I am currently in the fourth semester and I have really enjoyed the course so far. The online classes are very dynamic, with many diverse activities. We had a problem with the lack of (printed) teaching materials; they were only available in PDF format in the virtual library and they were really necessary because studying three books relating to the module, doing the activities and taking exams online and at the center was all very difficult. They say the printed material is being sent, hopefully I don´t have to read them on the computer again! The online teachers are very helpful and the activities are well planned for our learning.” (By Isabel Cristina Paes Antonio Mendes, about the Undergraduate Degree in Pedagogy).

Congratulations to the winner and thanks to everyone who participated in our survey!

Some academics at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, have confirmed the boy is on the right way to coming up with something completely new. Curently Jacob Barnett works for Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis and is paid for doing what he likes most, which is explaining calculus using a whiteboard marker on his bedroom windows. In the YouTube video below, recorded by his mother, Jacob explains his expanded theory of relativity.

In his early childhood, Jacob was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of Autism, so his parents expected him to have problems in school. However his IQ is as high as 170. His parents realised they were wrong when by the age of 3 Jackob started solving 5,000 piece puzzles. He also grasped calculus, algebra and geometry in two weeks. As an 8-year-old he left high school and since than he’s been attending college-level advanced astrophysics classes.

He is an unusual boy, but like any other kid he loves playing video games, watching shows on the Disney Channel and sci-fi movies.

Source: Time.com

But the message to emerge out of the current recession, according to economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, is that if you want to keep your job, if and when it happens again, it´s better to be well-educated than well-paid.  In 1973, only 28% of jobs required a post-secondary education, but in 2008 that figure was 59%. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce scholars say this number will increase to 63% within the next decade.  In 2008, the median salary of a college graduate with a Bachelor of Arts was $55,777 USD, compared with $33,800 for those who are only high-school educated.  The figures for unemployment percentages follow suit, with almost double the number of high-school only graduates unemployed compared with college graduates.

Jobs in the IT industry increased by 4.3% in the last year, and while a select few made it without higher education, about 86% of the industry has some form of tertiary study behind them.

Bottom line: the odds are better with an education, and the IT industry is booming.  Click here to view some courses you can study in the United States.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com

Image via mediadump.com

Disciplining students with a cane or “paddling” as it is commonly referred to, is still allowed in 20 of the 52 states in the US. A recent case in Wichita Falls, Texas, has brought attention to the issue, after an 11th grade student received a paddling that put him in the hospital.

According to The Center for Effective Discipline or CED, corporal punishment exists today mainly in the southern states, where it is ingrained in the customs and traditions of small communities.  CED are committed to educating parents and children about the effects of corporal punishment on children and alternatives in giving discipline.  Since 1998 the 30th of April has been dubbed SpankOut Day USA, to bring about an end to hitting children, and to promote their motto “Raising Responsible (Good) Kids Without Hitting”. CED highlight the fact that if students are hit at school, they think it is ok to be hit at home, and the cycle of violence continues.

The student from Wichita Falls is currently involved in a legal case which may help bring an end to the hitting of students in Texas.  Recently, legislators in New Mexico voted to end the practice in their state, although it still needs the approval of the local governor before the law is passed.

Interestingly, St. Augustine High School, the only remaining catholic school in New Orleans who practiced paddling, have recently banned the practice, only to be met with protests from current students and the school community who want it reinstated.  They say that being able to utilise corporal punishment has contributed to character building and higher graduation rates, and the senior students say they can tell the difference between the older students and the newer ones who have not been exposed to the same traditions.

If you are interested in finding out more about GED and what they do, check out their website here.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com and http://www.stophitting.com

The job market is constantly evolving.  As technology advances, it creates openings in new fields and makes others obselete.  The saavy job seeker should be up to date with trends and forecasts, to make an informed choice about what to study according to the market and where it´s going.

Which occupations are likely to experience an increase in demand in the coming years? Here we share a few tips on the industries that are on the rise.

• Organic Food Farmer.

The organic market currently makes up 10% of the food industry, and the majority of growth has been in recent years.  An increase in demand for organic food means an increase in demand for the farmers of organic produce.

• Genetic Counsellor

Genetic technology is advancing at a rapid rate, and parents may soon be able to choose certain genetic characteristics, such as the sex of an unborn child.

• Cyber Security Specialist

The continued growth and strength of the internet calls for IT professionals who can both protect websites and businesses, and help to patrol and stop hackers and other threats to computer systems.

• Social Media Manager

This job has really emerged in the last couple of years, with the global dominance of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter.  A mix between marketing and IT professions, companies both big and small are hiring social media managers to create and maintain the buzz around their brand.

• Sustainability Officer

As big business tries to become more eco-friendly and governments pass laws that aim to reduce our carbon footprint, the sustainability officer is the expert in working with new policies and procedures in this area.

• Medical Records Administrator

Technology and demand to digitalise medical records is huge, and more people are going to be needed in this field to be able to deal with the workload.

