Everybody Learns At A Different Pace

We are all individuals and therefore all unique. Our minds and our bodies all work at different levels. When your child is having some trouble with a specific subject, don’t panic. Many students are better at certain subjects than others and it just takes them a bit more time to pick up material. Even excellent all-round students have certain areas that they need to put more time and effort into before they are on par with others that are naturally talented in those fields. Your student may excel at math or science, but he or she may be less adept at grammar or writing. Don’t take the first red flag as an indicator of a learning disability. Given that you have identified your child’s weak areas, give your kid the time to build up his or her skills to gain more strength and confidence about that specific subject. Natural talent and innate ability does make a difference in how quickly your child learns, but putting in the effort and dedication to learning is what truly matters.

It is very normal for some people to learn quicker than others. Some may have larger memory capacities than others which may give them an advantage with picking up new material. Certain special individuals are born with a photographic memory and can remember every last detail that they see on a page or hear in a lecture. No matter how hard they try, students not born with this ability may never learn as fast as those special individuals, no matter how what they do.

What If My Child Has A Hard Time With Everything?

If it appears that your child is struggling with multiple subjects, especially if it also pertains to non-academic areas, this might suggest that your child has a learning disability or worse. Mild cases of mental delays can often get mistaken for a simple learning disability. Severe psychological handicaps are usually very apparent and normally requires that your child receives differentiated instruction. Being in the same classes as other students that do not have any disadvantages is not beneficial for special needs students. They will learn best in an environment with others like them, so they can learn at their own pace and in their own way while being under the care and supervision of a teacher qualified to handle such a group.

A few years ago at MIT we took a look at how we had organized academic computing and administrative computing; in most universities these are the two organizations that handle the technology infrastructure on campus. At the time, the decision was made to reorganize pieces of academic computing. Stuff like the learning management system went to central IT, and other parts to the library. Our group, the Office of Educational Innovation and Technology was created to bridge between faculty innovation and the service organizations. We do the fun stuff from working with faculty, looking at scaling up innovation, and experimenting with things. We’re part of the Dean for Undergraduate Education’s office, and so our mission is to work with MIT faculty to do teaching and learning innovations for MIT students.

I do a number of things with OEIT, ranging from working with individual faculty members to looking at strategic initiatives for the university to how we might move forward with some of the teaching and learning innovations that we see in the world at large. So it’s both the local focus with individual faculty and students, as well as an Institute-wide focus. I’m also fortunate to be able to continue to participate in the open education community and the broader technology and learning community outside of MIT.

E-P: Can you tell our readers a little bit about some of the very cool things that OEIT does and helps with?

BM: We have a couple big project areas. One group is called STAR; it takes research software, software that faculty and graduate students are using to perform research, and looks at how it might be used in undergraduate classes. More generally they look at the educational problems faculty want to address or they have in their teaching that technology might be able to help address. And so what we’ve done is we’ve taken this research software, we’ve rebuilt pieces of it and we’ve also put in interfaces that are much more approachable, with a few minutes of introduction for undergrads, versus say months of learning if you’re a graduate student trying to understand all the nuances of the software. Our students can get started very quickly doing some really cool learning activities.

Then the other group is the one that I work in, it’s called Content and Curriculum. As the name says, we have a number of projects looking at how content is related to MIT’s curriculum, and how it’s related to pedagogy.

One of the projects that we launched about a year and a half ago is something we’re calling Project Greenfield. I know about the notion of greenfield from manufacturing, it’s an industrial age term where factories and production used to be in towns and cities (brownfields), and if you wanted to try doing something new, you would go out into a green field and start over. And so we sort of took that name and started to think about – and we’ve actually been thinking about this for years – how MIT has this great resource, OpenCourseWare, but that we thought it could be much more. We wanted to try this little tweak to OCW or this other little experiment. Instead of experimenting on OCW live, we came to the realization that wait, we could just try doing all of these ourselves under the same license that everybody else can. What we’ve done is we’ve made a copy and are starting to experiment with it.

