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Smart Tips for Using Student Loans to Pay for College by Craig Middleton

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021

Smart Tips for Using Student Loans to Pay for College by Craig Middleton offers the kind of advice that anyone seeking financial assistance for higher education needs to follow. While you need to spend a great of effort selecting a college and a major, don’t cut corners when it comes to researching your student loan options. Thanks, Craig.

Intoduction

Taking out loans is a common part of going to college. Many students are unable to meet the rising costs of higher education without this additional assistance. Before you apply for a loan, there are some things you should know. Educate yourself on your options so you can make an informed decision that is right for you and your future.

Choose Your School and Major Carefully

If you are going to take out student loans to pay for your education, you should be fairly certain that the risk of taking on the debt will be worthwhile. Not all colleges and career paths have equal opportunities. Before you obtain a loan that you will need to repay, you should do some research.
Find out what the placement rate is from the degree program you are considering. Are there plenty of jobs available? Does your school offer job placement assistance, help with securing internships, or other resources to make finding a good job more likely?
Also, take a look at the growth rate of the career you wish to train for. Are new jobs being created in this field? Is the career in high demand? Or is the market oversaturated and finding employment will be tough due to high levels of competition?
It’s best to find out the answers to these questions before you begin your studies. If you don’t like the answers that you find, you can adjust your plans and choose a different path before you invest time and money in a career that may not be as marketable as you think.

Calculate How Much You Need

Some lenders allow you to borrow more than the amount of tuition that you need. They consider expenses such as housing, meals, books, and supplies to be education-related and eligible for a loan. You can take advantage of this if you genuinely need the funds, but you should only ever borrow the amount of money that you need.
Did you receive any grants or have some money saved for college? Use that first and deduct the amount from the loan you will need to apply for. Can you find an apartment with several roommates to lower your housing and meal costs? Find other ways like these to reduce the money you borrow. You will end up saving on interest and can lower the expected monthly payment obligation.

College Debt

Determine Which Loan Type Is Best for You

There are many different types of loans available. Spend some time reading about them so you can choose the best option. You may qualify for federal loans backed by the government, or you could need to take out private loans. There are also options for parents to borrow the money, or you can take on the debt yourself as a student. Compare your choices and make the selection that works for you.

Know Your Repayment Terms

Before you sign a loan agreement, make sure you understand what the repayment terms are. These will differ for each lender. Find out when repayment will begin after graduation. Do you have a grace period or are you required to start payments immediately? Does your career offer any options for loan forgiveness?
You should also have an idea of what the interest rate will be and what repayment plans are available. It can be tough to predict what your income situation will be like, especially when you first enter into employment. A loan that has a variety of repayment plans could be the best choice. Ask your lender if it is possible to change your terms depending on your financial situation. Some servicers will allow you to extend the length of your loan, or even calculate your monthly payment based upon your income.
When you go about it in the correct way, student loans can be a huge help. They give you the opportunity to pursue the life that you desire by being able to afford the training you need to secure the job of your dreams.

Craig Middleton

Craig is a New York City-based retired business consultant, who is an expert in education and cultural trends. He has a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters in Education from St. Johns and loves sharing his knowledge on the side through his writing. If you have any questions or comments you can direct them to Craig at craigmiddleton18@gmail.com.

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How Teachers Should Educate Students About Vaccinations by Amanda Winstead

Saturday, October 30th, 2021

Teach About Vaccines
How Teachers Should Educate Students About Vaccinations by Amanda Winstead is a resource that all teachers can use as they work to build vaccine awareness and knowledge. Since this is such a hot topic, students will likely have a level of interest that you can leverage to help them learn and grow in many ways. Thanks, Amanda.

