"When I was your age, I had to walk to school. Barefoot. In the snow. And it was uphill — both ways." So begins the stereotypical you-kids-don't-know-how-easy-you-have-it rant. Ignoring the logistical problems of the uphill-both-ways argument, there's more than a little research suggesting that Grandpa might be right. One study covered by Miller-McCune.com in October found that leisure time for adolescents in the U.S. has been on the rise since the 1970s, while paid work time, time spent on household chores and time spent doing schoolwork have decreased. On average, girls have gained ... Read More
Today’s College Students Lacking in Empathy
May 31, 2010 • By • 3 Comments
While recent books have espoused the virtues of Millenials at nearly every turn (see: Millenials Rising and Generation We), research hasn't been kind to an age group cocooned by social-networking sites and helicopter parents. From documenting a decline in personal responsibility for the environment to finding a link between Facebook and narcissism, data-crunchers are beginning to paint a less rosy picture of the next "great" generation. The newest such study, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, finds a precipitous decline in the past 30 years in the percentage of college ... Read More
Outsourcing an American Education
May 22, 2010 • By • 1 Comment
There is a bill currently making its way through the Indian parliament — The Foreign Educational Institutions Bill — that would open up for universities in the West, particularly in the U.S., a massive English-speaking market. Massive is the key word. We're talking hundreds of thousands of Indian students reaching college age who are interested in an education that would allow them to better participate in a globalizing economy. At first glance, the passage of the bill, which is being pushed ahead by Human Resources Minister Kapil Sibal and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, benefits ... Read More
Larger Schools May Breed Less Parental Involvement
May 21, 2010 • By • 1 Comment
Here's a general rule: the more parents are involved in their kids' lives, the better the results usually are. Naturally, San Francisco Bay Area school districts are taking this truism to new heights. San Jose's Alum Rock Union Elementary School District may soon require parents to volunteer at least 30 hours per academic year — or face a potential slap on the wrist or call from the principal. While the potential legislation can easily be criticized (what about dual working parents?), administrators might consider another option to encourage more parental involvement: make schools ... Read More
Motivating Students Via Mental Time Travel
April 26, 2010 • By • 1 Comment
Why do so many teens lack the necessary motivation to rigorously focus on their schoolwork? To quote William Shakespeare — whom your seventh-grader should be studying right now, rather than instant-messaging her friends — the problem may be in their mind’s eye. That’s the conclusion of a new study by two University of Michigan researchers, who find a link between schoolwork, grades and the vision kids have of themselves as happy, successful adults. They report some middle school students see themselves becoming doctors or lawyers — professions that require a good education — ... Read More
Immigration and the Missing Ph.D.s
April 7, 2010 • By • 6 Comments
Jim Rogers echoed a common complaint of the science and engineering community last week when he tied the future of American competitiveness in a high-tech, clean economy to a seemingly unlikely issue — immigration reform. "Every person in this country who graduates with a Ph.D. ought to have a visa stapled to that Ph.D.," the charismatic Southern CEO of Duke Energy told a room full of scientists and energy policy wonks. Many heads nodded in assent. If the crowd wasn't so buttoned-down, you might have heard an "Amen!" or two. These are people for whom "immigration reform" has little to ... Read More
Handwriting Is History
December 17, 2009 • By • 45 Comments
At 11 p.m. on Dec. 27, I checked my inbox out of habit. I had 581 new e-mails. All had been sent between 8 and 11 p.m. The days between Christmas and New Year's are not usually a busy time for e-mailing. What was going on? It turns out that the home page for MSN.com had linked to a short article I had published a year earlier. In the article, I argue that we should stop teaching cursive in primary schools and provide some background on the history of handwriting to back up my claims. The comments on my piece were hostile, insulting and vehemently opposed to my argument. The onslaught ... Read More
No Uniform Solution
November 23, 2009 • By • 8 Comments
On Nov. 4, the Los Angeles City Council, looking to prod the city's school board into being proactive in addressing steep budget cuts, teacher unrest and chronic underachievement, unanimously passed a resolution recommending all students in L.A. public schools wear uniforms. Councilmember Jose Huizar (former president of the LAUSD's Board of Education) hailed this proposal as a harbinger for greater "order," "focus" and "higher achievement" in classrooms across the district. Perhaps. The clothing company Classroom Uniforms certainly cheered — it announced a new line of uniforms the same ... Read More
May I Refer to My Pharmacopeia During the Test?
November 10, 2009 • By • Leave a Comment
It's a week before final exams and you haven't begun studying. These general education classes are, simply, a drag and you're already tired from fraternity, sorority or extracurricular activities. Besides, your friends are partying this weekend anyway. You should, (A) clamp down and study for a few hours every night this week, pacing yourself for finals. But you know you'll probably (B) start absentmindedly perusing your books four days before the exam to make yourself feel better, or (C) free your mind of finals worries until two days before testing, then pop an Adderall pill and spend 10 ... Read More
Community Building Keeps Students on the Scientifc Path
May 8, 2009 • By • 1 Comment
Community building is key to keeping students in scientific fields, participants in a conference on diversity in science said today. And the community must extend beyond academics to embrace students' social lives, the scientists said. Research shows that minority college students are more likely to drop out when they don't feel membership in a group, said Brian Booton, program coordinator in the University of Missouri's Undergraduate Research Office. Developing a "supportive community of peers," is central to a Missouri program for minority science students, Booton said. The program ... Read More
