Challenges in Education in Today's Society - Globalization and Changes in Education

Recent investigations in the study of demographic trends at global level are currently making light on a very controversial aspect, although ignored by global institutions, like O.N.U., U.N.D.P., G 20, same by organizations with attributions in the educational field (as UNESCO, Youth International Authorities and other). The so-called "demographic winter" phenomenon, which reveals the dramatic consequences of the "modern" life, marked by familial and moral decline, by miscarriage, vulgarization and the homosexuality "normalization", by the poisoning influence of the majority of mass-media and the "Hollywood culture" are inoculating egocentrism, frivolity and irresponsibility. Considering this demographic trend offers a new dimension to the way in which abundance and resource of the world are distributed and also gives a new vision on elementary educational issues.

The globalization of education is reflecting itself in the extension and unification of educational practices, used by all those public or private entities, involved as active social educators. Over time, the public education systems in developed or emerging countries, which promote formal education, are illustrating with consistency the practice of a classical education system. In the field of non-formal education there are used more innovating and diverse methods of education, but unfortunately few of this are oriented upon individual behaviour reshaping in the global context, and they are looking only to proliferate consumerist habits, by preparing youngsters for a successful professional career start. The presence of NGO's with international coverage and professional training companies has fixed the currently understood "development in education" in comfortable limits. This makes room for a reshape of educational fundamentals and, more obvious, for the ultimate purpose of learning.

Most people think that education should equip them with the proper exploitation instruments so that they can forever trample over the masses. Still other thinks that education should furnish them with noble ends rather than means to an end. The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals.

Socially speacking, the technological revolution, the broaden access to information and the modern lifestyle facilities have made possible the appearance of an irreversible phenomenon in the conflict between generations. In our present times, the children, "sons of globalization" have access to multiple sources of information, with the internet being most of the time an instrument of self-education. The balance is leaning in the favour of the power of informed youth, who become "the teachers", explaining the new world order to the eldest. This theory takes into consideration the acceleration of technology and the way of our lifestyle, but, beyond its observational character, it does not bring up the discussion on the relevance of educational systems, visible outmoded, which attempts to destroy the moral and statutory principles. The wisdom is transmitted from the old generation to the youth, and not backward.

Therefore we are raising the question regarding the way organisms responsible for educational issues should reconsider the basic fundamentals of this basic activity, which clearly has guided the evolution of our world so far. It isn't enough for organizations like U.N.E.S.C.O or U.N.D.P. to confront the absence of primary education and the discrimination regarding access to education in underdeveloped countries, to avoid resettling the educational needs inside an inappropriate system. It is necessary to deal with these aspects in proper time, because we consider education the key-element which can slow down the process of planet and people self destruction.

The proposal regarding fundamentals reshaping and reviewing the individual education, approached in all stages and cycles of life, starts with the assumption that "Man has to be educated to act responsible towards the environment and civilization, and not interfere in the harmony and balanced world development with his behaviour". This observation, not exactly recent, triggered a chain of initiatives in the educational system in countries like France, Italy, Germany, including Romania, but I consider that implementing a discipline of Civic Education, in the gymnasium module is not enough, neither convincing.

We feel that the new fundamentals and principals of education, which must be known, understood and applied by every teacher, through all the range of educational processes in the long life learning of individuals, and also in the non formal educational process, whereat people have access during existence are:

1. Self-consciousness - is essential because it allows every individual to find his role in society, to know his weak points and to develop them according to his unique talents genetically inherited. A person aware of his/her self can easily act in choosing the occupation or the carrier to practice that he or she will be able to direct his energies to and recognize the real problems that the world and society faces. Consciousness-based education, introduced in 1971 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, is unique in its ability to effectively develop the total brain potential of every student.

2. Stimulating creativity - this special quality is reflected in the mental and social process of generating new ideas, concepts, associations, and permits individual adaptation to unpredictable contexts and situations. There are simple techniques, associated to lateral thinking that can promote this capacity, for example: improvisation, fiction as imaginary product, (Randomness, Improvisation, P.S.).

3. Communication - in the actual forms and methods used as learning practices, communication is not capitalized at being the supreme value, because mostly individual activity it's encouraged, which promotes inappropriate values like egoism, indifference, self-interest. Without communicating problems and discussing difficult situations, there is no way to claim solving the issues in optimal parameters of time, quality and accuracy. The man can not act in terms of social responsibility, as a "macro attitude", which I consider as being shallowly approached, especially in the economical environment.

4. Promoting a responsible role in society - education must train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking. To think incisively and to think for one's self is very difficult. We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half truths, prejudices, and propaganda. At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is fulfilling its purpose. A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction. This is the way in which he or she could develop and exercise an active role in society.

5. Changing opening - in order to be able to intervene in the actual course of the life circle, accepting and promoting the changes is considered a healthy habit, which stimulates the flexibility and the disruption of existing corporately stereotypes, which are heading humanity to destruction, because of the ignorance or simply because of unknown problems that Terra is facing. From this perspective, the change tackling implies a real transformation at psychological level and of human behaviour, therefore to satisfy those priorities needed to be handled immediately. Here we refer to: the necessity of a re-conversion of world economy from a military economy to civil one, immediate solutions for energetic and environmental problems, as well as for the underdevelopment and poverty aspects propagated into the world.

6. Global vision upon world - the actual educational system, as a whole, is constituted by a sum of operations (method -> evaluation -> communication), whose final objective must reflect a pragmatic and global view on the world. At present, the youth is informed regarding global problems through sources like mass media, not making possible a healthy analysis, not making possible a debate and a thoroughness facilitation that could lead to the understanding and building-up personal opinions regarding aspects like underdevelopment, global economical relations, international monetary system, etc.

7. The ability of solving problems - solving problems is the easiest way to re-create conditions and actions in an artificial manner, experience which allows pupils and students to deal with in a constructive way and to develop solutions for different problems. Learning systems which are basically constructed like this are superior because it helps individuals to recognise and adapt to specific economic, social, psychological, spiritual context and to detect real problems in any form, associating optimal alternatives of decision. For example, simulating a complex economical context for a start-up enterprise leads to the stimulation of individual creativeness and decision-making abilities.

8. Multidisciplinary teams - to permit the reshaping and the restructuring of scholar curricular in the needed form in order to develop these abilities and capacities, we are suggesting even some changes in the study of discipline, considering the logical and contextual relations between them, providing an understanding of all existing correlations at a certain point. For example, Public Finances should be studied in the International Monetary System context and not separately. At the same time this characteristic involves, according to those said before, the start point of collaborations between students coming from different specialization, in order to accomplish complex projects with a multidisciplinary approach. In this case, the elaboration of a business plan would unite students from different specializations in economical science discipline (services, marketing, management) and students from engineering, agriculture and others profile Universities.

In recent years, there have been promoters that recognise the importance of remodelling and updating the learning systems and they have introduced some of this principals through various pedagogic and psychology methods and ideas, which became guide-lines in Universities educational activities from regions around the world. A recent example at this point is the study made by Clay Shirky, author of "Here Comes Everybody", in which he proposed an innovating learning model, named Open Model of Education. In the Closed Model of Education or Classical System, education is limited because the ideas that a school or district can consider can come from only a limited number of sources, usually teachers, administrators, and consultants. A great deal of thought must be put into the consideration of ideas because the time and cost of failure are so high. Time spent with meetings, staff training, and materials, has a cost. This means the filter for ideas is very high. Only those ideas that seem to have the most benefit will be implemented, though there is no way to know in advance that one of the ideas picked will bring the desired benefit, and one of the ideas left on the table could be the most effective and beneficial.

It is true that by putting into practice an educational system based on the same universal fundamentals it essentially means stimulating globalization through its universal optic itself. Although the manner in which this model contributes to the globalization phenomenon is clear, still we must consider the fact that the final purpose of education is no other then confronting globalization's effects and influences, as well as the global negative impact upon environment and, ultimately, upon the way people live everywhere. Education will allow us to know the actual estate of the world, with all its pluses and minuses, and also will increase the awareness of the impact of every individual upon the world and upon the next generations. In other words, we consider politics, economy or administrative sciences weapons of less importance in the process of global issues eradication, compared to education, as a social science.

