Higher Education and Society

Institutions of education, and the system of which they are a part, face a host of unprecedented challenges from forces in society that affect and are influenced by these very institutions and their communities of learners and educators. Among these forces are sweeping demographic changes, shrinking provincial budgets, revolutionary advances in information and telecommunication technologies, globalization, competition from new educational providers, market pressures to shape educational and scholarly practices toward profit-driven ends, and increasing demands and pressures for fundamental changes in public policy and public accountability relative to the role of higher education in addressing pressing issues of communities and the society at large. Anyone of these challenges would be significant on their own, but collectively they increase the complexity and difficulty for education to sustain or advance the fundamental work of serving the public good.

Through a forum on education, we can agree to: Strengthening the relationship between higher education and society will require a broad-based effort that encompasses all of education, not just individual institutions, departments and associations.

Piecemeal solutions can only go so far; strategies for change must be informed by a shared vision and a set of common objectives. A "movement" approach for change holds greater promise for transforming academic culture than the prevailing "organizational" approach.

Mobilizing change will require strategic alliances, networks, and partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders within and beyond education.

The Common Agenda is specifically designed to support a "movement" approach to change by encouraging the emergence of strategic alliances among individuals and organizations who care about the role of higher education in advancing the ideals of a diverse democratic system through education practices, relationships and service to society.

A Common Agenda

The Common Agenda is intended to be a "living" document and an open process that guides collective action and learning among committed partners within and outside of higher education. As a living document, the Common Agenda is a collection of focused activity aimed at advancing civic, social, and cultural roles in society. This collaboratively created, implemented, and focused Common Agenda respects the diversity of activity and programmatic foci of individuals, institutions, and networks, as well as recognizes the common interests of the whole. As an open process, the Common Agenda is a structure for connecting work and relationships around common interests focusing on the academic role in serving society. Various modes of aliening and amplifying the common work within and beyond education will be provided within the Common Agenda process.

This approach is understandably ambitious and unique in its purpose and application. Ultimately, the Common Agenda challenges the system of higher education, and those who view education as vital to addressing society's pressing issues, to act deliberately, collectively, and clearly on an evolving and significant set of commitments to society. Currently, four broad issue areas are shaping the focus of the Common Agenda: 1) Building public understanding and support for our civic mission and actions; 2) Cultivating networks and partnerships; 3) Infusing and reinforcing the value of civic responsibility into the culture of higher education institutions; and 4) Embedding civic engagement and social responsibility in the structure of the education system

VISION We have a vision of higher education that nurtures individual prosperity, institutional responsiveness and inclusively, and societal health by promoting and practicing learning, scholarship, and engagement that respects public needs. Our universities are proactive and responsive to pressing social, ethical, and economic problems facing our communities and greater society. Our students are people of integrity who embrace diversity and are socially responsible and civilly engaged throughout their lives.

MISSION The purpose of the Common Agenda is to provide a framework for organizing, guiding and communicating the values and practices of education relative to its civic, social and economic commitments to a diverse democratic system.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

I believe social justice, ethics, educational equity, and societal change for positive effects are fundamental to the work of higher education. We consider the relationship between communities and education institutions to be based on the values of equally, respect and reciprocity, and the work in education to be interdependent with the other institutions and individuals in society.

We will seek and rely on extensive partnerships with all types of institutions and devoted individuals inside and outside of higher education.

We realize the interconnection of politics, power and privilege. The Common Agenda is not for higher education to self-serve, but to "walk the talk" relative to espoused public goals. We understand the Common Agenda as a dynamic living document, and expect the activities it encompasses to change over time.

THE COMMON AGENDA FRAMEWORK The general framework for the common agenda is represented in the following diagram. It is clear that while goals and action items are organized and aliened within certain issues areas, there is considerable overlap and complementarity among the issues, goals and action items. Also, following each action item are names of individuals who committed to serve as "point persons" for that particular item. A list of "point persons," with their organizational affiliation(s) is included with the common agenda.

ISSUES

ISSUE 1: MISSION AND ACTIONS

Public understanding more and more equates higher education benefits with acquiring a "good job" and receiving "higher salaries." To understand and support the full benefits of higher education the public and higher education leaders need to engage in critical and honest discussions about the role of higher education in society. Goal: Develop a common language that resonates both inside and outside the institution. Action Items: Develop a common language and themes about our academic role and responsibility to the public good, through discussions with a broader public.

Collect scholarship on public good, examine themes and identify remaining questions. Develop a national awareness of the importance of higher education for the public good through the development of marketing efforts.

Goal: Promote effective and broader discourse. Action Items: Raise public awareness about the institutional diversity within and between higher education institutions.

Identify strategies for engaging alumni associations for articulating public good and building bridges between higher education and the various private and public sector companies. Develop guidelines of discourse to improve the quality of dialogued on every level of society. Organize a series of civil dialogued with various public sectors about higher education and the public good.

ISSUE 2: DEVELOPING NETWORKS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Approaching complex issues such as the role of higher education in society that requires a broad mix of partners to create strategies and actions that encompass multiple valued perspectives and experiences.

Broad partnerships to strengthen the relationship between higher education and society involves working strategically with those within and outside of higher education to achieve mutual goals on behalf of the public good.

Goal: Create broad and dispersed communication systems and processes.

Action Items:

Create an information and resource network across higher education associations Create information processes that announce relevant conferences, recruit presenters and encourage presentations in appropriate national conferences Develop opportunities for information sharing and learning within and between various types of postsecondary institutions (e.g. research-centered communities).

Goal: Create and support strategic alliances and diverse collaborations.

Action Items: Establish and support on-going partnerships and collaborations between higher education associations and the external community (e.g. civic organizations, legislators, community members) Explore with the public how to employ the role of arts in advancing higher education for the public good Promote collaboration between higher education and to address access, retention, and graduation concerns

ISSUE 3: INSTILLING AND REINFORCING THE VALUE OF CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY INTO THE CULTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Education should attend to the implicit and explicit consequences of its work, and reexamine "what counts" to integrate research, teaching and service for the public good to the core working of the institution.

Goal: Emphasize civic skills and leadership development in the curriculum and co-curriculum.

Action Items: Develop and implement a curriculum in colleges and universities that promote civic engagement of students Create co-curricular student and community programs for leadership and civic engagement development Develop learning opportunities, inside and outside of the classroom, that promote liberty, democratic responsibility, social justice and knowledge of the economic system Develop student leadership and service opportunities that focus on ethical behavior Teach graduate students organizing and networking skills, and encourage student leadership and Diversity education

Goal: Foster a deeper commitment to the public good.

Action Items: Work with faculty on communication skills and languages to describe their engagement with the public, and educate faculty for the common good Identify models for promotion and tenure standards Identify models for faculty development

Goal: Identify, recognize, and support engaged scholarship.

Action Items: Identify and disseminate models and exemplars of scholarship on the public good Encourage the participation in community research Help institutions call attention to exemplary outreach. Establish a capacity building effort for institutions

Goal: Bring graduate education into alignment with the civic mission.

Action Items: Work with disciplinary associations to hold dialogued on ways graduate student training can incorporate public engagement, involvement and service Promote "civic engagement" within academic and professional disciplines according to the disciplines' definition of "civic engagement" Incorporate the concept of higher education for the public good into current graduate education reform efforts

ISSUE 4: EMBEDDING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

Promoting the public benefits of higher education requires system efforts beyond institutions to intentionally embed values of civic engagement and social responsibility in governance practices, policy decisions, and educational processes.