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted various areas of education. The most prevalent is how to safeguard students’ and teachers’ health while maintaining in-school teaching. Thankfully, the rollout of vaccines is starting to provide a tool to support this. These are available at the moment to adults and as such are primarily keeping teachers and students over 12 from experiencing the worst effects of the virus. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently reviewing vaccines for children. These are likely to become a reality for all students soon.
All this means vaccines are a timely topic for discussion in schools. There is a toxic culture of misinformation surrounding the efficacy and safety of these important health tools. While current levels of cynicism have reached new heights, this is nothing new. The anti-vax movement has long cast unnecessary and inaccurate doubt on vaccines of all kinds. It’s vital, therefore, that teachers become reliable sources of factual and scientific information on vaccines in general.
Let’s look into a few of the approaches you can use to have a positive impact on students during this time.

Vaccine

Use the Curriculum

Students are being surrounded by all kinds of information outside of school. What they don’t need from educators is another opinion on the subject. They need facts to help inform their knowledge about the efficacy and usage of the vaccine. A good way to approach this is by framing it within the context of their usual curriculum.
Biology classes are an important forum to present the scientific case for vaccination. Talk about the basics of how vaccines work as a way to prepare the body for the presence of a virus. Introduce them to the range of vaccines provided as standard for most children. Explore the role vaccines have in addressing illnesses like measles, tetanus, and polio. For slightly older students, it can be interesting to introduce the process of vaccine development. Go through testing and approval. This not only gives them a scientific understanding of vaccines but also helps to dispel fears about any risks involved.
However, science-based classes are not the only area of curriculum you can provide vaccine information. History classes exploring the development of the first vaccines by Edward Jenner can provide both background knowledge and perspectives of the way vaccines have improved our society. This doesn’t require you to rely on opinions about efficacy. There are objective facts you can provide about mortality and illness rates before and after the introduction of vaccines. Consider not just how to provide better vaccine information to your students but also how to incorporate it as part of their wider learning.

Make It a Discussion

Let’s face it, students rarely like to be dictated to. It doesn’t matter whether this comes from teachers, parents, or other authority figures. In all cases, it can elicit a frustrating sense of belittlement. It’s no different when it comes to the subject of vaccines. Instead of approaching vaccine education as something simply to be lectured on, get them involved in a more collaborative discussion.
As with any debate, it’s important to set boundaries. Provide clarity on respecting viewpoints and giving one another chances to speak. Make it clear that you will be facilitating their thoughts and ideas while not offering opinions of your own. It can be a wise option to clarify that the discussion is about vaccines in general. This can ease the tension of contemporary issues and open the floor to a wider discussion. Alternatively, you can provide a platform for questions to be submitted anonymously. Use a physical question box or online collaborative classroom software. Use these as the grounds to start structured debates to provide purely fact-based responses.
One of the most important uses of this type of discussion is it can highlight where the problematic areas of their vaccine knowledge are. The types of questions, arguments, and opinions offered can pinpoint what the most important areas of educational focus are. It tells you where additional factual resources might be required to give students the data they need to make informed decisions. It also gives you insights into their fears and what types of reassurance they might need.

Give Them the Tools

At its most effective, education is about empowering students to be arbiters of their learning. Sometimes the best gift you can give your students is the resources to follow their curiosity. The same approach applies to vaccine education.
One of the most important resources you can provide here is access to experts. Invite local public health professionals into the classroom to participate in discussions. Epidemiologists, in particular, have expertise in the analysis of the state of public health events, communicate protocols and factual data clearly, and often choose to specialize in infectious diseases. They will have access to the latest data on various illnesses and current vaccine safety information. As they are committed to improving public health, they are likely keen to engage with your students in meaningful and scientifically supported ways.
Alongside introducing them to sources of information, you should teach them to treat the information they gather appropriately. Show them responsible research techniques. Introduce them to activities to help them recognize credible sources of news and information. Highlight the questions they should be asking before trusting an article, research paper, or a statement by a public figure. Make sure they don’t just apply these in the outside world but in the classroom. Encourage them to question you if they feel the scientific or factual information in lessons isn’t solid. In essence, help them to become more discerning citizens.

