALL?
And what about this insistence on "college and career" as the next obvious steps, or rather THE steps to take after graduating from high school?
I did follow the very traditional path of college, marriage and career. As I look back and forward into the evolution of our human civilization, that traditional path is still very much ingrained in the way western culture has structured itself. Within society, many of us think we are doing what we want to do with our lives, but in reality, immersed in the traditional education systems, we have been programmed for years. Of course, at the time schools as we know them formally began, its main purpose was to develop rational and discipline citizens, men and women willing and able to follow society's rules and limitations that make everyday life possible. The school became a civilizing institution.
But, when the standards teachers work with emphasize "college and career readiness" we are telling young students that these are the only acceptable options on the table for their future. I believe, that in a never ending quest to produce children that get into college and find jobs, schools have created massive mediocrity.
College: before our modern times, going to a higher institution of learning was not designed for everyone. Nowadays we have more than enough physical evidence that people that don't go to college can still be greatly successful. This success doesn't happen by accident, but by action and self-disciple. If students grow up and get educated in creative and innovative environments, who can tell how many useful technologies they may be able to come up with or what new ideas they may develop that change the way we live our lives in the coming future. At one time in our human history colleges may have been great places to share ideas and learn about a variety of topics not available to everybody else. Now, that is not necessarily true anymore. People around the world connect and share ideas by the second. The internet is all about information, connectivity and learning that takes place instantly. Many free courses are available online, all the books you could imagine to download and the forums for discussion of new ideas.
Career: this word doesn't mean a Job, not anymore. Now a career may be thought of as the path one entrepreneur takes along a line of innovative ideas, products and services. Now a career is not a life spent working for a company, performing exactly the skill, it says in your resume, you acquired in your college degree. The workplace has changed, and the role of a professional within it has also change. Social skills are needed in the workplace, yes, ability to follow rules and procedures, to work in teams, to manage time... but more and more offices and companies are revamping their organizational structure and what they expect employees to do. It's no longer a follow the leader, static environment. It is an ever changing and challenging place, where cultural awareness and diversity is the new norm, where each individual is expected to take on a leadership role, where working standing up is ergonomic and we are even having "walking" meetings.
Innovative educational models have come and go, the stronger ones have endured. But to get access to those, most parents still need to pay. While the public education systems of some states have taken positive steps forward, other are lingering behind, within the security of the states' educational standards and the CCS. Don't get me wrong, having a set of standards is useful in many ways. But the limiting expectation of college and career readiness may be doing more harm than good.
As valuable as is it to prepare children with the skills they will need to be useful and productive once they get out of school, it is also valuable to make the time they spend in school one of self-discovery, reflection, creativity and problem solving outside the box. Because, if children don't see themselves represented in other individual or self-made boxes outside the box of "college" and the box of "career", they will default to mediocrity. Supporting and building of the confidence of children is what opens up the path they will choose to travel no just toward college and career, but through life.
Let's prepare our children to be ready to face life's challenges and opportunities. Let's refrain from forcing "college" and "career" as the only two options and the only to reason that school is worth their time for. School, as a time and place, is so much more than that.
Let's continue the conversation! Leave me all your comments below or send me a tweet @southcentraledu
Gabriela Gotay
I am proof that focusing on college and career readiness can actually work. I graduated with high honors from both college and graduate school. I have a job and time to blog and come up with other fun ideas and projects. I have good communication skills, interpersonal skills, work with people and take on leadership roles.
However, when I think back and reflect about my years in primary and secondary school, I know there is so much information that is missing. For me, those first years of school seem to be a blur. I know I did receive some information, I know I was there at school, in a room with a teacher and other 20 or 30 students, I know I had the books and I also know, I was a very distracted girl, I know I did not like all they taught and felt no inspiration to learn. Nevertheless, I did the work, I got passing grades, and moved up from one grace to the next until I was "ready".
Yes, many students reach a level of "college and career readiness". But what does that really mean? Even more worrisome, could that be the only goal that is worth it?