Goal: Align governing structures and administrative strategies.

Action Items: Develop ways to improve student and the community involvement in the governance and decision making process of educational institutions. Identify and promote ways for institutions to improve involvement with the public and the practice of democracy within their own institution. Establish public good/civic engagement units that orchestrate this work throughout institutions.

Goal: Publicly recognize and support valuable engagement work.

Action Items: Offer public awards that reward institutions with demonstrable track record in serving the public good in order to encourage institutionalization of performance around the public good and civic engagement.

Develop a comprehensive inventory of funding sources, association activities, initiatives, and exemplary practices that advance the public good. Identify, recognize, and support early career scholars who choose to do research on higher education and its public role in society.

Goal: Ensure that assessment and accreditation processes include civic engagement and social responsibility.

Action Items: Identify service for the public good as a key component in provincial and federal educational plans (e.g. Master Plans, provincial budgets, and professional associations).

Bring higher education associations and legislators together to broaden current definition of student outcomes and achievement, and develop a plan for assessment.

Develop strategies and processes to refocus system-wide planning, accreditation and evaluation agendas to consider criteria assessing the social, public benefits of education.

Goal: Cultivate stronger ties between the university, federal and provincial government.

Action Items: Develop a 2-year implementation plan that joins the university rector / Pro-rector and Director with provincial legislators to engage in an assessment of the needs of the public by province Host a series of dialogued between trustees and provincial legislators to discuss the role of universities and public policy in advancing public good at a local, provincial, and national level.

Ms. Ashcan Salem
Senior Lecturer
Bahia University
Karachi

School Facilities Maintenance: How Using a Building Maintenance Programme Can Help

Maintaining schools is vital both in terms of ensuring that all students and teachers have a comfortable environment conducive to learning as well as in financial terms. School facilities maintenance strategies play an important role in the school's overall effectiveness, safety, and financial well-being. With much at stake, school facilities maintenance should never be left to chance. But where should you begin?
Facilities Maintenance Strategy Development
If your school lacks a maintenance strategy, start by developing one. Preventative maintenance can extend the useful life of buildings, heating and air conditioning systems, electrical systems, playground equipment, and more, making it important to adopt a proactive approach to facilities maintenance. Not only should your team be equipped and empowered to respond promptly to issues, they should also be empowered to do so proactively.
As you develop your strategy, you may find yourself, or others on your team, questioning the need for prioritising preventative building maintenance. Keep these key points in mind and stress them as often as necessary:

• Facilities maintenance saves money.


• Well maintained equipment and buildings last longer; thus, replacement costs decrease over time.


• Increased system efficiency reduces energy costs.


• Fewer large-scale repairs are required which means lower renovation costs over time.


• A proactive response means fewer unexpected problems.


• A proactive facilities maintenance program supports the school's goals of providing a clean, comfortable, and safe environment.

As part of your planning, you will need to:
Identify and include stakeholders in the process.

• Conduct a school facilities audit so that you know exactly what you have under your care.


• Identify needs.


• Set priorities and milestones.

Identify best practices for caring for the building and its grounds.

• Create a budget
• Train your staff.
• Implement your plan.
• Document your work.
• Review and revise your plan annually.

Using a Building Maintenance Programme
In addition to developing a facilities maintenance strategy that stresses preventative maintenance and supports the school's goal of providing a safe, comfortable environment for students and staff, it's smart to invest in a building maintenance program me. Software is commonly used to automate essential tasks in virtually every other field. Today, specialized software does the same for facilities maintenance. Using a building maintenance programme, you can schedule work, assign work, track assets, manage inventory, document service, and much more.
Using your maintenance strategy as a framework, you can configure your building maintenance programme to support your efforts. For example, if you've identified best practices for maintaining your school's HVAC system, configure your software to support those best practices. This may mean setting up an automatic schedule of preventative maintenance or requiring technicians to follow a specific checklist when performing an inspection or repair. You can do something similar for each asset under your care.
In addition to automating preventative maintenance, your building maintenance programme can also help you to quantify the value that your maintenance strategy brings to the school. For example, when it's time to purchase new equipment, you could run reliability reports and calculate the total cost of ownership for equipment the school has owned in the past to help make a smarter buying decision.
If you're responsible for a school's facilities maintenance, you play an important role in the school's long-term success. Create a proactive maintenance plan and use a building maintenance programme to make that plan a reality.

Martin Beckett is an experienced freelance business writer and maintenance manager based in London. He has worked with many facilities maintenance companies but found the building maintenance software by eMaint EU was much more practical for his company. For more questions, feel free to connect with him over at Google+.

The Psychology of Education

On the need for an individualistic educational psychology emphasizing on the central role of the learner

Education and psychology are related in more than just one way and the psychology of education could be related to educational principles in psychology or how education as a discipline is taught within psychology as a subject and how these two disciplines merge. This is primarily the focus of educational psychology which studies how human learning occurs, what ways of teaching are most effective, what different methods should be used to teach gifted or disabled children and how principles of psychology could help in the study of schools as social systems.

Psychological education would be completely focused on learning methods as structured or imparted according to psychological and individual needs of the students. Education would differ according to culture, values, attitudes, social systems, mindset and all these factors are important in the study of education in psychology.

Educational psychology is the application of psychological objectives within educational systems and psychological education as I distinguish here is application of educational objectives in psychological processes. The first focus of using psychology in education is more general and the second approach of using education in psychology is more individualistic. However as far as present study of educational approach to psychology is concerned, there is no difference between individualistic educational psychology and general educational psychology and all interrelationships between psychology and education are considered within the broad discipline of educational psychology.

However a distinction between the more general educational psychology and more specific psychological or individualistic education could help in understanding the nuances of individualistic study and give a subjective dimension to the study of psychology in education. This could also help in making learning systems more student based and according to the needs of culture, society, individual or personal factors. This sort of study with a focus on personal/psychological aspects of learning is not just about social objectives and objectives within educational systems but also about personal goals and objectives and the psychological processes involved in learning. There has to be a clearer demarcation between education in psychology as a general study and individualistic education in psychology as a more specific and subjective discipline.

As of now educational psychology encompasses a wide range of issues and topics including the use of technology and its relation to psychology, learning techniques and instructional design. It also considers the social, cognitive, behavioral dimensions of learning but it would be necessary to make education more personal and individualistic through a special branch with a psychological focus on education so that individual needs are considered. There could be two ways in which this branch of knowledge could evolve - either by strengthening psychological education or individualistic approach to the psychology of education or by having two distinct branches of general educational psychology and individualistic educational psychology.

As in client centered approach to psychology, a psychology of education should also include further research that would highlight the need for individualistic dimensions in learning. Learning psychology is the use of psychological theories for example that of Jean Piaget and Kohler in the study of learning techniques, especially among children. I have already discussed Piaget but briefly Piaget's theory highlights different stages of learning in children and Kohler suggested that learning occurs by sudden comprehension or understanding, however I will not go further into learning theories here. Whereas the focus of educational psychology is on learning techniques per se and the role of the learner is considered only secondary, a branch of individualistic psychology in education could help in emphasizing the role of the learner considering not just their disabilities or giftedness but also their personality patterns. This focus on personality patterns brings out the central role of understanding psychology in educational systems.

Educational psychology studies both the personal approaches to education as in giftedness, disability, learning theories applied to children and adults, and the more general objective approaches to learning as the role of schools as social or cultural systems.

