College Online Cources

Pop Culture and Ideology

David Lymburner — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:57:49 +0000

It’s common to assume American popular culture leads only to mindless escape, but in a recent speech to Communist Party officials President Hu Juntao of China warned that American popular culture might have a much more dangerous effect. He noted that Transformers 3 was a top-grossing film in China and also that the songs of Lady Gaga were as popular as those of any Chinese singer. Hu suggested the United States and other nations are westernizing and dividing China as he spoke and pop cultural works were weapons in this onslaught. Hu urged the Chinese to understand the seriousness of the struggle for Chinese cultural integrity and to always “sound the alarms and remain vigilant.”

Perhaps Hu is exaggerating the dangers, especially with regard to the fundamental aspects of Chinese culture. It’s hard to imagine Transformers 3 doing much damage to Confucian ethics or the Chinese sense of community and solidarity. However, Hu is correct when he suggests popular culture can and routinely does promote certain values and modes of behavior. It is highly normative. Popular

One Option for How to Teach Kodu

Bianca McKerihan — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:03:54 +0000

I recently ran some workshops to prepare students to be peer mentors and to mentor younger students with Kodu. The method I suggest is to have mentors show students some small steps and then let the students try. The latest version of Kodu has some really nice step by step lessons that students can do on their own or with a peer. After a lesson we encourage the students to try the same things on their own from where the lesson leaves off. For example adding a second character and having that character do something similar but slightly different from what was done in the lesson. I also encourage students to explore a little as well. They keep discovering things and sharing them with partners or others in the class. The general pattern of show a few things followed by experimentation with those things and repeat seems to work very well.

It can’t be all lecture/demo or students get bored. <

Introduction to Ethical Decision-Making

Joseph Landor — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:44:49 +0000

In a self-directed course, you can start and stop whenever you like, progressing entirely at your own pace and going back as many times as you want to review the material.

Ethics is part of a journalist’s craft as much as interviewing, writing, editing, photography and design. It’s a skill you can learn and hone.

This course will help you identify, understand and practice ethical decision-making before you’re faced with a tough call on deadline. It will also give you the confidence to meet that challenge.

At Poynter’s NewsU, we take ethical decision-making seriously. That’s why you’ll find so much rich content in this course.

UAlbany holds on, beats Maine, 76-75

David Lymburner — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:43:52 +0000

ALBANY Gerardo Suero, the fourth leading scorer in the nation, scored 26 points and the the University at Albany held on to beat Maine 76-75 in an America East game Saturday night at SEFCU Arena.

With the win, the Danes (4-1, 12-7 overall) move into a first-place tie with Stony Brook in the league. The Seawolves lost their first game of the season earlier in the day, at Boston University.

The Danes were leading 76-75 and the Black Bears (2-2, 8-7) were inbounding the ball at halfcourt with 17.1 seconds left. Maine never got a shot off, but the ball was in the hands of its best player, Gerald McLemore, at the end.

McLemore attempted to make a move around the Danes Mike Black, but the two players got tangled up. McLemore fell to the floor as the buzzer sounded. There was no call from the referee, and the game ended.

I kind of thought it went both ways, Black said. First, (McLemore) kind of swung his arms and hit me in the face, and I went down. Then my foot got tangled up with him, so, I mean, it went both ways. Im glad the ref didnt call anything.

Ed commissioner to propose overhaul

Bianca McKerihan — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:33:54 +0000

Connecticut’s new education commissioner is proposing a reorganization of his agency, saying it is part of efforts to provide more support to struggling schools and reduce red tape for high-performing districts.

Stefan Pryor started as education commissioner last fall. He has said he wants to streamline the state Department of Education so it can work more closely with local districts and others on reforming Connecticut’s schools.

He is scheduled to present his new organizational plan to the state Board of Education on Wednesday and to ask for the appointment of a chief operating officer.

That person’s identity and details of the proposed reorganization were not released Tuesday.

Pryor has visited dozens of school districts and attended professional organizations’ meetings statewide for suggestions on how the department could be improved.

Can Schools Solve Societal Problems?

Joseph Landor — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:14:29 +0000

Earlier today a press release for a study in the January 2012 issue of Sociology of Education caught my eye: Study Suggests Junk Food in Schools Doesn’t Cause Weight Gain Among Children.

