Better Education for All

One of the very basic things that you need in order to secure a well paying job and a bright future is good education.  Indeed it all begins at home and then school and then college.  But it is at the college stage where you need to make some really important decisions.  From what you are going to study to where you are going to study, these are crucial questions that need answers.  These are in fact the answers that will shape your future.  Therefore you must give some serious thought to what kind of courses you wish to pursue and which college or university you wish to secure your degree from.

What and where?

One of the most important decisions you need to make as soon as you finish high school is the subject you wish to study further.  It could be literature, art, finance, science, engineering, medicine or associates degree detroit.  These are just a few of the popular options out of the hundreds of subjects out there, and you could choose to pursue your degree in any one of these.  What you choose should not depend upon what you like or where your talent lies.  Do not force yourself to study something that you don’t really like just because it seemed to promise a better paycheck in the future.  If your heart is in it, you can become successful studying any subject.

Next comes one of the questions that is topmost on the mind of every student graduating high school: Which college do I go to? There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a bachelors degree detroit. Some of these are the reputation of the university, programs available, fees, faculty, infrastructure and placement records etc.

Degrees in Engineering

For those interested in engineering and hoping to get a bachelor’s degree in Detroit, there are a number of great colleges available. Engineering is one of the most coveted degrees and has a wide variety of options from electronics to software and mechanical engineering. A typical bachelor’s degree in engineering would take you at least 4 years to complete. For those interested, this could be followed by 2-3 years of specialization in a particular area.

There are plenty of great career opportunities in America and across the world, available to those who have completed their bachelor’s degree in engineering. However, for those who wish to further acquire a stronghold on the subject and do a specialization in engineering, a mba Detroit is the perfect option. It is needless to say that the career opportunities after a master’s degree in engineering are huge and really high on the paycheck. 

Once again, just make sure you do your research and seek admission in a truly reputed engineering college in Detroit that has world class faculty and an excellent track record. Getting admission in a reputable college almost always guarantees a good job at the end of the course duration.

For those looking for something other than an engineering degree or an enhancement to their degree, a good management college in Detroit could award an associate, bachelors or masters degree in business management. In the end, it’s all about where your interest lies.

Hieroglyphics in English

Hey, wait a minute, you’re thinking. There’s no such thing as English hieroglyphics. There are Egyptian hieroglyphics, Sumerian hieroglyphics, maybe some others. But English? No way.

Yeah, you know that. But does a six-year-old kid know that? Not hardly.

You know what this means? The school system can pull a fast one. Teachers point to a word-– “house” -– and say, “This design is pronounced ‘house.’ Memorize it.”

Presto, that English phonetic word is now English hieroglyphics, simply by saying it is. That’s what American public schools did circa 1930; they changed all English phonetic words into English hieroglyphics. It was so easy. What do first graders know?  They’ve got VICTIM written all over them.

If children learn the alphabet, they are memorizing the shapes of individual letters. But a single letter is not so great a challenge; plus, there are only 26 of them.

But what about five of these easy shapes stuck together to make a much more complicated shape like “house”? Or, worse still, something like “business.”  What about this complex shape makes you think of business activity? Basically, that’s how you learn hieroglyphics, one at a time, with as many memory aids as possible.

If you don’t happen to have a photographic memory, you will have to be clever and creative with your mnemonic tricks. Let’s say the word is “face.” Both the “a” and the “e” have a closed shape that could very well be eyes. That’s how you do it.

The problem with hieroglyphics is that each design is hard work and takes up lots of memory. Even very smart people have trouble memorizing 2000 hieroglyphics with instant recall. More ordinary memories might have trouble going past 200 hieroglyphics.

Treating English word as hieroglyphics has few benefits and many obvious limitations. The English language is huge. College graduates routinely know more than 100,000 English words. Nobody knows 100,000 hieroglyphics. Furthermore, having memorized “face,” would you be able to read FACE? The eyes, where are the eyes?

 Historically speaking, it was as though a strange and deadly virus struck our Education Establishment around 1930. They insisted-–absolutely, hysterically insisted--that memorizing English words as hieroglyphics was the best way to go. In fact, it’s the worst way. 

English hieroglyphics, that’s what most little children studied and memorized across the United States for a long time. This method never made any sense. It caused huge damage. It’s the reason we have 50 million functional illiterates.