To concltde, I would like to specify the way these ideas were generated and which were their fundamentals. This actual study is not a result a thorough research activity, neither a genius idea. I am myself a "product" of a classic, formal educational system, but also had some benefits form the non-formal educational system by involving myself in a volunteer organization that developed soft skills and hard skills both. I consider that these educational practices are not adapted enough to the global context that we are facing everyday, and that specialized literature is exposing, bringing up to light its pronounced effects of human existence on Terra. I am a person that does not hold sufficient information and power to be a voice and to be able to get involved in a sustainable and constant development of society, whose values are not profit, nepotism, indifference towards future generations, but responsibility to create and offer equal chances. I am an ambassador of a civilization which is plunging headfirst, shy daring to change the dissonant order and murderously world.

Ana-Maria Marinescu
Blog: http://thoughts4reality.blogspot.com

Educating the Youth About Civic Responsibility's

The different ways to determine the resistance of today's youth to engage in civil service compared with youth of the past. The youth of the past primarily followed what their family members did. The youth of today is comprised of different attitudes and goals that don't mirror the same ideology of the past. Political engagement has fallen and voting involvement has been on a sharp decline. The blame is towards older adults who have failed in their responsibility to transmit workable civic norms, to provide practical contexts in which young people can develop civic knowledge, dispositions and skills. The involvement of the youth tin civic engagement would allow them to have their voice heard over the older voices who may not share the same interests.

Political engagement helps develop a feeling of involvement in one's society. A skill that can be developed to work with others towards goods that can only be obtained or created through collective action, and the powers of sympathetic understanding needed to build bridges. The classroom becomes the arena where the introduction to civil engagement becomes important. The National Assessment of Educational Progress which determines the civic knowledge of young adults. Unfortunately, the youth scored way below the normal standards. Bringing attention to the formal education administered in schools needs to include more civil knowledge. The study also determined the social studies and history teachers who teach civics classes are not properly prepared tot each these courses.

How do you promote the acquisition of civil skills? Galston suggests make public speaking a requirement. Student government participation is invaluable and program involvement in civic organizations. The next is the promotion of civic virtues. This leads to making them feel like citizens of their school community and believer in equal opportunity. Civic engagement offers the chance to all ethnic groups to develop a link between their culture and the government, creating a better understanding.

Traditionally omitting of history subjects in the classroom has been unchecked. The civic education is repressive when it fails to teach appreciation and respect for the positive contributions by minorities to a society's culture. This view contributes to the lack of minorities to contribute to civil engagement. A primary issue is that the teaching in the school leads children to believe they are superior leading the others to feel inferior. Teaching mutual respect among citizens is the primary aim of civic education. Multiculturalism is important factor in civic service.

Their is a story of three Muslim girls kicked out of school because they would refuse to take off their religious chadors. Religious and cultural tolerance should be part of civic education and shouldn't be cast aside. The understanding the different cultures that embody the world and having respect for each one is an important dynamic of civic engagement. Recognizing the need to teach children about foreign countries and cultures is consistent with giving great attention to the history, cultures, and politics of our own country than we do to any other.

Raised by Marguerite Holliday and Herbert Lawrence in Freeport, Long Island. Attended, Lasalle Military Academy and excelled in sports and academics. Attended St.Paul's in Garden City. Moved to West Hempstead at 15 and graduated from West Hempstead High School. Attended Boston College and graduated with a BA in Political Science and Philosophy. Earned a Master's in Public Administration from CW Post Long Island University. Currently attending Dowling College Doctoral program in Educational Administration and anticipated graduation May 2010.

Http://AlonHolliday.com

Support and Education to Immigrants is Supplied by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services

Early in the year of 2003, the various services and benefit functions that were part of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, or the INS, were placed under the direction of the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It was then renamed the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is also now referred to as USCIS.

The USCIS is now responsible for administering all of the functions of immigration and naturalization adjudication. As well, it is responsible for establishing the policies and priorities related to immigration services.

One of the many various functions of the newly formed US Citizenship and Immigration Services, includes providing information to those who are interested in immigrating to the United States and becoming US citizens, as well as providing resources to immigrants.

The USCIS oversees and manages all of the many functions that are related to immigration, including: processing of visa petitions by immigrants; making rulings on naturalization petitions; adjudicating applications for asylum and for refugees; arbitrating procedures and rulings that are performed at the various service centers; handling all other adjudication requirements as required by the circumstances.

The department of US Citizenship and Immigration Services is comprised of approximately fifteen thousand employees. Some are employees of the United States federal government and some are independent contractors.

Roughly speaking, this large staff works out of 250 field offices and headquarters located around the globe. They serve the needs of people from all parts of the world who are interested in emigrating from their native countries to the United States.

Part of the responsibilities of the USCIS include providing resources for potential immigrants and for the various organizations that support and serve them. In the instance of immigrants, the USCIS primarily focuses their efforts on two key periods of time in an immigrant's journey.

The time when an immigrant first becomes a permanent resident and the point at which he or she is ready to formally begin the naturalization process, which will lead them toward integration into the US culture and society.

For the newly arrived immigrant, there is a vast amount of information and resources available at the official website of the department of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which can be located at USCIS. On this site, there is a comprehensive guide that can be downloaded. It provides practical immigration information designed to help new immigrants easily transition into the everyday lifestyle of the US.

This helpful guide is entitled "Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants," and it is available in eleven different languages. The guide also covers some basic US civics information which introduces the new immigrants to the United States system of government. This is information that they will need to learn to function well in their new country.

For those already in the process of naturalization, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website also offers an array of educational materials in a section titled "Civics and Citizenship Study Materials." These learning resources have been provided to assist immigrants in preparing for the US citizenship test, while also encouraging additional civic education.

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Orange County Schools Build Civic Education with Disney

If it wasn't a big enough perk to grow up next door to the Magic Kingdom, Orange County high school students are also being sought out by nonprofit organizations in their area. As part of Disneyland's 50th anniversary celebrations, high school students from Orange County Schools have the chance to participate in community outreach projects with local nonprofits.

Show Your Character

The "Show Your Character" competition encourages local nonprofits to design projects that get high school students involved. Beginning in 2004 and continuing through 2006, Orange County nonprofits submit project proposals designed to help local teenagers give back to their community. If selected, the nonprofits are paired with Orange County high school students and given the resources they needed to complete a community service project in their neighborhoods.

Projects for the competition must meet the California curriculum standards for Service Learning Projects. In this way, students earn academic credit while learning valuable skills from nonprofit groups.

A Service Learning Project must meet four basic goals (provided by the Volunteer Center of Orange County, http://www.volunteercenter.org ):

Meet a Real Community Need

In partnership with your organization, students should gain an understanding of how the needs of the community you serve are identified. After developing an understanding of these needs, students will actively participate in a service-learning project designed to effectively meet those needs.

Gain an Understanding of the Connection Between School and Community

Students should develop an understanding of the relationship between the school and the community and the value of school-community partnerships. This will be gained through direct interactions with your organization, staff and/or clients to develop and implement meaningful service activities that meet the needs of both the students and the community you serve.

Develop a Sense of Civic Responsibility

Students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of civic responsibility through their participation in this service-learning activity. The project must meet a real community need and improves the quality of life in the community.

Strengthen their Understanding of Core Character Traits and Values

Trustworthiness - Respect - Fairness - Caring - Citizenship

Benefits for Students

In addition to the school credit, participation in the competition also benefits students and their schools in other key ways. Students will gain from an increased awareness of the nonprofits operating in the community. In working with a nonprofit organization, the student will learn about how nonprofit groups help at risk members of the community and see for themselves how they and others can contribute to building their community in a positive way in the future. Participation also qualifhes the student to apply for a Disneyland Resort Legacy Scholarship Award. The Disneyland Resort Scholarship Program, called Making Magic Through Community Service, plans to grant $50,000 in scholarships, with a minimum scholarship of $5000 each.

Benefits for Teachers and Schools

Teachers and schools can get in on the action too. In assisting their students to participate in the competition, teachers and schools meet the standards in character education and have the opportunity to build character and civic responsibility in their students. Teachers and students will have the advice of a Disney VoluntEAR Project Leader who is knowledgeable about their nonprofit organization partner as well as the character education curriculum education standards to be met. In addition, teachers and schools will have the expert assistance of the Volunteer Center of Orange County, the California State Regional Lead for Service Learning. There are financial benefits for teachers too, such as earning a Golden Performance Award worth $1000 to further improve the learning environment for their students.

Disney's community outreach programs for Orange County high school students combine learning with public service and specifically address the character education curriculum standards for the state of California. Students in the area have been given the opportunity to learn from Walt Disney that, "the greatest moments in life are not concerned with selfish achievement but rather with the things we do for the people in need."

