thinkPhD

…… we learn from reflecting on experience.” – John Dewey

I found this quote today and it really speaks to me. We can experience all kinds of things, but unless we use that experience to grow and develop, it does us no good at all. Perhaps this is why some people seem to have “horse sense” and others do not. Some can remember and use the learning to apply to future situations, and others simply move through life making the same mistakes over and over. Of course all of us have to be kicked and reminded about some things over and over, such as putting the car keys in the purse as soon as we walk in the door (so we don’t have to panic when we can’t find them). I am pretty knuckle-headed sometimes and so life does make the learn the same lessons over and over, but generally, I try to “pay attention” so that I don’t make the same mistake twice.

Sometimes I am pretty hard on myself, such as if I blew a big presentation or said something the wrong way, but perhaps I need that to remember not to do the same thing again.  I am going to make a conscious effort this week to reflect on experiences so that I can move onto the next. I want to learn and move ahead, both in my career and personal life. I am going to think about Dewey’s quote and see if I can avoid life giving a second reprimand because I didn’t learn something the first time.

As I have mentioned before, I am an “Expert” over on AllExperts.com in the areas of Continuing/Adult Education and Distance Learning. (Want to ask me a question? Here you are…click here.) Well, I was asked a question about grant writing by someone connected with ANTSHE, The Association of Nontraditional Students in Higher Education. Their mission statement resounds with me:

ANTSHE is an international partnership of students, academic professionals, institutions, and organizations whose mission is to encourage and coordinate support, education, and advocacy for the adult learner.

As a nontraditional student myself plus an instructor of nontraditionals, I am pleased that someone is highlighting the special needs of this group. Those of us who are struggling with balancing life and work and school need lots of support! According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a nontraditional student is:

“A student with any of the following characteristics: has delayed enrollment, attends part time, works full time while enrolled, is considered financially independent for purposes of determining financial aid, has dependents other than a spouse, is a single parent, or does not have a high school diploma.”

Wow! Do you fit the definition of a nontraditional student? Did you know that a nontraditional student is much more likely to quit because of non-education related issues like family and job pressures. It is difficult to balance all of our responsibilities effectively. Let me encourage all you nontraditional students! Keep working toward your educational goal!

I have missed some blogging opportunities lately and today I am finally back to work on my blog. September was a very difficult month on a personal level as my father was diagnosed with larynx cancer. I spent most of September with my parents helping with his care after surgery. He has additional surgery scheduled in October.

This family crisis usurped my time to write and work on classwork. I had to request an extension from my professor and turned in the final paper yesterday. I could have turned in a paper on the final day of class but I felt it had no depth as I was not able to develop the topic as I normally do. A half-way-done assignment is not acceptable to me.

I am back to work but at MWV and back to work with schoolwork. I have paid for my next class, ECM5006 Integrated Supply Chain Management. After that class I will take MGT5028 Business Statistics and then jump into my doctoral coursework, which will consist of 8 courses.

I am getting pumped up as I close in on my goal of a PhD. If I had the money and the time, I would dash through the courses much faster. However, the cost is not covered by my employer and $1425/course + books is steep for me. I have set this as a goal and will work to make it happen!

By the way, if you are reading my blog and have questions about my experiences or choices, ask me a question or make a comment.

As you know from my writings, I wear many hats…mom, teacher, employee, student, wife, blogger. I also wear a hat you may not know about - I am an expert over on AllExperts.com . You can ask a question of an expert in a particular genre like home/garden, real estate, hobbies, and money. The site purports to be the largest and oldest Q&A site on the Internet. In order to become an expert, you must apply and go through an elimination process.

I am an expert in Continuing/Adult Education and Distance Learning. I receive many questions, some of which are bogus but many are from individuals concerned with receiving a good solid answer. Over time, I have noticed that most of the inquiries now come from India. A number of Indian citizens are looking at getting an online education from schools in the USA. Some are mis-informed, thinking that every school has online programs. Although many do, I would not recommend them. Some ask how to get American scholarships to pay completely for college thinking there is a government program to pay for all college here in the USA - most of these questions come from those with undergraduate degrees. The reader knows that scholarship money for masters and doctorates is hard to come by! I also get questions about which type of program to choose based on the student’s other degree(s). Yes, many times that is plural degrees.

From USA students, I answer questions over and over about paralegal training. There is a particular school that advertises their program on TV. I receive many questions about that program, which by the way is not accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). Less than 300 of the 1000 paralegal programs in the US are accredited. Coming in second are questions about medical transcriptionist schools.

Doesn’t it strike you odd that paralegal and medical transcriptionist questions are coming from citizens of this country, while questions about masters and doctorates are coming from another country?

The US Secretary of Education Margaret Spelling delivered some interesting remarks at the 2008 Higher Education Summit, “A Test of Leadership,” in Chicago this week.  Two comments in particular captured my attention:

“Is it acceptable that the financial aid system is so confusing, complex and inefficient, that many young people, and their parents, simply throw up their hands and walk away?” and “Simply put, higher ed must become more agile, transparent, and student-centered. ”  (http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/07/07182008.html).

I couldn’t agree more! So many of my students are discouraged by the volume of red tape associated with financial aid. In their end of course surveys, it is far to common to find negative comments about the FA dept or the process in general. I believe that education changes lives by creating a mindset of possibility. Higher ed expands our minds to think beyond today.

However, higher education is not for everyone. I do not want our government to hand out degrees or free money. I do believe that those who are ready for college and motivated to learn should have an affordable opportunity. Rather than grant money, I would like to see more scholarships based on apptitude, rather than financial status. The middle class family often struggles with the cost of education for their children - they make too much to be eligible for a grant. Achievement should be the basis for financial assistance.

