The Online Degree Dorm Room

Associate Online Degree Programs | Survey: Gap Exists Between Hope, Opportunity for Teens

Posted by bposton on November 17th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

While optimistic about the future, the youth in our country find themselves trapped in a gap between hope and opportunity, according to a recent survey. Struggling with violence in their neighborhoods and the challenges of just finishing high school, many young people feel they are not being afforded real opportunities for their future.

This year, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the nation’s fastest-growing youth
service organization, celebrates its centennial. As part of the milestone, BGCA conducted the “Youth Report to America,” a national survey sponsored by American Express of more than 46,000 young people.

The Youth Report to America shows that nearly one-third of teens want a less-violent
world, but nearly one-fourth identified the possibility of going to war as their greatest fear.

Almost half felt college is necessary for a successful career, yet more than one-fourth feared they wouldn’t be able to graduate from high school. Meanwhile, close to half said their parents significantly influence their decisions.

BGCA is in a position to help close the gap. Throughout the year, Boys & Girls
Club members are rallying youth to work with parents, community officials and political leaders to develop new programs and evolve existing programs that address the concerns of today’s youth.

“After a century of serving our nation’s youth and providing a safe place for kids to
learn and grow, we decided the best way for us to commemorate our centennial would be to provide a platform for our young people to express their views to the nation,” said Roxanne Spillett,president of BGCA.

BGCA’s ongoing commitment to the youth it serves means the creation of innovative
programs that reflect changes in our society, from technology initiatives that teach kids how to be safe online to diversity education efforts that teach the importance of tolerance in our multiracial society.

Since 1906, BGCA has helped young people connect with opportunities for personal
growth and achievement. The organization provides services that promote the health, social, educational, vocational and character development of youth.
 
So my hat is off to BGCA - keep up the good work!

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Tips to Concentrate in Class

Posted by bposton on November 17th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

All of us want to succeed in school, right?.
 
But for many of us, concentration in this always-pressured, starved-for-time era can be
difficult. (that’s a real fact for me, anyway)

Here are some tips for helping you improve concentration and do better in either the traditional or online classroom:

 - Take time for breakfast. Those who have breakfast and enough to eat during the
rest of the day will be better able to concentrate in class.

 - Introduce yourself to music. Playing instruments has shown to increase focus and
concentration in other areas.

 - Take a supplement. I heard about one product is Focus, from the “Spray” line of sublingual sprays. Developed by doctors, Focus is a combination of homeopathic remedies that can improve concentration, support memory and help overcome apathy. It acts gently, causes no side effects and meets all FDA guidelines for good manufacturing practices. To learn more about Focus, call (866) 412-7827

 - Get thyself to bed on time. Studies show that you concentrate best after about nine hours of sleep.

 - Give thyself some space. You will be better able to concentrate on homework if you 
have a clear, uncluttered workspace. And turn off the TV; you won’t learn if you’re squeezing your homework in during commercials.

 - Get thyself organized. The National PTA suggests organizing your assignments by recording them on calendars or planners, along with due dates and dates turned in.

 - Don’t “Cram”. It increases anxiety and interferes with clear thinking, according
to the Department of Education. You’ll do better on tests if you spread out studying over several days or weeks and can relate the information to what you already know.

Ben

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Ninth Graders - 10 years later

Posted by bposton on November 16th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

I say this statistic in the USA Today, and it just blew me away…

Let’s take 100 ninth graders in high school, and follow them for the next 10 years. Here’s what we’ll find:

 - At the end of four years, 68 of these 100 ninth graders will graduate from high school.

 - Of those 68 high school graduates, only 40 of them will immediately enroll in college. 

 - Of those 40 that enrolled in college, only 27 are still there the following year.

 - And of these 27 students, 18 of them will graduate within 6 years.

So after 10 years, only 18 of the 100 wide-eyed ninth graders have made it - they have a college degree in there hands.

Doesn’t that just blow you away?

Ben  

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Associate Online Degree Programs | Should colleges do a better job of reporting?

Posted by bposton on November 16th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

As a follow-up to my last post, the US Department of Education has suggested that colleges start collecting and reporting data on student improvement at their schools.

What’s interesting is that there are already tools out there that colleges can (and many do) already use to do this data gathering.

For example, the National Survey of Student Engagement is a collection of data for both 4 year and 2 year schools that measure the time and effort seniors and freshmen say they put into various educational activities.

And as I mentions, many colleges are already using these tools. The problem is, they are not reporting the data to the public, or they’re making it very difficult to find on their websites. And of course, there is no way right now to link any of this data together so that you can compare the data across many colleges.

So that’s why the Department of Education is proposing that the Federal Governement provide matching funds for colleges and states that publicly report this data. And they have the dream of linking all this data to one main website - theirs.

So that’s the crux of the issue with the USDE’s recommendations. How much is the Goverment willing to get involved in the collection and reporting of how well students are doing (like the No Child Left Behind act is forcing primary schools to do) and how willing are the colleges and universities in the US to do so.

Ben 

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associate online degree programs | Yesterday’s USA Today

Posted by bposton on November 15th, 2006 — Posted in associate online degree programs

Hey, not sure if you saw it, but there was a great couple of articles in yesterday’s USA Today.

The information was so good, and so much, that I’ve decided to set aside the next few posts just to parapharse the content and give you my thoughts on the subject it covered

So Stay Tuned…lots more to come

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