Browsed by
Category: Education

India’s colleges not preparing their students; are we?

India’s colleges not preparing their students; are we?

Comments 7 comments

My father shared with me an article, India Graduates Millions, But Too Few Are Fit to Hire, from the Wall Street Journal.  It discusses that many of the graduates from India’s colleges are not prepared to work in India’s business and engineering fields.  Even call centers are finding it difficult to fill jobs. We have all heard “India has more honor students then we have students.”  It does not matter how many ‘honor’ students you may have if they cannot…

Read More Read More

What do grades mean?

What do grades mean?

Comments 2 comments

A few weeks  back I spent a lot of time at the skating rink at our annual skating competition.  There were parents from a variety rinks in attendance.  The conversation in the stands was not only about skating but about grades.  I few moms were sharing about the report cards that had just come out and were comparing ‘war’ stories.  As an educator my ears picked up and I joined in. From the discussion I heard the typical comments. So…

Read More Read More

Help Build a School

Help Build a School

Comments 0 Comment

I want to share the story of a remarkable young women who I had the pleasure to know back in my teaching days in Jordan.  Luma Mufleh was full of optimism during her high school days. If memory serves correctly she was instrumental in a fund raising effort selling Peace in Our Times sweatshirts.  Those were heady days as the Berlin wall fell, the Soviet Union transformed and an ambassador from Israel arrived in Jordan.  The hope, optimism and compassion…

Read More Read More

Why Schooling?

Why Schooling?

Comments 3 comments

Those of you who follow this blog know that I have been experiencing a sift in my thinking about education over the last few years.  Maybe not so much a shift but a clarification and redefining of what I mean by education, schooling and learning.  I used to use these words almost interchangeably.  But my experience as a parent, educator and, learner is teaching me that they are very different and sometimes in conflict. I also notice I am redefining…

Read More Read More

Why aren’t we learning?

Why aren’t we learning?

Comments 5 comments

Early this week I had the opportunity to spend the day at Google in Cambridge with technology administrators from MA. We met with Steve Vitner, Director Google Boston; Jamie Casap and Dana Nyugen, from the Google Apps for Education Team and; Abe Murray, project manager for Google Books. Part of the discussion centered around Google Apps for Education and the recent changes with administrating the service.  We also discussed the need for people to enter the computer/information technology fields. But the…

Read More Read More

You are not crazy

You are not crazy

Comments 2 comments

Liz Davis wrote a summary of her take away from EduCon, which I think reflects the elusive feeling I took away from the weekend. Before continuing please read her post.  I left the following comment, which I continue below. Liz, I too have this odd, elusive feeling leaving EduCon.  Seems more intense this year then in the past. I am not sure if it is frustration, annoyance, or what.  I just know I leave unsettled.  I have always thought that…

Read More Read More

Reflections on EduCon: Vision and Change

Reflections on EduCon: Vision and Change

Comments 0 Comment

I finally have a chance to sum up my experiences from spending a few days in the ‘think tank’ that is EduCon.  I have been to all four so far and always leave unsettled, with many more questions then I when I came.  I just can’t quite sum up my feelings. It is like having something on the tip of my tongue, I just can’t grab that fleeting thought. It is most annoying and won’t go away.  So knowing I…

Read More Read More