Many people believe that education is a “right.” I do not. You should have to show your ability and desire to attend - rather than base everything on how much you or your parents make. I wholeheartedly agree with Secretary Spelling in her assessment that higher ed must become more “agile, transparent, and student-centered.”

The website FreeRice.com has two goals:

1. Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.
2. Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

How do they do this? The website has a vocabulary game that offers a word and one-word definitions. You pick a definition and every time you get the answer correct, the organization or sponsor listed at the bottom of the page donates grains of rice. The words get progressively harder. If you miss a word, the word will be repeated later which enhances your learning. If you are an ESL (English as a Second Language) student, this is a great way to increase your vocabulary. Word associations are a fantastic way to learn language and enhance your own vocabulary.

The donated rice is distributed by the WFP (United Nations World Food Program).  The WFP has distributed the donated rice to Myanmar, Uganda, Bangladesh and others. It takes about 19,200 grains of rice to equal 400 grams, which is the amount distributed per person by WFP.

Playing a free and fun game may not seem like much, but thousands are playing every day. Your winning “gifts” are combined with others’ and together we can make a difference in the lives of the hungry. Visit FreeRice.com today and play your part in reducing world hunger.

A recent article in the DeMoines Register entitled Professor: Don’t Leave the Gifted, Talented Behind by Megan Hawkins hit a nerve in me. Two of our children were “gifted,” but the programs in their schools left much to be desired. The programs were essentially opportunities for more field trips and exposure to depth in their subjects. They were able to use computers and one game they still remember was The Donner Pass. The students had to make decisions all along to get the party across the Pass. They also worked mind teasers and math problems. Even though the classes were for gifted students, none of the activities were challenging; they were more like enrichment than anything else.

My children also experienced jealously from other students because the gifted students were pulled from their regular classes on certain days of the week. All of the extra activities also were not funded by the school - parents of gifted students paid for the trips and materials. I was able and willing to pay, but I know that this was a hardship for some parents. Were some students not included in the program because they could not afford it?

I suppose the gifted programs were better than nothing. They gave my children greater access to the teacher as the classes were smaller. However, they were rarely challenged intellectually. The benefits may have been minimalized by the social stigma of differentiation. If the program could have been all day, every day, it would have given greater results. The children ended up doing very well in college and getting a good start on their careers. Would they have been able to do this without their gifted programs? I believe they would have been just as successful. The gifted programs helped with their boredom of school, which is common to those with high intellect.

In the 60’s when I was a child, there was no gifted program. My second grade teacher developed a program for the few of us who were doing well in reading. She sent us twice a week during reading time to a fifth grade classroom. We read with the fifth graders instead of our second grade classmates. I remember sitting in the big fifth grade chairs and reading stories that made more sense than those that I was reading in my class. By the time I was in the fifth grade I was reading everything I could get my hands on…..and bored (again) with reading class. Perhaps my lifelong reading and comprehension skills were the result of one creative teacher who tried to make a difference in her students.

The article reminds us that NCLB is an effort to bring underachievers up to a higher level. At the same time, it ignores the high achievers. Even the title of the law refers to “no child left behind”….but we consciously and purposefully leave behind talented students by not developing programs that make a difference in their lives.

I had a nice letter from a blog reader, asking about how to navigate to the first blog entry. Well, I figured out how to add an Archive Page. Look up in the navigation bar for “archives.” Clicking there will take you to a list of blogs by month and by category. It took me a while to figure how to make it work and look right at the same time. Readers, let me know what you think!

A March 7 article on Inside Higher Ed discusses a decision by the University of Pennsylvania’s Faculty Senate executive committee to reject a proposal to develop a policy requiring prospective faculty to divulge prior criminal convictions. Over the past several years, a few professors at Penn have come under fire for being involving in some sensational criminal cases. The question for Penn is whether they should set a uniform HR policy of requiring criminal histories on applications. Some jobs require this information, but not all.

I confess that I am not a professional educator. I work in the business world, and yes, a question about criminal background was on the application. “Have you ever been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation?” is a standard question on job applications. Unless a firm has a policy of “no criminal convictions,” this question does not disqualify applicants immediately unless the conviction was recent or relevant to the job. Lets say an applicant has a shoplifting conviction - would you hire this person as a clerk in your clothing store? I think not.

If you answer “yes” to the criminal history question, normally there are a few lines available to explain the conviction. As a manager, I do not trash an application or resume but I do look at how long has it been since the conviction, its relevance and its seriousness. My company does a background and credit check - many large companies do the same thing. It’s normal and expected.

Penn is getting some negative press in an era when school safety is often in the news. Knowing about a person’s criminal history does not mean that they will act inappropriately in the classroom. However, the public leaps to conclusions all the time, and this time the conclusion is that safety is compromised if the professor has a criminal record. The University should listen carefully to what their contributors are saying - get in step with modern hiring standards.

Does this mean that criminals will try to get hired on at universities because they can cover their criminal backgrounds? I doubt it - but this article reminds us again of the gulf between academia and the “real world.” Why is there such a gap between them? A professional educator is a professional, just as I am a professional in my field. Standards  must be applied or perceived integrity is cheapened. Penn and others with inconsistent policies should require honest answers to background questions. Asking about criminal histories on an application is a standard in business. Educational “companies” like Penn are out of step and probably don’t even know it.

Did you notice the little pink bubbles to the right and above the links on the thinkPhD blog?                 

I just installed a nice little tool called Snap Shots from Snap.com that enhances links with visual previews of the destination site. Sometimes Snap Shots bring you the information you need, without your having to leave the site, while other times it lets you “look ahead,” before deciding if you want to follow a link or not. Should you decide this is not for you, just click the Options icon in the upper right corner of the Snap Shot and opt-out.