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Stacy has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more information please visit Orange County Schools

Assessments Can Help

What makes you unique - what's your "brand"? What are your interests, passions and motivated skills, goals and objectives, personality type and non-negotiable needs? All of these are components in exploring what YOU are about and how that can "sync up" with some pretty exciting career choices.It is very commonly seen that one of the major issue students encounter once they pass their exams is the confusion in selecting their further studies. They become overwhelmed and somewhat lost in finding the right match.

Most don't even know what the areas of their interests are. Due to lack of counseling, they put little effort into their overall interests and did not receive enough marks because at the time, they had not yet identified their area of interest. Therefore they cannot obtain admission into their desired colleges. At this time they are very upset and uncertain about what career to pursue. Career confusion and indecision, often resulting in career apathy, seem to be common for many people. Yet finding a career direction or focus is remarkably simple...it's really all about YOU..

Students should attain basic knowledge about a profession before deciding to take it as their future career. Hence proper Career Guidance or Career Mapping can help students/individuals to build confidence and can give awareness of new career possibilities learning and work opportunities including civic, leisure, and promoting the balance of life and work. Educational, vocational, and school counselors provide individuals and groups with career, personnel, social and educational counseling. The purpose of the school counselors is to assist students of all levels, from elementary school to postsecondary education. Students and those who are about to undergo the challenges of getting jobs and experiencing a new life after formal education, would benefit greatly from career assessment.

As trends are constantly changing, anyone can easily go online on their own time to take a variety of tests to determine their career competencies rather than making an appointment with their respective school's career services or guidance counselor. These online career assessment tools are beneficial to discover and introduce new careers to those who wish to build their career. Through career assessment and mapping, those who are new to the working life will find a clearer path for starting their new work life.

There is much consensus that high quality counseling throughout life is a key component of education, training and employability strategies. This is why Europe is known for becoming the world's most dynamic knowledge based society since the Lisbon Council (2000) {http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisbon_Strategy} and Commission's Memorandum on Long Life Learning (LLL) by 2010. Services which refer to assisting individuals include "Career Guidance, Career Assessment, and counselling services" of any age and at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers

Some of the major including activities are:

- To assist students activities within schools to clarify career goals and understand the world of work

- Personal or group-based sustenance with decisions about initial courses of study, further education, courses of vocational training and initial job choice, job change, or work force re-entry

- Computer-based or on-line services to provide information about jobs and careers or to help individuals make career choices; and services to produce and disseminate information about jobs, courses of study and vocational training.

Basic purpose of any career assessment tool for career guidance and counselling in the context of LLL can be summarized as follows:

    Guidance helps to build confidence and to empower individuals as well as making people aware of new career possibilities, including civic, leisure, learning and work opportunities and promotes the balance of life and work
    Achieves a better match between skills, interests and qualifications on the one hand and available job opportunities on the other
    Helps to improve the allocation of labor across regions, industries and occupations in the face of labor supply and demand fluctuations resulting from technological and structural change
    Makes a key difference between the successful and unsuccessful implementation of active labor market programmes
    It promotes employability and adaptability by assisting people to make career decisions both on entering the labor market and on moving within it.

Career assessments are a hot-hot topic for job search and career development. Counselors communicate with students individually, in small groups, or as an entire class. Career assessments are one tool to assist in uncovering these clues about ourselves. For the success of students they consult and interact with parents, teachers and schools administrators to develop and implements strategies to help students succeed. A career assessment is a standout tool that can help identify possible avenues on a career path for a student/employee. This enables a person to make better career decisions, market themselves to their best advantage, save their precious time and avoid spending money on the wrong education or future.

The Case for Teaching Civics in School and at Home

For shame... The 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), administered to some 27,000 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students, tells it all. Questions ranged from how our government is financed to the rights protected by the Constitution and how our laws are passed.

On a 300-point scale, the results:

· Average 4th grade score: 157

· Average 8th grade score: 151

· Average 12th grade score: 148

That's just about failing all around, and says former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor, these results "confirm that we have a crisis on our hands when it comes to civics education." And for that very reason, she has founded her icivics website, promoting civics through games and activities.

Equally unsettling is a recent Marist Poll wherein just 60% of our 18- to 29-year-olds correctly named Great Britain as the country from which we gained our independence. Really.

Meanwhile, though, most educators agree that a solid grounding in civics and American history is essential to our country's success and standing in the world. Moreover, an unofficial survey of middle and high school teachers finds these topics topping the list:

· The fight for independence and the prominent players in that struggle

· The Bill of Rights--the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution

· Law-making in the U.S.

· The Civil War and slavery, along with the 13th and 15th Amendments

· The impact of Supreme Court rulings on our daily lives

· The workings of the House of Representatives and Senate, along with who are Pennsylvania's members of Congress

· Prohibition, along with the 18th and 21st Amendments

Wondering now how you measure up? To find out, take toast.net.com's Independence Day Quiz-your teenage child, too. Just be advised that, reportedly, 96% of high school seniors failed the quiz, as did more than 50% of those over 50.

Questions range from naming our National Anthem and our current president to how many Constitutional Amendments there are, the number proposed by Congress but never ratified, and who said, 'Give me liberty or give me death." Go ahead and give it a try.

And since Election Day has recently come and gone, I've just got to ask: did you vote? Your children will ask, too. Sadly, turnout was light. Take Philadelphia, for instance, where only 17.6% of eligible voters bothered to turn out.

No wonder then that we now have Democracy Day, first celebrated this past March 23rd and sponsored by Rock the Vote and the National Education Association. The date coincides with the passage of the 26th Amendment giving 18-year-olds the right to vote-something most of our voting-age teens apparently know next to nothing about. How about you?

Says Vote the Rock's president Heather Smith, "Turning 18 and becoming eligible to vote is a tremendous rite of passage. Junior and senior year of high school is the ideal moment to connect with young people and give them the tools to become life-long voters and participants in our country's democracy."

The need, then, for fostering your children's interest in history and civics cannot be overstated, so, along with your vote, consider:

· Civil War Reunion at Pennypacker Mills Park, 5 Haldeman Road in Schwenksville, on Saturday, June 4th, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 5th, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You'll enjoy continuous demonstrations, activities, refreshments, and even Civil War music. For more information, call 610-287-9349.

· The Dreyfuss Initiative: An Evening with Richard Dreyfuss at the Constitution Center, 525 Arch Street in Philadelphia, on June 8th, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. His mission: to change the way students learn about civics and the rights and duties of citizenship. Seating is limited so don't delay in registering online at http://cbsphilly.ticketleap.com/richarddreyfuss.

· The History Channel: Be a frequent visitor. Head there today, May 17th, and discover that, on this date, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was decided, ruling that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

· The Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History: This site promotes the study and love of American history, offering numerous programs and resources to all who visit.

· The Conspirator is a film based on the guilt/innocence of Mary Surratt in the plot to kill Abraham Lincoln-a story most Americans know little, if anything, about.

In other words, be part of the solution, not the problem, helping to ensure that your kids get hooked on history and civics, too.

Carol is a learning specialist who worked with middle school children and their parents at the Methacton School District in Pennsylvania for more than 25 years and now supervises student teachers at Gwynedd-Mercy College. Along with the booklet, 149 Parenting School-Wise Tips: Intermediate Grades & Up, and numerous articles in such publications as Teaching Pre-K-8 and Curious Parents, she has authored three successful learning guidebooks: Getting School-Wise: A Student Guidebook, Other-Wise and School-Wise: A Parent Guidebook, and ESL Activities for Every Month of the School Year. Carol also writes for examiner.com; find her articles at http://www.examiner.com/x-6261-Montgomery-County-Wise-Parenting-Examiner For more information, go to http://www.schoolwisebooks.com or contact Carol at carol@schoolwisebooks.com.

Family - Core Values and Christian Character

Following Jesus' teachings should be at the heart of every action a Christian takes and every choice he or she makes. It is important that we regularly examine our values based on what Jesus taught and practiced. These foundational values are important as they affect our personal decisions and moral choices. Christian values help us establish our priorities and result in spiritual grown as they draw us closer to God.

The simplest Core Values and Christian Characterdefinition of values is: something that is important to me something which is important enough to find consistent expression in the choices I make or that which is translated into lifestyle and actions.

Christian values are something which are important to God. As Christians we want these two feelings and idea to match. These values deal with the basics of our relationship with other people, our family and our community.

The Federal government has identified values education as essential in the fight against drugs and crime. Business now recognizes that a responsible labor force requires workers who have character traits of honesty, dependability, pride in their work, and the capacity to cooperate with others.

