Powerful Forces Draw Academe Into the Fray
Economic fears and the high-school-reform movement have colleges under pressure to help improve the education of children

The Chronicle of Higher Education

By PETER SCHMIDT

After two decades, the revolution in the nation's elementary and secondary schools has finally reached academe's ivory towers. If college administrators listen beyond their institutions' walls, they can hear crowds of students and parents voicing frustration over colleges' high remediation rates and low graduation rates, visionaries urging the creation of entirely new education systems that would closely link schools and colleges, and political leaders issuing an ultimatum: Tend to the education of the masses, or the next thing you will hear will be battering rams.

For years most higher-education leaders thought they could stay above the fray, neither joining nor opposing the forces marching under the banner of education reform. With one public-opinion survey after another showing that people thought favorably of colleges — even as they were calling for the heads of schoolteachers, principals, and superintendents — it had seemed that colleges were safe from the forces of change unleashed by the 1983 publication of "A Nation at Risk," a highly critical federal report on the need for school reform

Large Numbers of Highly Qualified, Low-Income Students Are Not Applying to Harvard and Other Highly Selective Schools

The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

An impressive new study finds that there is no shortage of academically strong students from low-income families. As a result, colleges and universities setting plans to enroll more low-income applicants need not relax admissions policies, which may result in lower mean SAT scores and other qualifications of entering students.

Fears are unwarranted that efforts to increase the number of low-income students will produce a lowering of their U.S. News & World Report rankings. Rather than lowering their academic standards, the nation's selective colleges and universities need to do a better job at identifying high-achieving, low-income students and convincing them to apply.


A solid and carefully researched new study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research establishes that there are a sizable number of low-income students in the United States with high academic qualifications who are not applying to the nation's highest-ranked colleges and universities. The researchers, including Harvard University economist Caroline Hoxby, examined data from The College Board for all students who had grade point averages and standardized test scores that were high enough for Harvard's academic standards. In this pool of potential Harvard students, they found thousands of low-income students who did not consider applying to Harvard.

Harvard to Drop Early Admissions Program
University Says It Disadvantages Minority and Poor Students
By JUSTIN POPE, AP

BOSTON (Sept. 12) - Harvard University will eliminate its early admissions program because it puts poor and minority students at a disadvantage, school officials planned to announce Tuesday. Under the surprise move, the Ivy League school will discontinue its "early action" round of admissions, in which high school seniors can apply by Nov. 1 and receive a decision - accept, reject or defer - by Dec. 15.

The change will take effect for students applying to enter Harvard in the fall of 2008. All applications for that class will be due Jan. 1.

Wisdom's Jewel


"If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them".

-Bruce Lee

Wisdom's Jewel

"I do not know if it is clear to each one of us that we live in a state of contradiction. We talk about peace, and prepare for war. We talk about nonviolence, and are fundamentally violent. We talk about being good, and we are not. We talk about love, and we are full of ambition, competitiveness, ruthless efficiency. So there is contradiction. The action that springs from that contradiction only brings about frustration and further contradiction.…

- J. Krishnamurti

"There Is No Freedom of Thought" - The Book of Life

Daily Insight


On the Role of Relevance and Education

A recent study by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that U.S students between the ages of 25-34 year olds are lagging behind the rest of the world in college enrollment and completion rates. This is troubling as the next generation of decision makers within the country will come from this group. What is the cause behind this lack of academic involvement? There are a myriad of possibilities but one stands out to me, and that it is a waning level of personal commitment to education on the part of aspiring students. Exceptional achievement in any endeavor is dependent upon what a person finds to be valuable. Typically we find valuable that which directly impacts our lives.

In my view education should seek to enlighten students, by directly connecting learning to the dynamic world in which they live. This action would offer the student greater clarity and understanding of life. Education, if viewed as a tool in which students can gain an understanding and mastery of themselves and their world around them, can truly be a powerful thing. Education when divorced from the real world is merely a mental exercise and lends no perceived value to lives of students. It is in this environment that we find ourselves, in a situation of declining student enrollment and completion rates. Many students find no practical value in the learning they are asked to endure, so many choose to forgo the experience. Learning must be made real and relevant to students seeking education. It is in an environment of relevance, that a commitment to learning be established.