E-P: OEIT is awesome, especially for MIT students, but what opportunities do other students who don’t attend MIT have? Can they use OEIT’s resources? Is there anything they can take advantage of, other than obviously OpenCourseWare?

BM: So OpenCourseWare exists. The thread of openness pervades much of what we do at OEIT. And even though we’re doing things in some cases very specifically for MIT students, much of what we do is openly available on the Web. The STAR tools are all on the Web; you can download them, you can use them, there are exercises that you can use as part of them. All of the things that we’re doing to play around with OpenCourseWare are also on the Web. The other software tools we’re developing is often open source, so individual tools and things you can use.

I think it’ll be interesting as we continue to move forward whether there’s additional opportunities for the world at large to really start to use this same set of tools that we’re providing for MIT students. source: education-portal.com

Bad News for E-Learners?

According to a study of Washington State community college students conducted by Dr. Shanna Smith Jaggars and doctoral student Di Xu of the CCRC, students in online courses exhibit an eight percent lower chance of success than their brick-and-mortar college counterparts do. For students enrolled in remedial classes, that number drops to nine percent. While that may not seem like a huge deal, it is significant – especially when you consider that the same study finds students taking online classes are generally more prepared academically.

The study’s also troubling given the way that some in the education community view online classes. Because of the flexibility they afford non-traditional students (who are now beginning to outnumber ‘traditional’ learners), they’re often lauded as a big part of education’s future. But maybe, this report hints, that self-congratulatory attitude is part of the problem. Jaggars and Xu warn that colleges need to be careful not to just throw an online class into the world and leave it be, forcing students to navigate it by themselves. Without a fair amount of support, they caution, students might easily come to feel lost and alone in online classes, sapping away their motivation to complete them.

An Inherent Disadvantage?

But despite noting ‘technical difficulties, a lack of structure and isolation’ as common problems in online courses, the study doesn’t really consider the possibility that those courses are by their very nature hindered when it comes to holding students’ attention. When you go to class meetings with a professor and other students, you’re drawn into a shared perceptual experience of learning whether you want to be or not. On the Internet, there’s no such guarantee. Any educational material you call up on your computer is much easier to relegate to background noise, especially when you can just open a new browser tab to check your e-mail or Facebook feed. Obviously not every student will do this, and many surely have the discipline not to, but it’s still a difficulty online classes have to face.

What Schools Can Do

As far as approximating the sense of community found in traditional classrooms, though, Jaggars and Xu do offer some ideas. A July 2011 report on the study in The Chronicle of Higher Education notes that the two recommend ‘increased technological support for students and more extensive training in online-teaching methods for faculty.’ Looking at the first part of that, we might imagine that technological support could include an easily accessible online help desk not unlike those operated by major tech companies. If students felt that they had a supporter only a mouse click away, they might be more likely to stick with their work instead of growing frustrating and giving up.

Both parts of Jaggar and Xu’s recommendation involve increased institutional support, and that seems to be the key to making sure online classes remain not just an attractive option for non-traditional learners, but a successful one. Jaggar and Xu’s report found that a full one-third of students in their study enrolled in courses online, and that number’s likely to increase as students come to expect more flexibility from their institutions. On the bright side, an increased interest in online learning should make it easier for schools to commit to quality Internet programs, which could maybe help close that achievement gap a little. source:  education-portal.com/

For the Good of the Students or Simply a Bad Decision?

Drug tests in schools are nothing new. They have been administered in high schools and in some private colleges. In 1990, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) instituted a year-round drug testing program to, as the organization states, ‘protect the health and safety of student-athletes’ and ensure fair play practices.

But the mandatory drug testing introduced at Linn State Technical College, which says the requirement grew from its mission to ‘prepare students for profitable employment and a life of learning’, is the first of its kind in a public college and begs the question: ‘Should colleges be allowed to enforce such a test?’

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says no, and has filed a lawsuit against the college. The ACLU Blog of Rights website went as far as to say that Linn State ‘violated the Fourth Amendment rights of its students’. The Fourth Amendment protects the right of the people against ‘unreasonable searches and seizures’ and against unwarranted searches without ‘probable cause’.