The psychology of education could include the following branches:

General Educational Psychology

1. Learning Systems - As studied from individualistic learning perspectives and generalized learning perspectives, a discussion of the different theories, practices and systems or techniques of learning is an integral part of educational psychology and especially central to general educational psychology.

2. Social Systems - The use of education in social, cultural and economic systems could be considered within the psychological context and this relates to the role of education in society.

Individualistic Educational Psychology

1. Learning Systems - Learning techniques and systems or methods will have to be in accordance with the needs of the children or adult participants and according to skills of the teachers. Needs vary according to personal traits and abilities and individual needs will have to be considered during the learning process.

2. Social Systems - Individual learning psychology will have to be studied according to specific social and cultural backgrounds of the learners and thus a more subjective study of learning approaches and centralized role of the individual in the learning process considering their social, cultural or intellectual background will have to be considered.

Reflections in Psychology - Part II - Saber Roy (2010)

[http://www.saberiroy.com]

Saber Roy - Books

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Distance Education Schools

With the myriad of distance education schools out there, there is no reason why you or everyone should not take forward their education or vocation. The good news is that several of these schools have found out the factors that could hold human beings like you back from going to a conventional school that demands them to stay in the school environment. As a result, they have designed the courses and classes in a way to have room for these persons. This indicate that you are the only one that can delay yourself from moving forward educationally and getting elevation in your place of work.

While it is good news that there are scores of distance education schools out there, I must advocate you to be very alert. You need to be very cautious if you ever want to move forward your calling and get that much needed increase or elevation in your office. The reason is because there are numerous deceptive distance education schools out there. They have different tactics by which they pick up their victim. They can send you spam emails, asking you to enroll for their program and complete it within a short period of time. Scores of human beings such as you have fallen victim to this means. Furthermore, their fee is often small compared to the legitimate educational institutions. I have to encourage you to evade these schools. They will not help you in the long run. For example, your boss or potential employer will effect a background check on the educational institution you attended and they may detect that the certificate OA€™re making available is deceitful. Let me recap for emphasis sake. Keep away from them.

One of the things you have to demand when searching for distance education schools is accreditation. Accreditation signifies to you that the school has all it takes to hand out the correct certificates that employers of labor will take and consequently give you the piece of work, raise or elevation you deserve. Never settle for the shortcut. Register with the best schools out there and get what you ought to have in the labor market and your office. There are a lot of methods you can avail yourself of to obtain real schools. Yellow pages and the mass media are good sources you should delve into. Plus, the web will help you select them. Never be in hurry when performing this. Make certain you read assessment about educational institutions offering distance education. You can obtain excellent and impartial view on education forums on the cyber web.

Attending a good quality and dependable distance education school is very principal to acquiring employment in our day and acquiring elevation in order to obtain that dream lifestyle you have always sought after. Seek for one today employing the suggestions in this expose. You will be glad you did.

The Advantages of Joining a Boys School

Boys needs more discipline as compare to girls for their right upbringing. Thus in reminding this fact in mind many private and government boys schools have been comes into existence in Delhi. The fees structure of these schools is also lower as compare to the other public schools. Now days too many parents tend to get their male wards admission into OA€™s school. All the boys€™ students are getting the excellent academic and extra curricular activities to improve their caliber in each sector of life.

We can conclude some major factors which distinguish boys schools from others in beneficiary manner are as follows:-

Boys are getting complete freedom to explore them:-

There is hardly any chance to impress any girl, make friendships with them, and take them for outing spending unnecessary money for fun activities can be stopped for boys in the boys school. Thus the boys can pay fully concentration towards their career building. Their whole time then devotes to explore their learning the new things without any shyness or gender bias. They can also excel those things such as dance, painting, language expertise, and music, cooking etc. These fields of art and extra talent are also very much career oriented and demands concentration to learn properly, and if your male child will get expertise learning in that then what€™s harm in it.

Boys schools demands strict & disciplined atmosphere in school:-

Any school is meant to learn education. But if we talk about boys separate schools then it dose not means they are separate from the rest of the society or needs to be trained in a separate teaching methodology. But it means that they should be treating in such a manner that will help them in a better way, to make their make over of the whole personality in a cultural and strict environment of the OA€™s schools. The teachers are specially trained for the OA€™s students to make them excel in academics studies as well all the other co-curricular activities. So that after schooling they can also behave in a responsible and dignified manner at home and among the friends.

Boys are not habitual to sit still for too much time:-

By knowing the facts that boys find it difficult to sit still for the long period of time on the same place, Thus teachers have included physical activity in the daily lesson plans, which helps the boys to pay more attention and learn better in boys€™ schools.

Teachers can also use "props" that girls wouldn't be tolerating - like garden snakes or microbes - that will keep boys interested in doing many school activities. Teachers are providing apart from reading and writing assignments - the subjects in which boys tend to struggle the most - can be developed to include gesture and physical active learning in their curriculum. Such type of activities enhances OA€™s psychic about handling challenging tasks in their schools also. In the OA€™s school, boys need not to show off the things in front of the girls. They are always become busy in attempting their various school activities.

Private Schools Advantages Over Public Schools

Private colleges and community ones have normally been in contrast to each other in efficacy, competence and lots of other facets. Because it is really a kid's training in query right here, it is comprehensible which the mother and father want to be guaranteed over it. Ordinarily, mothers and fathers obtain details about potential educational institutions they want their kid to check out and evaluate these. Among the facets that oldsters may choose from being whether to send out their boy or girl to an institution that may be privately run or one that is run through the state or town. While these establishments could seem a similar, you'll find really some variances concerning them.

Comparisons

One of the many details of rivalry that men and women who prefer non-public educational facilities have with those that prefer the general public kinds may be the quality of education and learning between the 2. Many, otherwise all those who ship their young ones to privately run instructional institutions, imagine which they provide the upper hand in regards to their child's instruction. There is some truth of the matter to privately run academic institutions acquiring a better chance of imparting more subjects and topics in contrast to publicly operate ones. This can be generally because the point out contains a wide range of treatments in terms of financing and running their institutions.

These strategies are inclined to prolong the passing of varied concerns which may be in the very good of the learners. The identical goes for shifting the curriculum and endorsing a far more effective way of instructing. Many of the issues that occur up in general public institutions need to be brought up in PTA meetings and should access a consensus to generally be identified and brought ahead. Overall, this implies that whilst the caliber of training may well not be specifically afflicted, the strategies can in the long run have an impact on the implementation in the high quality instruction that the kids need.

Just one part that the personal colleges might be still left in comparison to community institutions may be the level which they revolutionize their approaches. While using the ideal funding, numerous on the state operate institutions could really have superior amenities and educational aids, which are vital in the kid's training. This is due to most of these publicly operate institutions enjoy great funding and are allotted money almost annually. The ground breaking amenities and academic aids are extremely superior at assisting students broaden their horizons and imagine away from the box. These might also aid pupils with troubles in discovering.

The number of college students that non-public educational institutions generally have can also be described as an indicator of having the ability to impart an increased top quality of instruction compared to community kinds. It is common knowledge that a smaller sized number of students in every classroom signifies that the instructor has a neater time training them and imparting knowledge. This does not, nonetheless, a warranty which the college students can fully grasp and get the subject right away since it essentially relies upon on their own capability to comprehend the topic. It does signify which the teachers have sufficient the perfect time to give full attention to a lot more learners.