Report Finds U.S. Students Lagging in Finishing College
New York Times
By TAMAR LEWIN

The United States, long the world leader in higher education, has fallen behind other nations in its college enrollment and completion rates, as the affordability of American colleges and universities has declined, according to a new report.

The study, from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, found that although the United States still leads the world in the proportion of 35- to 64-year-olds with college degrees, it ranks seventh among developed nations for 25- to 34-year-olds. On rates of college completion, the United States is in the lower half of developed nations.

“Completion is the Achilles’ heel of American higher education,’’ said Patrick M. Callan, president of the center, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in San Jose, Calif., and Washington.

One particular area of concern, Mr. Callan said, is that younger Americans — the most diverse generation in the nation’s history — are lagging educationally, compared with the baby boom generation.

“The strength of America is in the population that’s closest to retirement, while the strength of many countries against whom we compare ourselves is in their younger population,’’ he said. “Perhaps for the first time in our history, the next generation will be less educated.’’

Making Learning Relevant
Excerpt from: Adisa on Education

The ability to understand the most basic elements of culture is invaluable to an educator. The goal of any curriculum is to elevate the knowledge and understanding of the learners. This goal is the sole determinant for instructional efficiency and success. To understand the natures and proclivities of one’s students is a necessary requirement when designing learning curriculum. Dunn and Marinetti (2004) look at the proposition this way “For learning to be effective, learning activities should be relevant to the learners' interests and background and should occur in settings that mimic authentic ones.

Ignoring cultural factors leads inevitably to frustrating and ultimately ineffective learning experiences”. This process is not much different from that of a coach training a new team. The coach understands that each team is different, possessing varying skill levels and dispositions than previous the coaches previous teams. The coach as a result must adjust his/ her strategy to best fit the character and needs of the team. It is an unrealistic expectation that the same educational strategy will work in all situations. That expectation does not exist in the world of sport, nor should it exist on the educational landscape.


Reference:
Dunn, P; Marinetti, A. (2004). Cultural Adaptation: A necessity for e-learning.
Retrieved January 8, 2006 from http://www.linezine.com/

Wisdom's Jewel

"The intellect can reason, discuss, analyze, come to a conclusion from inferences, and so on, but intellect is limited, for intellect is the result of our conditioning. But sensitivity is not. Sensitivity has no conditioning; it takes you right out of the field of fears and anxieties…".

J. Krishnamurti, "Intellect Will Not Solve Our Problems" - Book of Life (September 5th)

Insight into Facilitation

I was watching a college football game the other day and a historically bad team had just played a phenomenal game. The announcer asked the coach what was to reason for this turn around. The coach humbly replied that the team had started to believe in what they were trying to accomplish and began taking ownership and control of the program. Training activities and weight lifting sessions that were such a choir for the coaches to get the players to engage in with 100% effort were willfully pursued by the players. The players themselves began monitoring compliance of team rules and quality training habits. The coach said that once this change occurred he noticed that performance on the field had improved by leaps and bounds.

Could this principle of ownership and self-monitoring work the same in educational environments? In the realm of adult education allowing learners the freedom to determine the course of the learning experience is a powerful thing to do.

full article

Wiki-style textbooks to aid poorer nations

September 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Tom Simonite


Students in developing countries are to get free textbooks written using "wiki" technology that lets anyone add to or edit an online document.

"The usual business model for textbooks just doesn't work for these countries," says Rick Watson, an expert on the development of opensource software at the University of Georgia, US. "Why not get groups of academics and their students to write them?"

At 2-Year Colleges, Students Eager but Unready

Saturday, September 2, 2006
New York Times


Though higher education is now a near-universal aspiration, researchers suggest that close to half the students who enter college need remedial courses.

The shortfalls persist despite high-profile efforts by public universities to crack down on ill-prepared students.