Linn State maintains that it has instituted the policy due to the nature of many of its programs. School officials cite student safety as one of the main reasons for the mandatory testing; for instance, students enrolled in training programs that involve the operation of heavy equipment are prime candidates for testing. The school also says that the drug testing will help to prepare these students for what they likely face after graduation: required drug testing by employers.

What Rights Do Students Have On Campus?

The word ‘unconstitutional’ has been used when describing Linn State’s new testing, and in many ways one can see why. It’s not hard to imagine that at least some of the students might feel as if they are being treated like criminals. However you look at it, it seems that mandatory drug testing for all college students is a bit extreme, most notably when there is a lack of reported drug use or suspicion of drug activity. Jason Williamson, an ACLU staff attorney, stated that ‘nothing like it has ever been sanctioned by the courts.’

So is Linn State’s drug testing ‘unreasonable’ and without ‘probable cause’? It would seem so, at least as defined by the Fourth Amendment. Is there another way the college could approach the issue? Possibly. Maybe it could implement a voluntary test, or offer classes that educate students about the dangers of drug use and that outline drug testing procedures for employment purposes.

Surely many colleges share Linn State’s mission to ‘prepare students for profitable employment’. Does that mean other institutions should adopt mandatory drug testing? Unless the courts one day decide in favor of that possibility, one would have to say that for now it’s understandable that such a move could be viewed as unconstitutional, and that colleges seeking to govern such a policy should expect to come under legal fire. Source: education-portal.com/

Schools Work Harder to Send Students Overseas

Driven by increases in shorter and less expensive study abroad programs, more college students are seeking educational opportunities overseas. According to a November 2010 survey conducted by the Institute of International Education (IIE), nearly 30% of colleges and universities reported partnering with other institutions to expand study abroad programs and 18% increased staff in this area. Additionally, nine percent of schools reported increasing scholarship offerings and adding lower cost programs.

The IIE has also worked to increase the availability of study abroad programs to students from low-income and culturally diverse backgrounds, in effect widening the playing field. This has led to more students taking advantage of these programs.

The Institute has also collaborated with the Forum on Education Abroad, a nonprofit organization located at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, to expand studies into countries like Brazil and Turkey.

Forcing a Bit of Culture Shock Could Have Personal and Professional Benefits

But do U.S. students really get much out of traveling abroad and spending the time rooming with fellow American students and Facebook-ing family and friends back home?

Many programs are striving to force students to immerse themselves in their foreign surroundings. More exotic destinations, the removal of technological comforts and a push toward increased interaction with locals have helped to make study abroad programs more enriching.

The approach seems to be working: in August 2010, The New York Times reported that more college juniors were studying in Arab countries than ever before. While the number of U.S. students seeking an educational experience in an Arab country still lags far behind those going to China, France or England, enrollment in programs that send students to the Mideast rose a whopping 60% in 2006-07.

International Experience = Better Job Prospects?

Study abroad experiences can have long-lasting effects on students as well as their resumes. One recent graduate of Elmhurst College in Illinois told USA Today in September 2011 that employers seemed interested in him because of his time spent studying at a Moroccan university. And that could be yet another reason why we have seen an increase in the number of college students studying abroad: the ability to speak other languages and to understand other cultures can prove to be a huge asset when applying for jobs, particularly in global industries. Source: education-portal.com/

Step 1: Complete a Bachelor’s Degree Program

Health writers often need to earn a 4-year bachelor’s degree in journalism, English, communications, public health, nutrition, nursing or a related field. To improve their writing and communications skills, students may supplement their education with electives in editing, non-fiction writing and reporting. Some courses may require weekly written assignments in which students explore writing style, tone and objectives.

Some universities have specific degree programs in science journalism that offer courses in writing, journalism, medical reporting and science writing. Students learn the major health concerns of today and how to communicate medical information to a variety of audiences. For example, health writers looking to address medical professionals may need to be fluent in medical language in order to look for positions with medical journals and hospital newsletters. Alternatively, health writers wishing to communicate information to the general public may want to take courses in writing style to help find employment with newspapers, magazines or health websites.