Child Education: Teaching Children How To Succeed

Success like all other skills can also be learnt. In fact it should be an important part of child education. The million dollar question is how to teach children to succeed?
Here's the answer.
Help your children to develop the qualities required to succeed. The habits, the style of thinking, the way of behavior which attracts success, can be easily taught to children.
After all, children have more curiosity and better grasping power than adults.
What are the qualities that help children become successful?
The first and foremost is the belief 'I Can.' "I can become successful... I can do it." This kind of confident self-belief should be nurtured in children.
How?
B.K. Narayan, author of 'Success Mindware,' a complete self development course for children, suggests following technique to build confident self-image in children.
"You can build Success Self-image in your children on the strength of each little success which they have achieved till today," says Narayan. "Here's how you do it," he continues, "sit with your children and together recount their past success." For example:
• Your son scored good grades in a spelling test ( this shows your child has ability to learn and remember)
• Gets up on time for school (this shows punctuality)
• Behaved politely with guest last week (shows he has good manners)
• Came third in running race (shows he is fit and can do better)
• Can colour well (shows he has artistic mind)...
"Like this count your child's every little success. You would be amazed at how long list you get once you start counting! Also be sure to emphasize to your child the qualities present behind each success, just as I have shown with each example in the bracket. Point out to your child that he achieved those successes because he possessed those good qualities which are found in successful people," says B.K. Narayan.
This simple method helps to build a confident self-image, without fail, as your child gets the proof of its ability. No doubt. No hesitation.
Apart from 'I can' do belief, children should also be taught how to control their emotions.
Emotions are like high-voltage thoughts. Fear, anger, anxiety, all these are intense emotions. Teach your children to control their emotions with simple breathing technique.
Few minutes of slow, deep breathing helps to calm down the emotionally charged mind. Even 5 to 6 slow deep breaths help.
But this is not enough.
Once a mind calms down a bit, it should be reined in further with proper affirmation technique. Yeah, affirmation technique is not just for adults. They are so simple that children can also use it easily.
Teach your children to mentally repeat simple affirmations to control their emotions. Here are examples of affirmation which you can suggest to your children:
"I am feeling better. I am calm now."
"I am cool and calm. I am in control."
Teach your children to silently repeat affirmation few times until it makes them feel better.
How well your children learn to change their behavior is also an important quality needed for success.
Smart people know how to modify their behavior to achieve particular goal. But how to change behavior?
Changing behavior involves changing habits. Encourage your children to develop useful habits which will automatically lead to development of good behavior.
Another important quality for success is how your children cope with a given situation in life.
Like adults, children also face different situations in school, in play ground, in home, etc. Children should be taught to handle a given task or situation effectively, and with least problem.
How do you teach this to your children?
The best way is, you become role model for them.
Show your children through your efficient actions and cool decisions on how to handle day to day problems or unpleasant situations that may arise suddenly. This would guide your children to behave in similar fashion.
After all, it is said that children rarely listen to what we say but learn from observing our behavior.
With proper training and patient guidance, you can give your children the best gift... the ability to succeed in their life.
As the opening lines of the United Nation's Declaration of the Rights of the Child says, "Mankind owes to the child the best it has to give... "

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Disclaimer Policy

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The Importance Of Letting Your Kids Join After School Activities

If your kids are done with school for the day, what will they possibly do while they you are still at work? If you have planned something for them to do after school, they you may not need to be worried about your kids being idle, unsupervised, or perhaps likely to do something you won't ever approve.
Some of the things you can do is to let a nanny come over or maybe buy enough gadgets for your kids to pass away the time. Although there is certainly nothing wrong with having the supervision of a competent and reliable nanny, as well as technology entertaining your kids, the after school activities may engage their minds in the best way.
When enrolled in an after-school program, your kids can get a lot of benefits. First of these is improved academic performance - children who are enrolled in after-school activities will become more attentive and focused in their classes. Also, the will be less likely to misbehave and involve in all types of trouble. Your children will certainly be kept busy five times a week, a few hours a day after school, and perhaps even during the weekends.
An ideal after-school program will certainly be capable of complementing class learning, support socialization, as well as promote a positive emotional climate. An excellent private tutor will definitely provide such favorable aspects of the said program. In fact, high qualified tutors may even offer supplementary academic guidance from an established learning centre that delivers an effective and unique program. Your children can have this type of learning and obtain advanced education along with other kids, however, in an informal setting.
In order for you to make the most out of the benefits from your kids' after-school activities, you must determine which subjects they might be struggling with and get them the best tutoring they need. Furthermore, you have to locate a private tutor that utilizes unique yet proven strategies to such difficult subjects. Always remember that you must give your kids a fulfilling and challenging way in order to pass the time while you are still at your work. You have to keep their minds active and productive even after school. With such program, you will not just keep them safe from negative behavior, but also to make sure that they will have a successful transition from grade school to high school and towards college.

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If you wish to learn more about the benefits of such program, click here.

The Four Cues of Non Verbal Communication

There are what studies refer to as Non Verbal Communication Cues. Body language being just one of the four, as we will get into shortly. The following are these four cues:
1) Paralanguage- This particular cue is focused on noises made from our mouths, however, these words are not words and are therefore not in the verbal communication category. Simply, these are the noises we make that
usually imply a certain mood or feeling.
Some examples of this may be the pitch of our voice or the volume. Another couple examples Of Paralanguage could be a sigh of relief or groan of discomfort or unhappiness. Then of course, there would be the more dormant Paralanguage examples such as screaming, crying, laughing or yelling, just to name a few.
2) Body Language- This cue, although silent, tells so many things. Considering this particular book focuses almost entirely on this cue, I really don't see much need to detail about this particular cue. However, it is the cue that involves the movements of our body.
3) Interpersonal Spacing- This particular cue is very simple however quite neat. It is quite basically the way, distance and angle, a person positions themself when choosing proximity among people. Touch and smell come into play under this cue when in close proximity to another.
4) Choice of Personal Items- I found this one extremely interesting while researching the four cues for several
reasons. Admittedly, this whole aspect of body language had not even occurred to me until now and it really is a very important aspect of body language and should definitely really be taken into consideration.
That said, this cue, in my opinion is, although interesting, probably the least reliable of the four cues. This cue, like its name, uses a man or woman's material possessions as a way to communicate non verbally. From the car a person drives, the clothes they wear, to their homes and right down to their preferred beverage all falls under this cue. For example, if we see a nicely dressed lady driving around in an expensive vehicle, our assumption of her will the that she is rich. A lady of high stature and a respected member of your local social society & unfortunately the general public associates money with a higher class or better person.
The reason why I believe this is the most inaccurate of the four cues is because of what I just mentioned, the stereotype or image we associate with money, drives (no pun intended) us to go Into debt buying nice cars or fancy cars, for example. We all want to be considered significant to our society, but too many live way beyond their means, even to the point of filing for bankruptcy, for this false images.

