Article Summary 14: University

Taylor, Mark C. "End the University As We Know It" New York Times 26 April 2009. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.

Universities are becoming out of date for the times we live in. The jobs that students are being prepared for will most likely not exist once they graduate, or won’t be attainable. The way that Universities are set up does not allow for a more general education, and needs to be reevaluated. The author proposes that the separation of all the departments is harmful to the way students learn, and that the tradition dissertation does nothing to prepare a student for the real world. A six step solution is proposed to fix the problem that is created by the distance between the safety of school, and the reality that students are thrown into once they graduate.

The author also believes that there are too many subcategories for most topics. Writing a paper about the tiniest notation is not going to do a student any good. The way that the system is set up professors are creating a copy of their own ideas, but feel no need to leave the field when the younger generation comes along. Tenure is a guarantee that a professor will no longer need to work as hard, and that their position will be held for a very long time, keeping back students from getting jobs when they graduate.

Article Summary 13: Humanities

Simpson, David. "The Humanities and the Crisis of Everything." UCDavis 18 Nov. 2009. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.

There are more connections between the humanities and science than there used to be, and a major factor is that they are both under attack. The article talks about the need for humanities to remain a strong force in Universities, and that alongside science it should be seen as a valuable education. The humanities deal with the bigger picture, the more difficult questions in life. Trying to explain what exactly that does for greater society is very difficult, but the author tries to break it down into five points. Those five points outline the idea that everything humanities majors do is still important, but it might not be noticeable right away. The work that is put into research and credibility are very important, and without the ability to find those voices from the past that have already spoken out there would be no way to create validity when dealing with future works. The need for a historical reference is important, and the humanities graduates are the ones who do the work to create that.

The author also connects the way that humanities majors work to the way scientists work. They both create ideas and work towards proving them, but sometimes not everything works out to be the exact ending you expected, and can be even better. There are reasons for that process to be valued in today’s society.

Article Summary 12: Room For Improvment

Epstein, Jennifer. "Room For Improvment." Inside Higher Ed 21 Feb. 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.

Many employers are finding that college is not preparing students for the real world economy right now. Hiring is very low at the moment, and education is not preparing students for the actual requirements that employers are going to be asking for. Most employers are looking for students to have better writing, oral, and critical thinking skills. These can all be achieved through internships and getting experience in the field that they hope to pursue. It is disappointing that so many employers find that college students do not actually have the skill set required to succeed today. Instead of the more specific subject education of the past many believe a more broad education even at the college level would benefit students.

Employers also look at the level of education that you complete. Now employers are more likely to hire someone who has gained there bachelors degree instead of someone with an associates or a high school diploma. Having some form of higher education is becoming more competitive, and it is more important than ever to get as much school completed as possible. People are being put out into the work force without any knowledge of what they are really getting themselves into, and colleges are failing in their purpose.

Article Summary 11: Across the World

Luedtke, Luther. "The Boss: Educator to the World." New York Times 20 Feb. 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.

This article reads like the story of a man’s life. It starts off talking about the education he got as a young man, and how he was excused from chores by his father because his parents wanted a better life for him, and education was how to get to that better life. The idea that education is a way to move up in the world is not an isolated idea, and when he was much older the author talks about advising 3^rd world countries on how to organize their classrooms. While one room schoolhouses are a thing of the past for America, they are new and essential to countries that don’t have access to a lot of new technology.

The author also talks about the need for diplomacy when visiting other countries. When going into another country it is always important to make sure that you know how different topics are viewed, especially topics that can make people very upset. That is something that can create a dangerous situation, and his fear for fellow teachers across the world are valid.

Article Summary 10: High School Diploma in 10th Grade

Dillon, Sam. "High Schools to Offer Plan to Graduate 2 Years Early". New York Times 17 Feb. 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.

Soon there will be pilot schools in 8 states that will be testing a system that allows students to graduate at the end of 10^th grade with their high school diploma. Students will be allowed to study and take placement tests that will be offered in subjects such as history, math, science, and english. The tests will be accompanied with detailed syllabi that will inform students hoping to graduate early exactly what they need to study. Most curriculums today do not have clear directions on what is going to be important and what is not. These tests give students direction and encourage hard work. The tests will also hopefully reduce the number of students that need to take remedial tests in their first year at a community college.

Students who graduate after taking the tests will be immediately admitted into a community college, or can take college prep courses at their school during 11^th and 12^th grade. The students will also be able to retake the tests at the end of 11^th and 12^th grade if they do not pass the first time around. These tests have been used in several European countries with great success, and will hopefully help American students catch up to the standards that are held in Europe.

Article Summary 9: FBI and Webcams

The Associated Press. "F.B.I. Queries Webcam Use by Schools." New York Times 20 Feb. 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.

In Philadelphia there has been a recent argument over the use of webcams by school officials. Students were issued laptops to take home with them, and felt safe in having them in their homes. Recently a student issued a lawsuit against the schools for remotely turning on the webcam while the laptop was in the students’ home. The students and parents were not informed that this could happen, and were outraged over the invasion of privacy. The school officials have activated 42 webcams in a little over a year.

The FBI are looking into the legality of the schools to turn on the webcams, and the school officials are arguing that they only turned on the webcam to locate lost laptops. The district attorney is considering looking into the matter, and there is a lot of anger over the fact that the school did this without informing anyone that it was even possible. The schools have suspended the practice from now. Only two people were authorized to turn on the webcams, and are saying that it was only used to locate the lost laptops. They say that the webcams were never used to spy on students.

Article Summary 8: Dynamic Books

Motoko, Rich. "Textbooks That Professors Can Rewrite Digitally." New York Times 21 Feb 2010. Web. 28 Feb. 2010.

What if a professor had complete control over the content of your textbook? Well it’s about to happen. DynamicBooks.com is about to release a new e-book system that allows professors to edit the textbooks they purchase at the paragraph and even sentence level. They can then have their students read what chapters, sections, and version of a textbook that is most relevant to the course. The textbooks are also a lot cheaper in this format. Professors will be able to control exactly what their students have to read, and will be able to do it at a significant discount.

Some are not very happy about the idea. Not every author is comfortable with giving up complete control over their work. Some believe that if a book is edited too much it could affect the flow and feel to the book, and not everyone agrees on what the correct version of a topic is. An example given was the idea that a professor would be able to change a textbook about evolution into a book on intelligent design. The owner of DynamicBooks.com claims that they will not be monitoring the changes made to the textbooks, and are going to rely on the students and parents to report any abuse of power made by the professor.