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A look at the benefits of getting an MBA
Amanda Kowalski Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementIn business, sometimes it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. You work hard, but so do a lot of your co-workers — and they are looking to get ahead just like you are. Maybe an extra degree will push you over the top for that promotion. According to U.S. News & World Report, the National Association of Colleges and Employers say that the average starting salary for Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduates is $79,043, more than $20,000 higher than those graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business. And it’s not just the first year that salaries are higher for MBA grads. The returns multiply over time like any good investment.
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How COVID-19 has changed what’s needed in ed tech
Bambi Majumdar EducationSchools around the world quickly pivoted to online learning when COVID-19 struck. Distance learning remains the key strategy to maintain instructional continuity in the face of massive uncertainties. K-12 school leaders are continuing to provide the best instruction platforms to avert public health risks. However, many experts feel that the pandemic has changed the nature of K-12 education forever. Let's take a closer look at the issues that can be addressed with technology.
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Grading what matters most
Brian Stack EducationIn a recent article, Edutopia’s Stephen Merrill asked a pivotal question that every educator needs to ask themselves right now: "In schools, are we measuring what matters?" Merrill reports out on a recent interview he conducted with educator Angela Duckworth, a champion for the push to include non-academic skills and dispositions in assessment, grading, and reporting plans. Duckworth is best known for her 2016 bestselling book "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance." The book raised questions and concerns from fans and critics on whether the concept of grit was a skill that should be measured by schools.
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Why cultural understanding is essential: Part 5
Douglas Magrath EducationCulture is an important element for any ESL program, and instructors need to be aware of learners’ cultures as they work with international students. New students may feel isolated, especially if no one else from their country is in the program or school. Language teaching, including ESL/ESOL, should include a cultural component. Language and culture go together. Sometimes culture is missing from the curriculum. This represents a missed opportunity for student engagement: Without cultural contexts, students are robbed of a full and engaging language learning experience.
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How water helps boost student mental health
Sheilamary Koch and Ayla Reguero Koch EducationMost of us have experienced times when an ocean, river rapids, a waterfall or a very cold swimming pool has demanded our attention or inspired awe. Water is indeed a powerful force of nature. However, it’s not commonly thought of as part of the educator’s toolkit (unless perhaps you’re teaching Montessori or marine biology). This article may change your mind. Oceans and water in general can be used by educators to benefit student learning both as a mindfulness tool and a boost to brain functioning.
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US payrolls add 638,000 jobs; unemployment rate drops to 6.9%
Seth Sandronsky Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementU.S. employers added 638,000 nonfarm jobs in October, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. October’s rate of unemployment fell to 6.9% from September’s 7.9% and August’s 8.4%. The gradual employment improvement is a result of eased COVID-19 restrictions on social movement and resuming of commerce, though the pandemic remains uncontained and prospects for a vaccine available to the public are unclear. "The number of unemployed persons fell by 1.5 million to 11.1 million," according to the BLS. "Both measures have declined for 6 consecutive months but are nearly twice their February levels."
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Improving in-person and remote instruction: Critical elements
Howard Margolis EducationRemote teaching alone cannot easily and fully create and sustain many of the critical elements needed to meaningfully advance struggling learners’ academic, social, and emotional progress. These elements include listening and acting with empathy; helping parents successfully address COVID-19’s anxiety producing obstacles and dangers; understanding how to help struggling learners achieve their IEP or section 504 goals; and helping them take well-earned credit for their efforts and accomplishments.
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Will the pandemic make us better educators?
Brian Stack EducationI try to be an eternal optimist, even when times are tough. I’m the person looking for the silver lining in every bad story. Some days it drives my wife crazy because she tells me I don’t have to find a lesson in every situation. The pandemic has offered all of us a series of lessons, whether we like it or not. I’ve been struggling lately to be the instructional leader that I want to be for my New Hampshire high school staff. They look to me for advice as they navigate the tricky waters of teaching in a pandemic, and yet I cannot offer them first-hand advice from experience, because I’ve never been in this situation before.
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Has the pandemic changed the nature of K-12 cybersecurity?
Bambi Majumdar Education2020 has been the year of remote learning, which means more digitalization. It also means new security challenges for K-12 students. Thousands of users are using cloud-based applications such as Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Google Classroom, and Zoom. The high volume of users and greater network demands lead to regular technical issues that teachers and schools have to overcome. But these are issues that, albeit annoying, can be handled. More sinister is the fact that it has created a new way for cybercriminals to strike.
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Picking up after an unsuccessful college experience
Dan McManmon EducationFailing in college as a teen or young adult with learning differences is a stressful time for the entire family. Parents have already invested countless hours obtaining a diagnose and related services, attending and advocating at IEP meetings, securing accommodations, creating transition plans, planning social time, dealing with legal matters, and much more. The student may experience failure internally and become depressed or anxious about their future. When things don't go as planned at the college level, it's a good time to step back and look at the alternatives.
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