Why I Do What I Do...
A Personal Statement

Throughout my life and professional career my dedication to the belief that education can be a force of social and economic growth has remained undeterred. My professional experiences have been focused on the development of people, helping them discover the farthest reaches of their potential. I have undertaken this work in both the non-profit and commercial sectors. Assuming the seemingly diverse roles of corporate fitness coordinator, training manger, doctoral counselor to corporate development specialist; I have had the opportunity to learn and grow. I have utilized educational principles and pedagogy in a wide array of circumstance. I have personally witnessed the transformative power that knowledge can have in the lives of people, regardless of their national origins, cultural roots or demographic demarcations. As a result I have been transformed by the very same principles in which I try to encourage in the learners with whom I have worked. This constant search for growth and development of human agency I believe is the key to strong communities and economies.

As a youth growing up in a military family, I have lived in many places both at home and abroad. I grew up with a large spectrum of what this world is and can be. This experience directly impacted my outlook on knowledge and learning. I seek to learn from the cultural perspectives of others and refine my approach to teaching and facilitation accordingly. It is my belief that through a larger conceptualization of education, the instruction of individuals and communities can be accomplished in a more effective manner. Horace Mann said it best when he stated that “education then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery”. I couldn't agree more.

A Moment of E-lightenment

See and Make it Be

Impossibility to transcend perceptions of me, only as large as the concept I see. I shall surely be the expectation so transcend limitation and embrace the elation of knowledge and education. The transformation of my circumstance begins in my philosophical stance and the concept of “I”. The well is not dry in relation to my potential. It's essential to plunge deep into the reservoir of talent and dreams to make seen the pristine nature of my soul, for the whole world to behold.

Why Distance Learning?

Much has been said of distance education and online learning. My personal experience has been very positive. Online learning through University of Phoenix has allowed me to continual my professional career and further my skills at the same time. That being said one of the major advantages of pursuing an online degree is the caliber of the colleagues you will be working with. Many of your classmates will have a wealth of professional experience and will in many cases be actually engaged in the field in which you are studying. I have had classes with high level professionals from all over the world, from Jamaica to Japan. This exposure to actual practitioners is a plus if you plan to establish a career in the field in which you are studying. Theory is great and has its place, but learning how to execute that theory is what makes the difference between success and “another trip to the drawing board”.

The selection of online universities has perhaps never been greater; many universities are now offering online programs. Penn State University and The University of Wisconsin have become two “traditional” higher education powers who are now seeking to establish a major presence in the “online” arena as well. The University of Phoenix and Capella University are two distance education “heavyweights” that focus on providing higher education to the working professional.

My advice to those seeking higher education is to investigate the university before enrolling. Talk to practitioners in the field in which you intend to study, find out what their impressions are of the university and its graduates, also speak with graduates of the school which you are considering attending. What are the pervading sentiments among the institution’s students?

The final and most important point I will make is to make sure that the university is accredited through a recognized body. Look to see what other schools are accredited by the accrediting body. For instance the University of Phoenix is accredited by the same organization that accredits The Ohio State University, Ohio University, The University of Michigan (Go Blue) and Michigan State University… not bad company.

My Reflections on Education

The learning experience throughout my educational career has been diverse and varied. I have learned within both synchronous and asynchronous environments. Both of these methodologies have their strengths as well as their drawbacks.

The synchronous experience for me was enriching in that it allowed me to learn new concepts within an environment of nurturing support. I enjoyed the synchronous learning format, it provided for instant feedback and an established support network. Teachers and classmates offered an interactive environment which challenged my knowledge and understanding of the curriculum. The need to for constant follow up with lesson plans and learning material was not as necessary, as in asynchronous environments.

The asynchronous learning environment made up the bulk of my graduate learning experience. The asynchronous learning environment offered some major distinctions from that of the synchronous model. The major difference between the two lies in the ability to manipulate knowledge. Within the asynchronous instructional environment the learning dialogue, materials and textbooks are documented in a virtual format. This allows for the easy utilization, documentation and categorization of material in a way unmatched by its synchronous counterpart.

The synchronous learning environment is excellent for situations that allow for the time and mobilization needs of face to face learning. Traditional educational institutions as well as businesses and organizations utilize this model of learning.

Regi Adams

Regi is an educator having conducted human-based professional and personal training within multiple Fortune 500 companies as well as non-profit organizations. Regi's philosophy on exceptional business and human performance is that "all success starts with the individual ". Thus Regi's approach to creating high performance organizations is by assisting people in creating a greater sense of personal agency. Regi is an alumnus of Wilberforce University. He currently is a doctoral candidate within the University of Phoenix, School of Advanced Studies, pursuing a degree in Educational Leadership. Regi’s research focuses on the cultivation of human agency and self-efficacy.

