University of California – Santa Barbara: Psychology

Today’s public education curriculum is much more complicated than it was fifty or even twenty-five years ago. Every year brings new things that educators feel are important enough to add to the curriculum. Teachers have to teach twice as much in the same amount of time. And our children are paying the price of not being able to focus on material long enough to do anything with it but remember it for the tests.

When was the last time educators and administrators combed through the curriculum as a whole and weeded out unnecessary lessons and combine concepts that naturally go together? Spelling, for example, no longer needs to place so prominently in this generation of spell check. Instead provide a list of vocabulary words and have students use them in sentences and stories. You’ll be teaching spelling, vocabulary and composition at the same time. Kids learn more from doing than being told anyway so it stands to reason that placing more emphasis on reading will spill over to grammar, spelling and word meanings as well as reading skills.

Alternatively schools need to stop teaching shortcuts where skills are necessary. It was a disappointing shock to me when I found out that my sons’ teachers not only allowed but encouraged them to use calculators when doing mathematics. How can they possibly learn advanced math when they are taught to let a calculator do the basics? Math skills build upon the previous skill so the basics here cannot be skipped.

Back to basics curriculum would put the emphasis on skills and knowledge that is most essential to living as a successful citizen in this society. Skills like basic math, algebra, reading, writing, basic science, world and U.S. history, personal finances, health, physical fitness, and computer skills would be included. By paring down the curriculum to what is essential for predictive adulthood; we can ensure that the majority of students graduate from high school with at least enough skills to succeed as adults. Note I said succeed, not merely get by in life.

Additionally it would be imperative with a back to basics curriculum to make sure to provide exposure to advanced material so any student with a passion – say aerodynamics or sociology – would be able to learn and gain knowledge and skills about that subject. Possibly a “Blank” period could be provided for the students to explore their own interests with the guidance of a teacher or a team of teachers.

This idea may not be perfectly ironed out but I believe it is a good start towards bringing authentic learning back into the public school classroom.…

The fourth of July is definitely an important time of year. It celebrates the time when America was finally freed from the hands of the British after the Revolutionary War. No matter how boring the subject may be in a history book, the fourth of July was definitely one of the most important times in American history. Of course, most teenagers and young children won't want to hear this whole story from beginning to end, but there are different ways that we can make Independence Day a holiday worth celebrating. Here, I'm going to list a few ways you can make the fourth of July the day to remember.

Cookout – This is one of the most common ways to celebrate Independence Day. Combined with a few friends, family, and games, this idea can also turn out to be one of the most enjoyable. An interesting way to add some education to this idea would be to read out the story of the Declaration of Independence while everyone is eating.

A Trip to Washington D.C. – This one may be a bit more expensive than the others, but hey, it's summer vacation and this would be a fantastic idea to make learning about Independence Day a bit more enjoyable. Check out the White House, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial.

Go out for ice cream – This idea is relatively simple, and inexpensive. You don't have to go out for ice cream either; you could just buy some in advance and enjoy it on the porch or at the park. Here, you can just talk about why Independence Day is important to our lives, and what exactly happened on that day.

Visit relatives – There's nothing better than spending time with your fellow relatives, and to me, the more the merrier. You could go visit grandma's house or maybe a local aunt or uncle. Regardless of who you're visiting, it's no doubt that a day spend with relatives is a lot easier to remember than a day where everyone stays at home. You could have your child do a homework assignment a few days before the gathering on why the Fourth of July is important to American history, and have them present the assignment some time during the holiday.

I hope these ideas helped to spark some plans for a memorable, yet educational Independence Day experience. Happy Holidays!

 …

Funding your graduate education is very different from undergrad. Graduate assistantships allow students to exchange work for financing their education. In general, assistantships are available from well-funded departments in disciplines that produce scholarly work. Departments will attempt to admit only the number of graduate students that they can fund. Professional programs like architecture, law, business, and education are the exception. These departments will not attempt to fund everyone, since they award many more degrees than there are spots for assistants.

All assistantships pay for a portion of your tuition. You are required to work for a set number of hours per week for a set wage. Even though it may seem you are being underpaid in the wage area, a graduate assistant is receiving a large monetary benefit from the tuition waiver. Imagine a state university is offering $10,000 for 20 hours per week of work and full tuition remission. At the in-state tuition rate of $250 per credit hour, the tuition remission is worth approximately $6000. This is equal to a full-time salary of $32,000 per year-not exactly rich, but enough to live on.

There are many types of graduate assistantships. The most common are teaching assistantships and research assistantships. Assistantships may also be offered doing other types of work, such as running a dormitory or working in an administrative capacity with the department. Some assistantships provide health insurance or free health care. At many Universities, graduate assistants are represented by a union. The union will negotiate the minimum terms of all graduate assistants' renumeration.

A teaching assistant will take on responsibilities for teaching or administering a course. Masters-level students frequently will work for a professor who is teaching a large undergraduate course, and will take on grading, tutoring, and course material prep duties. Doctoral students will often take on the full responsibility for teaching a smaller undergraduate course or specialized graduate course. Teaching assistants are chosen based on their mastery of the course material and ability to communicate the knowledge. A drawback to being a teaching assistant is that it frequently takes time than the number of hours stated in the award. No overtime will be paid. Another drawback is that teaching responsibilities take away time that could be devoted to researching for your thesis or dissertation. However, teaching experience is invaluable when applying for faculty jobs after graduation.

Research assistantships are the most prized type of assistantship. Students holding one will perform research work with a professor on a grant. Assistants will be intensely involved in the process of performing the research work. They may perform literature reviews, lab tests, interviews, surveys, or computer work. Some grants will require extension or technical assistance work to real-world practitioners. At the end of the grant, many projects will be written up as reports or scholarly journal articles. This gives the assistant the opportunity to be published, which is essential during the job search phase. A smart graduate assistant will choose a thesis or dissertation topic that relates to the …