Conclusion

Vaccines are among our most important health tools, even aside from the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s important to make sure students receive practical and accurate education on the topic. Work to make it a relevant part of the current curriculum and wherever possible encourage discussions on the matter. It is important to help your students to become more empowered researchers so they can make informed decisions going forward. As a teacher, you are uniquely positioned to make a positive difference in your students’ lives.

Amanda Winstead

Amanda is a freelance writer out of Portland focusing on many topics including educational technology. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.

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An Interview with Super Math Teacher Jo Boaler – Listen and Share with Teachers You Know

Wednesday, October 27th, 2021

Free Resources for Busy Parents and Educators Who Don’t Have as Much Time to Read and Surf as I Do

Rather than posting my traditional eight links today, I’m posting a link to an interview with Jo Boaler from Stanford who is my favorite math(s) teacher. I’m also posting a link to my summary of her book, Mathematical Mindsets, and my notes from this interview.

While observing teachers yesterday at Chenango Forks Central Schools in Upstate New York, Ed Kozlowski, a special teacher working in math classes, told me about this interview. He warned that it was an hour and a half long but well worth it. He was correct. You can break it into segments or listen as you exercise. You might also want to check out other interviews by Lex Fridman including a two-parter with Elon Musk. Also, in honor of Jay Black of Jay and the Americans (1938-2021), I’ve also included two links below under Humor/Music/Cool Stuff.

Jo Boaler: How to Learn Math, an Interview on Lex Fridman’s Podcast – This is 1:30 long, but well worth it for math teachers and teachers of anything else. @joboaler @lexfridman

My Notes From the Interview

Parents who have math anxiety probably shouldn’t try to help their kids with math unless they can fake it.

When teaching math it’s important to make things visual when you can. When you see it visually or build it you will make more connections in your brain. We are all visual learners.

When you give feedback try to send the message that “I believe in you or I know that you can do this.”

A good way to study is to test yourself. Try to recall what you were doing in class. Try to see the main ideas. Engaging in recall does a better job of building brain connections than additional study.

Collaboration is important. Social thinking helps with brain development.

As a course moves on try to access students and give them feedback rather than a grade. Give them a rubric and have them access themselves. Have students write the questions.

Surround yourself with people who believe in you and vice versa. These will be your best mentors.

Humor, Music, Cool Stuff

Jay Black (1938-2021) – Cara Mia – It starts with a minute of humor. He is 62 here and can still sort of hit the notes. If you want to hear the younger Jay sing Cara Mia and a few more hits, click here.

Looking for a Teacher Job? Try Jooble

Recent Book Summaries & My Podcast

Suite Talk
180 Moving Forward past the Pandemic with Dr. Doug Green – On October 4, 2021, I was Kim Mattina’s guest on her weekly show. Please join us for a discussion on what we can gain from our pandemic experiences as educators.

The Future of Smart: How Our Education System Needs to Change to Help All Young People Thrive by Ulcca Joshi Hansen

Noise: A Flaw In Human Judgement by Daniel Kahneman, Oliver Sibony, & Cass Sunstein

Weapons of Mass Instruction: A Schoolteacher’s Journey Through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling by John Taylor Gatto

Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind by Judson Brewer

Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation by Steven Johnson

Listen to Dr. Doug on the “Cup of Joe” podcast. I recorded it last week. On it, I talk about the many good things I have seen in schools doing hybrid teaching. @PodcastCupOfJoe @DrDougGreen @BrainAwakes

Grasp: The Science of Transforming How We Learn by Sanjay Sarma with Luke Yoquinto

Back to School COVID Myths – It’s popular to say that hybrid learning is negatively impacting poor students who generally attend schools with lots of discipline issues. Is it possible that some poor kids who make a serious effort to learn aren’t the big winners? There may be stresses at home, but not many bullies. @DrDougGreen @mssackstein

This is my podcast on the Jabbedu Network. Please consider listening and buying my book Teaching Isn’t Rocket Science, It’s Way More Complex. Here’s a free executive summary. @jabbedu @DrDougGreen

Boys and Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent, and Navigating the New Masculinity by Peggy Orenstein

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves (the book can be found here)

Upstream: How to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath

Be sure to try the bottom right translate button for your favorite language or one you are trying to learn. If you don’t see it check your adblocking software.