Step 2: Obtain an Internship

Some degree programs build internships into the curriculum, which may require students to do fieldwork with a medical publication. There are also positions available for interns to report on health-related topics for newspapers or magazines. This may also provide health writers the opportunity to further develop their research skills.

Internships allow students to not only practice journalism, but also to hone interviewing skills. Health writers need to know who qualifies as an expert for a given topic and how to arrange a meeting with that person. During the interview, writers frame questions in order to get the most relevant information for their readers.

Step 3: Build a Portfolio

During the job interview process, employers may ask to see a health writer’s completed work. Accordingly, health writers may begin building up a portfolio of past work while still in college. This may include school assignments, internship projects and any published work.

Step 4: Earn a Certificate

The American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) offers voluntary certificate programs in five areas ranging from composition to research (www.amwa.org). Each certificate requires attending a 3-hour AMWA workshop. Workshops have prerequisites assignments that provide basic knowledge of the skill to be discussed.

Step 5: Join Professional Organizations

Health writers may connect with medical professionals, researchers and publishers through professional networks. In addition to the AMWA, the American Public Health Association (APHA) also circulates information regarding job openings, conferences and careers (www.apha.org). The American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) is another network for health writers targeting more academic audiences (www.aaas.org). Professional organizations may also offer workshops and seminars to help health writers gain new skills and enroll in continuing education courses.

Step 1: Sharpen Communication, Organization and Problem-Solving Skills in High School

Skills in problem solving, organization and communication are important to professional production schedulers. Aspiring schedulers may consider taking as many communication courses as possible in order to strengthen their interpersonal and speaking skills. Additionally, future production schedulers may benefit from taking courses that strengthen organizational and problem-solving skills. Courses in mathematics are beneficial in developing skills in problem solving.

Step 2: Consider Career Options and Requirements

A 2011 job search on Monster.com found that some potential employers only require that job applicants for the production scheduler role hold a high school diploma. However, many preferred applicants with a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area such as supply chain management or some other business-related field. In addition, employers required experience with MS (Microsoft) Project Software and MS Office, as well as an understanding of Lean Principles and a familiarity with specific regulatory standards. Other skills sought after by employers include strong writing and excellent communication skills.

Step 3: Enroll in a Bachelor’s Degree Program

Should an aspiring production scheduler decide to enroll in a bachelor’s program, he or she needs to focus on a production-related field, such as supply chain management, engineering or a business-oriented discipline. A bachelor’s degree in business or management with a focus on supply chain management may include courses such as principles of quality management, project management, operation management, information systems, international logistics and inventory models.

Step 4: Complete an Internship

Students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in logistics or engineering may have the opportunity to complete an internship. Internships offer students valuable practical experience, and, although they may not necessarily lead to job offers, they do provide students with the opportunity to get letters of reference and make contacts. Typically, an internship is completed in the final year of study. Companies that offer internships in production planning and scheduling may be in the manufacturing industry.

Step 5: Consider Professional Certification

Currently, the Association for Operations Management (www.apics.org) offers a certification program for professionals working in the areas of operations, supply chain management, materials management, production management and procurement. A certification may be an excellent way to solidify years of experience in the field and broaden career options. The exam consists of five modules and each must be passed in order to earn the certification.source: education-portal.com/articles/

Pharmacist Education Information

Individuals who want to become pharmacists will need a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. To be accepted into a Pharm.D. program, students must first complete a pre-professional track that is typically two years in length and includes scientific courses in biology, chemistry, physics, anatomy and physiology. Foundational courses in pharmaceutical practices may also be included.

Pharm.D. Accreditation

Students may consider Pharm.D. programs that are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Accreditation demonstrates that a program is preparing students to meet the standards of the profession. According to the ACPE, state licensing boards require applicants to have graduated from an accredited program (www.acpe-accredit.org).

Pharm.D. Coursework

Pharm.D. programs are typically completed in four years and provide instruction on medical dosages, patient consultations and medication interactions. The curricula include coursework in pharmacy law, pharmacotherapy, dosage forms and health management. Students are familiarized with the equipment used on the job, including filling machines and flow cabinets.