Online High Schools Are Ideal For Certain Students

Educators in this day and age understand that many students have different learning needs and situations that factor into schooling time. That is why it is important that every young person who wants to better themselves academically can do so at their own pace and on their own time. With advances in technology, curriculum development, and educational methodology, it is now possible for interested students to get their diplomas by attending online high schools.
The tutelage offered through online high schools is exactly the same as what you would expect a child to receive in a typical classroom environment. Teachers develop the virtual sessions, and the things that are taught meet all national benchmarks. The major difference is the environment. Some kids have a hard time adjusting to the typical classroom setting, especially those with physical disabilities or learning differences. These students often feel more comfortable when they can work in familiar surroundings with certain accommodations. There are fewer distractions to deal with, and they do not have to worry about how they are doing compared to everyone else. Instead, they can focus on personal growth and meeting certain goals.
Many parents whose children take classes via online high schools actually think that their students get more mentoring and personal attention than kids who attend traditional institutions. Students that work in the virtual classroom must communicate regularly with instructors and curriculum counselors. These people also provide regular progress reports to parents that allow their children to be schooled in this way. This, in turn, means that each student has at least three or four adults keeping track of virtual attendance and academic success. This is way more attention than some teenagers can claim to get from teachers and administrators, especially in our nation's more underfunded educational districts.
Do you think your child is an ideal candidate for an online high school program? If so, you should start to browse the Internet. See if there are any programs founded in partnership with the educational district where you live. In many cases, certain counties fund virtual institutions for people that are incarcerated, living in rural areas, or otherwise incapacitated. A potential student does not even have to fall into one of those categories to use the program. They just have to possess a desire to learn.
If you or someone you know wants to earn that high school diploma, it is time to seek more information about one of these valuable programs. It is never too late to pursue your education. Who knows? This could be that first step you take towards getting a college degree as well. One of the most important things a person can do is invest in themselves. The mind is a terrible thing to waste.

If you are interested online high schools in Michigan, learn more about My Virtual Academy. Visit http://www.myvirtualacademy.com today.

Keeping Summer Fun and Educational

If you're wondering how to keep this summer educational but fun for your homeschooled kids without creating extra work for yourself as teacher, summer classes are a great idea to explore. Maybe you just haven't had time to squeeze in an art class and your child is really interested in art, or perhaps you've always wanted them to experience team sports, but it just hasn't fit into your school year--summer is the time! Perhaps you want your child to take a class to fill a specific hole in their learning. I talked to a mom recently whose child was not doing so well in their SAT math, and they decided that summer was a great opportunity to take an SAT prep class, because somebody else would do the actual teaching and mom would get a bit of a break. No matter your needs or your student's interests, there's sure to be an interesting class out there for you!
Summer is also a good time for your children to join or form some sort of club, or do some kind of volunteer work. My husband and I worked for a long time at a local clothing bank; but there are also food banks and vacation bible schools out there looking for volunteers. As an extra bonus, these things are really helpful for your student's overall portfolio when they start applying to colleges.
Another great summer activity is to encourage your child to keep a journal. I know a lot of people who are successful with this. While they might not have journal writing during the school year as a subject, their children are willing to journal every day during the summer. This can really help students with their writing skills, and is a fun idea if you're doing travel of any kind-- whether camping, visiting some different area of the country, or just staying home.
Whenever you do any form of summer school, remember to capture the learning your children do and turn it into school credit on their transcripts. Some common summer credits include physical education and occupational education (which simply means that they do some work). When you count these credits, remember that between 120-180 hours of work is one credit, and 75-90 hours of work is considered a half a credit. For instance, maybe your student is in an orchestra or a choir during the summer. You can just estimate those hours and say, "it looks like they're going to spend ten hours a week in class, for the eight weeks of summer, which would be eighty hours, which is half a credit experience."

The Homescholar offers excellent support for parents on homeschooling in california. Visit their website to gather more information concerning your kid's education.

Home-School Writing: Help Your Teen Write Any First Draft

When home-schooled teenagers sit down to write their first draft of any paper, there are a few simple things to place before them to make writing that first draft an effective and enjoyable learning experience.
Find Examples:
Before they take the plunge into writing, have your teens look at how other people approach that particular type of paper, how they shape their own ideas. Have them write with the best! Look for examples that are short and meaningful. Long pieces as examples could tend to make the eyes glaze over. The purpose of examples is to place possibilities and further ideas before your writers' eyes. Do not let them think that they must "write like this."
Pre-Writing Material:
Next, they will need the pre-writing charts or whatever note-taking work they have prepared to help focus their thoughts and ideas. They will need the rubric (see my article on rubrics and rough drafts) for that first draft, of whatever type of paper it is, as well. Have them study the rubric carefully, first, and look over the pre-writing notes.
Their Own Rough Draft:
Now, it is important for your budding writer's success in learning to write well that they write any first draft in one sitting with no outside assistance. A short break is fine, but have them set aside the time so that they are not away from writing draft one for more than a few minutes. Your teen should feel free to correct little problems they see while writing, but the first draft MUST be their own ROUGH Draft. That is, it must be what your child writes when they write without worrying about ANY writing "rules."
Write in One Sitting:
Next, write draft one in one sitting with no outside assistance and little, if any, revision. Follow the rules of writing the rough draft. Rule 2: There are no rules; just write. Even forget about the requirements of the first draft rubric. Once your writers have finished writing, have them go back through and be sure they have met the few requirements from the first draft rubric.
I give my students about one hour to write their first draft. That should be plenty of time if the pre-writing work is sufficient. One of my students, Zach, had this comment to make: "I learned that writing can be fun. Mr. Yordy allowed us to let go of all the rules and to "just write!" as he would say."
Mark It High:
Finally, once the draft is completed, check it against the rubric you prepared. Make encouraging comments and give it as high of marks as you can. Point out what they did well. On draft two, your marking will be tough, really tough. But after writing draft one, any writer needs to know the potential and unlimited possibilities for writing effectively that lies (however dormant) inside them.
It is only after draft one is successfully completed that the hard work of writing begins. However, any writer's first experience with writing a paper should leave them with a sense of success and accomplishment. "Writing was not as hard as I thought!"

Daniel Yordy is Your Editor at The Writing Conservatory. He has taught writing to students - and learned writing - for almost 30 years. His effective writing course has been hammered out inside of junior high, high school, and college classrooms.
Maybe you have a student homeschooling high school and you want to know that they can write effectively both in entering college and for life. Or maybe you want to learn to write (and teach writing) well. Check out http://www.thewritingconservatory.com/WritingCourse/index.php?page=IsetA. Help yourself freely to anything you see.
Copyright 2012 by The Writing Conservatory. Freely use without changes, including links.

Glamorising English Makes It Difficult to Learn the Language

Glamorising English makes learners keep the language on a high pedestal. As a result, learners think that it is complex to learn. The moment you glamorise, it becomes three times more difficult to learn the language. You will develop a sense of inferiority and feel substandard. This will be the major obstacle to learn. But, in fact English is not that tough to learn. All it needs is a deliberate effort to pursue it.
Who glamorise English?
Only two categories of people glamorise the language. Firstly, those who are ignorant about it. Since they don't know about it, they unnecessarily think high about it. Secondly, those who have low competence (low IQ). Barring English, they do not have other strengths. They glamorise the language to feel good about themselves.
For them English is not a language, it is a style statement. There are people in certain walks of life with elitist mindset. They learn English not because of the language, but because they think it adds to their celebrity status if they speak the language with confidence. They do not make the right use of it.
Real English is plain and simple
The use of a language is to communicate thoughts and feelings, so that the person you are communicating with is able to understand you clearly. It's not about slang, phrases or foreign accent, it's all about being clear.
Highly successful people keep their language simple and straightforward. For example, Jack Welch, the CEO of GE uses plain English in all his writings and lectures, which is very much direct and easily understandable. As a result, he inspires many people to become successful.
Another famous personality from history is Cicero, a Roman Philosopher. People used to admire him when he spoke. He did speak in a glamorous way, but he was not a great achiever. Julius Caesar, a Roman emperor, used to speak in such a way that people used to march after hearing him, and he is considered one of the greatest heroes of all times.
Great personalities didn't use any tactics to attract people. They didn't glamorise the language. Instead they kept it simple. Real language is simple and straight. It is for this reason that English has been given the status of global language.
First, you need to change your mindset that speaking English is glamour, it is then you can learn it quickly and easily. Learning the language is nothing but a skill. Let us repeat, English is a skill like cycling, swimming or driving a car. You can learn only if you stop glamorising it.

