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Mexican-American course in Texas matter of debate

Texas State Board of Education members are debating whether or not a Mexican-American elective social studies course has a place on the state’s official curriculum list. Over 50 organizations have urged the Board to include such a course in the elective list for high school students, that also includes classes like floral design and Web gaming. Board Republicans are hesitant to approve such a move, saying that individual school districts already have the authority to teach such classes if they want. Some have even gone so far as to say that the move will inject “leftist ideals” into classrooms. Opponents …

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Report: Developing worlds 100 years behind in education

The Brookings Institution reports that education quality and levels in developing countries are approximately 100 years behind developed countries. This global gap in education shows that in the world’s poorest nations, the average levels of attainment are at levels achieved in developed countries in the early 20th century. The good news is that in the past 50 years, the belief that schooling is a necessity has spread across the globe (thanks in part to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and now 90 percent of primay school-aged children are enrolled. Enrolling and progressing are very different things though, as …

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Survey: Internet helps education, hurts morality

The Pew Research Center has released results to a poll of relatively new internet users in developing countries that found the internet is viewed pretty favorably, particularly when it comes to education. Sixty-four percent of the respondents felt that the internet had a positive impact on education and 53 percent said the same for personal relationships. When asked the same thing about the internet’s influence on politics and morality, however, only 36% and 29% had a favorable view, respectively. When you look at the way the internet is utilized in America and other developed nations, I’d say these observations align. There …

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Report: Social programs keep child poverty rates from doubling

More children are living in poverty conditions in the U.S. than official numbers present, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Measuring Access to Opportunity in the United States Report uses the Supplemental Poverty Measure, a standard first implemented by the U.S. Census in 2011 that measures the impact of important social programs like SNAP and the Earned Income Tax Credit on true poverty rates. It also accounts for rising costs and other changes that affect a family’s budget. Unlike the federal “poverty level” standard, the SPM takes geographical costs of living into account. According to SPM measurements, without such social …

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Kindergartners get little time to play. Why does it matter?

Christopher Brown, University of Texas at Austin Being a kindergartner today is very different from being a kindergartner 20 years ago. In fact it is more like first grade. Researchers have demonstrated that five-year-olds are spending more time engaged in teacher-led academic learning activities than play-based learning opportunities that facilitate child-initiated investigations and foster social development among peers. As a former kindergarten teacher, a father of three girls who’ve recently gone through kindergarten, and as researcher and teacher-educator in early childhood education, I have had kindergarten as a part of my adult life for almost 20 years. As a parent, …

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Gallup poll: College affordability out of reach

According to a new Gallup-Lumina Foundation poll, many Americans feel that college is no longer affordable. Just 17 percent of white Americans polled believe that “education beyond high school is affordable to anyone in this country who needs it” and only 19 percent of black people polled believe the same. Hispanics are far more optimistic in their view of college affordability. By way of the Gallup poll, more than 50 percent of Hispanics polled responded that college is affordable to those who live in America. Separated into three categories of white, black, and Hispanic, the gulf between how Hispanics feel …

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Trouble brewing between FAMU president and board of trustees

Despite receiving an award for HBCU ‘Female President of the Year,’ Elmira Mangum is facing stiff criticism from the school’s board of trustees. According to Tallahassee.com, Rufus Montgomery who serves as chairman of the board of trustees, wants Mangum placed on a 90-day probation plan. “And while some board members talked about moving forward and having faith in Mangum’s leadership, trustees chairman Rufus Montgomery pushed members of the Special Committee on Presidential Evaluation to place Mangum on a performance improvement plan “and hold her accountable.” He suggested a 90-day plan.” Good thing for Mangum that Montgomery doesn’t make the final …

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Is financial aid meant to help students or colleges?

A recent article via Forbes.com asks a fairly interesting question regarding financial aid for students attempting to attain a higher education. Does financial aid help colleges more than students? The article is based on a report via the Federal Reserve Bank of New York that shows how well financial aid works for students. “Students pay an extra 55 cents in tuition for every dollar of Pell Grant they receive, meaning they only save 45 cents in terms of out-of-pocket costs. Colleges gain even more than the 55 cents from each dollar of new Pell Grants because they collect the extra …

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Study: Education equals equality may be a fallacy

According to information posted by Brookings.edu, the mentality that education equals equality is not a reality. The data shows that education disparities aren’t getting better for poor people or minorities. Brookings reports that “big gaps” remain for improving high school graduation rates for minorities and those considered poor. The study also notes many low-income individuals are staying away from enrolling in college due to “tuition and debt worries.” It is the failures of the American education system that highlight how far away we remain from some form of economic equality for those in the colorful minorities. Black and brown students …

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Is course customization the future of teaching technology?

In an ever-changing online environment, course customization may soon reign supreme. As education online continues to grow and evolve, so will demands on the industry and one area that this is especially true is course design — or specifically, creating courses that fit each classroom just right and move away from the “one size fits all” approach to curriculum. It’s why Blackboard Inc, the once-popular company that provides software solutions and tools for learning for higher education, high school, and k-12 classrooms, is up for sale, According to Reuters.com, the company’s growth and revenue have slowed due to upstarts and …

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