Clinical Experience

Clinical experience is a major segment of a Pharm.D. program. In the first two years, students take Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences, in which students develop essential skills, such as consulting patients, delivering immunizations and performing screenings. During the final two years, students take Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) that place them in patient care settings under the supervision of licensed pharmacists. APPEs have rotations that allow students to experience different areas of pharmacy, including inpatient, ambulatory operations and electives.

Pharmacist Career Training Information

Licensing Information

Pharmacists must be licensed to practice. In addition to having a Pharm.D. from an accredited program, individuals must pass the North American Pharmacists Licensure Examination (NAPLEX), which tests applicants on pharmacotherapy, dispensing medications and providing accurate healthcare information ( www.nabp.net).

All states require applicants to complete either the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) or a state-sponsored exam. The MPJE tests students on the legal aspects of the pharmacy practice, licensure requirements and the regulatory laws that govern the profession. The NAPLEX and the MPJE are administered by the National Association of Pharmacy Boards. States may have addition licensing requirements, including background checks or age limits.

Fellowships and Residencies

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, pharmacists who want to work in a clinical setting may consider completing a residency program or fellowship program (www.bls.gov). Residencies and fellowships are individualized programs that train pharmacists for administrative work or a specialty filed, such as informatics or community care. Programs typically last 1-2 years and may include research on the benefits of drug therapy and other topics in the field.source: education-portal.com

Free Online Coach Courses and Certificates

The OpenCourseWare (OCW) project that involves many universities across the world has made available classes that can be used by anyone free of charge via the Internet. These non-credit coach courses provide OCW learners with the skills needed to compete in the business and sport management and coaching sectors. OCW users should check course and certificate sites to ensure that all the material is available for study. In some cases, a course may not have all of the materials needed to get the most out of the OCW class.

List of Free Online Coach Courses and Certificates

Special Seminar in Communications: Leadership and Personal Effectiveness Coaching at MIT

OCW learners who participate in this course learn about the skills necessary to improve team and individual communication. The course is structured as a series of labs or in-class exercises. In order to get the most out of these lab exercises, OCW users may want to recruit as many friends as possible since they were designed for groups rather than individuals. Lab topics are available for download on the course website. Topics covered in these labs include informational interviewing, giving and receiving feedback, organizational processes, conflict resolution and leadership communication.

Certificate of Higher Education in Sport, Fitness and Management at the Open University

OCW learners who wish to pursue this certificate program offered by the Open University should have some prior experience in the sport and fitness industries as coaches or fitness instructors. Students that have earned some credits from another educational institution can apply those credits to this program of study. Two years of full-time study are needed to complete the certificate but a student can take up to five years if needed. The two primary courses needed to complete the certificate include working and learning in sport and fitness and introduction to sport, fitness and management. Students who complete the certificate have the option of continuing their studies and earning either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in the field. source: education-portal.com/articles/

Those interested in machinery repair may want to consider the field of heating, air conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration maintenance. These professionals help businesses and homeowners maintain temperature control by keeping these appliances working in good consition. These technicians can work in a variety of environments; for instance, they may work in businesses, hospitals or schools.

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, the average maintenance worker earned $17.81 an hour in 2003. The job outlook is expected to be good as well.

Education requirements vary for HAVR maintenance workers, depending on the employer. Many employers prefer to hire those who have some formal training or experience. Many have at least a certificate. These programs are available at schools, colleges and universities.

Top Schools for Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration (HAVR) Maintenance (Source: U.S. News, www.usnews.com):

1. Lewis-Clark State College-

This college has a rich tradition, since it was founded in 1893.

• Undergraduate Student Body: 3,325
• Faculty to Student Ratio: 1:17
• Tuition Costs: In-State: $3,714; Out-of-State: $10,484
• Average High School GPA of Incoming Freshmen: 3.1
• Test Scores of Incoming Freshmen: ACT- More than 40 percent had scores 18-23; SAT- More than 40 percent had scores 800-899. source: education-portal.com/articles/