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Next #CollegeChat: Tiger Mom, Obama, and US Students Losing Education Race

January 30, 2011 By

On the February 1, 2010 edition of #CollegeChat at 9 pm Eastern and 6 pm Pacific we will be discussing:

Is Amy Chua right? What lessons can we learn from Amy Chua about preparing our children for success in school?

As many of us know, Amy Chua, a Yale professor but perhaps better known today as the “Tiger Mom”, set off a firestorm of debate with her article for the Wall Street Journal “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior.” As of this writing, there have been 7674 comments logged to date and countless other newspaper, blog posts and television reports.

In the Wall Street Journal piece, which is an excerpt from Chua’s new book “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” , Chua writes:

Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do:

• attend a sleepover

• have a playdate

• be in a school play

• complain about not being in a school play

• watch TV or play computer games

• choose their own extracurricular activities

• get any grade less than an A

• not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama

• play any instrument other than the piano or violin

• not play the piano or violin.

Furthermore, Chua explains:

Despite our squeamishness about cultural stereotypes, there are tons of studies out there showing marked and quantifiable differences between Chinese and Westerners when it comes to parenting. In one study of 50 Western American mothers and 48 Chinese immigrant mothers, almost 70% of the Western mothers said either that “stressing academic success is not good for children” or that “parents need to foster the idea that learning is fun.” By contrast, roughly 0% of the Chinese mothers felt the same way. Instead, the vast majority of the Chinese mothers said that they believe their children can be “the best” students, that “academic achievement reflects successful parenting,” and that if children did not excel at school then there was “a problem” and parents “were not doing their job.” Other studies indicate that compared to Western parents, Chinese parents spend approximately 10 times as long every day drilling academic activities with their children. By contrast, Western kids are more likely to participate in sports teams.

Can our children wait for Obama’s Education Reform? What can we do today?

In President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night he challenged his audience  “To win the future … we also have to win the race to educate our kids.”   According to Amanda Paulson’s reporting for the Christian Science Monitor,   Obama detailed specific proposals in his speech:

  • Prepare 100,000 more science, technology, engineering, and math teachers by the end of the decade.
  • Make permanent the tuition tax credit – worth $10,000 for four years of college – and expand the Pell Grant program.
  • Replace No Child Left Behind with a new, more flexible law, that he said should be modeled after his competitive Race to the Top grant program.

During his speech Obama argued that there needed to be a partnership between parents, citizens and the educators themselves to focus on “what’s best for our kids.” “If we take these steps – if we raise expectations for every child, and give them the best possible chance at an education, from the day they’re born until the last job they take – we will reach the goal I set two years ago: by the end of the decade, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world,” Obama said.

Background Reading for Chat

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/opinion/18brooks.html?src=tp

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/01/13/is-extreme-parenting-effective?ref=opinion

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111504576059713528698754.html

http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2011/01/18/the-tiger-cub-roars/

http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2011/01/13/the-tiger-mother-responds-to-readers/

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_17200074

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/01/26/3351794/tiger-mother-adds-to-stereotype.html

http://hechingerreport.org/content/why-are-other-countries-doing-better-in-science-than-the-u-s_5056/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-roth/investing-in-educated-inn_b_815125.html

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2011/0126/State-of-the-Union-mystery-What-do-Obama-s-Race-to-the-Top-plans-mean

http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-catholic-schools-20110128,0,7799875.story?track=rss

New to Twitter?

In order to participate in the chat, attendees will need to have a Twitter account.  To sign up for a Twitter account, go to http:// twitter.com. The easiest way to follow the chat is to use TweetChat (http://tweetchat.com). Simply log in to TweetChat with your Twitter information (email or username followed by password) and then enter in CollegeChat without the “#” and you will be placed into the chat room with only those participating in #CollegeChat. More detailed information about signing up for Twitter and using TweetChat can be found at http://pathwaypr.com/how-to-participate-in-a-twitter-chat .

About #CollegeChat

#CollegeChat is a live bi-monthly conversation intended for teens, college students, parents, and higher education experts on Twitter. Questions for each #CollegeChat edition can be sent to Theresa Smith, the moderator of #CollegeChat via http://Twitter.com/collegechat , by entering questions online on the CollegeChat Facebook page at http://ht.ly/1XIqV , or by email. CollegeChat can also be found on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/collegechat .