Virtually all readers of English hieroglyphics are damaged readers. Their eyes tend to flit randomly over the complex designs. Instead of relentless left-to-right movements, their eyes zigzag and jump backwards. Soon these readers are diagnosed as dyslexic. They are said to have ADHD; and must be given Ritalin.

 No, what they need to be given is a lesson in phonics. They memorize the letter names. They learn the sounds (i.e., the phonics) represented by the letters. They learn the blends of these sounds. When children can combine two or more sounds into one sound, they are reading!

 That’s how it works. That’s how simple it is, in every phonetic language all around the world. Once you know the letters and the sounds, there is no limit to the number of words you can read. That’s why English can have 1 million words, some of them long and bizarre like “ibuprofen” and “verisimilitude,” but readers have no trouble.

Conversely, children trying to memorize English as hieroglyphics might stumble over “See Dick and Jane.” They might stumble over “house.” After all, when you think of it as a design, house looks a lot like louse, hoist, horse, dowse, souse, mouse, host, hoses, worse, hurts, etc. Really, that is the primary problem with English hieroglyphics. Every one of them resembles 50 others. A kid could get dyslexia, never learn to read, drop out of school, and end up stealing a car belonging to a literacy professor. Well, at least that would be poetic justice

Techno-Education

Once upon a time homeschoolers might have been considered old-fashioned. This is probably because of the stereotype that homeschoolers are generally homeschooling for religious reasons, sitting around a dining room table doing copy work from historical icons, and learning to read from old public school readers. Like all stereotypes there is probably some basis in truth but today’s homeschoolers are breaking out of that stereotype.

Today’s homeschoolers are often at least as technologically advanced as their traditionally educated counterparts. Part of the reason this is true is because homeschooled students are not sitting isolated in their homes poring over outdated textbooks but are studying the latest available material by means of technology. Many homeschooled students are taking part in distance learning, self-guided learning, and online curricula.

Distance learning

Distance learning or distance education is a method of presenting educational material through correspondence work, or lectures presented on the internet. It allows students to have access to professors and other specialists that might not be available locally. Students generally use the internet to attend classes and are not required to be present at the school at all.

There are many different variations of using technology for distance learning. Some courses are broadcast at a certain time on the internet and all students are expected to log in, similar to an online meeting site. This type of distance learning is called synchronous or live learning. Other courses are uploaded to the internet for the students to use when they have the time. This type of distance learning is sometimes called asynchronous distance education.

Self-guided Learning

Self-guided learning is similar to distance learning. Some universities offer free courses online. While the courses are usually offered not-for-credit, they still represent a large body of information. Most of these courses are online, free, and often contain both video and searchable lecture notes. An example of this type of educational material is MIT Open Courseware. By searching the internet for open course ware it is seen that a number of prestigious universities offer similar open course ware.

Another option for self-guided learning is Khan Academy. Courses available there are not offered for credit. In fact, it might even be considered free online tutoring as many complex topics in math and science are broken down into easily digestible, short lectures.

While this coursework is offered on the internet for free and is a great way for a student to gain knowledge, it is generally not offered for credit. However, there is no argument that this work is an attractive addition to homeschool transcripts and can be a great preparation for taking college entrance as well as CLEP tests.

Online Curriculum

Online curriculum for homeschool students is offered from Pre-K through 12th grade. Sometimes it is difficult to see the difference between distance learning and online curriculum. Probably the main difference is that with online curriculum most of the instruction is presented online as well as most of the coursework. This online curriculum type of learning generally does not have a “live” instructor that the student answers.

Much of the testing is done by the program in the form of multiple choice or fill in the blank answers though in higher grade there are often writing assignments that parents will have to grade for their for their homeschooled students. Online curricula can be used for core education as well as supplemental coursework. One example of an online curriculum is Time4Learning.

Other Options

There are many other opportunities for homeschooled students to take advantage of technology in their educational endeavors. The internet is, in some cases, taking the place of the library. Since many families no longer buy sets of encyclopedias the internet is a great research vehicle. There are many subject specific sites that provide instructional material as well as educational games. Homeschooled students often do not have access to the same textbooks that traditionally educated students do, so learning to use technology affords homeschooled students with opportunities to learn and expand their horizons that they might not have otherwise.