As a result of these and other social practices parent and teacher, the family and the church provide an example of and an opportunity for involvement, interaction, and internalization of assuming community responsibility. Character is nurtured, taught by instruction, not indoctrination.

Life stages, identity groups, cultural trends, and socialization experiences are all forces that shape our children's values. We need to explore available resources for areas of application that will help build values and character from a moral perspective.

We must examine curriculum for teaching Christian ethics, multicultural and civic education. Preventative programs for drug and alcohol abuse need to be initiated. We need to provide a religious moral perspective with Biblical concepts to influence society with moral principles that will replace the emptiness of norms and ideals so common today.

As parents, Christian leaders, and educators we need to remember that our personal integrity determines our impact on the lives we are molding.

Richard R. Blake, Christian Education Consultant, Book Store Owner

Higher Education and Society

Institutions of education, and the system of which they are a part, face a host of unprecedented challenges from forces in society that affect and are influenced by these very institutions and their communities of learners and educators. Among these forces are sweeping demographic changes, shrinking provincial budgets, revolutionary advances in information and telecommunication technologies, globalization, competition from new educational providers, market pressures to shape educational and scholarly practices toward profit-driven ends, and increasing demands and pressures for fundamental changes in public policy and public accountability relative to the role of higher education in addressing pressing issues of communities and the society at large. Anyone of these challenges would be significant on their own, but collectively they increase the complexity and difficulty for education to sustain or advance the fundamental work of serving the public good.

Through a forum on education, we can agree to: Strengthening the relationship between higher education and society will require a broad-based effort that encompasses all of education, not just individual institutions, departments and associations.

Piecemeal solutions can only go so far; strategies for change must be informed by a shared vision and a set of common objectives. A "movement" approach for change holds greater promise for transforming academic culture than the prevailing "organizational" approach.

Mobilizing change will require strategic alliances, networks, and partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders within and beyond education.

The Common Agenda is specifically designed to support a "movement" approach to change by encouraging the emergence of strategic alliances among individuals and organizations who care about the role of higher education in advancing the ideals of a diverse democratic system through education practices, relationships and service to society.

A Common Agenda

The Common Agenda is intended to be a "living" document and an open process that guides collective action and learning among committed partners within and outside of higher education. As a living document, the Common Agenda is a collection of focused activity aimed at advancing civic, social, and cultural roles in society. This collaboratively created, implemented, and focused Common Agenda respects the diversity of activity and programmatic foci of individuals, institutions, and networks, as well as recognizes the common interests of the whole. As an open process, the Common Agenda is a structure for connecting work and relationships around common interests focusing on the academic role in serving society. Various modes of aliening and amplifying the common work within and beyond education will be provided within the Common Agenda process.

This approach is understandably ambitious and unique in its purpose and application. Ultimately, the Common Agenda challenges the system of higher education, and those who view education as vital to addressing society's pressing issues, to act deliberately, collectively, and clearly on an evolving and significant set of commitments to society. Currently, four broad issue areas are shaping the focus of the Common Agenda: 1) Building public understanding and support for our civic mission and actions; 2) Cultivating networks and partnerships; 3) Infusing and reinforcing the value of civic responsibility into the culture of higher education institutions; and 4) Embedding civic engagement and social responsibility in the structure of the education system

VISION We have a vision of higher education that nurtures individual prosperity, institutional responsiveness and inclusivity, and societal health by promoting and practicing learning, scholarship, and engagement that respects public needs. Our universities are proactive and responsive to pressing social, ethical, and economic problems facing our communities and greater society. Our students are people of integrity who embrace diversity and are socially responsible and civilly engaged throughout their lives.

MISSION The purpose of the Common Agenda is to provide a framework for organizing, guiding and communicating the values and practices of education relative to its civic, social and economic commitments to a diverse democratic system.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

I believe social justice, ethics, educational equity, and societal change for positive effects are fundamental to the work of higher education. We consider the relationship between communities and education institutions to be based on the values of equally, respect and reciprocity, and the work in education to be interdependent with the other institutions and individuals in society.

We will seek and rely on extensive partnerships with all types of institutions and devoted individuals inside and outside of higher education.

We realize the interconnection of politics, power and privilege. The Common Agenda is not for higher education to self-serve, but to "walk the talk" relative to espoused public goals. We understand the Common Agenda as a dynamic living document, and expect the activities it encompasses to change over time.

THE COMMON AGENDA FRAMEWORK The general framework for the common agenda is represented in the following diagram. It is clear that while goals and action items are organized and aliened within certain issues areas, there is considerable overlap and complimentarity among the issues, goals and action items. Also, following each action item are names of individuals who committed to serve as "point persons" for that particular item. A list of "point persons," with their organizational affiliation(s) is included with the common agenda.

ISSUES

ISSUE 1: MISSION AND ACTIONS

Public understanding more and more equates higher education benefits with acquiring a "good job" and receiving "higher salaries." To understand and support the full benefits of higher education the public and higher education leaders need to engage in critical and honest discussions about the role of higher education in society. Goal: Develop a common language that resonates both inside and outside the institution. Action Items: Develop a common language and themes about our academic role and responsibility to the public good, through discussions with a broader public.

Collect scholarship on public good, examine themes and identify remaining questions. Develop a national awareness of the importance of higher education for the public good through the development of marketing efforts.

Goal: Promote effective and broader discourse. Action Items: Raise public awareness about the institutional diversity within and between higher education institutions.

Identify strategies for engaging alumni associations for articulating public good and building bridges between higher education and the various private and public sector companies. Develop guidelines of discourse to improve the quality of dialogue on every level of society. Organize a series of civil dialogues with various public sectors about higher education and the public good.

ISSUE 2: DEVELOPING NETWORKS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Approaching complex issues such as the role of higher education in society that requires a broad mix of partners to create strategies and actions that encompass multiple valued perspectives and experiences.

Broad partnerships to strengthen the relationship between higher education and society involves working strategically with those within and outside of higher education to achieve mutual goals on behalf of the public good.

Goal: Create broad and dispersed communication systems and processes.

Action Items:

Create an information and resource network across higher education associations Create information processes that announce relevant conferences, recruit presenters and encourage presentations in appropriate national conferences Develop opportunities for information sharing and learning within and between various types of postsecondary institutions (e.g. research-centered communities).

Goal: Create and support strategic alliances and diverse collaborations.

Action Items: Establish and support on-going partnerships and collaborations between higher education associations and the external community (e.g. civic organizations, legislators, community members) Explore with the public how to employ the role of arts in advancing higher education for the public good Promote collaboration between higher education and to address access, retention, and graduation concerns

ISSUE 3: INSTILLING AND REINFORCING THE VALUE OF CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY INTO THE CULTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Education should attend to the implicit and explicit consequences of its work, and reexamine "what counts" to integrate research, teaching and service for the public good to the core working of the institution.

Goal: Emphasize civic skills and leadership development in the curriculum and co-curriculum.

Action Items: Ddvelop and implement a curriculum in colleges and universities that promote civic engagement of students Create co-curricular student and community programs for leadership and civic engagement development Develop learning opportunities, inside and outside of the classroom, that promote liberty, democratic responsibility, social justice and knowledge of the economic system Develop student leadership and service opportunities that focus on ethical behavior Teach graduate students organizing and networking skills, and encourage student leadership and Diversity education

Goal: Foster a deeper commitment to the public good.

Action Items: Work with faculty on communication skills and languages to describe their engagement with the public, and educate faculty for the common good Identify models for promotion and tenure standards Identify models for faculty development

Goal: Identify, recognize, and support engaged scholarship.

Action Items: Identify and disseminate models and exemplars of scholarship on the public good Encourage the participation in community research Help institutions call attention to exemplary outreach. Establish a capacity building effort for institutions

Goal: Bring graduate education into alignment with the civic mission.

Action Items: Work with disciplinary associations to hold dialogues on ways graduate student training can incorporate public engagement, involvement and service Promote "civic engagement" within academic and professional disciplines according to the disciplines' definition of "civic engagement" Incorporate the concept of higher education for the public good into current graduate education reform efforts

ISSUE 4: EMBEDDING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

Promoting the public benefits of higher education requires system efforts beyond institutions to intentionally embed values of civic engagement and social responsibility in governance practices, policy decisions, and educational processes.

Goal: Align governing structures and administrative strategies.

Action Items: Develop ways to improve student and the community involvement in the governance and decision making process of educational institutions. Identify and promote ways for institutions to improve involvement with the public and the practice of democracy within their own institution. Establish public good/civic engagement units that orchestrate this work throughout institutions.

Goal: Publicly recognize and support valuable engagement work.