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Business Insider: Top Social Media Blogs

January 19, 2011 By

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Test Preparation Expert to Detail SAT and ACT Action Plan for High School Students

January 13, 2011 By

Low Library
Creative Commons License photo credit: maxintosh

Akil Bello, a college and graduate test preparation expert and owner of Bell Curves, LLC , (http://www.bellcurves.com/),  a socially responsible educational services company, will detail what steps college bound high school students should take to prepare successfully for the SAT and the ACT during  #CollegeChat on Twitter on January 18, 2011 at 9 p.m. Eastern.

During #CollegeChat, Bello, (http://twitter.com/akilbello ), will discuss with attendees how to construct a self study program for the SAT and the ACT.  Items Bello will discuss include:

  • When should a college bound high school sophomore or junior take the exams
  • How much time to devote to test preparation
  • How to develop a timeline
  • How to construct a study program
  • Online resources
  • Books and other helpful resources
  • How to determine which test is best for each student

Akil Bello is an expert in test preparation and is the vice president of Educational Development for Bell Curves. Bello oversees all aspects of the development of programs and materials, as well as the training of teachers. He has worked as a teacher trainer and materials developer at three different test prep companies, bringing his unique humor and intelligence to every endeavor. After spending 15 years teaching every standardized test in the known universe, he joined his brother and father in founding Bell Curves.

About #CollegeChat

#CollegeChat is a live bi-monthly conversation intended for teens, college students, parents, and higher education experts on Twitter. #CollegeChat takes place on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 6 p.m. Pacific/ 9 p.m. Eastern. Questions for each #CollegeChat edition can be sent to Theresa Smith, the moderator of #CollegeChat via http://Twitter.com/collegechat , by entering questions online on the CollegeChat Facebook page at http://ht.ly/1XIqV , or by email. More detailed information about signing up for Twitter and participating in #Collegechat  can be found at  http://pathwaypr.com/how-to-participate-in-a-twitter-chat .CollegeChat can also be found on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/collegechat .

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Should You Go to Graduate School? 7 Steps to Consider

January 7, 2011 By

Skydive Vietnam 2008, star forming over Nha Trang
Creative Commons License photo credit: divemasterking2000

Whether or not to attend graduate school is a question that many college students and graduates grapple with.  During the great recession many students have opted to attend graduate school instead of face a difficult job market.  And according to a recent survey conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council that strategy may be paying off for some 2010 MBA graduates. The survey reports an increase in hiring of MBA graduates compared to 2009. In addition, according to the Census Bureau, in 2008 college graduates between 25 and 29 with a master’s degree made on average $7,954 more annually than those with only a bachelor’s degree.

But before signing up for tutoring for the GRE exam, Linda Abraham, a graduate school admissions expert and president of Accepted.com (http://www.accepted.com/ ), recommends that students carefully consider the following steps:

Do the math. Before deciding on whether to pursue graduate school, Abraham recommends that students determine whether graduate school makes sense financially. Specifically, students need to research what are the job opportunities in your chosen field.  How much more can students expect to make with your graduate degree than without it?  Students also need to find out what are the out-of-pocket costs as well as the cost of lost income to pursue an advanced degree. Once a student has collected all the information, they are then in a good position to do the math. “A” should exceed “B” or this degree may be enjoyable and fun but ultimately not profitable.

Prepare for graduate school while an undergraduate. The first step students should take to prepare for graduate school is to get good grades as an undergraduate. As undergraduates, students should volunteer, work or intern in areas of interest to them. Students need to get experience that tells them if they like the field. The third step is to minimize debt as much as possible. Abraham also recommends that students should assume leadership roles as an undergraduate.

Have a purpose for your studies. Most academic programs require a statement of purpose. Simply put, that means you need a purpose for your studies. Medical school, business school and most academic graduate programs expect you to know why you want to attend graduate school. Students need to research their intended fields or they can easily make mistakes. “Don’t go to graduate school because you like school and don’t know what else to do,” said Abraham.

Take test once if possible. Abraham also recommends that students take graduate school admission tests only once if possible. “Try to take one time and make it your best,” said Abraham. “Don’t take it on a lark.”  Most business schools and law schools take the highest score. Graduate schools and medical schools policies vary. Abraham recommends students research the policies of the schools they are interested in.