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Does a Computer Programmer Really Need a College Degree by Craig Middleton

Sunday, October 24th, 2021

Does a Computer Programmer Really Need a College Degree by Craig Middleton notes that most programmers have a degree in something, but that thanks to the pandemic, we have a lot of new professional programers who used resources like coding camps to gain the skills necessary to land good programming jobs without a programming degree.

Introduction

You have undoubtedly noticed the expansion of the internet of things (IoT) into every aspect of your life. You can turn on your porch lights, turn up the thermostat, and preheat the oven while you are still in your office—assuming you are working from an office these days. The time is approaching when physicians in one part of the world can robotically perform surgery on another continent. An ever-increasing complexity and the integration of multiple systems seem to be the order of the coming digital age. One of the careers that is exploding in numerical growth as well as specialization is computer programming. This causes a question to arise: do computer programmers need to have heightened advanced training before they leap into developing apps and software? Specifically, should programmers be required to have a college degree in programming?

What Kind of Issues Must a Programmers Deal With?

In order to answer that question, you first must have a grasp of what sort of technical challenges as well as real-world concerns programmers face when creating code for a workable, dependable program. While the complexity of programming grows because of the many added options coders must deal with, the basic underlying syntax tree, that is, the shortcut diagram of potential possibilities, still looks the same as it did in the old days before microcomputers and the internet became much larger. This implies that programming, while more complex, is unchanged in its essential nature.

What Education Do Most Programmers Have?

What does this mean as far as the educational credentials required for the folks writing the programs? The bottom line, as of almost 80 years since computer programming became a thing, is that most professional programmers (those who get paid to do it) do have college bachelor’s degrees. That does not mean their degrees are necessarily in computer science. Neither does it mean that future programmers want a four-year degree in anything. The reality is that a boom in coding “boot camps” is ongoing. Potential programmers want to learn the various coding languages as quickly as possible. As it currently stands, most professional programmers have a degree in something, while newcomers want to know how to code but tend not to be interested in a degree.

What Does the Future Hold for Programming as a Career?

Forbes reported in a recent article that enrollment in coding camps increased by almost 50% over a two-year period and that was before the pandemic demonstrated you can stay at home and have a productive, well-paid career. Thus, there is currently a flood of new potential programmers, who will not have college degrees, and concurrently there is a great need for programmers. According to the article, there will be a winnowing process that follows because programming requires some distinct abilities:
Extreme attention to perfect detail
Ability to think abstractly
Ability to think logically
The bottom line is that programmers are growing in number at least temporarily and newer ones are less concerned about having a college degree.

What is the Ideal Education for a Programmer?

You should start with the recognition that a programmer or coder is not a software engineer. This simply means that you are not creating computer language as you go. Instead, you are using tools others have already developed. Also, begin with the notion that you have carefully considered your own personality and believe you would enjoy a career as a programmer. One school of thought is that you should definitely have some background in computer science, at least an associate’s degree and that you should learn a variety of different computer languages. Different languages are required depending upon whether you are writing smartphone apps, website structures, or software to run on the internet.

Dr Doug’s Advice

In my view you are better off learning programming online at your own pace rather than in high school or college classes that are typically one-size-fits-all. People with a knack for programming can learn languages fast on their own. The same is true for learning software products like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. A quick search for “free online programming courses” should get you started. Many start out free and then change for additional instruction. That seems fair to me. You should also investigate which language to learn first. From what I’ve seen, Python looks like a good way to go. After that, learn whichever languages seem to be the best for the kind of programming you or your new book wants you to do. Good luck.