Action Items: Offer public awards that reward institutions with demonstrable track record in serving the public good in order to encourage institutionalization of performance around the public good and civic engagement.

Develop a comprehensive inventory of funding sources, association activities, initiatives, and exemplary practices that advance the public good. Identify, recognize, and support early career scholars who choose to do research on higher education and its public role in society.

Goal: Ensure that assessment and accreditation processes include civic engagement and social responsibility.

Action Items: Identify service for the public good as a key component in provincial and federal educational plans (e.g. Master Plans, provincial budgets, and professional associations).

Bring higher education associations and legislators together to broaden current definition of student outcomes and achievement, and develop a plan for assessment.

Develop strategies and processes to refocus system-wide planning, accreditation and evaluation agendas to consider criteria assessing the social, public benefits of education.

Goal: Cultivate stronger ties between the university, federal and provincial government.

Action Items: Develop a 2-year implementation plan that joins the university rector / Pro-rector and Director with provincial legislators to engage in an assessment of the needs of the public by province Host a series of dialogues between trustees and provincial legislators to discuss the role of universities and public policy in advancing public good at a local, provincial, and national level.

Ms. Afshan Saleem
Senior Lecturer
Bahria University
Karachi

Civic Sense - The Nation Builder

We the human beings are the social animals. And the society expects each one of us to have some sense of respect for the needs of society. To me this sense of respect for society needs is Civic Sense. When you have more population with greater civic sense in the society you have great nation & bright future always.

Now let us see the few basic actions which elaborates the society needs

1. Respect the laws of the land.
2. Keep your surroundings neat & clean.
3. Respect the queue.
4. Respect the elders & women.
5. Discourage the anti social activities like dowry & corruption....
6. Be your own morale police.
7. Respect handicapped friends.
8. Respect the value of time.

This list could go on & on but I think you can understand what I mean. Since I am from India I know we have to go a long way in this direction. And one should always try to improve. I firmly believe that every thing starts from you.

Some of my personal observations are listed below

· It can be taught at early stage of a child.
· It differs from cultures to cultures & communities to communities.
· Self discipline & civic sense go hand in hand.
· Education & civic sense has no direct relationship.
· You will enjoy more where you find such societies.
· In India I will rate Goa as a number 1 in civic sense & Pune as a last.

Now I hope you will agree with me if you want to live in prosperous & healthy society & a great nation. Some of the simple actions each one of us can take are

Start from self.
Be a role model to your children.
Be upright to fight anti social elements.
Respect elders, women & handicapped friends.Follow queue even if you don't like.

So let us start without wasting any more time.

Non-Formal Education in the Philippines

Non-formal Education is one of the means to spread literacy and employable skills to the people and it covers a much larger audience than the formal system. The NFE in Philippines is designed to assist the out-of-school youth and adults who have been deprived of formal education. There may be varying reasons for this.It may include the economic, social and geographical limitations which have hindered the path of literacy and employable skills.

The mission of the NFE program in Philippines is to empower the people with "desirable knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that will enable him/her to think critically and creatively, act innovatively and humanely in improving the quality of his/her life and that of his/her family, community and country."

The main objective of NFE in Philippines is to reduce the number of illiterates in the country and provide them with need-based literacy programmes and also develop basic employable skills.Activities like vocational training, adult reading classes, family planning sessions as well as leadership workshops for community leaders.

This branch of education is looked after by the Bureau of Non-Formal Education which has its history dating back to 1829 when civic educational lectures were introduced in the country.Non-formal education was formally started in 1973 and is now an integral part of the developmental activities.There is a 3-pronged approach in this method which focuses on literacy, continuing education and staff development.

The main thrust of NFE is on the acquisition of skills needed for earning livelihood and to survive the competitiveness in the labor market.The horizons of non-formal education are far wider as compared to the formal system.

NFE reaches out to a greater audience irrespective of demographic characteristics, socio-economic conditions and varied general interests. In a few words, this system reaches out to all those people who might otherwise never get a chance to have any sort of education.

The Non-formal Education Program of Philippines lays thrust on the following aspects:
• Literacy Programs for numeracy and functional literacy of each individual
• Development of Livelihood Skills
• Expansion of Certification and Equivalency Programmes

One of the main aims of NFE is to bring about a decrease in the poverty levels among the communities.To attain this goal, the bureau provides leadership and technical assistance in the implementation of literacy programmes, projects, trainings, workshops etc.This process includes the following features:

Female Functional Literacy & Parent Education: This program majorly involves the mother and provides them with essential skills and competencies to perform better in the fields related to child survival, protection and development.

Literacy Project for Cultural Communities: The target group for this program is that section of the society which is unable to attend the formal education system.This may include the cultural communities in general and also the hill tribes in particular.

Development of Literacy Measures: The Bureau of Non-formal Education in Philippines has developed some literacy parameters through a series of seminars and workshops.At the moment there are seven literacy measures which decide the functional literacy of the target group.This is also accompanied by a Manual of Instructions for using the Measures and its scoring.
Development of Resource Material: It also focuses on the development of the curricula for various levels of literacy and also the resource material needed for the same.This includes booklets, posters and the facilitator's guide.

Actual Implementation on the Field: This is the most important component of the whole project.Efforts are made to implement the literacy and livelihood development programmes in the actual field with the target group in order to eradicate illiteracy and thereby alleviating poverty.

Thus, the Bureau of Non-formal Education in Philippines works on four major action points - family life skills which also includes health, nutrition, childcare, household management, family planning; vocational skills, functional skills and enhancing livelihood skills.

Atlanta School District Receives High Marks and Scholarship Funds

Newsweek Ranks North Atlanta High School in Top 2%

Newsweek magazine ranks twenty-seven thousand high schools throughout the nation and North Atlanta High School, part of the Atlanta School District, ranks among top 2%. Newsweek magazine compiles the lists of Best High School and releases the list at the end of every school year. This year North Atlanta High School was ranked at 531 out of the 27,000 schools ranked. These rankings are based on the high schools' use and offering of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses. Advanced placement classes are college preparation courses. The international baccalaureate uses an internationally recognized course curriculum.

North Atlanta High School offers and encourages students to take and pursue advanced placement classes or international baccalaureate courses. North Atlanta High School also operates International Studies and Performing Arts magnet school programs. The International Studies magnet program offers courses that focus own foreign languages, communications and social studies courses. The International Studies magnet program offers students opportunities to take part in youth foreign exchanges and internships in international companies. The Performing Arts magnet program stresses high academic achievement with performance art training.

Mays High School Teacher Receives Award

A Mays High School, a high school in the district of Atlanta Schools, teacher received the Close Up Foundation's Linda Myers Chosen Award for Teaching Excellence in Civic Education. Hajj Womack received a plaque and one thousand dollars. Mr. Womack, a social studies teacher, was awarded the Close Up Foundation's Linda Myers Chosen Award for Teaching Excellence in Civic Education while in Washington D.C. with students participating in the Close Up Washington program. Civics education is vital for students because teens often feel separated from politics in America.

Atlanta School District's Douglass High School Receives Scholarship Funds from Magic Johnson

Former NBA player Magic Johnson visited Douglass High School on his nationwide AIDS awareness tour. He spoke to the students about safe sex, the value of education and their future. He gave the school twenty thousand dollars for college scholarships for graduating seniors. Twenty students were awarded $1000 scholarships as part of Douglass High School's Visions of the Future Awards program. The awarded students were: Bianca Barnswell Talesha Noble, Lawrence Boddie Jihan Pankey, Mychael Bond Andrea Parks, Seron Fields Louis Perrino, Ramia Finley Shatila Platt, Aamir Fard Adrienne Richardson, Mavia Hanson Anthony Rogers, Yareli Hernandez Catrina Searcy, Kadayas Howard Delisa Stevens, Kenya Merritt Paul White. Magic Johnson gave the students advice that they should continue their education in college or start their own business. Johnson discussed his own work as a businessman after retiring from basketball. He also gave out Los Angeles Lakers jerseys to eight students in the audience. The jerseys bore Johnson's own number and current Lakers players.

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Stacy has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more on Atlanta schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Georgia/Atlanta/index.html.

Ancient Indian Education and Ethics - Its Relevance Today

We are here to critically understand the relevance of Ancient Indian education system in the modern time. Has the modern education ethos has helped to understand the Indian society. Do we want to become original thinkers again or remain in the present system which breeds mediocrity? India need to think carefully how much foreign system of education has helped her. Time has come to go back to high level of education which will produce thinkers.