Is your Child Learning?

One of the big questions most new homeschoolers ask is, “How will I know if my child is learning?”

When a child is in public school he or she is constantly tested. Each week there are spelling tests, there are chapter tests on a regular basis, and in many states there is standardized testing. Many parents of public school students decide that if the grades coming home on test papers and report cards are good, then their child must be learning.

When students are pulled from a traditional school setting and placed in homeschooling it is sometimes difficult for the parent to know if the student is actually learning enough to keep up with their grade peers. A big problem is that homeschool students tend to not be tested as often as public school students. But is it really a problem and is testing the only way to know if a student is learning enough?

How Long?

Sometimes it is difficult to tell if a child is learning enough in homeschool because homeschooling generally takes much less time than traditional education.   Homeschooled children generally do not spend as much time on a particular topic as traditionally educated students because they are neither ahead nor behind their classmates. Part of the reason for this is that your homeschooled child is receiving one-on-one attention. They do not have to wait for others to catch up, nor are they holding up other students back if they need to spend more time on a topic. If the student understands the topic then he or she can move on right away.

Traditional education is set up for a traditional school year, in many states that is approximately 180 school days. That is, for each subject an hour of instruction per day for 180 days, or 180 hours per subject. Now, consider this question: Is a public school hour of instruction really an hour? Students must move from class to class, spending time talking to peers, going to lockers, and moving between classrooms and even buildings. A traditional school hour of education might be as short as 45 minutes by the time moving, getting settled, and ready to actually learn are taken into account.

Homeschoolers can take almost all of that transition time out of their day. The commute from math at the kitchen table to history on the sofa takes considerably less time than moving from one end of a building to another and climbing a flight of steps or two.  When was the last time you heard of a traditionally educated student actually finishing a complete textbook in a year?  It is safe to say that a homeschooled student can probably cover more material in a school day than traditional educated students can. It is not unusual for a homeschooled student to complete the entire course in ahomeschool curriculum.

Testing?

Homeschooled students generally do not take as many tests as public school students do. Consequently, less time is spent teaching “to the test”. Teaching to the test limits a student’s exploration of a subject by limiting them to the material that will be tested. Testing is not necessarily a true measure of understanding of a topic.

In fact, standardized tests can be detrimental to students who are from different backgrounds and upbringings. Consider, for example, a standardized test question that asks reasons for the Civil War. Since the Civil War is viewed differently by different ethnicities, as well as different locations, a question designed to show understanding of the reasons behind the war might not realistically test a student’s knowledge.

Another problem with standardized testing is that some students are very test savvy, understanding how to take tests well even if they do not understand the subject matter. Other students are poor test takers and do not do well under the pressures of timed tests. A low score by a poor test taker is not a true measure of their knowledge or learning ability, only their testing abilities.

You’ll know!

It sounds cheesy to say that you will know if your child is learning but the reality is that you will know if your child is learning. You can see it on their faces, you can tell by their attitude, and you will see forward progress.

If your student begins their homeschool day ready to go to school, moves quickly through their assignments, and is hungry for more information, it is safe to say that the student is learning.

If your student can not only give you the instructed materials on a multiple choice test, but can hold a conversation about the material you will know they understand the material. When a student can play the part of the teacher, either giving a speech, or teaching other children in a subject, then that student will have sufficient knowledge of a subject to move on to new material.

Finally, as the parent as well as the teacher it is possible to see the student in all stages of learning. You will not have to depend on a report card, or a test score. You will see your student work through the instructional material, watch them answer questions, and be able to judge for yourself if your student is actually learning.

"Televised Schools"

Growing up in Puerto Rico means being strongly influenced by American culture probably more than in any other part of the world. Radio stations constantly play American music, and the TV is full of American programs; most of them dubbed since Spanish is the first language of the majority.  One of my favorite forms of entertainment is going to the movies, which in Puerto Rico is a completely different experience. Most movies in cinemas in Puerto Rico have subtitles in Spanish and are rarely dubbed (except for children's movies). This meant reading the dialogue in Spanish while simultaneously listening to it in English. As a beginner reader, this proved to be a challenge. Trying to read the words before they disappear forever from the screen was a race against my reading skills I usually lost. But little by little, as my skills got better, I got to the point of being able to understand a whole movie. What a triumph that was! But then my journey switched, and that fluency reading practice became one of the best English teachers I ever had, which says a lot since children in Puerto Rico take English as a core subject  since kindergarten.

