Do I Really Need A College Degree?

That would depend on personal career goals, but in general the higher the education, the higher the salary, and the better the career options and security.

 According to a recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau, the median annual income for employees with a high school diploma was only $27,915; for a bachelor’s degree $51,206. Individuals with only a high school diploma were twice as likely to be unemployed as those holding bachelor’s degrees. Those without a high school diploma averaged a yearly income of just $18,734.

Individuals who earn a master's or doctoral degree received an annual average of $74,602 or more. Over a lifetime, the gap in earning potential between the high school graduate and those holding a bachelor's degree or higher exceeds $1 million, according to the College Board.

Statistics project that 75 percent of future positions are expected to require at least some type of certification or licensure, and professions that require a bachelor’s degree are projected to grow nearly twice as fast as the national average, making a college degree a good investment. Many adults find they need a college degree to enter their career of choice or for increased earning potential or advancement. Others are in career transition or find themselves back in the workforce because of divorce or economic conditions. 

With advancing technology and changing economic and employment conditions, many adults are experiencing an increasing demand to develop or update their knowledge and skills.

Effective Discipline

Discipline is probably the most difficult and unpleasant part of any educator's job. When instructors effectively communicate rules, set high expectations and provided frequent feedback, the need for discipline will likely be infrequent. However, action is occasionally required to correct a situation where a student has broken the rules or is not putting in the required amount of effort. The approach taken to the disciplinary action often determines its effectiveness. Many traditional approaches to discipline are negative, punitive and reactive, which result in bad feelings for all parties involved. A positive approach to discipline involves a process designed to solve performance problems and encourage good performance. The basic theory behind the positive discipline approach is that when a student is treated as an adult who must solve a problem, rather than as a child who must be punished, the student is more likely to respond positively and correct the problem.

Well before any disciplining action is required, there must be acceptance and understanding of the rules of conduct and the disciplinary system by both teachers and students. Students should know exactly what is expected of them and what the consequences will be if they do not meet those expectations. The rules should be consistent and fair. The discipline system will be more effective when there is consistency between teachers.

Criteria for an Effective Disciplinary System

If discipline is to be effective, it should:

• Emphasize correcting the problem rather that distributing punishment.
• Maintain the student's self-esteem and dignity.
• Provide for increasingly serious consequences if the problem is not resolved.
• Be easy for the teacher to administer and evaluate.
• Result in the desired behavioral change in the student.

Key Components of an Effective Disciplinary System

• Mutual respect between the teacher and the student should be maintained.
• Maintain or enhance motivation if possible.
• Hold a Coaching/Counseling meeting as soon as possible to when the problem is first identified.
• Always hold the meeting in private. If disciplinary action is taken in front of others, the student is likely to become defensive and less open.
• During the disciplinary meeting:
  • Review the facts and state the problem in terms of desired performance and actual performance.
  • Give the student a chance to explain or ask why the problem is occurring.
  • Listen to what the student has to say.
  • Explain the rational for the policy or rule that was violated.
  • Ask the student for possible solutions to the problem.
  • Clearly communicate the changes that needed to be made and the time frame for making them.
  • Express confidence in the students ability to change/improve. End on a positive note.
• Keep the discussion confidential.
• Follow-up as required and provide regular feedback.
• Take additional disciplinary action if necessary.

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6 Speed Reading Techniques

Learn 6 speed-reading techniques, one a week, from the former business partner of the famous Evelyn Wood, founder of Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics. H. Bernard Wechsler shares six of the techniques successful speed readers use.

Wechsler is director of education at The Speed Learning Institute and is affiliated with Long Island University, the Learning Annex, and New York schools through the DOME Project (Developing Opportunities through Meaningful Education). He and Wood taught 2 million people to speed read, including Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Carter.

1. Week 1: Hold Your Material at a 30-Degree Angle

Hold your book, or whatever you're reading, at a 30-degree angle to your eyes. Never read material lying flat on a table or desk. Wechsler says reading from flat material is "painful to your retina, causes eye fatigue, and after about two hours often leads to dry eye and irritation."

Adjust the angle of your computer screen to 30 degrees also.

2. Week 2: Move Your Head Left to Right as You Read

This is not the way I was taught to read, but Wechsler cites scientific evidence that moving your head slightly back and forth while you read helps stabilize images on your retina. It's called the vestibulo-ocular reflex, or VOR. 