Basis of Indian education has been learning and understanding. It became just memorizing after countless invasions. India was the most prosperous nation in the world in the ancient times. It believed in exploitation of the natural resources just that much which was needed. Excessive exploitation of natural resources was not done nor was it encouraged. In India people worship nature: plants, wind, fire, water, sun and so on. This proves the respect it gave to all the living plants and animals on the Earth. In Hindu religion it is said that over exploitation of the sea, should be avoided and that is known as "samudramanthan." Giving education was considered as noble job, a solemn duty of the teacher and he should not expect remuneration from the students. A teacher used to be dedicated and did take teaching as a mission.

Academics also helped to reform the societies. We could recall the contribution made by the great economics teacher of Takshashila and Nalanda Universities; Chankaya who realized that for economic development in the region it was necessary to make an undivided nation: India. He helped Chandragupta to establish the Mauryan Empire which ruled the entire subcontinent and beyond. This empire in recent time gave the system that gave us the ethical standards which Indians value even now. The education standards were high and people came from far lands to study all streams of subjects here in India. Indians also worship goddess of education "Saraswati." Even today it is celebrated with great fanfare.

Hindus do have a function where the child is introduced to learning and that is the culture of India. Indian society is based on education. People in education are given the highest position in society called Brahmins. In ancient times one had to work very hard to become a Brahmin. In those days it was not by birth. One had to take that profession then only he could become a Brahmin. The Brahmin could not take money to give education. Education in ancient India was free to all. The kingdom would fund education. India is a country which has low literacy but high education. People know about life, nature, plants, and its importance and so on.

Indian education system was based on the principle of total development; mind and emotions. Indian system paid great emphasis to development of ethical sole and therefore, introduced brahmacharya system. During this period a student is supposed to learn only. Indian system gave emphasis to learning through practice. It was indeed based on religious practices and religious acts. One must appreciate that religion in those days was just a way of life hence, no conflict with education. One had to follow a strict way of life which one has to still follow. Athavaveda an ancient book talks in detail the education part; the system and methods to be followed.

It however, had some defects. Education was restricted to those who deserve and was not available to all. Second it was Guru (teacher) centric i.e. for every thing one had to depend on the guru and his knowledge was considered perfect. Buddhism democratized the education by allowing all to study. This helped to spread education and institutionalise education by forming Universities. Buddhism did not deviate from Hindu system of imparting education but made it broad-based. Here again educators and students had to be religious people and had to follow a strict rules. Even here it was not fully devoid of old Guru System. Even Buddha said "Buddham saranam gachchami" (Come to Buddha to get enlightenment). Mind you, in ancient times the great saints did research on their own and developed body of knowledge which was in contrast to what Buddha said. However, he challenged the system of concentration of knowledge in few hand. This might have diluted the quality of knowledge but this improved the understanding of the people in general in India.

This also developed a bond among people of India which is keeping this country together. This is the secret of unity in diversity of India. A diverse country became one population having same principle of life that is achieving mokshya (eternal bliss).

Indians always paid great importance to education which would improve the ethical standard of the population. Resilience of ancient Indian education system was proved again and again. Since the early stages of foreign invasion India lost all its material wealth but not the Indian ethos and superiority of our (Arian) culture and believes. This was possible because of the foundation of Indian education system. Others talk about Ethics but Indians practice through education.

Aims of the Indian System as I think were:

1. The direct aim was to make all students fit to become useful members of the society so that they could follow the duties of all other Ashrams of life faithfully.
2. The aim was to make firm and good character through moral values.
3. The Indian education system made a distinction between mere scholarship and total education.
4. The aim of the system was development of total personality.
5. Next was inculcation of civic and social duties. India in ancient time was a society mainly governed by social laws which gave us our strength. It is the only society where the social system of conducting business was so strong and independent that we survived in spite of foreign invasion and rule.
6. Indian education promoted social efficiency and happiness. We all know in our ancient books there are examples of people helping the society.
7. Ancient education system taught preservation of national heritage and culture hence we still have a culture different from all other societies. This still remains our strength and some day we will be able to re-establish our national pride. This has given us the unbroken continuity since the ancient times. It is the strength of our ancient education that we survive as a nation.

Then the question is where did we go wrong? Our education system got encased in a shell for it had to be protected from foreign influence. This violent massacre of our culture by foreign invaders made us extremely introvert. The openness of our society was lost and formal education became the domain of few. This destroyed the ability of our academia to expand knowledge. The burning of our established centers of education made people scared. The mass lost the desire to learn because they did not value home-grown knowledge. People drifted from formal learning process and this gave way to all sorts of raw practices in our society. Indian society lost the basic ability to acquire and take advantage of knowledge. The body of knowledge became foreign which was a rare commodity only the rich could afford. The British rule took advantage of this void and introduced a system to suit needs of the Empire. The system did not encourage beyond copying. This practice is still prevalent in Indian education system. It discourages boys from having their own independent opinion on a subject.

We stopped learning and all our ancient texts were being considered as part of religion. We should re-design our education system incorporating the main ethos of our time- tested old system with new knowledge. We must reintroduce the concept of self-control which has been there in our society. This may make our people to appreciate need for ethical standards. Yes, let us go back to the relationship that existed between education and society defined by our age-old tested system. The quality of some of the books written 2500 years ago or beyond is so high that people of today can not write. That was the level of our original research why and when we lost that ability is a matter of concern even now. We must revive that and rebuild the education system in India as we want it; the total development. Copying of the west has not helped and it shall not help in future this has to be recognized once for all. We believe in the Ethical values of the society and that can not be compromised at any cost. Society has lost thousands of years and let us not loses further time in search of right education for India.
Dr Aloke Chakravartty
Dean
School of Management
Brainware
00919230527596

Dr. Aloke Chakravartty is at present Dean of TIG Business Schools in India. He has over 28years of experience of the industry and over 6 years of international consulting experience. He has set up many projects small medium and large. He was promoted to write this article after seeing how private education in developing countries are growing

We Need to Begin Teaching Civics Again

In 1776, some ordinary citizens opposed to Britain's colonial policies decided to secede from the empire. On July 4, they wrote to King George III, stating their goals and their reasons. We call their statement the Declaration of Independence. Naturally, the King didn't welcome such treason. After the Revolutionary War, the victorious rebels designed a new country from scratch. Imagine that. No one had ever done it before. They called it The Noble Experiment.

They based their new nation on the premise that the people are the source of government power and authority. It was a radical notion, but they took the risk. After much debate and one false start, they devised an arrangement based partially on the Iroquois Confederacy.

Their nation's Constitution has been a model for other countries for 222 years. It is the oldest working constitution in the world. It still affects your life in countless ways every day. It takes about an hour to read it, yet few people ever do. This is its preamble:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Those six tasks outline an enormous responsibility. It does not lend itself to "small government".

If "we the people" are going to control our government, then "we the people" need to know its structure, how it's supposed to work, and how it actually does work. If we can do that, then all of our lives will improve.

Unfortunately, most of our schools do such an abysmal job that too many Americans are socially, politically, and economically illiterate. Yet no matter what our schools teach, if PARENTS don't reinforce lessons at home, our children will not learn. Parents, please. Learn this stuff. Teach your children. Read the newspaper. Discuss current events at the dinner table. Attend a city council meeting. Watch C-Span instead of umpteen TV reruns.

I've read the United States Constitution dozens of times. I wrote a book about it. I carry a copy of the Constitution in my purse because people always insist on arguing with me about what's in it. A few months ago, I was in Washington, D.C. While in the Capitol Building, I heard a tourist ask a tour guide where in the Constitution Jesus is mentioned as the foundation of our government. He was aghast when the guide told him that Jesus is not in the Constitution - at all. No, he isn't.

When you know how legislators make laws, then you can influence the process, and be your own lobbyist.

When you know how to find the text of a bill online, you can read it for yourself to determine which TV talking heads are telling the truth.

When you know how the three branches of government work together, who your government officials are, what they do, and how to contact them, then you can find help when you have problems with government agencies.

When you understand how Congressional committees work, and the power that Congressional staffers hold, you'll understand why bills live or die - and the evening news.

When you know how to evaluate your representatives' work, you'll make good choices in elections.

When you know what's in the Constitution, and what's not, you'll know who's grabbing power, and who's not.

When you understand the First Amendment, you'll know that someone criticizing your words is not violating your free speech rights.

