Education Economics » Global Economy

The Disadvantages of High School Rankings

Admin — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:01:49 +0000

In a knowledge based global economy where your educational qualifications will invariably decide your social and economic status in life, it’s not surprising that such importance is attached to categorizing schools based on high school rankings. This is the reason why parents and students scan websites and pour through literature, searching for that dream educational institution that’s placed on the top rung of the ladder for high school rankings. In fact, better education is one of the reasons people choose to move every year, looking to build a better educational foundation for their kids. You might think that while looking for schools it’s best to base your selection on a predetermined listing for high school rankings. You might not always be right though. Here’s why.

Are High School Rankings the Only Factor?

Advocates of high school rankings argue that in a situation where the public education system in the country is in a sorry state of affairs at best, parents need tools to base their decisions on. High school rankings provide parents with that tool so they can make an informed decision. While this is true to a large extent, the fact is that these high school rankings don’t always take all factors into consideration while deciding a school’s place in the scheme of things.

For instance, schools might sometimes place lower on the high school rankings largely because of their location and student demographics. Unfortunately, schools with large minority student populations have a tougher time making it to the elite top positions in high school rankings. This is also true for schools that have large or majority African American populations. Education authorities will argue that the test scores in these schools are so dismal because the students aren’t motivated enough to succeed. Well, you wouldn’t be motivated either if you had parents who worked two jobs to support your family.

The uncomfortable truth is that in lower income communities, parents might not always have the time or resources to expend on monitoring their children’s education or motivating them. Managing to pay the bills and stay afloat takes enough energy. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that schools with larger levels of such student populations will rank lower. The quality of education or the level of effort put in by teachers (who work diligently to goad their students to rise beyond any perceived limitations) is beyond reproach. One of the major reasons why such schools constantly place low on high school rankings is because of the low motivation levels of students.

And what about the success stories of disadvantaged children from such low ranked schools who go on to enjoy successful careers? They alone are enough proof that high school rankings need not always be taken as an open and shut categorization.

By: Patricia Hawke

Impoverished Florida Schools Get Tech Makeover

Admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:38:45 +0000

High Poverty Florida Schools have Negligible Tech Equipment

Florida schools have long struggled with the wide disparities between schools in affluent neighborhoods, and those that serve the state’s weaker sections in high poverty pockets of the state. Low economic status of the students has been proven to be detrimental to a student’s learning ability. Along with other factors like the student’s intellectual capacity and economic status of the schools he or she attends, its not anything that Florida schools can do much about. It’s not surprising that most Florida schools in the state’s poorest belts rank so low on standardized tests.

As a result of these poor performances, many Florida schools that cater to the poor are denied precious funding that would otherwise help them introduce new programs, renovate structures, or upgrade existing tech equipment in their schools. Of all these possible uses for funding, the most important from the point of view of preparing students for life in the real world is undoubtedly access to state of the art computers and technology. With a knowledge driven global economy in which only those with at least minimal computer skills will make the cut, schools that aren’t able to offer access to the latest equipment are in danger of failing their students. Many Florida schools lag dismally in this regard with many students forced to use aging equipment or share computers with other students.

Big Business Backs Florida Schools

Now there appears to be some good news for impoverished Florida schools. Microsoft Corporation’s anti-trust settlement reached with several states, including Florida, means the software giant will shell out funding to each state which will be used by the state’s education department. In Florida’s case, this funding will be in the form of vouchers valued at over $80 million. The technology vouchers will go towards purchasing new computers and software, and will directly impact those Florida schools that would otherwise have no access to the funding for these upgrades.

Benefits to Florida Schools

The schools expected to benefit are those that have at least half the student population on reduced price or free lunches. According to Florida education authorities, at least 1,790 schools with student populations of a total of 1.1 million will be eligible for these technology vouchers. Half the vouchers will be utilized for upgrading existing software and purchasing new ones, while the remainder will be used for hardware. A chunk of the money will also go towards programs that include curriculum development, and training of Florida schools administrators. With this windfall, computer labs at Florida schools will get a much needed shot in the arm. The main beneficiaries will be the students in these Florida schools who will receive much needed access to current technology.