                Today, as a bilingual teacher in Texas,  I see children struggling with reading and the English language on a daily basis. This has made me wonder if there are instances in which subtitles and captions have been used successfully to increase reading skills and English proficiency. My experience was not by any means a systematic approach, but maybe with some researched techniques I can improve and replicate it to help struggling readers.

                One of the best examples on how subtitles can help with literacy comes from India. In a 2008 article, Brij Kothari, Tathagata Bandyopadhyay, and Debanjan Bhattacharjee study the impact of Same Language Subtitling (SLS) in readers from three different levels: good readers, early-readers, and non-readers. In the study they track the progress in literacy of viewers of two song programs, Chitrahaar and Rangoli, with and without SLS. Researchers found literacy levels improved considerably on viewers with SLS in all three levels. After five years of schooling, only 24% of children who did not have exposure to SLS became proficient readers. On the other hand, 56% of children with regular exposure to SLS programming became good readers. Researchers stated that, "It is claimed that SLS creates a context in which reading skills are practiced, automatically, incidental, and subconsciously by millions of children and adults. In the process, SLS leads to reading skill improvement" ("Same Language Subtitling on TV: Impact on Basic Reading Development among Children and Adults," planetread.org, January 2008). In other words, not only did viewers practiced their reading skills, but they did it without even knowing it.

                As we can see, captions and subtitles can be a great tool to increase literacy skills, but they can also provide help with second language acquisition. Hsin-Chuan Huang and David Eskey studied its effect on English as a second language students (ESL) with intermediate level. These researchers found many areas in which the use of captions can benefit ESL students and improve a variety of linguistic abilities like: general comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and listening comprehension. Researchers quote

"As Newman and Koskinen stated, students might establish the relationship between words and

meanings through TV’s combination of pictures and sounds. TV’s entertaining qualities make it an easier medium to access than text, and it also minimizes fear of failure in learning" (The Effects of Closed-Captioned Television on the Listening Comprehension of Intermediate English as a Second Language (ESL) Students, Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 1999). In other words, not only it helps with linguistic skills, but it can actually reduce the anxiety students experience when dealing with a second language by making it more accessible and engaging. In fact, Deborah Linebarger describes the level of engagement as: "In sum, television captions, by evoking efforts to read, appeared to help a child focus on central story elements and away from distracting information, including sound effects and visual glitz" ("Learning to read from television: The effects of using captions and narration", Journal of Educational Psychology, Jun 2001).

                Although Hsin-Chuan Huang and David Eskey focus their research on students with an intermediate level of English, we can infer that with certain adjustments this can also be used with all levels. Chrissine Rios from the Kaplan University Writing Center states, "Watching programs in English and referring to subtitles in your first language to maintain the show’s context or clarify a new word can improve your listening skills and show you how English speakers use gestures to construct meaning" ("Practical Ways to Improve Your English", kucampus.kaplan.edu, March 2013). Put differently, ESL students with low proficiency can use captions in their own language to clarify words they don't understand. According to the author, caption videos can even help with body language, a language skill many forget to address in ESL classes.

                The idea of using subtitles and captions in the classroom is not new. From the late 1980's, when the technology started to spread, many researchers and educators have spoken in favor its use as a powerful educating tool. None the less, over twenty years later, its presence in classrooms could still be underappreciated. The amount of lesson choices it provides for teachers to help with reading and language proficiency skills should make it an essential and versatile tool. Teachers could have kids watch videos repeatedly without sound to improve fluency skills or with sound to increase hearing comprehension. The amount of possible uses could be as big as the ingenuity of the teacher, and with the help of parents, students could be watching TV with closed captioning at home turning a normally non-educational activity into something that might help students from all levels succeed academically.

what is IELTS

IELTS is one of the most prestigious English language tests in the world for non-native speakers. Designed to provide the takers with essential writing, speaking, listening and reading skills, it is an outstanding means through which one can prove his/her level of English. More importantly, it is a tool that alongside perfecting communication proficiency also helps with immigration to an English speaking country – an advantage hard to ignore. This article focuses mainly on two key areas of the test – writing and speaking.

