Is College Broken? Is Outsourcing the Solution?

While embracing technology and streamlining programs may be a good start for most American colleges to offset the rising costs of higher education, Fort Hays State in western Kansas has taken a more aggressive approach: By outsourcing courses and some faculty to two Chinese universities, the public university is bringing their U.S. bachelor’s degree to about 3,500 Chinese students. In Fall, 2000, Fort Hays began offering courses in mainland China to 40 students. Today, they are serving about 3,500 students at Sias International University and Shenyang Normal University. The course offerings can lead to a Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership, Bachelor of Science in In…

How Do U.S. Students Rank Internationally?

Harvard University has released a fascinating new report conducted by the Harvard Program on Education Policy and Government and Education Next. The report is called "Achievement Growth: International and U.S. State Trends in Student Performance,” and presents some very intriguing finds. The report, which charts the progress of the United States in closing the international education gap, estimates the learning gains of students in the United States and 48 other countries from 1995 to 2009. In addition, the study examines changes in student performance in 41 states within the United States between 1992 and 2…

Undocumented Students: What are Your State’s Policies?

Following President Obama's executive action to halt deportation on young, undocumented immigrants pursuing their education, people across the country are trying to find out how their own states handle immigration. One of the issues that has arisen regards undocumented students in higher education: How are admissions criteria affected? Are they eligible for financial aid?

The National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good surveyed the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (…

Josh Hoekstra and the Gamification of Education

Josh Hoekstra, a 39-year-old U.S. history teacher from Rosemont High School in Minneapolis, is revitalizing history education with his Teach with Tournaments method. U.S. history is one of American students’ worst performing subjects, and Josh wanted to give the topic the innovation it needed to inspire greater interest. Harnessing his students' enthusiasm for NCAA’s March Madness tournament, Josh created a passion-driven, competitive learning model that encouraged students to become personally connected with historical figures they st…

Who’s Who at This Year’s #140edu Conference

The #140edu Conference is an exciting and innovative gathering of people from all over the world to discuss the current state of education and the role of technology in revolutionizing the classroom. A focus of the conference is providing a platform for people on Twitter to connect with one another and listen to fascinating speakers, all the while exploring the ways that the Internet and social media are shaping the future.

This year’s conference will take place from July 31 through August 1 in New York City at the 92nd Street YMCA (1395 Lexington Avenue). The event will draw dozens of amazing speakers whom you should defini…

Teaching Through Tragedy: How Teachers and Schools Respond to Crisis

The impact of a tragic event is felt beyond the immediate sphere of those directly connected, and some of the most confused and vulnerable are our students. Young people need guidance during tragedy, and though home is where they turn first, schools must also be responsive. Children spend most of their time among classmates and teachers, so school should be a place of comfort and community, where they feel safe and receive the help they need. Even if a tragic event has not struck your community, you as a teacher should be equipped to deal with emotional fallout. Just because something didn’t happen to someone your students know personally doesn’t mean that they're unaffected.

On July 20…

 

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