According to the press release (I’m not a subscriber of the journal, so I didn’t have access to the full text of the study), “While the percentage of obese children in the United States tripled between the early 1970s and the late 2000s, a new study suggests that—at least for middle school students—weight gain has nothing to do with the candy, soda, chips, and other junk food they can purchase at school.”

To me, this makes a lot of sense. As one of the study’s authors, Pennsylvania State University Professor Jennifer Van Hook, points out, “Schools only represent a small portion of children’s food environment.”

But something in the release disturbed me: Van Hook’s comments that, in light of the focus in the media on the money that schools make from selling junk food and on schools’ ability to reduce childhood obesity, “We were really surprised by [these results] and, in fact, we held back from publishing our study for roughly two years because we kept looking for a connection that just wasn’t there.”

No one can deny that childhood obesity is an increasing problem in our society. And of course, there are things

Syracuse University recognized as partner in federal program to increase summer employment opportunities for 180,000 youth nationwide

Joseph Landor — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:01:21 +0000

SU officials attend Jan. 5 White House announcement of Summer Jobs+ program

The White House has announced Summer Jobs+, a new call to action for businesses, nonprofits and government to work together to provide pathways to employment for low-income and disconnected youth in the summer of 2012. As part of the Summer Jobs+ announcement made at the White House on Jan. 5, Syracuse University, in collaboration with CNY Works, will continue to work as local partners in this federal and private sector initiative to provide 50 positions for 16-21 year-olds through the Summer Youth Initiative.Additionally, SU has committed to provide 200 jobs to college-aged students working in Say Yes to Education Summer Camps, which provide academic and youth leadership enrichment.

SU’s Kal Alston, senior vice president for human capital development, and Eric Persons, associate vice president of government and community relations, attended Thursday’s White House announcement by invitation.

Summer Jobs+ has committed to creating nearly 180,000 employment opportunities for low-income youth in the summer of 2012, with a goal of reaching 250,000 employment opportunities by the start of summer, at least 100,000 of which will be placements in paid jobs and internships.

Syracuse Universitys commitment to Summer Jobs+ will empower our communitys youth to make a difference, says SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor.

Top 10 Higher Education State Policy Issues For 2012

Bianca McKerihan — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:52:44 +0000

Top 10 Higher Education State Policy Issues for 2012

Presented here are the top 10 issues most likely to affect public higher education across the 50 states in 2012, in the view of the state policy staff at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities . This briefing is informed by an environmental scan of the economic, political and policy landscape surrounding public higher education, as well as a review of recent state policy activities and trends. Some issues are perennial in nature, while others reflect attention to near-term circumstances.

ABCA Notebook: Status Quo Prevails

David Lymburner — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:16:02 +0000

ANAHEIM—The Division I business meeting is an annual highlight of the American Baseball Coaches Association convention. Every year, the games top power brokers—ABCA executive director Dave Keilitz, NCAA vice president for baseball and football Dennis Poppe, and the chairman of the Division I Baseball Committee—inform the assembled coaches about the biggest issues facing college baseball. With the game in strong shape, there was little fresh news to come out of 2012 business meeting at this weekends convention in Anaheim. “At this point, everything is just kind of status quo,” Keilitz told the coaches. Keilitzs biggest concerns seemed to center around a pair of proposals that 50 university presidents discussed at a retreat last summer: a proposal to reduce schedules in all sports by 10 percent, and another to allow schools to give $2,000 stipends to athletes on full scholarships. Poppe said that “saner minds prevailed” and a commission will study the proposal to reduce games, and that the commission is expected to recommend there will be no reduction in games for 10 years. In surv Read more…

The Best Of NYU Local: Fall 2011

David Lymburner — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 22:29:45 +0000

Well, we are done with the semester, and it feels good! Were sure it does for the rest of you too, as you go home for a month. (Good luck remembering how to drive.)

From everyone at NYU Local, we want to thank you for reading. You are what makes the site what it is, and we would be hopelessly lost and depressed without your constant stream of feedback, comments, tips, links to funny videos that your friends made, and dialogue. Its been a great semester—heres to another one.

Were going to miss you, so we got you a little end-of-semester present. In case youre bored in your next month at home, driving and hanging out with old friends (Why did you tattoo FREE EARL on your chest? You just wouldnt understand!), here are a few links to keep the break from dragging. Starting with the biggest story of the year:

The biggest story of the semester was definitely Occupy Wall Street. We were there when it started, and we were there when it ended. W

AAAA basketball blog: Miller Grove looking to shake slump against top-ranked Simeon

Bianca McKerihan — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:50:18 +0000

The Miller Grove boys team will play its second nationally televised game of the season when it meets Neal F. Simeon High of Chicago on Saturday as part of the Cancer Research Classic in Wheeling, W.V.

