Joel McDonald on Jun 15th 2008 Education, Politics
My assignment for my Intro to Philosophy class this weekend was to create two campaign ads for two fictitious parties; one party that has a traditional moral or political philosophy as a major part of its platform, and the other having a modern moral or political philosophy as a major part of its platform. The posters above was what I came up with.
I’m interested in your impressions of the ads. Which party is traditional, and which is modern. What do you think the ads symbolize? I’ll post my interpretation soon!
What are your thoughts?
Joel McDonald on Jun 14th 2008 Education
After almost two years of being a student with Axia College of the University of Phoenix Online, wrapping up my Associate’s (AA) degree in Information Technology, I wanted to share some thoughts concerning this private for-profit school.
If you are considering taking classes from Axia, or even from the University of Phoenix itself, please think twice before attending this school. Here’s a brief rundown that may help in your thinking.
- Enrollment advisors (sales people) are very quick to guide you through the process of applying for the school and getting started. I have read some postings online referring to quotas being the driving force behind the enrollment process. For these advisors, it’s not about getting the student set out on the correct educational path, it’s about making the sale. In my experience, my enrollment advisor was the best prepared, most helpful, and most friendly contact I’ve had at the school, but this is not surprising. Ever met a sales person who didn’t attempt to charm you?
- Classes are a sink or swim proposition. With extremely little one-on-one instruction, student must rely on instruction materials, usually little more than text books in PDF format, to complete their assignments on time. Instuctors for classes are not given any additional materials or guidance other than what is available to the student. Today, my Java Programming instructor wrote , “I have access to the same material you get, and nothing more. I get the same syllabus and download chapters. I also get them at the same time as you, not earlier. In fact, other than the ability to grade, I get the same Axia experience as the student.“
- Continuing from the last point, instructors do not really instruct; they facilitate. I had a facilitator for distance learning courses in high school. All she did was teach a face-to-face class and occasionally look over our shoulders to make sure we weren’t just surfing the internet. Honestly, Axia instructors have done little more than this. I have on occasion seen snide responses to public student questions, outright refusals to help, and chastisement for attempts to pull together as class to figure out an assignment.
- Financial and Academic advisors aren’t very helpful at all, and they often change (a signal to me of unprofessionalism and possible high attrition rate in the school office). Often my questions are not answered, and I’ve had to push issues to higher management to get something done. In short, student financial and academic situations are poorly managed.
- Courses requiring detailed, precise, mathematic or technical application are poorly designed. Financial Management was a nightmare. Currently, Java Programming is proving very trying. With lack of instruction, poor texts, a very little feedback, it’s very easy to fall behind and not know where to look for help. For the price of the course, a student should be able to rely on the instructor for direction and assistance. This is not the case at Axia.
- Transferring from Axia to another school is futile. Extremely little actually transfers, signally that the education received at Axia is not on par with other institutions.
I’m not sure what my conclusion about Axia should be. If I completely denounce the school and attempt to take action, it would be an admission that the last two years and the time spent working on my degree was pointless, and my degree would be worthless. However, can I be satisfied with a degree that may not be as valuable as one earned from another institution?
All this only adds to be distaste for higher education, with all their inefficiencies, and lack of consistency from school to school.
Your thoughts are welcomed.
Joel McDonald on May 5th 2008 Education
Scratching the surface in understanding my difficulties with mathematics.
A few weeks ago, the principal of the school where I work went to a meeting to discuss ways to close the gap between white and minority students. This is an area where schools are suffering universally, and a goal for improvement by our school board.
Before this meeting, given a photocopy of chapter two of Beverly Daniel Tatum’s, Can We Talk About Race?. After the meeting, she gave me a copy, which I found time to read today.
I found the studies and information in this chapter to be insightful, especially the discussion of the character of intelligence, whether it is fixed of expandable through effort. The overall consensus on that subject is that intelligence may be partially hereditary, but it is also shaped through a person’s interaction with their environment; meaning that that a person’s intelligence can be increased through effort.
Yesterday I finished a college algebra course. I struggled throughout this class, and passed the final exam by a hair (9 tenths of a percent). A colleague who is very well versed in math suggested I bring in the exam to review. To this I replied, after thanking him of course, that “I couldn’t care less”. The truth is that I could care less, much less. I have been thinking a lot about my struggles with math; trying to figure out what is behind them. Many of these thoughts were very well expressed by Tatum in the following section.