Hyderabad-india-online.com (HIOC) is a website about Hyderabad city in India that publishes updates, information and opinions on Hyderabad markets, real estate, maps and other topics.

Tips For Understanding the Most Difficult Aspects of English

It is said that English is one of the most difficult languages to learn as a second language, and rightly so! For individuals whose native language is English, the language obviously appears very easy for them because they grew up with it and speak it naturally. For someone who speaks English as a second language, however, there are several areas that most people find very difficult to learn and master. This article will review and discuss some of the most difficult aspects of English, as it pertains to this population.
1. Pronunciation differences can be very challenging.
When a person learns English as a second language, they must learn some new sounds that are not in their native language. Each person brings with them some of the sounds from their native language that are most similar to American English sounds. But, because these sounds don't match exactly, these differences create accents. The heavier the accent, the more difficult a person's speech is to understand. Probably the most commonly used sound and the most difficult to learn is the "r" sound because it can be a consonant and a vowel. The America English "r" sound is also formed differently than in most other languages. Other sounds that tend to be challenging are "w", "v", "t", "d", "th", "ih" and "ee."
2. American English grammar has many exceptions to the rules!
English grammar has what we call "regular forms" which follow specific rules and "irregular forms" that don't. Both have to be learned, which makes English grammar very difficult!
Let's look at the following examples:
Regular plural words: To form regular plural words in English, just add an "s" or "es" to the end of the noun.
For example, the word "hat" changes to "hats", and the word "bus" changes to "buses". Easy, right?
Irregular plurals
That would be great if that's all there was to it, but wait a minute, not so fast! Just when you are thinking, "Hey, this isn't so bad", now you learn that there are just as many plurals that don't follow the rules. Irregular plurals can stay the same as the singular form or can change completely. These must be memorized.
For example, "mouse" changes to "mice", "goose" changes to "geese", and "ox" changes to "oxen".
Forming past tense verbs:
Verbs in English must not only agree with the subject, but are formed in specific ways to indicate tense.
Regular verbs
Regular verbs are verbs that follow the rules. For the past tense this means that they will always add "ed" to the end.
Let's take a look at an example:
The verb "to walk" is a regular verb. To form the past tense, add "ed" to "walk", forming "walked."
Irregular verbs
Irregular verbs are verbs that do not add "ed" at the end when forming past tense. These verbs may stay the same or change completely in spelling.
For example:
The verb "drive" changes to "drove"
The verb "say" changes to "said"
3. English is not a phonetic language.
In some languages, it is easy to sound out a word because the sounds that letters make stay the same. English is not one of these languages, which makes it very difficult to learn. In English, there are many instances when a letter or series of letters do not say what you would think they would say, and they may not even be consistent.
Look at the following example of the letters "ough" in words. So confusing!
"ough" can say several different sounds:
"ough" in "rough" says "uff"
"ough" in "ought" says "aw"
"ough" in "though" says "oh"
"ough" in "through" says "oo"
"ough" in "bough" says "ow"
Yes, English can be very challenging to learn. With patience and dedication, however, one can significantly improve their spoken and written English. Practice makes perfect!

To learn more about Cheryl Posey and her accent reduction services, please go to http://www.speakingyourbest.com and check out courses available. For self-study courses, go to http://www.speakingyourbestonline.com.

The right curriculum for kindergarten: Play

Last year, as Harlem Village Academies prepared to open new elementary schools , our principals visited dozens of kindergarten classrooms. The upper-income schools focused mostly on active play, interesting discussions and crafts, including papier-mache projects that delighted children for hours. In the lower-income schools we saw regimented academics, reward-and-punishment behavior systems and top-down instruction. In one South Bronx classroom, the only time children spoke during the course of three hours was to repeat drills of the sounds of letters over and over.

Why the disparity? Many educators are placing the blame squarely on the Common Core — national learning standards recently adopted by 45 states and the District and supported by the Obama administration — and asserting that they lead to poor-quality teaching and take all the joy out of kindergarten.

One Brooklyn teacher who attempted to teach the Common Core told the New York Post that her kindergartners broke down in tears, anxious and frustrated. Early-childhood development experts such as Nancy Carlsson-Paige argue that the standards will lead to an increase in rote learning and a decrease in active play and exploration. If so, we should heed her warning.

The question, however, is whether the new standards should be blamed for poor quality instruction. It’s an important question, as the Common Core will be the reason for spending billions of dollars for new textbooks, state tests, teacher evaluation systems and more.

The standards were designed to elevate the quality of instruction in our country: to teach students to think independently, grapple with difficult texts, solve problems and explain their thinking in a clear and compelling way. This is a noble vision. But its attainment depends entirely on the execution. In fact, the authors of the Common Core write, “the standards define what all students are expected to know and be able to do, not how teachers should teach.”

Take vocabulary, for example. The Common Core standards state that kindergarten students should be able to “distinguish shades of meaning among verbs that describe some general action (e.g., walk, march, strut, prance) by acting out the meanings.” Imagine a classroom full of 5-year-olds marching, strutting, walking and prancing for 10 minutes to different kinds of music while laughing and learning vocabulary. Imagine, further, that this activity is organically integrated into a meaningful project or a theme-based unit that lights up the child’s love of learning. So while some schools might choose to teach vocabulary in a rote, boring way, clearly the standards are not to blame.

As Zoltan Sarda, an elementary school teacher with 22 years of experience, said to me last month, “The textbook companies are trying to box the big ideas of the Common Core into little disjoined pieces. But just because they are written in a linear way, that doesn’t mean you have to teach in a linear way.” Sarda, who now guides teachers at High Tech High in San Diego, once had his kindergartners build a life-size paper model of how humans would need to be designed in order to fly. This project taught them gravity, anatomy, speed, addition and subtraction, and measurement — all included in the standards — and the children loved it.

When I told one of our kindergarten teachers that there was a growing concern that the standards were ruining kindergarten, she laughed: “I didn’t know standards had that much power!”

So the standards are neither the problem nor the solution. The issue is how to use the standards to teach well. How do we do this at Harlem Village Academies?

First, we hire the smartest people out there and, when necessary, let go those who are not up to par. This is more important than ever, because the Common Core is immensely challenging and requires teachers to make intelligent, nuanced decisions about instruction during every lesson, every day. The only way to teach at this level is for every school to empower its principal to select, nurture and develop an outstanding faculty and then to hold the principal accountable for results.

In our schools, we prioritize teacher development over curriculum development. You do not make teachers better by handing them a packaged curriculum and sending them to a few days of training. Instead, teachers need time to analyze the standards, practice different teaching strategies, learn from mentors, collaborate with colleagues, observe one another, look at student work together, reflect on why certain approaches work better than others, learn from mistakes and continually improve. None of this is fast or easy. But it is how teachers become great.

Above all, we share a vision of engaging, sophisticated education. When a friend visited recently, she saw 27 children dancing in one kindergarten classroom. In another, she saw children singing a song about numbers. And in a third, the children were spread out in different parts of the room — some sprawled on the floor reading, some coloring and others playing with blocks. During our reading and writing period, each child chooses which learning activities to pursue that day. “This looks just like my son’s kindergarten,” she said. “But I pay $37,000 a year!”