Actor and activist Richard Dreyfuss has established the Dreyfuss Initiative, a project working to restore civics education and responsible discourse in our schools and our society. This week, I watched "Time for a Talk", a webcast produced by the Initiative to begin its work. It was an inspiring event, and I look forward to more of the same. The panel of eight middle-aged, upper-middle-class, white men, and one similar woman, discussed the state of civic participation in America. I do wish they had injected some age, cultural, and economic diversity into the mix.

As the Dreyfuss Initiative's website says:

America is hard. And it doesn't happen by itself. If you think things like "There's nothing I can do", stick around and learn how much power you have. This country is a miracle and the whole world knows it, except Americans, because we don't teach it.

Knowledge is power. America is in the state it's in because too many Americans have relinquished their power. Reclaim yours.

For more information:

Read the U.S. Constitution

Our Government

With a background as a social service provider and public policy advocate, Pat O'Malley is a freelance writer and consultant for nonprofit organizations working toward social justice. Pat's online column, Community Matters, uses current events to illustrate the American government process and function, with emphasis on the US Constitution. She explains the how and why our government works.

Social Policy & Programs Consulting
http://patomalley-consulting.com/default.aspx
Community Matters
http://contributor.yahoo.com/user/933068/pat_omalley.html

The Future of Education in the US

The future forecast of what the coming years have includes a number of new theories about things like "gift" economies, sustainable environments, and new civic processes as well assessing the future trends in education. One dilemma is the tension between the marketplace for increasingly personalized learning and the social mandate of the public schools to provide foundational education to everyone. But this doesn't include varying income levels or what people can afford.

The reality is that our global society is starting to fragment into subcultures each with their own strong belief systems. So what do these trends mean for education? Recently U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the approval of two growth models that follow the bright-line principles of the "No Child Left Behind" program. It seems that now our states have finally developed the framework in which they can measure student skills every year, as the law requires. Spellings has asked the states to participate and to demonstrate progress over time so that we can later adapt a more sophisticated measurement system to be shared by all states. This is known as the growth model or value-added approach.

The reality is that whether we are talking about the U. S. Department of Education's program, or the hundreds of other private or non-profit programs in place across the U.S. - it is really all about accountability and results for individual students.

One example is Jonathan, who before attending his Create Success after school program in Brooklyn New York, can now solve any math problem because of the extra "individualized" help. Plus he discovered that he loved to learn. "It's fun here," said Jonathan. "Discussions help him of his homework completed." Once his homework is finished you can find him searching the bookshelves for his favorite topic - reptiles.

It is all about holding schools accountable for the goal of each student performing at or above grade level by 2014. So, the Department of Education will gather data to measure student improvement while holding the schools accountable for results. Another theory out there is focusing on experiments in sharing or "gift" economies, sustainable environments, and new civic processes -- basically the fact that local value grows economies of group connectivity, and that this combined with fears of globalism, political gridlock, and some concerns over dominance of big business will create a revival of localism.

Think tanks are also assessing the future of education. One of thd dilemmas that they have identified is the tension between the marketplace for increasingly personalized learning and the social mandate of the public schools to provide foundational education to everyone - regardless of the backgrounds of people or their income levels. Other thoughts include economics, urban space expansion and the fact that society is starting to fragment into subcultures with strong belief systems.

If you want our children to do better in school, then it is important to begin to understand the reasons why they are not doing so well. In researching the various trends and strategies in education, everyone, including educators and parents alike, can communicate more effectively about the issues. It was in 1997 when Congress first formed the National Reading Panel to evaluate the research on teaching practices to determine what really works. Thereafter, the Federal government's No Child Left Behind Act required that school districts use scientifically proven instructional methods as they strive to make all children proficient in math and reading by 2014.

Kristin Gabriel is an author and social media marketing professional and works with Rocco Basile ([http://www.roccobasile.org]) of the the Basile Builders Group based in New York. Basile is involved with several charities including Children of the City and the Joe DiMaggio Committee for Xaverian High School.

The Future of Education in the US

The future forecast of what the coming years have includes a number of new theories about things like "gift" economies, sustainable environments, and new civic processes as well assessing the future trends in education. One dilemma is the tension between the marketplace for increasingly personalized learning and the social mandate of the public schools to provide foundational education to everyone. But this doesn't include varying income levels or what people can afford.

The reality is that our global society is starting to fragment into subcultures each with their own strong belief systems. So what do these trends mean for education? Recently U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the approval of two growth models that follow the bright-line principles of the "No Child Left Behind" program. It seems that now our states have finally developed the framework in which they can measure student skills every year, as the law requires. Spellings has asked the states to participate and to demonstrate progress over time so that we can later adapt a more sophisticated measurement system to be shared by all states. This is known as the growth model or value-added approach.

The reality is that whether we are talking about the U. S. Department of Education's program, or the hundreds of other private or non-profit programs in place across the U.S. - it is really all about accountability and results for individual students.

One example is Jonathan, who before attending his Create Success after school program in Brooklyn New York, can now solve any math problem because of the extra "individualized" help. Plus he discovered that he loved to learn. "It's fun here," said Jonathan. "Discussions help him of his homework completed." Once his homework is finished you can find him searching the bookshelves for his favorite topic - reptiles.

It is all about holding schools accountable for the goal of each student performing at or above grade level by 2014. So, the Department of Education will gather data to measure student improvement while holding the schools accountable for results. Another theory out there is focusing on experiments in sharing or $22gift" economies, sustainable environments, and new civic processes -- basically the fact that local value grows economies of group connectivity, and that this combined with fears of globalism, political gridlock, and some concerns over dominance of big business will create a revival of localism.

Think tanks are also assessing the future of education. One of the dilemmas that they have identified is the tension between the marketplace for increasingly personalized learning and the social mandate of the public schools to provide foundational education to everyone - regardless of the backgrounds of people or their income levels. Other thoughts include economics, urban space expansion and the fact that society is starting to fragment into subcultures with strong belief systems.

If you want our children to do better in school, then it is important to begin to understand the reasons why they are not doing so well. In researching the various trends and strategies in education, everyone, including educators and parents alike, can communicate more effectively about the issues. It was in 1997 when Congress first formed the National Reading Panel to evaluate the research on teaching practices to determine what really works. Thereafter, the Federal government's No Child Left Behind Act required that school districts use scientifically proven instructional methods as they strive to make all children proficient in math and reading by 2014.

Kristin Gabriel is an author and social media marketing professional and works with Rocco Basile ([http://www.roccobasile.org]) of the the Basile Builders Group based in New York. Basile is involved with several charities including Children of the City and the Joe DiMaggio Committee for Xaverian High School.

The Future of Education in the US

The future forecast of what the coming years have includes a number of new theories about things like "gift" economies, sustainable environments, and new civic processes as well assessing the future trends in education. One dilemma is the tension between the marketplace for increasingly personalized learning and the social mandate of the public schools to provide foundational education to everyone. But this doesn't include varying income levels or what people can afford.

The reality is that our global society is starting to fragment into subcultures each with their own strong belief systems. So what do these trends mean for education? Recently U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the approval of two growth models that follow the bright-line principles of the "No Child Left Behind" program. It seems that now our states have finally developed the framework in which they can measure student skills every year, as the law requires. Spellings has asked the states to participate and to demonstrate progress over time so that we can later adapt a more sophisticated measurement system to be shared by all states. This is known as the growth model or value-added approach.

The reality is that whether we are talking about the U. S. Department of Education's program, or the hundreds of other private or non-profit programs in place across the U.S. - it is really all about accountability and results for individual students.

One example is Jonathan, who before attending his Create Success after school program in Brooklyn New York, can now solve any math problem because of the extra "individualized" help. Plus he discovered that he loved to learn. "It's fun here," said Jonathan. "Discussions help him of his homework completed." Once his homework is finished you can find him searching the bookshelves for his favorite topic - reptiles.

It is all about holding schools accountable for the goal of each student performing at or above grade level by 2014. So, the Department of Education will gather data to measure student improvement while holding the schools accountable for results. Another theory out there is focusing on experiments in sharing or "gift" economies, sustainable environments, and new civic processes -- basically the fact that local value grows economies of group connectivity, and that this combined with fears of globalism, political gridlock, and some concerns over dominance of big business will create a revival of localism.

Think tanks are also assessing the future of education. One of the dilemmas that they have identified is the tension between the marketplace for increasingly personalized learning and the social mandate of the public schools to provide foundational education to everyone - regardless of the backgrounds of people or their income levels. Other thoughts include economics, urban space expansion and the fact that society is starting to fragment into subcultures with strong belief systems.

