Recent Articles
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Chunking with emergent bilinguals: The size and shape of things to come
David Irwin EducationWhen you see a great movie with friends, what is the first thing you do afterward? Most people will break into animated conversation about the places where the plot shifted, or great moments of acting or action. If we see a sports event with friends, we'll talk about the great plays, whether a certain player was or wasn't playing up to expectations, how the team is doing in the standings. Spending a great day with family at a theme park generates stories for days to come.
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Digital detox: A balanced approach to a world of tech
Christina Nava Science & TechnologyAs technology continues to evolve, the constant presence of it in our day-to-day lives carries the threat of not only being a distraction, but also turning into an addiction if we're not careful. A little over a year ago, I wrote about the deadly distraction of digital devices, discussing the trend of people texting and taking selfies while engaging in risky behavior. These problems appear to be getting worse as numerous studies of distracted driving and technology addiction continue to make headlines.
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Building a construction industry that includes women, too
Michael J. Berens Construction & Building MaterialsAmid signs that demand for new construction may be softening in some areas, hiring in the industry slowed in April. At the same time, unemployment fell to just 6 percent, adding to concerns that a shortage of skilled labor could delay or defer future projects, further impeding growth.
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Is the franchise model good for associations?
Robert C. Harris Association ManagementNonprofit associations and for-profit franchises share a drive for good customer service, brand awareness, delivery of products and services, and sustainability of the organization. But when I describe the association concept to volunteers, they are more focused on committees, member growth, fundraising and conferences.
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You should pay your summer interns
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementInterns are usually employees. The issue can seem confusing, but that is only because so many employers do it wrong. If people come to work for your organization — nonprofit, for-profit, large or tiny — and they do work you have or would normally pay an employee to do, they are probably employees even if you call them interns. And that is OK, as long as you actually pay them like employees.
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Metals Thoughts: Summer break
Brad Yates Natural ResourcesWith summer rapidly approaching, it seems an appropriate time to hit pause on our weekly focus. Let's take a look at our broader, medium-term macro outlook and establish where upside and downside risks to our base case exist. Here's my version of a summer long-form beach read.
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Redesigning K-12 education — the Harvard way
Bambi Majumdar EducationA Pew Research Center analysis in 2015 showed how international students have steadily outpaced Americans students, especially in STEM degrees. There is also a growing knowledge gap among students within the country that is detrimental to indigenous progress.
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Connecting the disadvantaged with warehousing opportunities
Ken Ackerman Distribution & WarehousingDecades ago, warehouse managers discovered that people with certain disabilities could perform some kinds of warehouse work. For example, a footwear manufacturer employed deaf-mute people as order selectors with great success. The only accommodation needed was to caution lift-truck operators that these people could not hear and therefore might not sense the approach of the machine.
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5 tips to polish your email communication
Jason Dailey CommunicationsMost of us have to interact with other people in the workplace whether it's co-workers, customers, or both. And that means we have to communicate — we can't escape it. The most popular form of written communication in most workplaces is email. Email has been around for a long time, and it isn't going away anytime soon. We've all used it for years, so it's easy to treat it lightly. I'm here to discourage you from treating it too lightly.
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5 quick tips to polish your email communication
Jason Dailey Religious CommunityMost of us have to interact with other people in the workplace whether it's co-workers, customers, or both. And that means we have to communicate — we can't escape it. The most popular form of written communication in most workplaces is email. Email has been around for a long time, and it isn't going away anytime soon. We've all used it for years, so it's easy to treat it lightly. I'm here to discourage you from treating it too lightly.