By: Patricia Hawke

China’s Economic Growth and the Property Revolution

Admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:03:12 +0000

After joining the world trade Organization in 2001, China’s economics growth is always brilliant. March of 2007 is to be remembered as the great property revolution turning point for China. China’s Authorities declared legal to protect individual property, which is a great step ahead for China’s economic growth which was based for decades on collective or public property.

Even though rural areas are under the old property legal system, the fact that the National Popular Assembly voted almost unanimously the Law of private property revolution, indicates that China is becoming more integrated into capitalism and into the Global Economy. Prime Minister Wen Jiabao regarded the property revolution as the “great jump” as a way to change from the days of instability and lack of productivity, into a new order where quality products and high levels of productivity are mandatory. The financial situation of state owned companies and the sagging contribution to employment has become a great concern for China’s central government.

Since 1978 for China’s economic growth, the government of the People’s Republic of China is reforming its economy from a Soviet style centrally planned economy, to a market oriented economy within the political framework of the Communist Party of China. China’s economic growth is helping to bring down the poverty levels, from 53% in 1981, to less than 8% nowadays. However, Chinese prosperity is still concentrated in the coastal and southern provinces, while efforts are being made to expand the prosperity to the inner provinces and the industrial northeast. Foreign trade and investment are helping increasing levels of income, consumption and productivity. The government is focusing on foreign trade as a way to promote China’s economic growth. China’s economic growth is so strong, that it is the first in the consumption of aluminum, steel, copper and coal and the second biggest consumer of oil in the world. With a cheap labor force of more than 800 millions workers, China’s economic growth potential is huge. Compared with developed countries, China lags behind in areas of science, technology, management, ecological environment protection, educational quality and organizational levels. Joining the world Trade Organization is paying off for China’s economic growth, as foreign direct investment is surging.

With China’s economy growth rates over 10%, and exports growth at a steady pace, the future is promising for the new member of the Capitalistic Club. Even though there are many countries feeling threatened by China, we have to admit that there is a new great door to opportunity being opened to industrial and trade investors around the world.

By: Tootoo.com

The Tao Of Our Economic Crisis

Admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:20:31 +0000

            On the last Saturday of April, World Tai Chi & Qigong Day will expand across hundreds of cities in over 65 nations and all 50 US states. It may offer something that can profoundly benefit our national and global economy. How?

The Chinese character for “crisis” is made up of two other characters, “danger,” and “opportunity.”

            If we let it, this economic crisis can enable a paradigm shift that will not only create a much more balanced and sane world, but also ensure a sustainable and enjoyable planet for our children and grandchildren’s children.

            Unknown to most of us, our planet has been severely “out of balance” for a long long time. Traditional Chinese Medicine has for millennia extolled the need for balance to ensure health, individual health, community health, and global health.

            What do I mean “out of balance”?, you may ask. I\’ll explain. My wife is from Hong Kong, while I grew up in a fairly affluent time in Western Kansas. We weren’t rich or even upper middle class, but even in our blue collar world we had plenty, never went hungry, and took long road trips on cheap fuel whenever my father had time off.

            What I didn’t know, was that on the other side of the planet, a young girl I would one day marry was experiencing a world where resources were very precious. My parents understood that, from their experiences in the Great Depression. However, I thought their views were out dated, and when I eventually met and married my wife, Angela Wong, I thought her views were not relevant to our modern world either.

            Angela, like my parents, extolled me not to “waste.” Not to waste energy, fuel, paper towels, anything. She taught me that everything we consume is a precious commodity. I laughed at her for decades.

            I am no longer laughing. I am changed. Since the initial stunning collapse of much of our economy a few months ago, I now tear a tiny corner off of a paper towel to wipe up a small spill rather than use an entire paper towel. I have a Prius hybrid, and I play the game of seeing just how much road miles I can squeeze out of every gallon of gas. I’ve double paned our windows, and insulated our house, and bought energy saving appliances, and light bulbs. I no longer leave a door open when the heater or air conditioner are on, and have learned to live warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter.

            I am not miserable, or living less really, I’m just challenged to be efficient. I am growing from this experience. I am evolving into a new person, a better conscious person. This crisis has been an opportunity, which I was propelled to by a danger of economic stress.

