Tag Archives: College Parents and Stakeholders

Is Artificial Intelligence Going To Change Education?

Higher Education, Mentoring Students, New Technology For Education, Parents, Student Success, Success In College, Uncategorized, , ,

I’m reading a book on artificial intelligence (AI) that has made me think about how it will impact the future of education at all levels from k-12 to college.  What AI is doing is creating “thinking machines”.  That is, computers that are capable of original thought, not just executing instructions that they have been given.  Now I don’t want you to think I’m talking about Terminator type evil robots because I’m not.

I’m talking about a tremendously valuable resource for teachers and students.  It’s obvious that one teacher can’t custom tailor his/her teaching style for each student in every class even if they knew what worked best for each student.  To assist teachers, we have developed computer aided instruction which will quiz students and change questions asked based on what they get correct and what they get wrong but these systems can’t learn why students perform the way they do.  This is the wonderful potential of AI in education.  Thinking learning machines may be able to understand why students learn as they do and custom tailor a curriculum just for them that is dynamic so it can change with the student’s preferred learning style day to day even hour to hour even if the student or teacher can’t clearly state what that learning style is.  This will give educators a capability we have only dreamed about having.  It will also give students learning opportunities they have never had before.

This truly is disruptive technology which can make people uncomfortable.  Let’s push through the discomfort and realize the potential AI can have to radically improve education for all students everywhere.

A New Way To Reduce The Cost Of A College Education

First Generation College Students, Granville Sawyer, Higher Education, Parents, Students, Success In College, ,

Several states offer free tuition programs for students to attend state colleges and universities.  The programs require various qualifiers including but not limited to state residency, maximum income cutoff, community service or attendance requirements and/or a minimum 2.5 grade point average in high school.  All programs also require parents and students to fill out the FAFSA form to assess financial need.  All the Places in the U.S. Where You Can Go to College for Free by Kaitlin Mulhere outlines 37 programs in 19 states.  One of these could reduce your cost of a college education by thousands of dollars.

Is An Ivy League Education Really Worth It?

First Generation College Students, Higher Education, Mentoring Students, Non-traditional Students, Success In College, The Costs and Benefits of Higher Education, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,
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From the U. S. Department of Education on Flikr

Should you send your son or daughter to an Ivy League college or university or another high quality school that does not have the prestige or the cost of the Ivies?  This is a question parents all over the country wrestle with every year as decisions about where students will be in the fall are made.  The choice of a college or university depends on many things the most important of which is the student.  Each family should send their son or daughter to the school the fits him or her best and that fits their budget for college.  In Ivy League or Bust? , Kristin Battista-Frazee’s recent article on Huffington Post does an excellent job of setting out the factors to be evaluated when making this important decision.  I strongly recommend that you read this article before deciding on a college or university.

 

 

More Concerns About For Profit Education

First Generation College Students, Higher Education, Non-traditional Students, The Costs and Benefits of Higher Education, Uncategorized, , , ,
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Secretary of Education John King From towerload.com

I read today that the Department of Education is considering terminating the accrediting authority of the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools .  As I mentioned in For Profit Schools Have A Built In Conflict, this will mean that all of the schools that this organization has accredited will not be able to receive federal funds for higher education.  It will also leave many students with thousands of dollars in school loans and no degree.

 

 

For Profit Schools Have A Built In Conflict Of Interest

First Generation College Students, Higher Education, Success In College, The Costs and Benefits of Higher Education, Uncategorized, , , ,
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By Fonna Seldu on Flikr

During my career in higher education, I’ve heard politicians and policy makers say that colleges and universities should be run more like businesses.  They would be more efficient and provide a better product for students and parents.  Articles have been written supporting this proposition as well. 

Everyone must be careful, however, in dealing with for profit colleges and universities whose mission is not education.  Their objective is to make money and provide a good return for investors.  This contrasts with the service mission of traditional colleges and universities to provide educational opportunities for their students.  This fundamental difference in mission must be taken into account when deciding where to invest your money for a college education.

“When Student Loans Outlive Failed Schools” describes what can happen when the profit motive becomes too important.  ITT Educational Services is a large for profit educational system with a presence in 39 states operating 128 campuses.  The company has not maintained the standards required to keep their accreditation from the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools which means they can no longer receive funds from federal school loan programs.  The federal government has demanded $44 million from ITT to cover refunds to students who will not get the educations paid for if the company goes out of business.  ITT has stated that if they lose accreditation this is exactly what will happen leaving students to shoulder the burden of paying off school loans which average $24,000 per student.

All for profit colleges and universities are not like ITT but they all have profit not education as their primary objective.  Do your homework before choosing one of these schools to ensure you get the education you paid for.