Moving your head while you read also helps you to stop reading individual words and read phrases instead. Wechsler says, "The secret of reading multiple words at a time and doubling or tripling your learning skills is widening your vision by using your peripheral vision."

"Relax the tiny muscles on either side of your eyes," Wechsler says, "and soften your focus."

This practice alone, he says, will help you increase your speed from 200 to 2,500 words per minute, the difference between speaking and thinking.

3. Week 3: Read with a Pointer

Wechsler calls on your survival instinct in Week 3: the instinct to follow a moving object in your field of vision.

He advocates using a pen, laser, or pointer of some kind, even your finger, to underline each sentence as you read. Your peripheral vision will pick up six words on either side of the point, allowing you to move through a sentence six times faster than reading each word.

The pointer helps you create a pace and focuses your attention on the page.

"When using a (pointer), never permit the point to touch the page," Wechsler says. "Underline about ½ inch above the words on the page. In just 10 minutes of practice, your pacing becomes smooth and comfortable. Your learning speed will double in 7 days and triple in 21 days."

4. Week 4: Read in Chunks

The human eye has a small dimple called the fovea. In that one spot, vision is clearest. When you divide a sentence into chunks of three or four words, your eyes see the center of the chunk most clearly but can still distinguish the surrounding words.

Think of reading a sentence in three or four chunks instead of reading every word, and you can see how much faster you would get through the material.

"Chunking makes it easier for your retina to use central vision (fovea ) to offer you sharp, clear words to read," Wechsler says.

5. Week 5: Believe

The mind is far more powerful than most of us give it credit for. When you believe you can do something, you usually can.

In Week 5, use positive self-talk to reprogram your belief system. Wechsler says repeating positive affirmations 30 seconds a day for 21 days "creates linked  brain cells (neurons) in permanent neural networks."

Here are the affirmations he suggests:

1. "I release my past beliefs/perceptions/judgments and now easily and quickly learn and remember."
2. "Every day in every way I'm speedlearning faster and faster, and getting better and better."

6. Week 6: Exercise Your Eyes for 60 Seconds Before Reading

Before you start reading, Wechsler suggests you "warm up" your eyes.

"It sharpens your vision and activates your peripheral sight to speed up your learning speed," Wechsler says. "This daily one-minute exercise may help you avoid eye-muscle fatigue."

Here's how:

1. Focus on a single spot on the wall 10 feet in front of you, keeping your head still.
2. With your right hand extended in front of you at eye level, trace an 18-inch infinity symbol (a sideways 8) and follow it with your eyes three or four times.
3. Switch hands and trace the symbol with your left hand, effectively awakening both sides of your brain.
4. Drop your hand and trace the symbol 12 times in  one direction with your eyes alone.
5. Switch, moving your eyes in the other direction.

Teaching with the Constructivist Theory

What is the best method of teaching to use?

One of the first things a teacher must do when considering how to teach students is to acknowledge that each student does not learn in the same way. This means that if the teacher chooses just one style of teaching (direct instruction, collaborative learning, inquiry learning, etc.), the students will not be maximizing their learning potential. Obviously, a teacher can not reach every student on the same level during one lesson, but implementing a variety of learning styles throughout the course allows all the students will have the chance to learn in at least one way that matches their learning style.

Much of the material used to educate students at grade levels beyond primary school is largely text and lecture based, which have significant limitations. While reading is a very important learning mode, not all students learn effectively from reading. Some students respond better to visual and audio stimuli of lecture but often get lost in the material or lose interest in the presentation. In this type of a learning environment, students have limited opportunity to ask questions or may be uncomfortable asking a question in front of the class. It is well known that many questions go unasked.

How do students learn best?

Before we answer this question, ask yourself, "How do I learn best?" For example, do you learn better when someone tells you exactly how to do something, or do you learn better by doing it yourself? Many people are right in the middle of those two scenarios. This has led many educators to believe that the best way to learn is by having students construct their own knowledge instead of having someone construct it for them. This belief is explained by the Constructivist Learning Theory. This theory states that learning is an active process of creating meaning from different experiences. In other words, students will learn best by by trying to make sense of something on their own with the teacher as a guide to help them along the way.