            From talking to friends, I believe there are millions, perhaps tens of millions of Americans doing the same thing now. So, when I make one paper towel do what ten paper towels did before, I “became aware,” I know that tens of millions of paper towels are being saved across our nation. Tens of millions of gallons of gas are being conserved.

            For decades half of the planet has been living at or near starvation wages. Why? When the wealth of some nations pulls resources out of poor nations like a sucking magnet, there are none left for locals. When I was young, my father worked with a Mexican man who’d come from a part of Mexico that had grown water melons to export to America. All his life in Mexico he’d never tasted water melon, until his arrival in America as a young adult.

            As fuel becomes expensive, long range exports become less attractive. Local lands in poor nations can possibly be more geared toward local populations nourishment, as we in developed wealthy nations again become accustomed to seasonal diets on locally produced produce.

            However, the fuel crisis can also spur a massive investment privately and publicly toward green, cheap renewable solar-wind type energies. This technology can then be exported to the world, to a China hungry for energy, for example.

            Our environment is in dire straights. Few people deny this any longer. A tipping point approaches, and if we do not radically move from fossil fuels (oil/coal) to renewables (wind, tide, solar), we may damage our ecosystem beyond the point of repair. Anyone who is conscious knows the weather has changed from when we were children. A point may come where that change escalates painfully worldwide.

            This time of economic “crisis” is dangerous, but sewn within it may be the opportunity to catapult the global economy to cheap renewable energy. Because in the end it will be much cheaper, not only in the energy production, but the maintenance of the system, and the lack of environmental disasters and clean ups that other energy involves.

            Health care is another area that is set to experience a paradigm shift. Current trends project that in coming years the United States annual health costs will exceed $4 trillion per year. This is unsustainable, and will bankrupt our nation, if left unchanged.

            However, it is changing us. We all have experienced outrageous insurance costs, and had to fight to get medical bills covered even if we are insured. We’ve seen health professionals set us on very expensive, and not always effective treatment protocols for our long term health.

            At the same time emerging research, and our personal experiences, are enlightening us about complimentary and alternative health solutions that can address many of the most common, and socially most expensive health challenges.

            Research has shown that Tai Chi, Yoga, and Meditation can lower high blood pressure, help with chronic pain and mobility problems, decrease depression, anxiety, ADHD, and mood disorder conditions. Type 2 Diabetes can be treated with Tai Chi and heart disease as well, according to emerging research. A UCLA controlled study found that Tai Chi increased participants resistance to viral infection by 50%, and in another study found Tai Chi improved sleep quality in 65% of participants. How much money is spent inoculating people, or treating flu victims? How much business productivity is lost due to colds and flu that could have been avoided by inexpensive mind/body training? How much is spent on drugs for anxiety, depression, and sleep loss

            When spending $10 or $20 a week learning Tai Chi or Yoga can save us thousands or tens of thousands in future health costs, and our wallets grow increasingly thin . . . the options become ever more appealing

            A twenty year study by Kaiser Permenente found that between 70 to 85% of all illness sending patients to their doctors were caused by stress, not aggravated by stress, but CAUSED by stress. As our corporations learn that by including mind/body health into corporate wellness can save each company tens of thousands of saved health insurance and lost productivity dollars, things shift.

            When our education system begins to teach mind/body health tools to our 90 million students, we will begin to see trillions in future annual health spending saved. This is a wonderful opportunity, propelled forward by an economic crisis.

            Without the economic crisis, we would likely have staggered along relying on drug and surgery as our first line of health defense, rather than as a last line of defense, opting first for natural mind/body training that can actually heal these problems rather than just reducing symptoms.

            This time of crisis is actually an age of opportunity. The question is, will we take this opportunity to change, or will we grit our teeth and grip onto old arcane ways of living, that are constipating the birth of a new way, a new world?

            The ancient Chinese Yin Yang symbol, if you look within the white dots and black dots, hold smaller yin yangs, and so on and so on. This symbolized that our bodies function can be seen in the collaboration of cells in the body, and our society’s function or health is reflected in the body’s health and function. What does this mean to our modern society?

            In Tai Chi or Qigong practice, we learn that the tension in our mind, heart, and body restricts blood flow, energy flow, immune cells distribution, nutrient distribution, etc. So, when we “tighten up” around old thoughts, fears, hatreds, prejudices, patterns, all our body\’s vital flowing functions tighten up and restrict the ability of all our systems to maximize health.