Many students, like many teachers, believe their intelligence (or lack of it) is a fixed, unchanging characteristic. Years of family members, friends, and teachers remarking, “What a smart boy/girl you are!” certainly reinforces this personal theory of intelligence. The alternate view of intelligence as changeable–as something that can be developed–is less commonly fostered, but can be. The educator Verna Ford has summed up this alternate theory for use with young children quite succinctly: “Think you can–work hard–get smart.” Research by the educational psychologist Carol Dweck suggests that those young people who hold a belief in fixed intelligence see academic setbacks as an indicator of limited ability. They are highly invested in appearing smart, and consequently avoid those tasks that might suggest otherwise. Rather than exerting more effort to improve their performance, they are likely to conclude, “I’m not good at that subject” and move on to something else. Students who have the view of intelligence as malleable are more likely to respond to academic setbacks as a sign that more effort is needed, and then exert that effort. They are more likely to face challenges head-on rather than avoid them in an effort to preserve a fixed definition of oneself as smart.” The theory of intelligence as malleable–something that expands as the result of effective effort–fosters an academic resilience that serves its believers well.
Honestly, I was more than a little amazed at seeing some of my own thoughts expanded and in black and white in the midst this chapter. From this, I gathered a few things about myself.
- While I think that intelligence is dependent on environmental factors, I never considered that my low aptitude in math is due to the my idea that my ability is limited. My idea of intelligence and the idea that I can expand my intelligence in a subject area are in conflict.
- I do avoid math, as my struggles in the subject do cause me to question my intelligence. This is a conflict as well, as I feel very capable in a multitude of other areas.
- I’m not academically resilient, especially in math. I’ve never had any real hope for improvement.
- I need to reverse the above points, and exert effective effort to improve.
There will likely be other math courses I will need to complete. Admittedly, I’m not looking forward to them; however, I know that I need to change this attitude and commit to succeeding in the subject. Part of this effort will be to study the malleability of intelligence, giving myself a foundation to work on.
Joel McDonald on Mar 14th 2008 Education, Technology
From the blog of Sue Waters,
Last year I was incredibly fortunate to be able to work closely with the Al Upton and the miniLegends, a class of Year 3 students, aged 8 and 9…Al’s been blogging with his students for the past five years and this year Al Upton decided to take student blogging, with his new group of miniLegends, to the next level and invited the educational blogging community to mentor a mini.
Unfortunately Al and his miniLegends have had problems this week; the end result being that today he was given an Order of Closure by Risk and management/Special Investigations Unit from the South Australian Education Department to remove his Al Upton’s MiniLegend class blog. [Read Post]
What some people don’t seem to understand is that student, even as young as 8 and 9, find themselves immersed in a digital world where communication happens instantly, with anyone, all over the world. By providing the opportunity for students to interact via blogging, and connect with educators internationally, Upton was providing a positive example of what the Internet could be used for. He expanded his student’s horizons through their blogging, and did so in a safe environment.
Ordering the closure of the miniLegends’ blog was overkill. Shutting down the blog didn’t protect the students, as the blog didn’t increase the danger to students. However, I would argue that not being able to show students how to participate digitally in the global community will do more harm than good. The Government has impeded the progress of this class, and they should be held accountable for their actions.
Joel McDonald on Mar 3rd 2008 Education, Mormonism, Post-Mormonism, Religion, Volunteerism
Last night I attended a charity dinner for the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center. This ecumenical organization is the result of the support of 120 churches, temples, and other organizations, religious or otherwise. The mission statement of the JCOC is “to empower homeless families and individuals to recover from crisis situations and return to being self-supporting, productive and independent members of our community”. Their programs are transformational for those who enter them and follow the guidelines provided by the organization, and I was honored to attend.
As you may know, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participates minimally in ecumenical activities and organizations. I wasn’t surprised to not see them listed along with the supporting organizations, but I was very surprised when a scholarship was given to a young woman who is an active member of the LDS Church. Now, I’m not saying that this young woman was undeserving because she is a Mormon, or for any reason otherwise, but it does cause me to think about how this young woman is associated with the JCOC and how the organization may be providing the kind of qualified support that the LDS Church is not able to provide most of its members.
Let’s face it, the local leadership of the LDS Church are really ill prepared for the real challenges which face them, such as poverty and addiction. We know the church has welfare programs in place, and that the church does much good for people around the world, but often locally these programs are ill run and can place additional burdens upon people.
Further, I wonder how local Mormon leaders feel about her accepting a scholarship primarily by churches’ who do no see the LDS Church as a valid Christian church, in addition to wanting to know if they feel their programs are lacking in not being able to provide the same kind of scholarship that this organization has.