Our classrooms are less structured and less orderly, sometimes even a bit chaotic. That’s how kindergarten should feel. Play is not a break from learning or a way to fill time for the little ones: play, imagination and discovery are how kindergartners learn.

Those of us who spend our years fighting for social justice should be as passionate about pedagogy as we are about politics. And that starts with equal access to a quality kindergarten education.

At one school district, the motto is BYOT - Bring Your Own Technology

iPhones, Nintendos and Kindles — devices synonymous with "fun" — are taking a new role in the classroom, thanks to a new trend in education called Bring Your Own Technology – or BYOT.

BYOT programs — like the one at Georgia’s Coal Mountain Elementary School — encourage students to bring in their own personal mobile technology — including iPads, Kindle Fires, netbooks — even gaming devices — to use during class.

“It’s really a simple thing,” says Tim Clark, District Technology Specialist for Forsyth County School District. “Kids have technology in their pockets and [are] taking them to school, but trying to hide them from teachers and from their parents. What we’re trying to do is have the kids take them out of their pockets and use [them] for instruction.”

Technology can be incorporated into lessons in various ways — serving as a research tool, providing access to educational games and allowing students to create multimedia presentations. Clark says students who don’t have their own devices, or opt not to bring them, can use district-owned laptops and electronic resources.

He says the program encourages participation and interaction because “it’s not a solitary type of activity where every child is buried in their device … it increases collaboration. It increases communication with the teacher. The teacher sees immediate feedback from the student’s work and the students are able to overcome other difficulties.”

Tracey Abercrombie, a fifth grade teacher at Coal Mountain, has been impressed with the program in general and praises the difference it has made with her special education students. “I’ve got one [student] who has trouble getting [information],” Abercrombie says. “He can get the ideas formed but there’s a bit of difficulty getting them out verbally. There’s something about typing it, having it come up on that screen. All of a sudden the barrier is gone.”

Clark says incorporating students’ personal devices in the classroom not only enhances learning, but teaches responsibility. “All of this is putting the responsibility on the shoulders of the students and [we’re] also trying to teach them and guide them to use their devices more effectively…not only taking care of their device and being careful not to drop it, but also wanting to make sure they know where it is at all times so it’s not stolen. [Using] it appropriately so they don’t post inappropriate pictures, so they don’t text inappropriate message to each other.”

Those involved with the program say students aren’t the only ones with something to gain from BYOT. For example, Clark says teachers “can learn alongside their students instead of having to determine all of the ways that their students should learn … they get to ask questions and discover all these new uses of the devices themselves."

Abercrombie agrees and has seen her teaching style change since the program began.

“I thought my role was give them all the knowledge that I’ve got about something and use that textbook and my knowledge together," Abercrombie said. "Now I realize that’s not my job at all. My job is to facilitate them. My job is to point them in the right direction, give them the tools they need and — wow — they can do so much more.”

Before launching BYOT in Forsyth County Schools, teachers and administrators explained the program’s structure and ground rules to parents and students. At first, Kara Laurie, who has two children at Coal Mountain Elementary, was apprehensive about allowing her kids to bring their devices to school. She says her initial reaction was that it “was a horrible idea … I had the normal parent concerns, you know, are things going to get broken? Are they going to get lost or stolen? And what about those kids that don’t have technology that they could take to school?”

But as the program got underway, she saw “how much the kids were able to do with it in the classroom. I found that it was a phenomenal idea.”

“We had to sit down as a class, as a team, and really define our rules because [the students are] used to using it any way at home,” Abercrombie says. “They’re used to … putting everything on Facebook, so we had to have a little talk about … different ways to use these devices in school.”

Amy Anderson, another parent of two, was comforted by the district’s approach to the program. Her fourth grader uses a netbook in class, while her first grader has a Nintendo 3DS. “The administration "set some very clear ground rules at the beginning and we had to sign an agreement as parents and they had to sign an agreement as students that they would only stay on,” Anderson recalls. The students "have to be on the school network which has all of the filters. If they don’t abide by those, if they use them when they are not supposed to, if they use them incorrectly, then they lose that privilege of being able to bring it in.”

In 2010, seven schools in Forsyth County School District began BYOT programs. This year, all 35 of the district’s schools are participating. While it is a relatively new idea, BYOT already exists in schools across the country, in states like Texas, Minnesota and Ohio.

Clark says the district has received positive feedback, along with interest in the program.

“I’m receiving messages from other districts that would like to come and see the implementation of bring your own technology in their schools … we recently held a tour of BYOT in our district … we had over 100 visitors on that tour. They were not only other districts, but also vendors wanting to understand how it’s impacting [the students].”

As far as student reaction, Clark says “the students love it…[they] have their devices, they’re learning how to use them in a more responsible way, and they’re being critical thinkers and very creative with their devices in ways that they never would have used them on their own.”

Competency-Based Schools Embrace Digital Learning

Tom Rooney sees competency-based education—supported by digital learning tools—as the path to building a better school district.

The superintendent of the 4,200-student Lindsay Unified School District in California, Rooney set in motion this school year a plan to move to a system in which students progress not on the basis of their age or a set school calendar, but by demonstrating proficiency on learning objectives.

Educators in the district are aware that the transition will undoubtedly hit some bumps in the road, as do most districtwide school improvement efforts. But school leaders entered the school year feeling well prepared because the district has been gradually putting competency-based education, or CBE, in place since the 2009-10 school year.

The move to competency-based education—also known as proficency-, standards-, and performance-based education—by Lindsay Unified and other districts will likely give them a head start in preparing for the new demands of the Common Core State Standards, experts point out, and in their ability to use technology more effectively to personalize learning.

“We have these practices that are ingrained in the traditional public education system that are not consistent with principles of learning and not consistent with how most of the rest of the world operates,” says Rooney.

“Prior to kindergarten, everyone learns to talk at a different time,” he continues. “They get potty-trained at different times, but suddenly when you get to kindergarten, you’re placed in this box, and you’re given the kindergarten curriculum because you’re five, not because you’re ready for it, or even if you already know it all. Kids learn in different ways on different time frames.”

National advocates for competency-based education echo those sentiments, pointing out economic and policy forces that are building momentum for such an approach.

“We’re in a place right now with the forces of global competitiveness, the adoption of common core, all of these new learning models, and the desire to do student-centered, personalized learning—you can’t really do that in a time-based system,” says Susan D. Patrick, the president and chief executive officer of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning. The Alexandria, Va.-based iNACOL is a fervent advocate for competency-based education.

“Common core is a game changer because it’s going to allow us to be able to share best practices and knowledge of skills across states, and it’s going to keep the innovators that are developing online content from having to reinvent the wheel in 50 states,” says Patrick. The ability of states to collaborate will allow more districts to be able to implement pedagogies like competency-based education without having to start from scratch, she says.

Along with a number of other partners, such as the National Governors Association, MetisNet, Jobs for the Future, and the American Youth Policy Forum, iNACOL recently launched an initiative called CompetencyWorks that aims to promote competency-based education and provide resources for educators who are interested in learning more about the model.

The CompetencyWorks organizers hope to bring innovators together and help share their experiences with more schools and districts.

The concept is not new, but several factors have contributed to renewed interest in the structure, says Patrick.

“What’s different now is that [previously it] had to be entirely paper-based,” she says. “Now, with all of the new online and blended learning tools, teachers have a whole set of resources that can help them work with students on their learning goals. Teachers have a way to manage the personalization and allow the different pacing to happen in a very structured, goal-oriented way.”