           A Tai Chi or Qigong practitioner breathes deeply, and envisions “letting go” of “old rigidities” we’ve collected so that we can open, and flow into a newer healthier, more expansive paradigm of health. By “loosening up” our mental, emotional, and physical being, we can allow it to re-form into the most optimum state to maximize our health.

           Our local, national, and global society is being challenged right now to re-form into a newer evolving self image that will nurture our people, our planet, and our emerging reforming economy. If we tighten up around old patterns, fears, prejudices, etc. like our body’s tend to do, we will constipate our ability to open to the flow leading us to the most optimum future possible.

           As hundreds of millions worldwide open to mind/body techniques to maximize their health, and minimize their health costs, they will experience a “side-effect.” Not the negative kind of side effect we see in drug ads on TV, but another side effect pregnant with possibility.

          As these hundreds of millions of people “loosen” their grip on the old rigid thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, their communities and nations too will loosen their grip on old wasteful economic policies. The nutrients of raw materials on an over populated planet, will begin to flow to technologies and production that will maximize effect, while minimizing cost.

          New industries will bloom that will take free sunshine and free wind, and power cars and industry with it and increasingly lower costs. Labor may find gainful employment in fields that nurture health and wellbeing in society, rather than unabashed consumerism for the sake of consumerism and profit. We may find that these new industries not only do not damage our societies or eco-systems, but rather nurture it on many levels.

          For example, Tai Chi, Qigong, and Meditation teachers are a labor intensive industry that spreads out wealth across communities worldwide, rather than focusing profits in the hands of tiny pharmaceutical distributions points. The result will be more vibrant, healthier, more creative populations who ripple out economic innovation and benefit throughout their communities in a very de-centralized way.

          This will benefit the ecosystem. Why? A Kansas City Star article a few years back pointed out that the largest polluter of the Missouri River was pharmaceuticals, not from industry, but from human waste run off. As people turn to mind/body health solutions, they will not only spread wealth across the economy, but reduce pollution problems.

          Mind/body tools also reduce violent and aberrant behaviors in practitioners according to studies, and in fact the calming effect they promote seems to spread out through larger populations around them, as was demonstrated in a large Transcendental Meditation study in Washington DC in the early 1990s. In this study an influx of TM Meditators actually lowered the violent crime rate of the entire city.

          Given that the United States now imprisons more people than any nation on the planet, spending untold hundreds of billions annually on police, courts, and penal systems, such a side effect of mind/body training of our people, can dramatically save on these costs as well.

          Our economic crisis does present a danger if we lock up our mind, heart, and body around old patterns. However, as the Chinese symbol tells us, it also offers us great opportunity to move into a new paradigm of humanity that will nurture us all and our precious planet for generations to come. We know that bad patterns are passed down through family’s, so as economic concerns drive our people to mind/body healing solutions, these too will influence future generations, unfolding multi-faceted benefits we cannot even imagine.

          It is time to breathe, to loosen, to change and flow into a new future of limitless possibility. World Tai Chi & Qigong Day\’s WorldTaiChiDay.org provides you with free \”Breathing Lessons\” and more to facilitate this process. WTCQD has offered these tools for some of the world\’s largest corporations staffs and executives, major international health insitutions and corporations, and to government worldwide as free public health services.

          And on the last Saturday of April teach-ins will be held in hundreds of cities spanning over 65 nations on 6 continents, and all 50 US states, sharing the mind/body tools that incorporate breathing, visualization, and gentle movement to relax the mind, heart and body so that it can open to vast possibility on many levels.

By: Bill Douglas

Video Games – The Savior of Public Education

Admin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:11:07 +0000

Four of every ten young-adult dropouts receive some government assistance. Dropouts are eight times more likely to be in jail, and half of all prison inmates are dropouts. (Milliken, 2008) Dropouts begin the dropping out process as early as fourth grade when it becomes quite apparent they cannot read well enough to keep pace with the curriculum. Or worse yet, when they can no longer handle the shame and embarrassment of special education.

These consequences translate into lost tax revenues and higher costs. We can only be economically vibrant when our residents are engaged in productive careers in this competitive global economy. Global competition begins with strong literacy skills.