The IELTS test is separated into two types – IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, which correspond to preparation for a university programme or a professional English-speaking organization in the first case or working/ emigrating to an English speaking country for the latter.

The writing section consists of two tasks – Task 1 and Task 2, with 20 and 40 minutes allotted to each, amounting to a total of 60 minutes. IELTS Academic asks you to write about a chart, diagram, graph or table, explaining, summarizing or discussing it in your personal style, whereas the second task consists of writing an essay as an answer to a question or point of view. It is highly recommendable to write your responses in a serious, formal style. IELTS General Training will instruct you for the first task to either explain a certain situation or write a letter, while for Task 2 an essay will be given. Here, the style is more relaxed, as takers are allowed to write in a semi-formal style. However, it is advisable to keep a certain level of formality, in order not to fall in the other direction – informality, which is undesirable, as it will cost you valuable points in the assessment stage.

Important tips:

- Don’t come unprepared to this major test – The British Council and various web sites offer free tests or test samples. Take advantage of those and practice as much as you can!

- Learn to manage your time! A vital component that will help you enormously is time management. Practice; see how much it takes for you to complete the given tasks and schedule your answers in such a way that they correspond to the time requirements. This way, during the test, you will have no problems solving the tasks and will be less pressured by the time limit.

- Use clear formatted paragraphs; do not repeat your ideas and make sure you pay attention to the spelling, punctuation and grammar – you will be penalized for your errors!

- Do not forget about the word count! Make sure you write at least 150 words for Task 1 and 250 for task 2! A simple, effective tip for getting an approximate word count is writing around 10 words per line. This way, you won’t have to count all the individual words to make sure you fulfilled the requirement. You just need to count the lines – around 15 or 25, depending on the task number and you’re on the right track!

- At the end, read your production once again to check for errors and make sure you have used the proper, formal style of writing. This way, you will have an advantage over others who disregard this advice. Remember, every point matters!

The Speaking section consists of a discussion with an examiner, split into three parts, lasting a total of 11 to 15 minutes.  The first part (3 to 5 minutes) is an introduction/interview – here you may be asked to speak about your home, studies, family, job or your hobbies. Part 2 (3-4 minutes) is called theIndividual Long Turn. The examiner will offer you a card with a certain subject – a person, object or event and you will have 1 minute to prepare and 2-3 minutes to answer, during which you will only be observed. After you deliver your answer, some questions may follow. The Two-way discussion is the third and final part, lasting about 4-5 minutes, where you will be asked about something related to the topic on the card presented to you in Part 2.

Important tips:

- Make sure you prepare beforehand for Part 1, as a solid introduction may be favorable in your interviewer’s eyes. It is also a sign of confidence and self control, so do not neglect it!

- Practice your fluency with a friend. This and the coherence of your ideas will weigh heavily in the assessment stage.

- Read and improve your range of vocabulary. The more diverse and rich it it, the better are your chances of acing the test!

- Ask a friend to listen to your pronunciation. Is it clear and natural? Make sure you don’t over emphasize sounds and focus on the correct and recommended pronunciation. If needed, take a dictionary and look how the word in question is written phonetically.

- Learn to relax and have a confident attitude. Do not prepare answers from home; your examiner might notice and modify the question.

- Try to speak more that the interviewer does and present your answers in a clear structure, without going astray from the topic. 

Fleuncy in English

Many of us have stumbled with spoken English, and have felt embarrassed in interviews and while socializing, or in an office. Not being able to speak English properly becomes a problem when you are trying to land that promotion, or communicate with others. There are ways to improve the fluency of your spoken English, and here are some tried and tested methods.