Since all sensory input is organized by the person receiving the stimuli, it cannot always be directly transferred from the teacher to the student. This means that a teacher cannot "pour" information into a student's brain and always expect them to process it and apply it correctly later. For example, think of a time when you were taught something in a lecture-type class. Then contrast that against a time when you had to prepare to teach someone else something. You will probably agree that you learned the material better when you were preparing to teach the material. This is because you constructed the knowledge for yourself.

Below is a list of different methods of learning. The percentages listed represent the average amount of information that is retained through that particular learning method. Note what method produces the highest retention rate.

1. Lecture = 5%
2. Reading = 10%
3. Audiovisual = 20%
4. Demonstration = 30%
5. Discussion Group = 50%
6. Practice by doing = 75%
7. Teach others / immediate use of learning = 90%

It should also be recognized that a person's prior knowledge may help or hurt the construction of meaning. People's prior knowledge comes from their past experiences, culture, and their environment. Generally prior knowledge is good, but sometimes misconceptions and wrong information can be a hindrance. Sometimes time must be spent correcting prior knowledge before new learning can occur.

Suggestions for Teaching with the Constructivist Learning Theory

• Encourage and accept student autonomy and initiative.
• Try to use raw data and primary sources, in addition to manipulative, interactive, and physical materials.
• When assigning tasks to the students, use cognitive terminology such as "classify," "analyze," "predict," and "create."
• Build off and use student responses when making "on-the-spot" decisions about teacher behaviors, instructional strategies, activities, and content to be taught.
• Search out students' understanding and prior experiences about a concept before teaching it to them.
• Encourage communication between the teacher and the students and also between the students.
• Encourage student critical thinking and inquiry by asking them thoughtful, open-ended questions, and encourage them to ask questions to each other.
• Ask follow up questions and seek elaboration after a student's initial response.
• Put students in situations that might challenge their previous conceptions and that will create contradictions that will encourage discussion.
• Make sure to wait long enough after posing a question so that the students have time to think about their answers and be able to respond thoughtfully.
• Provide enough time for students to construct their own meaning when learning something new.

(Ref: Brooks, J. and Brooks, M. (1993). In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms, ASCD)

Diversity

Having a diverse group of students simply means recognizing that all the people are unique in their own way. Their differences could consist of their reading level, athletic ability, cultural background, personality, religious beliefs, and the list goes on. There has always been diversity in the classroom, but in today society it is important to embrace it and make positive use of it. Teachers should value diversity and they need to model this attitude to their students. When people value diversity, they recognize and respect the fact that people are different and that these differences is generally a good thing. For example, when attempting to solve a problem, it is better to assemble a diverse team with many skills and many different ways of approaching the problem than it is to assemble a team that has all their strength concentrated in one area.

What  teachers do to encourage, value, and promote diversity?

Teachers must provide students with an environment that is conducive to learning. If a student feels uncomfortable, unsafe, or not respected, then their chances of success in that class dramatically decrease. Also, as our society becomes more diverse, it is important that students learn to value and use diversity to the greater good. Teachers already have a number of roles in the classroom; yet, valuing diversity is one of the most important ones a teacher must fill. Below is a list of just a few things that teachers  do to create an environment where each student feels valued and respected.

• Take the time to learn about your students' background, interests, and learning style.
  • This will allow you to create an environment that is conducive to each individual student.
• Allow time for the students to learn about each other and gain an appreciation for the diversity they bring to the classroom.
  • Remind them how boring it would be if we were all alike and there were no differences among us to make each person unique.
  • Teach students that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. When working in teams encourage students to take advantage of the strengths of the team members in order to produce the best possible results.
• Bring in different people to the class as resources that students might be able to connect with.
  • Search out people that are different from yourself and that might share certain qualities with your students.
  • Students need role models. Many times when they see they are connected in some way to a person they will be more apt to listen and learn from them.
• Never tolerate bullying, teasing, and other put-down behavior at any time in the classroom.
• Implement a "zero tolerance" for anything that is disrespectful, hurtful, or intolerant of diversity.

Diversity - A point of difference.

Overcoming The Fear of Making a Mistake

For effective learning to take place, a classroom should have a community-like environment. Students need to feel comfortable and accepted. They should not fear failure or be weary of sharing their opinions and presenting their ideas. Teachers should encourage students to ask questions when in doubt and explain their thinking behind their understanding of concepts.