Yes, It Can Be Done

Coaching, First Generation College Students, Higher Education, Mentoring Students, Success In College, Uncategorized, , , , ,
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Baltimore Sun 6/12/2016

I recently read one of several troubling articles on the resegregation of public schools in America.  We seem to be headed back to separate but unequal all over again.  My question is does it have to be this way?  Are there examples of public schools that are doing an effective job of educating disadvantaged youth in the communities where they live?  The answer is yes.  This spring, The Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women (BYSYW – pronounced “Bliss”) graduated its first class of 60 young women who are all going to colleges such as Johns Hopkins with SAT scores significantly higher than the city public school average and over $487,000 in scholarships.

The school’s director of college advising stated that “In a perfect world, everybody would go to college.  In the BLSYW world, everybody creates a success plan.”  School administrators said that message is the legacy of the first graduating class.  Take a look at the article from the Baltimore Sun and let me know if you agree that this model needs to be expanded and emulated.

The Virginia Festival of the Book – A Wonderful Experience

Coaching, Events, First Generation College Students, Higher Education, Media Appearances, Mentoring Students, Success In College, The Costs and Benefits of Higher Education, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In March, Donna and I were presenting authors at the Virginia Festival of the Book.  I participated in three events.  On Wednesday March 16th, I talked with fifty students at Albemarle High School about preparing for success in college.  Several of the students told me how much they appreciated the advice and how I shared it with them and the teachers were glad to hear their messages reinforced by someone the students enjoyed listening to.

Wednesday evening, I was one of two panelists discussing the adolescent mindset and the best ways to help students prepare for and have a successful college experience leading to graduation in four years with good grades and good job prospects.  There was a standing room only audience who had sons and daughters in college or preparing to go so they were quite interested in our presentations.  They demonstrated their interest by purchasing all the books I had brought for sale!

Finally, Sunday morning I briefly discussed College In Four Years at the Links of Charlottesville brunch for Festival authors who wrote books relevant to African Americans and/or people of color.  I told the audience of 200 about the value of the book for students and parents and how it could be instrumental in helping them work together for success in college.  The message resonated with them and they also purchased every book available for sale.

In addition to these presentations, I will be sharing more information with students in Charlottesville high schools in May.

Needless to say, I am thankful for the opportunity to participate in the Virginia Festival of the Book and thrilled with the reception College In Four Years got at all the events and with an opportunity to share information with more students in May.  Take a look at the pictures below from the events.

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The beginning of a great event!
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My talk with students at Albemarle High School.
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The Sawyer Authors!
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My panel discussion on the teenage mindset and higher education with Dr. Florence Jensen (The teenage Brain: Planning for Success in High School, College, and Beyond) and our moderator Ms. Elizabeth Benedict.

 

 

 

A Review of ‘Where Everybody Looks Like Me’

Book Review, First Generation College Students, Higher Education, Mentoring Students, Non-traditional Students, Success In College, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , ,

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I just published a review of “Where Everybody Looks Like Me”  By Ron Stodghill on Afro.com.  You can read it at:

http://www.afro.com/where-everybody-looks-like-me-and-the-challenges-facing-hbcus/

Let me know what you think.

African America: What The Media Don’t Tell You

Higher Education, Success In College, The Costs and Benefits of Higher Education, Uncategorized, , , , ,

John BullockI recently read a report done by the Neilsen Corporation on African American consumers in America which they titled “The Untold Story”.  There is so much important information in this report that I am going to do a series of four posts on it.  This post is an overview of the report and includes some very interesting statistics.

First of all, our numbers in America are increasing.  From 2000 to 2014 the African American population in American grew 35% faster than the overall population of the country and more than twice as fast as the white population in America.  You need look no further to better understand  the anger and fear some white people are feeling as shown in the news media on a regular basis. By 2060, Nielsen estimates that the Black population in America will be 74.5 million comprising 17.9% of the total U.S. population.

We are also becoming more educated.  The percentage of Black high school graduates enrolled in college was 70.9% exceeding that of both Whites and Hispanics.  Also, the high school graduation rate rose to over 70% outpacing all other groups in America.

We are also making and spending more money.  The percentage of black households making over $200,000 a year increased by 138% and African American income growth rates outpaced that of non-Hispanic Whites at every annual household income level above $60,000.  The result is that African American consumers spend 1 trillion 100 billion dollars annually!

This is not the picture of African America you will see in the media but it is the truth – it is who we really are in America today.  I’ll share more information with you in the next post.  In the meantime, let me know what you think about these surprising facts.  I’d like to hear from you.

In addition to the blog posts, I am going to begin podcasting my content in an effort to share information with more people.  If you are interested in subscribing, please let me know in your comments about this post below.