In addition to helping teachers differentiate instruction for students, new technologies are giving rise to more powerful and detailed information systems that can help track students at the level of granularity that CBE requires, says Christine Sturgis, the founder of the Santa Fe, N.M.-based education consulting company MetisNet, one of the partners of CompetencyWorks.

“[CBE] creates an enormous amount of data about students and teachers and teacher effectiveness,” she says. New information systems are needed to make “data-rich and informed decisions,” adds Sturgis.

Based on conversations at a competency-based-learning summit held in March 2011,Sturgis and Patrick published a five-part working definition of CBE. Under the definition, students advance upon mastery, competencies are broken down into explicit and measurable learning objectives, assessment is meaningful for students, students receive differentiated support based on their learning needs, and learning outcomes emphasize competencies that include the application and creation of knowledge.

However, re-engineering schools to a competency-based model is not a silver bullet, and creating competencies must be done thoughtfully and carefully to be successful, Sturgis explains in a paper about designing competencies, published by CompetencyWorks.

“If the competencies, learning objectives, and rubrics are not designed well, students may become bored by low expectations, frustrated by high-level competencies without adequate scaffolding embedded in the learning objectives, or disengaged through inconsistent feedback from flawed rubrics,” the paper says. “Although it is obvious, it cannot be overstated: Well-designed competencies are one of the essential elements for high-quality competency education.”

‘Pace Does Matter’

Empowering students and making sure they know exactly what it is they should be learning and how it can be demonstrated is a key component of CBE, its advocates say.

“Learners really understand where they’re at and where they’re going next,” says Rooney, the Lindsay Unified superintendent.

To create their learning objectives, officials of his district brought together 30 teachers and about a dozen administrators to go through the California state education standards for grades K-12 and realign the information into need-to-know learning objectives. The district also worked with the Marzano Research Laboratory, run by educator Robert J. Marzano, to help design the new curriculum.

In addition, the group created a set of assessments to go with the curriculum to evaluate how well students learned the material.

After several years of tweaking those standards and piloting them in classes, the district moved to CBE officially in 2009-10 with the incoming class of 9th graders.

Teachers, who under the new system are now called learning facilitators, scrapped the traditional grading scale and moved to a 0-4 rubric, where a 3 is the minimum passing standard and 4 indicates that a student has gone above and beyond the requirements of mastery.

Although students in Lindsay Unified are still grouped into grade levels, each student is also grouped by a content level (readiness levels 1-13), so the learning facilitator knows exactly where every student falls in each subject area by content level. The district also built in more flexibility with scheduling so that students can move from one content level to the next without having to wait for the semester to end.

In addition, students receive frequent and meaningful feedback from their learning facilitators, Rooney says. In the new information system, teachers, students, and parents can check to see students’ exact progress in each content area at any point in time.

But just because students now learn at their own pace does not mean that students can take multiple years to get through one content level, emphasizes Rooney. “Pace does matter,” he says. “Our system is about increasing the rigor and holding everyone accountable—administrators, learners, and learning facilitators.”

Students who are more than two content levels below their grade levels receive individualized learning plans to help them catch up to their peers. Those students are allowed to test out of certain parts of the curriculum that they may already know to increase their pace.

Ultimately, though, what CBE comes down to is good teaching, Rooney says. Providing good feedback, making sure that students learn what they need to know before they move on, and differentiating instruction for each student is what good teachers have always done, he says.

The Boston Day and Evening Academy, an alternative high school in the Roxbury section of Boston that serves overage, undercredited students, has been using competency-based education since it opened 17 years ago, says the director of curriculum and instruction, Alison Hramiec.

The school, which does not use a traditional grading scale or group students by grade levels, has broken down each yearlong course into 11-week classes so that students have more flexibility to move from one class to the other.

“With this population of students in particular, they leave school, they have poor attendance, different situations arise, and they may fall behind in that class,” Hramiec says. In a traditional school, she says, “when they get back to school, everyone’s far ahead, and there’s no flexibility to get those kids caught up.”

But at the Boston Day and Evening Academy, students have the flexibility to start up where they left off, she says.

Like Lindsay Unified, the Boston Day and Evening Academy has spent several years aligning the curriculum with state standards and breaking it down into need-to-know competencies.

“You start with [the standards] and from there pull out what you believe are the enduring understandings,” says Hramiec. “Those are the big learning objectives that are the ones you want students to carry with them ten years from now.”

All students must demonstrate competencies independently and multiple times to move on, she says. They are given many opportunities to practice mastery informally before the actual assessment.

Protecting Innovators

One state that has taken the lead in competency-based education is New Hampshire, which in 2005 eliminated the Carnegie unit, a seat-time-oriented way of accounting for students’ academic progress. Schools in the state were given until the 2008-09 school year to move from a time-based to a mastery-based system.

Those regulations extend to the statewide online public high school, the Exeter, N.H.-based Virtual Learning Academy Charter School, or VLACS, which has been competency-based since it opened in 2007.

When students take and complete courses at VLACS is flexible, allowing students to move at their own pace. They can complete courses in 10 weeks or take as long as 36 weeks, says Steve Kossakoski, the chief executive officer of the school.

Students must score at least a 75 or greater on all competency-based assessments, out of a possible 100, in addition to receiving a passing average score on all the assignments (not just the ones pegged as competencies) in order to pass.

To help brick-and-mortar schools in the state meet the mastery-based requirements, VLACS has begun offering competency-recovery classes for students in regular schools who have fallen behind.

“In a traditional school, one of the things they’ve struggled with is what do you do with a student who hasn’t met competency in a world where everything is attendance-based?” says Kossakoski. In the competency-recovery courses that VLACS offers, the courses are broken down into smaller units so students only need to go through the parts of the class that they didn’t pass the first time.

Interest in the competency-recovery classes has jumped from about 200 students the first year it was offered to 1,400 students in the last school year, says Kossakoski.

The Washington-based Council of Chief State School Officers has brought together nine states, including New Hampshire, in its Innovation Lab Network to build new models of education that empower learners. Members of the network challenge the status quo with six design principles for transformation, one of which is performance-based learning.

“We want [states] to wrap around [innovative schools and districts] and protect them like a cocoon,” says Gene Wilhoit, the president of the CCSSO.

The Common Core State Standards have helped pave the way for innovative learning models such as CBE, says Wilhoit.

However, while innovation is happening in pockets around the country, large-scale statewide movements are rare, he says.

To push that progress along, the Innovation Lab has identified diagnostic tools that need to be developed and more effective intervention strategies for teachers.

One of the most recent states to join the CCSSO’s Innovation Lab is Iowa, which has begun to explore the idea of competency-based education. It granted districts in the state access to seat-time waivers after a forum about CBE held in December 2011.

The 500-student Collins-Maxwell Community School District, about 40 miles north of Des Moines, is one that has taken advantage of the change in policy.

“Competency-based education challenges some of the structures that we think may be there to support students, but may actually be limits,” says Jason Ellingson, the superintendent of the rural district, who also sits on the state’s task force on CBE.

Although the district has not rolled out a proficiency-based education system, it is taking steps to encourage organic growth of the model, officials say.

For instance, this school year, the district will be giving out iPads to all of its K-12 students. While elementary school students will leave the devices at school overnight, middle and high school students will be allowed to take the devices home with them.

“We feel that those tools are going to be pushing the idea of personalized learning, and we think that’s going to help the discussion around competency-based education,” says Ellingson.