It is difficult for many students to have the courage needed to voice their opinion or to openly explore unfamiliar ideas. Teachers must work hard to make everybody feel like they are an important asset to the classroom. They can do this by not always calling on a select group of students and never rejecting students' answers. Instead teachers should encourage participation from all students and ask students to explain their thinking even if it is wrong. Caine and Caine (1991) suggest that, "When students feel good about themselves as learners, they are willing to take risks and focus the attention necessary for further learning. Students are more willing to tackle tasks if they believe they can be successful."

When teachers model respect for all students, they are encouraging community within their room. Respect is not easy to instill in all students, but teachers should always be making conscious attempts to model it. Teachers should promote that, "Treating people with respect means letting them know that their safety, and happiness matter, that they are important and worthy simply because they are fellow human beings" (Josephson Institute, 1997). It may be useful to remind students of the "Golden Rule." The Golden Rule is a universal concept that many of the major religions and philosophers can all agree on.

Confucius: What you do not want done to yourself, do not do unto others.
Aristotle: We should behave to others as we wish others to behave to us.
Judaism: What you dislike for yourself, do not do to anyone.
Hinduism: Do nothing to thy neighbor which thou wouldst not have him do to thee there after.
Islam: No one of you is a believer unless he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.
Buddhism: Hurt not others with that which pains thyself.
Christianity: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Students need to feel accepted in the classroom, but some discomfort is unavoidable and necessary. It is healthy for students to experience discomfort when their conceptual understanding is challenged or when they are encouraged to a take risk such as practicing their public speaking. It may be useful to hold discussions about how science and other fields of study would not progress if people were not willing take risks and try new things. It should be made obvious to students that most successful people do not completely avoid making mistakes but they learn from these experiences. Teachers should also frequently reinforce that the purpose of the class is for learning and that when someone is learning they don't have all the right answers and may even make a mistake.

There is Not Always A Right Answer!

To some questions, there is only one right answer. But some questions can have many correct answers. It is not always clear to students that there could be more than one right answer. Students need be encouraged to express their views about the issue even though others might have a different or opposing view. They need to be able to accept it when their answers do not correlate with others, and learn how to back up their findings with accurate information. They also need to be respectful of other's opinions and express their opposing views in a respectful manner.

When teachers are developing lesson plans it is very important to think about what kind of activity will encourage students to think of numerous possible solutions or ways to solve a problem instead of just one correct method or answer. Ross (2000) suggests that "Prescriptive science activities confine the breadth and intensity of a student's inquiry. Many students actively rebel when placed in a situation in which there is only one option." Instead of giving step-by-step activities in the classroom, and setting limitations to what the students can investigate during the activities, students should be instructed to explore as much as possible and not to worry about using a certain method or coming up with a predetermined answer. When teachers communicate an uncertainty about the outcome will be of the activity, students feel more ownership of the problem, work harder and really feel like they are discovering something.

In order for students to learn that there is not always one right answer teachers must consciously work at not just feeding them with answers. Some teachers too often simply respond to the students with answers, instead of questioning the students and encouraging them to think through all the possibilities to the answer. Even after the students have explored all the possibilities and given their answer, teachers need to question them and have them explain what they found out. Hewson's (2000) research says, "Conceptual understanding requires a metacognitive experience, where students discuss "how they know" and "why they know." Hands-on activities, in and of themselves, do not guarantee student understanding."
As teachers question their students about their ideas, teachers need to allow an appropriate amount of time for students to critically think about what they want to say. "Information processing involves multiple cognitive tasks that take time. Students must have uninterrupted periods of time to process information, reflect on what has been said, observed, or done; and consider what their personal responses will be" (Robert, 2000).

When teachers use wait-time between their questioning students will see that sometimes many explanations are possible for just one question. Teachers should avoid asking questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." This does not encourage students to think critically about the question. It also models that there was just one possible answer to the question. Students will understand that there are many ways to think of one idea when teachers ask open-ended and extended-answer questions. After the teacher asks the question there should be time given to the students to think of their response. Even after they respond the first time the teacher should try to give more wait-time and also ask the students to explain their response. Teachers should constantly be asking their students why-questions so that it encourages the students to think more deeply about their responses.