Since the 1940s k-12 schools taught the whole language concept of reading- memorizing words, known as sight-reading. When we were a manufacturing society, sight-reading and memorization was the easy quick way to prepare people for the factory as basic reading skills were necessary. Unfortunately, whole language has virtually left generations of students functionally illiterate to struggle with reading every day in this highly complex world.

The saddest tragedy is that these students are naturally tech savvy and prefer self challenge skills that are necessary for today’s global society. Skills America needs to secure high demand businesses,” states Ida Byrd-Hill President of Uplift, Inc.

According to Claire Raines, author of Connecting Generations: The Sourcebook, Millennials, those ages 13 to 23 years of age, prefer to learn using teamwork, technology, structure, entertainment and experiential activities. These students are considered technical natives having been raised with cell phones, DVDs, and video game consoles since their birth. They are naturally technical savvy and prefer self challenge.

Millennials can be found manipulating video games – every day of the week for hours developing a skill of self challenge. This population loves the excitement and thrill of video games. Major game retailers, such as EB Games and Gamestop, have followed these Millennials, even to locations within the inner city.

Their curiosity, intensity and seriousness about their video games is refreshing. They have even joined informal clubs to compete. They read complicated gaming magazines to decipher how to move to the top level within any game.

According to Information Week 7/18/2008, “So far this year, retailers have sold $16.6 billion in video games, consoles, and related products, compared with $12.2 billion during the same period a year ago.” Video gaming is gaining momentum even in a shaky economy. Video gaming challenges a person’s brain especially since participants spend hours of time playing the game.

It appears many people believe this fact as sixty-five percent of American households play computer or video games. Eighty-five percent of all games sold in 2007 were rated “E” for Everyone, “T” for Teen, or “E10+” for Everyone 10+. Ninety-four percent of game players under the age of 18 report that their parents are present when they purchase or rent games. Sixty-three percent of parents believe games are a positive part of their children’s lives.

Imagine transporting the elements of video games to the reading arena. Gaming technology can revolutionize reading as it allows for fun repetitive review of concepts and vocabulary. Children could read and pass standardized test with ease. America could return to its dominance in education from its perch of 21 out of 25 industrialized nations where it slipped. Sounds like a pipe dream. Until one looks at STRONG READER.

STRONG READER is a cyber class that combines phonics, etymology and reading comprehension with video lessons, video games, avatars and puzzles to engage students to complete the process of reading development. Listen to a video lesson, answer a question correctly then play the video game. Most online literacy classes are textual based. Sample game below. Play 1 round

http://www.cyberschoolinc.com/Website game/HOOP SHOOT 11a.swf

This cyber class was created by Uplift, Inc. and evolved out of an English class developed at Hustle & TECHknow Preparatory High School, a cyber school catering to high school dropouts with this statistical makeup.

Student Body Makeup

93 Students 70 Boys, 23 Girls,

Ethnic Makeup

1% Asian 2% Caucasian 96% African American

Residential Makeup

91% Detroit Residents 9% Suburban Residents

Special Needs Makeup

30 % Adjudicated Youth 81% Economically disadvantaged

A cyber school is a brick -and-mortar school with part online/ part classroom instruction.

With this unique student body makeup, Hustle & TECHknow Preparatory High School achieved these successes:

Won Educational Program of the Year Automation Alley 2007

Collective Lexile reading scores moved from 4.2 grade to 7.8 grade in less than one year.

Three students qualified as 79 quarter finalists for the National Vocabulary Championship out of 10,000 participants

Three teams participated in the Think Quest Website design competition

Inaugural graduation rate 80% June 2007

100% post secondary enrollment

Managed Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus

Began Fencing Team with Compuware Coach

If your child struggles with the shame and embarrassment of special education resource rooms because they can not read subscribe to STRONG READER. If you struggle with reading as an adult subscribe to STRONG READER.

Subscription prices.

One time fee of $175 or $35 per month for 5 months.

Go to www.cyberschoolinc.com to subscribe. Subscription is Paypal secured.

Desire to review a demo, accept confidentiality agreement here. Instructions to the demo will popup. Keep in mind this demo is an 8th grade student assessed at reading level of 3.1.

By: Ida Byrd-Hill