Education News: February 20, 2009

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending February 20, 2009.

Librarians Expand Skills Without Greater Job Security
(New York Times, February 15, 2009)  As students get more and more research information from the internet, librarians are evolving into “media specialists” who must guide students through the vast amounts of information available on the web.  While still demonstrating the importance of books, librarians must expand their roles to include all relevant media.  Librarians now teach students how to create PowerPoint presentations, stream videos on the web and use social networking sites to complement classroom learning.  Despite their expanded role, however, librarians still find themselves the first to go when there is a budget crunch.  This is common for librarians who often feel slighted by other teachers and school administrators who only see them as playing a tangential role in schools.

Stimulus Check Brings Lots of Power and Pressure to Secretary of Education
(New York Times, February 16, 2009)  With $100 billion in emergency aid set aside for public schools in the stimulus bill, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has a truly unique position in history.  With tremendous amounts of money and the power to spend it as he sees fit, Duncan has the opportunity to alter the face of education in America.  First, Duncan must immediately develop a mechanism for dispensation of his budget which has doubled overnight.  He also must figure out who to give the money to and how much they get.  The bill, amongst other measures, will double federal spending on disadvantaged and disabled children and, for the first time, make billions in federal dollars available for school renovation.  The majority of Duncan’s impact will result from $5 billion from a stabilization fund that he will to reward states, districts and schools for setting high standards and narrowing achievement gaps, with the goal of preventing layoffs.  Mr. Duncan intends to reward school districts, charter schools and nonprofit organizations that have demonstrated success at raising student achievement.  The positions of deputy secretary, under secretary and chief of staff and dozens of other senior posts at the Education Department remain unfilled, so Mr. Duncan is relying on help from career officers and consultants.

Students Bring Unrealistic Grade Expectations
(New York Times, February 17, 2009)  At many universities, professors are finding students with a sense of entitlement to earn better grades.  Whether it’s because they claim to have worked hard or to have never received such a low grade, students consistently argue with professors that their grades should be higher.  A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, found that a third of students reported they expected B’s just for attending lectures, and 40% said they deserved a B for completing the required reading.  Explanations for these expectations range from parental pressure to experiences in k-12 schooling.  Some feel that maximum effort should be reflected in the grade.  Others question whether a grade is meant to represent effort or mastery of the subject.

Websites Help Students Raise Funds for College
(Christian Science Monitor, February 18, 2009)  With college tuition on the rise and financial aid declining due to shrinking budgets, students are finding creative ways to raise funds.  Websites have begun popping up, such as GreenNote, where students can raise donations for college.  The money does sometimes come with a catch such as earning good grades or completing volunteer work.  So far the actual amount of funding on these sites is minimal, but there is hope for growth.  Many financial experts say the increased popularity of such sites is due to lack of information, as many students assume they are unable to obtain student loans when they probably could have.  Also important is to compare the loans’ interest rates to national average to see if you are receiving a good deal.  The lenders find that people are more likely to pay back a social loan than a government or bank loan.  Other sites to that provide assistance are CollegeDegreeFund.com and GradeFund.com. 

Are Older Teachers Ineffective?
(Washington Post, February 19, 2009)  The best schools tend to be those with diversity amongst its faculty, with a wide range of ages, backgrounds, styles and personalities.  It is naïve to believe that the solution to America’s education problem is to excise veterans and flood the schools with recent college graduates.  Teachers do not necessarily become jaded after a certain age, but often master their subject and can provide help and guidance to new teachers.

Denver School Drops Racist Logo
(Denver Post, February 20, 2009) Denver’s South High School has been given approval by the School Board to change its “Johnny Rebel” logo, which appears to be a confederate soldier, to a griffin logo, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of an eagle.  The change comes as the result of a student presentation to the board this Thursday.  The “Johnny Rebel” logo has represented the school for decades, but has been the subject of unrest over the past year due to the message that a confederate soldier might impart regarding the suppression of African Americans.  The new logo is based on a statue at the entrance to the school, but the school’s sports team will still be called the rebels.

Microsoft to Explore Link Between Video Games and Education
(Boston Globe, February 20, 2009)  Microsoft has begun exploring whether video gaming can promote skills which carry over into the classroom.  To that end, Microsoft has put up $1.5 million to start The Games for Learning Institute, a joint venture with New York University and other colleges.  The institute’s goal is to find out if video games, and not necessarily those designed to be educational, can interest students in math, science and technology.   Other studies have been conducted along this vein, with one finding that players sometimes use mathematics and models to deal with a games fantasy world.  Monitoring groups feel that Microsoft will bring much needed money and credibility to the research.