New schools and new teaching and learning models have been sprung up for years in different countries around the world. In the US these "avant-garde" schools are implementing many different approaches to teaching and learning. These schools are mostly private schools or public charter schools. Unfortunately, many of the students that need these schools the most, as they provide greater literacy reinforcement and a new source of inspiration to learn beyond the expected bottom line, are missing out.
What happens when we forgo true mastery of skills, abilities and understanding for the quick and ready-made? When we don't allow the teaching and learning process enough flexibility and resources to provide individual attention to students and support to teachers? What happens when the aim of traditional schools continuous to be the mass production of "workers", giving just enough time, tools and strategies to grasp the very basic concepts and understanding to move on? The answer is simple and worrisome, where the original goal was to produce "useful and moral citizens" the reality is that we are producing nothing more than mediocre children.
Of course many students in traditional educational systems succeed. But shouldn't the aim be the success of ALL?
And what about this insistence on "college and career" as the next obvious steps, or rather THE steps to take after graduating from high school?
I did follow the very traditional path of college, marriage and career. As I look back and forward into the evolution of our human civilization, that traditional path is still very much ingrained in the way western culture has structured itself. Within society, many of us think we are doing what we want to do with our lives, but in reality, immersed in the traditional education systems, we have been programmed for years. Of course, at the time schools as we know them formally began, its main purpose was to develop rational and discipline citizens, men and women willing and able to follow society's rules and limitations that make everyday life possible. The school became a civilizing institution.
But, when the standards teachers work with emphasize "college and career readiness" we are telling young students that these are the only acceptable options on the table for their future. I believe, that in a never ending quest to produce children that get into college and find jobs, schools have created massive mediocrity.
College: before our modern times, going to a higher institution of learning was not designed for everyone. Nowadays we have more than enough physical evidence that people that don't go to college can still be greatly successful. This success doesn't happen by accident, but by action and self-disciple. If students grow up and get educated in creative and innovative environments, who can tell how many useful technologies they may be able to come up with or what new ideas they may develop that change the way we live our lives in the coming future. At one time in our human history colleges may have been great places to share ideas and learn about a variety of topics not available to everybody else. Now, that is not necessarily true anymore. People around the world connect and share ideas by the second. The internet is all about information, connectivity and learning that takes place instantly. Many free courses are available online, all the books you could imagine to download and the forums for discussion of new ideas.
Career: this word doesn't mean a Job, not anymore. Now a career may be thought of as the path one entrepreneur takes along a line of innovative ideas, products and services. Now a career is not a life spent working for a company, performing exactly the skill, it says in your resume, you acquired in your college degree. The workplace has changed, and the role of a professional within it has also change. Social skills are needed in the workplace, yes, ability to follow rules and procedures, to work in teams, to manage time... but more and more offices and companies are revamping their organizational structure and what they expect employees to do. It's no longer a follow the leader, static environment. It is an ever changing and challenging place, where cultural awareness and diversity is the new norm, where each individual is expected to take on a leadership role, where working standing up is ergonomic and we are even having "walking" meetings.
Innovative educational models have come and go, the stronger ones have endured. But to get access to those, most parents still need to pay. While the public education systems of some states have taken positive steps forward, other are lingering behind, within the security of the states' educational standards and the CCS. Don't get me wrong, having a set of standards is useful in many ways. But the limiting expectation of college and career readiness may be doing more harm than good.
As valuable as is it to prepare children with the skills they will need to be useful and productive once they get out of school, it is also valuable to make the time they spend in school one of self-discovery, reflection, creativity and problem solving outside the box. Because, if children don't see themselves represented in other individual or self-made boxes outside the box of "college" and the box of "career", they will default to mediocrity. Supporting and building of the confidence of children is what opens up the path they will choose to travel no just toward college and career, but through life.
Let's prepare our children to be ready to face life's challenges and opportunities. Let's refrain from forcing "college" and "career" as the only two options and the only to reason that school is worth their time for. School, as a time and place, is so much more than that.
Let's continue the conversation! Leave me all your comments below or send me a tweet @southcentraledu
Gabriela Gotay
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