Problems In Education And Society Essays - Educational Psychology

Problems In Education And Society Essays - Educational Psychology Problems in Education and Society According to "A Nation at Risk", the American education system has declined due to a "rising tide of mediocrity" in our schools. States such as New York have responded to the findings and recommendations of the report by implementing such strategies as the "Regents Action Plan" and the "New Compact for Learning". In the early 1980?s, President Regan ordered a national commission to study our education system. The findings of this commission were that, compared with other industrialized nations, our education system is grossly inadequate in meeting the ezdards of education that many other countries have developed. At one time, America was the world leader in technology, service, and industry, but overconfidence based on a historical belief in our superiority has caused our nation to fall behind the rapidly growing competitive market in the world with regard to education. The report in some respects is an unfair comparison of our education system, which does not have a national ezdard for goals, curriculum, or regulations, with other countries that do, but the findings nevertheless reflect the need for change. Our education system at this time is regulated by states which implement their own curriculum, set their own goals and have their own requirements for teacher preparation. Combined with this is the fact that we have lowered our expectations in these areas, thus we are not providing an equal or quality education to all students across the country. The commission findings generated recommendations to improve the content of education and raise the ezdards of student achievement, particularly in testing, increase the time spent on education and provide incentives to encourage more individuals to enter the field of education as well as improving teacher preparation. N.Y. State responded to these recommendations by first implementing the Regents Action Plan; an eight year plan designed to raise the ezdards of education. This plan changed the requirements for graduation by raising the number of credits needed for graduation, raising the number of required core curriculum classes such as social studies, and introduced technology and computer science. The plan also introduced the Regents Minimum Competency Tests, which requires a student to pass tests in five major categories; math, science, reading, writing, and two areas of social studies. Although the plan achieved many of its goals in raising ezdards of education in N.Y. State, the general consensus is that we need to continue to improve our education system rather than being satisfied with the achievements we have made thus far. Therefore, N.Y. adopted "The New Compact for Learning". This plan is based on the principles that all children can learn. The focus of education should be on results and teachers should aim for mastery, not minimum competency. Education should be provided for all children and authority with accountability should be given to educators and success should be rewarded with necessary changes being made to reduce failures. This plan calls for curriculum to be devised in order to meet the needs of students so that they will be fully functional in society upon graduation, rather than just being able to graduate. Districts within the state have been given the authority to devise their own curriculum, but are held accountable by the state so that each district meets the states goals that have been established. Teachers are encouraged to challenge students to reach their full potential, rather than minimum competency. In this regard, tracking of students is being eliminated so that all students will be challenged, rather than just those who are gifted. Similarly, success should be rewarded with recognition and incentives to further encourage progress for districts, teachers and students while others who are not as accomplished are provided remedial training or resources in order to help them achieve success. It is difficult to determine whether our country on the whole has responded to the concerns that "A Nation at Risk" presented. Clearly though, N.Y. State has taken measures over the last ten years to improve its own education system. In many respects the state has accomplished much of what it set out to do, but the need to continue to improve is still present. Certainly, if America is determined to regain its superiority in

The Essay Experts Top 10 Lists of 2016

The Essay Experts Top 10 Lists of 2016 My blogging year would not be complete without the Essay Expert’s Top 10 Lists of 2016. Lists are so great aren’t they? Someone compiles stuff for us and we get to reap the rewards. Here are my faves from the past year, some looking back and some envisioning the future: Career Jobs 1. Top 10 Best Job Websites Whatever you think about this particular list, what strikes me about top 10 job site lists in general this year is that indeed.com seems to top all of them. Indeed.com enables you to search millions of job listings and is reportedly â€Å"user-friendly, uncluttered, and simple and easy to navigate.† If you’re going to use a job search engine, indeed.com is the one to use. Glassdoor is also a popular site for the information you can glean about companies that interest you. And I like that idealist.org made this list since it shows the non-profit sector is going strong. Finally, I like this list because LinkedIn is on it. I don’t need to elaborate on that do I? 🙂 2. Looking Ahead: 5 Top Job Trends to Watch in 2017 This white paper from Glassdoor, based on data from 2016, is enlightening as to what to look forward to in 2017. Predictions include more tech focus in all industries; a narrowing of the gender pay gap. 3. LinkedIn’s Top 10 Skills of 2016 I wrote a blog on this in October, and it bears repeating. While other skills than these will certainly get you hired in some industries, LinkedIn’s list points out a real trend. 4. The 25 Best Jobs of 2016 What do an orthodontist, accountant and nurse practitioner have in common? They’re all in the top 25 great jobs to have in 2016, or to look for in 2017, according to U.S. News World Report. (Why â€Å"resume writer† is not on the list I can’t tell you!) 5. 36 Top Experts on the Best Career Resolutions for 2017 Big themes in this list of wisdom from top career experts include the importance of networking, professional development, and self-awareness. Read the article to get some creative ideas – like checking out a website on whether your career might be automated – and start planning for your career future! Technology 6. The 15 most exciting new tech products launching in 2017 Looks like Google is giving Apple and Microsoft a run for their money. And will Samsung recover from their disastrous year with a â€Å"foldable† phone? Only time will tell. Why do I suddenly want one of everything? 7. 17 Tech Hacks That’ll Make You Feel Like a Boss From tricks for cleaning your keyboard to how to create a charging station out of a water bottle, these tech hacks have something for everyone to make life easier in 2017. I will definitely be implementing some of these ideas in the new year! Travel, World Books 8. 43 New York City Parking Holidays I wrote an article about the implications of so many holidays during the Jewish High Holidays this year. It seems 2017 will have just 43 special parking regulation days, not 45, which does not change my fascination with the list one bit. If you’re curious, take a look. I had not heard of some of these important days until viewing the list! 9. Best Trips from National Geographic Looking for a super-cool break from the daily grind? Here are some pretty amazing places to explore for a week, a month, or maybe a lifetime. 10. New Books to Sharpen Your Mind in 2017 I hope these non-fiction books come out on CD so I can â€Å"read† them in my car. I’m fascinated by most of these topics, from digital addictions to the power of meaning to why some ideas succeed and others fail. I’m excited to train my brain in the coming year. What are your favorite lists looking back on 2016 or forward to 2017? Please share! Save Save Save Save Category:BloggingBy Brenda BernsteinDecember 27, 2016