Use graduate school rankings as a data source not as a bible. According to Abraham, the rankings themselves contain data that is useful but the “rankings themselves are for lazy minds who don’t want to think. The rankings that count are the one that the individual applicant should create.” Students should research graduate school programs on school web sites and they should also talk to people in the fields they want to join. Students should also review professional associations and web sites such as http://www.accepted.com/.

Work first if possible. Depending on the graduate degree, it might be helpful for students to work first full time instead of going directly to graduate school from college. Abraham recommends that students interested in pursuing an MBA degree work 2 to 6 years before graduate school. She also reports that a couple of years of full time work is helpful before medical school and law school but is not required.

Use Gap year productively. Gap years can be seen positively by graduate schools provided the year is spent productively according to Abraham. “Sitting on the beach won’t cut it,” said Abraham. Extensive travel, working full-time, Teach for America, Peace Corps, and significant volunteer responsibly during a Gap year can only help reports Abraham.

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8 Tips for College Students Interested in Studying Abroad

January 3, 2011 By

Autumn in South Africa II
Creative Commons License photo credit: geoftheref

Studying abroad continues to be one of the top five interests of college bound students according to Brooke Roberts, an expert in international education and founder of http://insidestudyabroad.com. According to the Open Doors 2010 Report on International Education Exchange, an annual report published by the Institute  of International Education with funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, 260,327 students studied abroad for credit during the academic year 2008/2009.

“Studying abroad is right for just about any student barring any health or physical restrictions. The real question is what program is right for you,” said Roberts. “Students need to think about the why, what, where and how of study abroad.”

In order to help students prepare for a successful study abroad experience, Roberts recommended the following tips for students during #CollegeChat.

1.      Contact your university’s study abroad office.  According to Roberts, a student’s study abroad office should be their primary source for study abroad information. After you research opportunities with your school’s study abroad office you should also research programs through online directories like GoAbroad.com.

2.      Make sure to investigate the full range of study abroad programs. College students have a multitude of study abroad programs available to choose from ranging from two weeks to a full calendar year. According to the Open Doors 2010 Report, 55 percent of U.S. students choose short term programs, 41 percent choose mid length programs while a little more than 4 percent choose a full academic or calendar year program. Short term programs are the most popular, according to the report, because they offer the greatest financial and academic flexibility.

3.      Select a study abroad program that is on your university’s approved list. Most universities’ study abroad offices maintain a list of university approved programs that guarantee students academic credit if attended and requirements met. “Don’t get stuck paying for a program that your university won’t recognize for credit. It’s a huge headache,” reports Roberts.

Also make sure that the program you are interested in has also been approved by your school for financial aid. “Universities typically limit the number of study abroad programs to which students can apply federal and institutional aid. By selecting a program that is approved for credit and financial aid students can save buckets of money,” said Roberts.

4.      Check in with your financial aid office. Once you have narrowed down your choices make sure to review them with your financial aid office. Make sure you understand how your financial aid award will apply to the program. In addition, check that your financial aid award factors in any other expenses you may have while studying abroad. “Students should also make sure to complete the FAFSA before studying abroad –even if they don’t think they will qualify.  Since studying abroad is often more expensive than staying on campus, students will often qualify for more aid,” explained Roberts.

5.      Consider exchange programs especially if finances are a concern. Exchange programs can often be the best financial deal for students according to Robert. Exchange programs are agreements between a American university and a university abroad. The agreement calls for students to swap places but continue to pay their home school costs. Exchange programs are best for independent, driven students since there is less support available to them.

6.      Talk with students who have participated in study abroad program you are interested in. A fellow student that has already been on the program you are interested in is generally a good place for advice. Make sure to find out about their experience and whether they would recommend the program.

7.      Search for scholarships. Study abroad scholarships are typically for students going to non- traditional locations such as South America, Africa, the Middle East, Russia and Asia. According to Roberts, it is more difficult to find scholarships for Europe since it’s the most popular destination. Robert recommends students check out GoAbroad.com for scholarships at http://scholarships.goabroad.com/index.cfm. Students need to begin looking for scholarships at least nine months before they plan to go abroad. Most scholarships have a deadline to apply a semester before the student plans to study abroad.

8.      Consider adding an internship to your study abroad program. Many study abroad programs that last at least a semester include an internship. “Interning abroad can be the one two punch that helps land a student a job after graduation,” said Roberts.

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