Knowledge to Wisdom Part II

The minds of learners must be sown with the seed of knowledge, so that through guidance and challenging interaction the stabilizing roots of wisdom can emerge. This emergence of wisdom is what will anchor the student to principles that will faithfully serve as tools along life’s path. Here I will take the time to draw an important distinction between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is wisdom in infancy, whose promise has not yet been born. Wisdom is the maturation of knowledge’s seed imparting its ethical influence upon the world. Knowledge is merely the collection of raw data, facts and information. Wisdom is the organization of these bits of information into a directed and cohesive global understanding. Knowledge is like a collection of instruments playing each one of its own accord. Wisdom is those same instruments harmoniously interweaving in each others melody creating a beautiful sonnet.

Contemporary educational strategies are dominated by the imparting of knowledge, rarely are steps taken to transform this knowledge into wisdom. For it is the mature state of wisdom that stabilizes and anchors learning, transforming it into lived paradigms able to withstand the challenges of time and apathy. As the seed of the tree is merely a container for larger realities so is the seed of knowledge.

How does one unlock the promise of knowledge? Constructivist strategies offer the greatest promise. The constructivist paradigm of education asserts that students learn best when actively engaged by the learning environment. The teacher is not the source of learning but rather the students themselves. The teacher merely facilitates the operation of the learning environment. Constructivist pedagogy creates an active environment where learners are challenged to acquire, learn and construct their own understandings of presented information and facts. This is the process of knowledge attainment. Constructivist pedagogy emphasizes the role of the teacher as facilitator, rather than the role of teacher as the imparter of knowledge and wisdom. The two roles establish two very different relationships with the learner. The facilitator role requires the student to be an active agent in the learning experience. Tools are provided the student, but how those tools are used and configured are up to the student to figure out.

The traditional teacher role presupposes that students are empty receptacles waiting to be filled. This type of relationship is of a passive nature for the learner who must only learn to regurgitate what is imparted. Building on foundations of dynamic engagement helps to ensure the future growth and learning of the student, even after the initial experience has long faded into the fog of time.

Knowledge to Wisdom part 1

The need to rethink educational strategies and pedagogy is perhaps at the most critical stage observed in U.S history. The record drop out rates in our school systems and the wide spread underdevelopment of our students are ominous signals of turbulent times ahead. The jewel of society rests squarely in the bosom of its intellectual institutions. The strength of a society’s ideas and its passion for learning are foundations on which thriving and sustainable communities are built. To nurture the mind, in a desire to develop a deep understanding of the world around us, has often been relegated to an inferior status within the hierarchy of our society’s considerations. It is rarely acknowledged that intellectual wherewithal is what makes all other considerations achievable goals.

I would like to illustrate this point with an analogy. The grand structure of a tree starts but from a modest seed, one would rarely see the logic in this were it not for the commonality of such an occurrence. The same principle can be seen in the existence of a bustling society, knowledge and learning are the seeds by which all else grows. The germination process occurs and the seed of knowledge sprouts roots which can be likened to wisdom. These roots act to stabilize that society in the midst of challenge, turmoil, etc. As is the case in nature, the life that the seed has introduced into the world must continually be nurtured in order for it to live and grow. Without the continual nurturance of the tree by the environment, the tree would surely perish no matter how magnificent the tree might be in stature.

It is my belief that life long learning and education are the means through which societies can maintain their vitality and heath. The underlining goal of education should be to transform the mere accumulation of facts, digits and data into meaningful understandings and enlightened perceptions. The contextualization of learned information into the larger perspective of the world and responsibility helps to nurture this process.

The e-lightened Mission

Regi Adams is an educator and consulting scholar who seeks to increase the success of people and organizations, through educational tools and coaching. Regi's organization, The e-lightened Mind was founded upon the conviction that true human performance and prosperity comes through the education and training of the“total person”. The e-lightened Mind seeks to be a powerful catalyst in the lives of people seeking to achieve their best self.