• Mobile Application Developer

With the increase in the popularity of smart phones comes the increase in demand for application developers.

• Robotics Technician

The Japanese have made a robotic carer to help with their ageing population and the demands on the aged care industry, and the increase in robots will require an increase in technicians to build and maintain them.

• Stem Cell Researcher

It´s still controversial but growth in this area is set to soar.

• Simulation Engineer

Simulators are used in many industries, such as in aviation and medicine, and as this specialist technology develops so too do the jobs.

Source: http://jobs.aol.com

Graph via http://ebookfriend.ly

Some key moments in the history of the e-book:

• In the year 2000, Stephen King made his novella Riding the Bullet available exclusively online,  and 400,000 copies were downloaded in the first 24 hours.
• In 2002, publishing houses HarperCollins and Random House began selling digital versions of their books.
• In 2007 Amazon launched Kindle in the US, with 90,000 books available for purchase.
• The same year, Apple launched it´s first generation iPhone.
• From here, the digital book boom soars; Apple releases the iPad with the iBooks application, and Google releases the eBookstore with 3 million titles.  At this moment,  the global e-book market is worth $900 million.

Regardless of personal preference, e-books are continuing to grow in number and popularity and are changing the way that people learn and access information.

Source: ebookfriend.ly

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons ccarlstead

Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation in England, believe that written exams are becoming outdated because so many students today are using computers. Isabel Nisbet, the chief executive of Ofqual, said that written exams are becoming less relevant in our tech-savvy society as many students learn, explore and study more on computers than with conventional methods.  Computerised exams would revolutionise the examination process and make it easier to correct and revise the exams.

While two other exam boards supported the idea, there has been some backlash from teachers and others in the education community, who say that it will facilitate cheating, contribute to the decline of handwriting and generally undermine educational values.

These days exam papers are often scanned and digitally marked, but last year some students mistakenly received lower grades and even missed out on their first university choice because of a computer error with the marking system. Referring to this incident, Miss Nisbet said

“Factors that contributed to the marking error included limited piloting of the new on-screen marking system, a lack of effective risk assessments and deficiencies in the role and training of examiners on the new system.”

With sufficient training and systems in place, computerised exams could be the new face of education, but perhaps not just yet.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk and http://www.ofqual.gov.uk

The 17th of March is St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday known for parades, shamrocks and all things Irish.  The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for more than a thousand years but today it´s more of a secular celebration of Irish culture. According to history.com, there are 36.5 million U.S. residents who claim Irish ancestry. This number is more than eight times the population of Ireland itself (4.5 million).

Here we have a few ideas on how to go green on St. Patrick’s Day with your friends:

Wear Something Green
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day put on a green shirt, jeans, scarf, cap, shoes, even shoelaces or socks.

Join the Parade
More than 100 St. Patrick’s Day parades are held across the U.S. The first took place in New York City in 1762 and the New York parade has become the largest Saint Patrick’s Day parade in the world.

Colour Your Food Green
How about celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a glass of green milk with your breakfast? All you need is some imagination and a bottle of green food coloring. Chicago is famous for dying the Chicago River green every year for the St Patrick’s Day celebration, a tradition that started in 1962.

Have a Traditional Irish Dinner
Try potato soup, corned beef, colcannon and soda bread, and finish your meal with an Irish Coffee.

And for those really green at heart:

Put Down Some Green
If you’re green at heart and concerned about your carbon footprint, put down some green in your garden or give a donation to plant more trees. As little as $90 is enough to plant 900 trees.

Sign up for a day run
Put on your green sneakers and sign up for a fun-run near you. Running outdoors is a green form of exercise. Promote an active life style, and walk the distances that are shorter and save on fuel used by cars.

Do Some Good for Your Community
Building houses with Habitat for Humanity, volunteering in animal shelters, or offering free tutoring for students from low-income families are some examples.

If you want to learn more about Irish life, past and present, the Irish emigrant experience and Ireland´s literature and culture, consider taking a Liberal Arts Diploma in Irish Studies at the London Metropolitan University.

Source: history.com

The Royal Couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton, who will marry on April 29, visited the University of St Andrews in Scotland to mark its 600th anniversary, which was celebrated at the end of February. It must have been a trip down memory lane for Prince William and his fiancee as the couple met and fell in love at St Andrews.

In their first year they were taking art history together, and they eventually became friendly and started socialising more often. At the time however, Miss Middleton was dating another student. In their second year they began sharing a house with two other friends. Teachers at St Andrews say that it’s thanks to the university’s close-knit community that the couple kept their romance a secret. No one knows exactly when their relation became serious but it is rumoured to be around Christmas 2003. The Royal Couple both graduated in 2005.  Prince William with an Honours Degree in Geography and Miss Middleton with an Honours Degree in Art History.

Over the centuries St Andrews has gained a reputation as one of Britain’s top match-making universities, with students there having about a one in 10 chance of meeting their life partner. Founded in 1413 St Andrews is the third oldest university in the English speaking world.

Source: telegraph.co.uk