1. Talk more in English. They say that practice makes everything perfect, and they are right. When you talk more, you learn more, and you start feeling more comfortable using the language. Even if it sounds wrong, keep talking, and if possible ask someone fluent in the language to edit your speech, and tell you where you are going wrong.
2. Read more English. Reading proper, correct English actually helps in understanding the language better. Read more books in English, or get yourself a newspaper subscription, and read the news every day in English. This is a tried and tested method recommended, because when you read more, you understand the language better. Try incorporating statements which you have read in the books or newspaper into your speech.
3. Do not translate but try to think in English while you are speaking. One of the biggest mistakes we make is by thinking in a different language, then translate it in English, then say it out loud. This makes the entire procedure cumbersome, and yes, it takes up time. Don’t make that mistake. Try and think in English and say it out loud. It will not be easy, but it will work.
4. Incorporate more English terms in your own language. When you are speaking your own language, try incorporating English terms into it to familiarize yourself with the language more. One of the problems with many people is that they do not know how to use certain terms while speaking.
5. Learn Better Grammar. This might sound really boring, but the truth is, the better your grammar, the better your chances of nailing spoken English. Most people end up making mistakes by saying something incorrectly, thanks to bad grammar. Stop the habit, make sure your grammar is good. Because ultimately, it matters if your grammar is incorrect.
6. Watch Movies in English. To improve your speech, watch more English movies, preferably with subtitles. Read the words and try to speak it the way they speak in the movies, which goes a long way in improving your own speech and making it sound like the way they do. It also improves pronunciation and improves language considerably.
7. Read a Thesaurus. Thesaurus helps in learning new terms, and learning new words will improve your language considerably. This is a simple and easy way of finding better terms and using them while speaking. Reading a thesaurus also helps you know more English.
8. Look up a dictionary when you can. Dictionaries are useful when you don’t know the meaning of a word, or how you can use it properly. Using a dictionary to learn a new word is always a good idea. You can easily read up a couple of words using it, and apply it when you speak.

These are simple ways of learning better English and speaking it correctly. They are small tips, but they go a long way in improving your language.

Critically Think

 Critical thinking is a term that is given much discussion without much action.  K-12 educators and administrators are pushed to teach the necessities as dictated by the standardized assessments in order to catch up the students to students of other countries.  In this push for better test scores, many students are leaving the K-12 education system lacking the critical thinking skills that are necessary to succeed in higher education or in the workplace (Smith & Szymanski, 2013).  There are several reasons that critical thinking is not being focused on, and the need to have better scores on assessments is just one of them.  Issues such as how to define critical thinking, how to teach critical thinking, and whether critical thinking should be taught or learned through social interaction plague educators who think about enhancing the critical thinking skills of their students (Choy & Cheah, 2009).

Perceptions

            The Association of American Colleges and Universities, Standards for Accreditation of Medical Education Program, Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Standards and Guidelines for the Professional Program in Pharmacy, American Dental Education Association, and many more organizations list critical thinking as a major intellectual and practical skill, particularly in the area of health science education (Rowles, Morgan, Burns, & Merchant, 2013). This major intellectual and practical skill seems to be a skill that the majority of students coming into higher education and the workforce are not only lacking in function, but also in understanding what the concept is (Rowles et al., 2013; Choy & Cheah, 2009; Henderson Hurley & Hurley, 2013).  Oftentimes, critical thinking is something that has been overlooked at the elementary, middle, and high school levels where students are taught how to learn, as well as how to analyze information.  When these students make it to the level of higher education or the workforce, the educators and trainers are forced to begin by teaching critical thinking skills as opposed to beginning with the information that needs to be conveyed.  Halx and Reybold (2005) determined, after much review and research, that learning requires effort, but critical thinking requires maximum exertion of intellectual capability and that students and teachers alike find critical thinking discomforting because it requires personal reflection.  For this reason and the lack of time available to K-12 educators, much critical thinking has been left for higher education to teach and utilize. 

Utilization of Techniques and Pedagogy to Enhance Critical Thinking in K-12

            Research suggests that a more in-depth focus on enhancing critical thinking skills in K-12 can add academic rigor and increase the scores on the standardized assessments (VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng, & Brown, 2009; McCollister & Sayler, 2010; Snodgrass, 2011; Tsai, Chen, Chang, & Chang, 2013).  By utilizing activities to enhance critical thinking, students are better able to understand why something has occurred as opposed to just understanding what has occurred.  This deeper understanding allows the students to better analyze the circumstances surrounding the occurrence and differing viewpoints about the occurrence (Tsai et al., 2013). 