The game, which begins at 8 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN2, is one of seven to be played over two days, beginning on Friday with Wheeling Central Catholic taking on Central Catholic of Pittsburgh.

Simeon (12-0), which is ranked No. 1 nationally by ESPN, is the two-time defending Illinois Class AAAA champion and has won four state titles in six seasons. Simeon is lead by Steve Taylor, a 6-foot-7 forward who has signed with Marquette, and Jabari Parker, a 6-8 junior forward who is rated by Scout and ESPN as the nation’s top underclassman.

Miller Grove, the three-time defending champion in Georgia’s Class AAAA, was ranked No. 2 in the nation after a 6-0 start but has fallen to No. 34 after four consecutive losses to out-of-state competition. The Wolverines lost to Oak Hill Academy (Va.) 82-78 on Dec. 15 in a game televised by ESPN. Mil

Enroll Today to Earn Your Online Business Administration Degree in Banking

Joseph Landor — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:04:26 +0000

There are countless employment opportunities in the business world, but a large majority of them require some level of qualification or certification. In order to get your foot in the door with a bank, international corporation or large organization, it almost always required to have a minimum of a bachelor degree. If you have a desire to enter the business world, specifically in banking, then you may want to consider enrolling in an online program to earn your degree. The business administration degree in banking is the perfect way to equip yourself for a stable, successful future.

What Can I Do With This Degree?

Many people believe that a concentrated qualification, such as a business administration degree in banking, limits your employment opportunities in the future. However, such a degree prepares you for more than just a career in banking. The knowledge and experience gained throughout your study will prepare you to work for insurance companies, banks, credit card companies and even finance organizations.

Mavericks Ink Seven

Joseph Landor — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 17:34:04 +0000

Mankato, Minn. — Baseball coach Matt Magers has announced that seven student-athletes have signed NCAA Letters of Intent to attend Minnesota State University.

Committing to MSU during the NCAA early signing period are Mitchell Bauer (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove High School), Tyler Frohwirth (Waukesha, Wis./Brookfield Academy), Hunter Harnisch (Lakeville, Minn./Lakefield South High School), Lucas Henning (Worthington, Minn./Worthington High School), Josh Hoekstra (Wausau, Wis./Century CC), Trevor Patterson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chanhassen High School) and Eric Peterson (Eagan, Minn./Eagan High School).

“We’re excited to add each of these student-athletes and their families to the Maverick baseball program,” said Magers. “It’s a pitching-oriented class that features two solid position players who will fill a lot of needs for us. The

Pick The Software First

Bianca McKerihan — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:14:10 +0000

Last week an email passed though my inbox that said something like “my district is buying the latest shiny new computing gadget. What software should I get to teach computer science on it?” OK now I am a software guy and biased towards software but this question seems all wrong to me. I’ve always believed that first you figure out what software you need to solve your problem (or teach your course) and then you find the operating system and hardware that software runs on. As I Tweeted last night “Asking what software should I buy for my computer is like asking what kind of car should I buy for my tires.”

What far too many people, and unfortunately far too many people spending scarce educational technology dollars, are doing is finding some hardware and in effect saying “this is magic – let’s find some problems that it solves!” Now 38 years of using computers has taught me that once you have a computer and some software you will find all sorts of solutions to all sorts of problems many of which you didn’t know you had. But that is not the

Admissions 101: What an Essay Word Limit Really Means

David Lymburner — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:13:12 +0000

One of the most common questions we get from applicants is, How strict are schools about word limits in their admissions essays and personal statements? While the answer itself is rather straightforward, we often encourage applicants to stop focusing on the number, take a step back, and consider what admissions officers are really communicating when they put forward a word limit.

First, well answer the question directly: Schools are not out to reject you for going over a word limit by a small amount. Okay, okay Whats a small amount? youre asking. One rule of thumb that is frequently tossed around is 10%, although its worth noting that admissions consultants tend to promote this rule more than any admissions officer does. However, if you can stay within 10% of the word limit for an essay, you probably are okay.

Having said that, we rarely encounter an essay that we dont think can get down to the word limit.