When students understand that there will not always be one right answer they will become better critical thinkers and this kind of thinking will lend itself to all other subject areas. This is a skill that the students will hopefully use throughout their life.

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Are You REALLY Listening

Teaching is all about communicating, and communicating includes listening as well as speaking and writing. You are probably aware that one of the most important things in any healthy relationship is communication. Not only should both parties be able to verbalize their thoughts, questions, and ideas; but they should both be willing to really work at LISTENING to each other. Effective teachers really work at listening, understanding and responding to their students.

Not everyone has good listening skill and this includes teachers. However, there are certain things that can be done to improve listening skills. The concepts below may help you to become a better listener and help you to model these skills to your students in the classroom. The key concept is that successful communication involves being an active listener.

How to be an active listener

• Be attentive.
  • Use your face, voice, and body to show that you are truly interested in what the other person is saying.
• Listen with an accepting attitude.
• Ask some questions to demonstrate that you are sincerely interested.
• Use reflections and restatements frequently to try to communicate to the person what you think they are saying and test for understanding.
• Use encouraging words to show you are listening.
  • "Mmm, hmm"
  • "I see."
  • "Right."
  • "Uh, huh."
• Use nonverbal actions to show you are listening.
  • relaxed posture
  • head-nodding
  • facial expression
  • relaxed body expression
  • eye contact
• Use encouraging words that will invite them to continue on.
  • "Tell me more."
  • "Sounds like you have some ideas on this."
  • "I'm interested in what you have to say."
  • "Let's talk about it."

Things to avoid while being an active listener

• Do not interrupt.
• Do not interrogate. Limit the number of questions you ask so that you are "drilling" them.
• Do not try to think of your response in your own head while you are listening.
• Do not change the subject.
• Avoid phrases like:
  • "Are you sure."
  • "You shouldn't feel that way."
  • "Its not that bad."
  • You're making something out of nothing."
  • "Sleep on it. You'll feel better tomorrow."
  • "That's a dumb question."
• Do not be judgmental, which will allow students to feel that they can communicate questions and ideas.

References:
"Listen and Learn!" (1999, November). Facilitator CHIPS, issue 5.
"I Know You Hear Me, but Are You Listening?" (1999, Decameter). Facilitator CHIPS, issue 6.

Understanding Different Learning Styles

What is the best way to learn?

The best way for a person to learn depends on the person, of course. It is well know that people have different leaning styles that work best for them. The best approach for an instructor to take is to address a variety of learning styles with their teaching plan. It is also helpful to encourage students to understand their preferred leaning style. By the time students reach the college level it is often assumed that they have figured out the best and most productive way to study to retain information. Of course, this is not a correct assumption. Teachers should make students aware of the various learning styles and encourage them to consider their preferred style as they complete their studies.

(This following information was adapted from: Moore, Carol. (1992). Learning Styles - Classroom Adaptation<based primarily on Carbo Learning Styles>.

Structure Of Lesson

Most students learn best when there is a logical sequential, delineated lesson that provides the objective and systematic steps to do the assignment. This type of student benefits from the use of rubrics so that they can better follow lectures and assignments. However, some students do not like much structure and appreciate being given choices and allowed to be creative.

Sociological

Some students benefit greatly from group activities and other do not. For those who are peer learners, pair them with another student when possible. For those who are self learners, do not force them into a group/peer-learning situation all the time. Cooperative learning is an important learning tool but some students are more introverted than others and may have difficulty participating in group activities.

Auditory

Some students learn best by listening. Auditory learners do well with lecture, class discussions, etc. While lecture is considered the least effective teaching method, some students learn best by simply listening. These students may also be more sensitive to outside noises.

Visual

Visual learners benefit from a variety of ocular stimulation. One example would be the use of colors. These students like images and written information. They like to be able to read instructions or the text on their own to increase their understanding. When studying it is helpful for these student to use different color highlighters or pens as they are reading and taking notes. These students may also be more sensitive to visual distractions.

Tactile

Most people learn best with hands-on activities, but some gain a lot more from it than others. Some students really increase their learn potential when they are give they opportunity to do something by themselves Especially in a science classroom there should be plenty of opportunities to learn by doing.

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