thinkPhD

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.

I have been working on a new site that will have lots of downloadable items to help my readers with school and careers. While working on my new site (watch for the GRAND OPENING soon), I set up an icon in the address bar.

Here is the icon I used:

 (yes – those are paper clips)

Using the same technique, I added an icon to your thinkPhD.com address bar that looks like this:

Take a peek up there and you should be able to see it. The icon will also show up when you save the site to your favorites folder. The icon is called a favicon.The technique can be found here. You should know a little bit about html and css before attempting this maneuver! I am a learn-by-trial-and-error type and learned a long time ago to back up before messing up.

I hope you enjoy your new and improved thinkPhD with the books icon in the address bar!

I read here one in four adults did not read any book at all last year. The average number of books read was a paltry four per person. (I obviously have read more than my share.) According to the article, the 27% that did not read a book…..”Nearly a third of men and a quarter of women fit that category. They tend to be older, less educated, lower income, minorities, from rural areas and less religious.” However, the publishing industry enjoyed $35.7 in global sales.  The Bible and other religious texts were cited as highly popular reading material.

It is very hard for me to imagine booklessness. We have hundreds?thousands? of books. A number are college textbooks, of course, but we have many other types. Husband loves to read and he is always working on an interesting book. My mother was an avid reader, and we spent many days in the public library. Our first library was the Kuethe Library on Crain Highway in my home town: a dusty, booky-smelling place full of old and new books. When they built the new library it was a real treat with meeting rooms and lots of open spaces. That library on Ritchie Highway is still servicing the community. We went to the library at least once a week clutching a precious paper library card. And of course, I wanted to grow up to be the librarian. In my mind, what could be more exciting?

I am having trouble imagining booklessness. I love to stop by the Pamunkey Library (yes, that is its name) or the local Barnes & Noble. Reading is part of who I am. In this house, we “own” the book we are reading, and say things like, “where’s my book?” or “hey, I was reading that.” We get the newspaper every day and Husband reads every word (I think). One in four adults did not read a book last year; I hope that poor bookless soul is not in my family.

It’s still January so if you haven’t made a New Year’s resolution yet, perhaps I can make a suggestion. If you don’t have a high school diploma, make it your goal to get your GED in 2008. Here are some free resources to help you with test prep exams:

http://steckvaughn.harcourtachieve.com/en-US/gedpractice

http://www.testprepreview.com/ged_practice.htm

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0809222329/student_view0/ged_practice_test.html

http://www.4tests.com/exams/examdetail.asp?eid=38

http://litlink.ket.org/

Other great resources include test prep manuals. Amazon has a whole page of them:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-8634315-1160852?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ged

or, you can usually find them at a used book store.

Getting your GED will be a decision that opens career and education doors. So, if you are thinking about the GED, make it your goal in 2008!

Multitasking allows us to be more productive and maximize time usage. However, it also creates burdens which may overshadow the advantages. We must understand what multitasking does to our concentration level and decide if the benefits outweigh the costs. I was asked today by a co-worker, “How do you get all this stuff done? Do you ever sleep?”

Yes, I sleep but not much and honestly, not well. I multitask in my sleep. I know, it sounds funny, but I often find myself working through complex problems or making lists, or even constructing outlines for papers in my head while I am supposed to be asleep in bed. My clearest concentration times are in the morning, just after waking. I can multitask and be productive at the same time. However, in the evening I am not a successful multitasker; I am just too tired. Actually, I can multitask without even thinking about it. Like when I fall asleep while writing a paper…..!

I read recently that the most frequent New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. Well, I know that I am a candidate for that one! After hitting 40, it seems like losing weight is next to impossible. However, there is one New Year’s resolution that I would like to see more people choose: become a lifelong learner.

One of the keys to personal and community success is creating a learning environment for yourself. Everyone around you benefits when you choose to increase your knowledge and skill sets. Although formal education is important, a lifelong learner is one who is always on the lookout to learn something new, through reading, discussion, continuing education, listening…..there are so many ways to learn! Our minds always have room for more learning – it is impossible to “fill” up our minds. Thinking and learning give us an opportunity to grow and become more of who we are.

Some people are so turned off by high school or college that they refuse to take another class later in life. Learning gives us a second chance at personal success – finding that perfect career or talent. Learning gives us the opportunity to make informed choices. Learning opens the door to seeing how others think and understanding their actions.

It’s not necessary to “go back to college” to become a lifelong learner. Here are a few tips to get you on the track to becoming a lifelong learner:

1. Discover the library. Most local libraries offer free library cards to those in their communities. If you have a library card – use it! Most have access to more books than are physically available at the library. All you have to do is ask and your librarian can order books or periodicals from other libraries in the system.
2. Read a book. The action of reading gives your mind a wealth of information. Select a variety of books for the best results. Make a goal to read at least one book a month. Keep track of the books you read for the entire year. You may want to start with something you read previously – that is certainly OK! Talk to your friends and find out what they are reading. Movies are often based on books and you may find that you like the book better than the movie.
3. Subscribe to the local newspaper and get busy. Get involved in your community by volunteering or supporting local schools. Look at the community calendar and find a new activity to try. Many are free or are low-cost. Check to see if local businesses offer classes, such as crafts (Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, etc.) or home repair (Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc.). Sometimes there is a fee for supplies.
4. Check out continuing education. Many colleges have continuing education-style free classes available to the public. Call for a list of classes and you will be surprised at how varied they are – from auto mechanics to learning a foreign language. I have found that many adults are uncomfortable using the computer because their typing skills are poor. Years ago I took a keyboarding (the new word for typing) course and it was one of my smartest educational decisions. I am able to communicate through the written word much easier – it does not hamper my ability to try new things.
5. Spend time at museums. If you love history, find the local historical museums and don’t be afraid to take your time. Art museums are excellent for quiet reflection and introspection. Schedule museum visits when you are not rushed; a rainy day is a great day for museum discovery. A number of cities have Children’s Museums. Don’t be embarrassed to be a child for a day because you will be surprised at what you will learn from these touch-and-learn environments.
6. Play challenging board games. We love to play games at my house. We like the tried-and-true favorites and do not typically enjoy the TV-based games. Here are a few to try: Cranium, Apples to Apples, Monopoly, Battleship, Uno, Scattergories, and Trivial Pursuit. The questions and devising a strategy will keep you on your toes and as an added bonus you learn something new!
7. Tune into channels that teach on TV. The Discovery Channel, the National Geographic Channel, the History Channel and Animal Planet have programming that teaches without force-feeding the viewer. Don’t be afraid to tune into programs that don’t interest you. You will be surprised when you find out that you may be interested in the subject after all!

The first step to becoming a lifelong learner is challenging yourself to become more than you are today. Every step you take will improve yourself and your community. The funny thing about becoming a lifelong learner is that it is contagious and others will join you even if they do not realize it. Create an learning environment around you to allow others to become all they can become, too. Set an attainable New Year’s goal this year today: become a lifelong learner.

Have you watched the promo on Kindle at Amazon? Kindle is a new ebook reader with a high-resolution “paper-like” screen. It retails for $399 (backordered) but over on ebay you can pick one up for  $600-700. WOW. If you want to Buy-it-Now you can get it for the low price of $1035.

So what is so great about Kindle? Kindle uses a different technology than computer monitors and the text is more like a book. Ebooks have just not taken off like they were supposed to; most of the problem was the screen resolution and size. The school where I teach delivers all the texts online with no books to buy. I have tried but my old eyes just cannot read those etexts, so I download and print them to read them. Kindle is also about the same size as a paperback book and has no wires. It connects like a cell phone and can hold about 200 books. You can also subscribe to newspapers but the disadvantage here is that no photos or color is available at this time. Most books are $9.99 to download and subscriptions vary in price. Once downloaded, Amazon keeps a record on their website so if your Kindle stops working or is stolen, you can still get to your purchases with a new Kindle.

I love to read and this new technology sounds enticing. When I was a young person, everyone seemed to be reading a novel; you shared them and talked about them. A lot of movies were based on books and someone always said, “Well, the book was better” (and it usually was!). Carrying a page-eared novel on top of your textbook stack was normal. We did not have computers or laptops or cell phones or PDAs. If you were stuck in a long cafeteria line or waiting on your mom to pick you up after work, you pulled out a paperback. At college, we used to take a blanket to the quad or sit under the trees and read. We shared them and traded them at bookstores. Walk in with three that you already read and walk out with three different ones.

Kindle will not replace books; Kindle will be another way of reading and not the only way.  Browsing among stacks of books and smelling the aged paper and leather is a joy that cannot be replaced. Touching a book and having it available to read now and years from now is irreplaceable. Sharing a well-read book with a friend is not possible with Kindle.

Reading is fundamental to learning. Most of our brains are not geared to absorb without reading which reinforces the learning. As an educator, I am always harping on reading the text – maybe Kindle would get students to read!

Kindle may end up being just another electronic gadget that flames up and then dies back.

I hope not.

Books are a huge part of my life. We have thousands of books and seem to add more every week. We have book shelves and book stacks in every room. Husband is a book lover, too, although he has different reading preferences than I do.

A book is a wonderful gift for any reader. Books open worlds and open minds. Invariably, when we go shopping we end up at a book store. Not too far from here is a used book store with many bargains that I cannot resist.

I have added a thinkPhD Book Store to the blog. Perhaps you are a book lover, too? Be sure to check out my recommendations. Enjoy!

From time to time I receive spam advertising a fast(er) track to a degree. Today I received one for a doctorate which caught my eye. This one is only $75; or about .02% of my expected cost of a doctorate. I can even pick the degree and the specialization!

There is a catch though; my $75 goes as an offering toward the support of a church somehow affiliated with the school. I suppose this adds validity or is supposed to make me feel as though I am doing something “worthwhile” while obtaining my degree.

I read over their literature and checked out the site. I had GoogleAdSense ads all over it. Seems as though that may be another revenue stream for the organization. After much consideration (NOT!), I have decided to stay the course and continue my education at Northcentral. 

At the used book store I picked up Critical Thinking: Building the Basics by Donald E.P. Smith, Glenn E. Knudsvig, and Timothy L. Walter (1998)….FREE.

It seems there is not much demand for books of this type, especially since it is now in the 2nd edition. However, this little pocket-sized book is a good review of critical thinking strategies. It has question-and-answer sections in each chapter and an excerpt from Introduction to Psychology by James Kalat, which gives an overview of thought process and stages of intellectual development.

I will be teaching a critical thinking course in a few weeks and I am reading this little text to get my mind circled back around to the thought processes of thinking.  Most students have never considered that there is a process to our thinking. Critical thinking also teaches students how to write with clarity and accuracy. I use critical thinking as I write papers and again as I review and proofread them. I used to think that the faster I wrote the better I wrote, but that is all forgotten. Now, I “craft” each sentence and question myself as to what the sentence and its paragraph are actually saying. Is it accurate? Logical? Critical?