            Critical thinking can be infused in lessons throughout all disciplines by utilizing in depth questioning and evaluation of both data and sources (McCollister & Sayler, 2010).  Having students track patterns in information forces them to look at the information as a process instead of simply information to be memorized and helps them develop skills of recognition and prediction.  Evaluation of information and sources helps students to learn appropriate procedures for finding and utilizing credible information, as well as helping students learn acceptable and appropriate ways to use discretion (McCollister & Sayler, 2010).  These are skills that will help with reading comprehension and problem-solving skills, both of which play an important role in standardized assessments (VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng, & Brown, 2009; McCollister & Sayler, 2010; Tsai et al., 2013).  These types of activities could be worked into the normal instructional time, with little additional time needed, simply by utilizing things such as online discussion boards, in-class discussions, or alternative modes of assessment in classroom settings (Snodgrass, 2011).  It is also important that any changes to the curriculum be met with training about the new activities and how to utilize them to their full effect.  The establishment of professional learning communities allows educators to think critically about the methods they are using to teach, and is a good starting point for ideas about inclusion of critical thinking skills in the classroom (Smith & Szymanski, 2013).

The Educator’s Role in Developing Critical Thinking Skills

            It is important for educators to understand that the role they play in developing critical thinking is different than the role they are typically playing.  In order to engage students in critical thinking, the educator needs to act as a facilitator to allow for discussion and encourage a freer thought process, as well as to encourage understanding that thinking critically does not always end with a right answer, but instead sometimes ends in more questions or differing evaluations of the topic (Halx & Reybold, 2005; Arend, 2009).  The educator’s role as facilitator also encourages a peer review process, even in the youngest of children, and helps students to learn appropriate responses to conflicting evaluations and opinions (Henderson-Hurley & Hurley, 2013; Tsai et al., 2013).  Activities such as writing essays and utilizing questions that adhere to Bloom’s Taxonomy higher order thinking are examples of ways to engage students in critical thinking in the classroom(Smith & Szymanski, 2013).  Another option for an activity that helps to enhance critical thinking is the use of wikis in education.  This activity can be utilized by having students create a wiki about the subject content they are studying or by having them analyze the information currently available in existing wikis (Snodgrass, 2011).  This utilization of wikis, a web 2.0 application, also appeals to education in that it enhances the student’s skills in technology, another vital skill for both higher education and the workplace.  It is suggested that this endeavor for more critical thinking is a holistic endeavor, which would require cooperation among different departments, divisions, and classes (Henderson-Hurley & Hurley 2013).  The development of critical thinking skills is not only applicable to core subjects such as reading, math, language arts, science, and social studies.  Kokkidou (2013) sets forth ways that critical thinking can be developed in music education by examining musical environment, comparing and contrasting different eras or pieces of music, and self-evaluation of performance. 

Results of Increased Critical Thinking

Working to increase critical thinking by students has shown some promising results for both students and educators.  Kokkidou (2013) documented increases in creativity, performance, and literacy within the confines of music, as well as an increased awareness of the musical environment in which students and educators live.  Her findings were that by challenging students to think critically, educators were finding themselves thinking more critically about their subject of expertise.  Arend’s (2009) findings were very supportive of the use of online discussion boards to develop and enhance critical thinking, as well as to enable students to have a better understanding of the initial information and content presented to them in class.  Tsai, Chen, Chang, & Chang (2013) found that enhancing the critical thinking among students in science classes helped the students better understand the scientific process as well as encouraging students to become more experimental and questioning of the different aspects of the sciences.  VanTassel-Baska, Bracken, Feng, & Brown (2009) reported findings of an increase in reading comprehension and reading assessment scores that bodes well for the use of the program in Title I Schools.  Choy and Cheah (2009) and Rowles, Morgan, Burns, and Merchant (2013) all found that while educators feel they are teaching critical thinking skills, their teaching can be enhanced by having a more standard definition of what critical thinking entails.  This definition would allow educators at all grade levels to enhance their current curriculum with activities and lessons that help to develop critical thinking among students and educators.  Henderson-Hurley & Hurley (2013) found that developing critical thinking among authoritarian students in an institution perceived to be very traditional faced challenges that were unseen in other institutions, but critical thinking could still be accomplished. 

Research Questions

There has been quite a bit of research done on critical thinking skills and their importance in education.  When looking at the research using critical thinking skills, the importance of critical thinking skills has been established, but there are still questions that need to be researched further. These questions include:

• What practices would enhance the ability of students to think critically about subject material?
• In what ways can critical thinking be developed across curriculum barriers?

