From TedTalks:

Alisa Miller, head of Public Radio International, talks about why—though we want to know more about the world than ever—the US media is actually showing less. Eye-opening stats and graphs.

Take a look at this video and be amazed at what we are not told…

Happy learning!

From TED Talks:

Brazilian-born, Brooklyn-based fine artist Vik Muniz has exhibited his work all over the world. Using unexpected materials to create portraits, landscapes and still lifes — which he then photographs — he delights in subverting a viewer’s expectations.

Watch as Mr. Muniz shares his art with us, and observe how he takes every day items and turns them into beautiful displays of artwork.

Happy learning!

The life of a college student is defined by freedom and the chance to discover, finally, who you are as a person and come into your own. This is a vital time in a young adult’s life and it is critical that they be allowed to make mistakes and learn from them, sometimes on their own.

The phenomenon known as helicopter parents may block this growth. According to Wikipedia, the definition of a helicopter parent is “…a person who pays extremely close attention to his or her child or children, particularly at educational institutions. They rush to prevent any harm or failure from befalling them or letting them learn from their own mistakes, sometimes even contrary to the children’s wishes. They are so named because, like a helicopter, they hover closely overhead, rarely out of reach whether their children need them or not.”

There are pros and cons of having a helicopter parent. The pros are:

• Students who are in constant contact with a parent or guardian are most likely more satisfied in their school life.
• Students report deeper learning experiences.
• Students report greater gains with learning on their own and learning to work with people from different backgrounds.

The other side of the coin:

• Students with highly involved parents tend to have lower grades.

source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-11-04-nsse-helicopter-parents_N.htm

Helicoptering, as the term is used, is not relegated to middle- and upper-class students and parents. The phenomenon crosses all class and race barriers, and can be defined by five different categories.

They are:

• The “Consumer Advocate” parent—views each phase of the college experience as a business transaction and wants the biggest bang for their buck.
• The “Only Want What’s Best for My Child” parent—requires that their child have access to the best classes, professors, dorms, internships, and majors.
• The “Helopat” parent—fights for fairness and think that universities aren’t offering equitable resources to all students.
• The “Entitlement Advocate” parent—believes that no child should be left behind and keeps up with the latest state and federal requirements for education.
• The “Vicarious College Student” parent—tries to live out their missed college years through their child.

source: http://www.utexas.edu/features/2007/helicopter/

Whatever the case may be, being supportive of a college student is necessary. To prevent helicoptering, start early by assigning responsibility to the student during high school. Resist the temptation to step in and take over (except for those situations that need parental resolution). Begin letting go in increments and by the time the student is in college, they will come to you when they need support and won’t feel like you are smothering them.

Happy learning!

Michael Bitz, an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University, recently won a national competition with his idea of helping students learn academic subjects while creating their own record labels. Mr. Bitz will now attempt to bring his ideas to schools across the country as the first recipient of the fellowship awarded by Mind Trust, an Indianapolis non-profit organization. His story is featured in an article in USA Today.

The basis of Mr. Bitz’s idea is simple: allow the children to write songs, create digital tracks, design their own cover art, and market their CDs. The article states that elementary students have recorded tracks about civil rights heroes and favorite holidays, while middle school students have delved into edgier subjects such as crime and love.

How does this fit into a school’s core curriculum? It does teach the students math skills by getting them involved in marketing and business plans. And, according to one student, by writing songs, it focused on English skills, helping to focus on similes, metaphors, and personification.

There were over 150 applicants in the Mind Trust competition, all with ideas on how to encourage hands-on student engagement at school. Mr. Bitz believes that bringing music-making into schools is a sure way to get kids involved:

“There’s just something about music that helps kids connect to themselves and the world at large,” he said. “I’m trying to capitalize on that in some way.”

Happy learning!