If you want our children to do better in school, then it is important to begin to understand the reasons why they are not doing so well. In researching the various trends and strategies in education, everyone, including educators and parents alike, can communicate more effectively about the issues. It was in 1997 when Congress first formed the National Reading Panel to evaluate the research on teaching practices to determine what really works. Thereafter, the Federal government's No Child Left Behind Act required that school districts use scientifically proven instructional methods as they strive to make all children proficient in math and reading by 2014.

Kristin Gabriel is an author and social media marketing professional and works with Rocco Basile ([http://www.roccobasile.org]) of the the Basile Builders Group based in New York. Basile is involved with several charities including Children of the City and the Joe DiMaggio Committee for Xaverian High School.

The Case for Teaching Civics in School and at Home

For shame... The 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), administered to some 27,000 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students, tells it all. Questions ranged from how our government is financed to the rights protected by the Constitution and how our laws are passed.

On a 300-point scale, the results:

· Average 4th grade score: 157

· Average 8th grade score: 151

· Average 12th grade score: 148

That's just about failing all around, and says former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor, these results "confirm that we have a crisis on our hands when it comes to civics education." And for that very reason, she has founded her icivics website, promoting civics through games and activities.

Equally unsettling is a recent Marist Poll wherein just 60% of our 18- to 29-year-olds correctly named Great Britain as the country from which we gained our independence. Really.

Meanwhile, though, most educators agree that a solid grounding in civics and American history is essential to our country's success and standing in the world. Moreover, an unofficial survey of middle and high school teachers finds these topics topping the list:

· The fight for independence and the prominent players in that struggle

· The Bill of Rights--the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution

· Law-making in the U.S.

· The Civil War and slavery, along with the 13th and 15th Amendments

· The impact of Supreme Court rulings on our daily lives

· The workings of the House of Representatives and Senate, along with who are Pennsylvania's members of Congress

· Prohibition, along with the 18th and 21st Amendments

Wondering now how you measure up? To find out, take toast.net.com's Independence Day Quiz-your teenage child, too. Just be advised that, reportedly, 96% of high school seniors failed the quiz, as did more than 50% of those over 50.

Questions range from naming our National Anthem and our current president to how many Constitutional Amendments there are, the number proposed by Congress but never ratified, and who said, 'Give me liberty or give me death." Go ahead and give it a try.

And since Election Day has recently come and gone, I've just got to ask: did you vote? Your children will ask, too. Sadly, turnout was light. Take Philadelphia, for instance, where only 17.6% of eligible voters bothered to turn out.

No wonder then that we now have Democracy Day, first celebrated this past March 23rd and sponsored by Rock the Vote and the National Education Association. The date coincides with the passage of the 26th Amendment giving 18-year-olds the right to vote-something most of our voting-age teens apparently know next to nothing about. How about you?

Says Vote the Rock's president Heather Smith, "Turning 18 and becoming eligible to vote is a tremendous rite of passage. Junior and senior year of high school is the ideal moment to connect with young people and give them the tools to become life-long voters and participants in our country's democracy."

The need, then, for fostering your children's interest in history and civics cannot be overstated, so, along with your vote, consider:

· Civil War Reunion at Pennypacker Mills Park, 5 Haldeman Road in Schwenksville, on Saturday, June 4th, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 5th, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You'll enjoy continuous demonstrations, activities, refreshments, and even Civil War music. For more information, call 610-287-9349.

· The Dreyfuss Initiative: An Evening with Richard Dreyfuss at the Constitution Center, 525 Arch Street in Philadelphia, on June 8th, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. His mission: to change the way students learn about civics and the rights and duties of citizenship. Seating is limited so don't delay in registering online at http://cbsphilly.ticketleap.com/richarddreyfuss.

· The History Channel: Be a frequent visitor. Head there today, May 17th, and discover that, on this date, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was decided, ruling that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

· The Gilder-Lehrman Institute of American History: This site promotes the study and love of American history, offering numerous programs and resources to all who visit.

· The Conspirator is a film based on the guilt/innocence of Mary Surratt in the plot to kill Abraham Lincoln-a story most Americans know little, if anything, about.

In other words, be part of the solution, not the problem, helping to ensure that your kids get hooked on history and civics, too.

Carol is a learning specialist who worked with middle school children and their parents at the Methacton School District in Pennsylvania for more than 25 years and now supervises student teachers at Gwynedd-Mercy College. Along with the booklet, 149 Parenting School-Wise Tips: Intermediate Grades & Up, and numerous articles in such publications as Teaching Pre-K-8 and Curious Parents, she has authored three successful learning guidebooks: Getting School-Wise: A Student Guidebook, Other-Wise and School-Wise: A Parent Guidebook, and ESL Activities for Every Month of the School Year. Carol also writer for examiner.com; find her articles at http://www.examiner.com/x-6261-Montgomery-County-Wise-Parenting-Examiner For more information, go to http://www.schoolwisebooks.com or contact Carol at carol@schoolwisebooks.com.

Stop Subvocalization and Start Doing Your Civic Duty

Typically, once you stop subvocalization, it will be much easier to investigate political affairs, and ensure that politicians do their job properly. Once you are able to stop subvocalization, it will also be possible to discover evidence of corruption, and other things that put an unnecessary burden on taxpayers. In a sense, you can think of learning how to stop subvocalization as a key element to restoring the wealth of the nation in a way that is better for the common people.

Even though your teachers may have forced subvocalization when you were little, it is a useless habit that needs to be eliminated. Typically, getting rid of this habit will cause a doubling of reading and comprehenshon speeds. Without a question, every student should stop subvocalization after fifth grade. Unfortunately, there are very few people that currently make a specific demand to ban this practice. That said, once an individual changes, he/she will be in a much better position to demand politicians make some meaningful and necessary changes in the education system.

After successfully stopping subvocalization, any person will be capable of:

o Successfully demanding changes in the way children are taught reading skills
o Ensure that politicians create meaningful and useful change in the education system
o Develop an interest in political affairs and their effect on everyday life.
o Tell others about the discoveries you have made about the implications of various policies and laws.

To develop these skills, practice by reading at a quicker rate than you can read out-loud, and scan more quickly with your eyes. All of this will help you stop subvocalizing.

If you follow these simple steps, it should be no problem for you to learn the more advanced techniques required to stop subvocalization.

Single Parents Pursuing Higher Education Should Seek Out Scholarships And Grants

Some of the people who might benefit the most from a college or university degree are probably also those who believe they are the least likely to have the time, money or energy for it. There are, however, online degree programs - and scholarships that can be applied to them - that might make a college or university degree more of a reality for single parents.

Single parents aren't alone in their struggle to make ends meet. There are many people these days who find it difficult to survive only on one income; however, there are single parents who struggle to find the time to work in the first place and, when they do, they then have to share that income with a child who needs balanced meals, vitamins and doctor and dental care. These individuals might find scholarships based on financial needs especially suited to their situations.

Grants, like scholarships, also are provided based on financial needs - particularly when they're offered by government agencies. The federal Pell Grant, one of the best known government grants, is designed for students with extreme financial needs, and some single parents might be among them. To obtain government grants and scholarships, students typically first complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available online.

Large corporations, professional associations, non-profit foundations and civic and community groups also make scholarships available to those with financial needs. Online college and university courses and online degree programs are offered in a variety of subjects for those interested in applying their scholarships to flexible programs of study. With Internet access, students participating in online courses and online degree programs obtain coursework and file assignments remotely.

Coursework and assignments in online college and university classes are provided in audio, video and text format, and students are able to interact via message boards and other technological offerings. Parents in online courses and online degree programs are able to schedule studies for when they're not working and when the children are asleep or participating in extracurricular activities. Paying for these college and university pursuits with scholarships helps to make higher education more affordable for these parents, leaving them with less debt to repay after graduation.

Information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that earnings and job security tend to increase with the level of an individual's education. With that in mind, parents without a college or university degree might find themselves better able to support themselves and their children in instances where they obtain a college or university degree - and especially in instances where they obtain those degrees with help from scholarships or grants.

In addition to speaking with financial aid advisers and department heads at colleges and universities that interest them, single parents might turn to online resources in their search for scholarship assistance. There are websites that deal with just scholarships that can be accessed through the many recognized search engines. The US Departments of Labor and Education and the non-profit College Board also offer online opportunities to search for scholarships.

Some scholarships might be specifically intended for single parents. For the most part, they are accepted by many colleges online. Mord often, they're intended for specific needs, certain studies and for women and minorities who tend to be underrepresented in certain fields. It's likely that parents who are in search of scholarships and grants for college will fit into one of these categories. This might help them improve their lives and the lives of their children.