Craig Middleton

Craig is a New York City-based retired business consultant, who is an expert in education and cultural trends. He has a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters in Education from St. Johns and loves sharing his knowledge on the side through his writing. If you have any questions or comments you can direct them to Craig at craigmiddleton18@gmail.com.

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The Future of Smart: How Our Education System Needs to Change to Help All Young People Thrive by Ulcca Joshi Hansen

Monday, October 11th, 2021

The Future of Smart: How Our Education System Needs to Change to Help All Young People Thrive by Ulcca Joshi Hansen is the book for you if you want to make education more authentic, exciting, and valuable for every student in your school. It gives some history of how the factory model of schooling got started and how it still exists in some classrooms. It talks about districts that have tried to bolt on innovations such as projects and internships to conventional schools. It also talks about schools that have made a full transition to what she calls Human-Centered/Liberatory schools. There is a list of 49 US schools she has visited that have made this transition.

Introduction

Ulcca has visited many schools and some give her a feeling of welcome, openness, and curiosity. Montessori schools generally fall into this category. Do schools kill creativity? Yes. But not all schools. The compelling schools she found did just the opposite. Fostering curiosity and creativity is not straightforward, but it can be done. The purpose of this book is to describe the steps to take if you want your school to match this ideal. We have to ask “how are you smart? rather than “are you smart?” We need to focus on cultivating the unique abilities of each child rather than reinforcing an arbitrary hierarchy of merit. Wealthy parents often pay to send their children to holistic schools, but some of these schools do arise in poor neighborhoods.

Part 1 – Past: A Brief Overview of How We Got Here

1. Education at a Crossroads

We start with the history of the standardized test movement that started under Clinton in the 1990s and took off with the bipartisan NCLB under Bush 43. It never asked if something was wrong with the system so efforts to get kids to pass tests were added on to the factory system in place that started in the 1800s. There is some explanation about what we know about the differences between our left and right brain. (Watch Iain McGilchrist’s TED Talk “The Divided Brain” for details.) Ulcca feels that the testing has put more emphasis on what the left brain is good at and less on the holistic nature of the right brain to the detriment of all students.

2. The Origins of the Divide Our Modern Worldviews

Here we explore the clash of the different world views of the indigenous peoples of the Americas and the people of Europe who were strongly influenced by the objectivism of the Scientific Revolution. Indigenous people were indifferent to property ownership, lacked a sophisticated written language, and lived by myths and rituals. These are hallmarks of right-brain thinking. Europeans gave value to everything based on how useful they were (utilitarianism). It’s no surprise that Christian monarchs sent explorers out to expand their faith and improve their fortunes. These are hallmarks of left-brain thinking. We also learn that in China new scientific ideas were incorporated into traditional holistic thinking rather than replacing it. The question then becomes, can we revive indigenous ways of knowing without discarding science or technology?

3. A Worldview Divide in Education

Before schools were invented, most children learned by experiencing life with their family and their community. In essence, they were home-schooled. Schools were modeled after factories with each child treated like an object that needed to be filled with the same knowledge and skills. The natural world was screened out in the impersonal left-hemisphere-oriented system. Discoveries in physics by Einstein and others showed that nature was interconnected and that the old laws of Newton were only approximations. With this background, reformers of education like Montessori, Steiner, and Krishnamurti developed schools where children could engage with the world and each other to develop as individuals. This is based on the idea the children teach themselves. They also need distance from authority and bureaucracy.

4. Holistic-Indigenous and Ecological (HIL) Values in Education

The factory model where everyone learns the same things at the same time at the same pace is very unnatural. It features no understanding of child development or uniqueness. Children are separate entities and there is no focus on relationships or collaboration. It is also still the dominant model found in our schools. The HIL system focuses on interconnection and relationships and connections are central. The school is seen as a community. Academic subject matter is still a concern, but so are social-emotional skills. In addition to being consumers of knowledge, students will be producers as they create projects that use things like podcasts, interviews, observations, and conversations along with reading. Assessments give students information on how they can improve the learning process.

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