Going Back To School

The public perception of a person's path through Toronto education has for the longest time been "one then done," with every student following the same basic route: High school, post-secondary, and then onto the workforce, without a glance back. The idea of continuing education, or further education later in life carries certain stigmas around it which should be dispelled. There are many benefits to pursuing education further down the road. It can enhance your life, it can forward your career, and it can be done on your terms, without disturbing the life you already lead. Let's take a closer look at these benefits:

1. The world is changing, and it pays to keep up
   Really, you should never stop learning. The world advances and evolves, and it can benefit you to stay current. More importantly, though, you may have to. As the times change, so does what you need to know to stay on the job. What you learned when you were in school may now be less relevant to your career, and keeping abreast of the technology and practices of your organization is a never-ending process.
   If you're in engineering, or machines, or computing, or anything else involving technology, it's particularly essential to learn about the latest developments, and the practices that go with them. After all, if there's one constant to technology, it's that it's always changing. The good news is that with continuing education, you'll never have to fulfill the stereotype of the old-timer that doesn't understand the gadgets that kids are using. It's entirely possible to stay on top of technology. Furthermore, there's a social good to be done. If you know best practices, you can contribute positively to society, particularly if you're in education or personal care. College education can ensure you're up to date with those best practices.
2. You can get a whole new career, or augment your existing one
   Even when it isn't essential, keeping up to date can get you noticed in your workplace. If you're any sort of professional, an educational certification specifically stating that you're knowledgeable about the latest standards and practices can provide true proof of that professionalism. You could see promotions, pay raises, or even brand new opportunities.
   Or maybe you're tired of your current job, and want to get into something you can be passionate about, or where there's more room for advancement. After all, industries like hospitality are rapidly growing, and you can use your education to specifically go where the jobs are.
   But this doesn't have to be about your job, or advancing your career, or even money. Maybe you're not interested in changing that. And that's fine, because…
3. It can be for your personal growth, too
   You don't have to be enrolled simply for the sake of your career. Maybe there's something you're passionate about that you want to learn more of, like how to fix your car, or dancing, or even another language. Or perhaps you want to keep your mind sharp, or get out and socialize with people that share your interests. Whether you're a beginner, or an expert looking to update their knowledge, there's room for every interest. And you can find room for it too, since…
4. You don't have to give up years of your life, or your job.
   A good college program will understand your needs: You need money to keep living, and cutting your job out to go back to school makes the financially-savvy side of you twitch a little bit. A good post-grad curriculum doesn't have to follow the traditional class structure. You could participate in single-day workshops, or weekly ones, or single specific classes. And those classes can be in the evening, or on weekends, perfect for your 9-5 workday. Aside from variable class times, there's even another option entirely…
5. You don't have to physically go back, either.
   It turns out you no longer need to literally go back to school to go back to school. Maybe it's the commute, or time, or the location, but if the idea of dragging yourself down to a classroom isn't appealing, there's distance learning, where you won't have to put your job or career or family or personal commitments on hold.
   With distance learning, you can keep working, and have an academic workload you can shift around as necessary. Online learning is led by a professional instructor, same as a class. You can access the online classroom 24-7, and access course materials and assignments when you have the time. There's even Correspondence or Print-based courses if you're taking it offline.
   Centennial College's School of Continuing Education can give you the chance to upgrade your job or life skills, with its selection of flexible, practical programs. Whether in the classroom or through distance learning, you'll be connected to professionals with real-world experience, ready to pass their benefits on to you. It's never to late to learn, and the school is flexible enough to teach you on your own terms. Have a look at its programs, and let them guide you through the next step of your lifelong learning experience.

the right BALANCE

I enjoyed school when I was growing up, but I always felt that more emphasis was given to academics, and I never got a chance to try my hand at acting or sports. Apart from one Physical Training class and one Value Education class we didn’t get to stay back after school to playing any games. After school, we had to rush straight for tuitions or home to study. If we didn’t get into any of the sports teams then we didn’t really get to play but had to sit on the side-lines and just watch. Sports day got over in October-November and after that we didn’t get to play any sports.Now that I am parent I was hoping that things had changed and children got to be involved in extracurricular activities. We put our children in a very good school in Mumbai and though they had sports and extra-curricular activities, only those students who were really talented were given a chance to represent the team. And since both my children were average in sports and had stage fright they didn’t participate in anything. I was disappointed but then they were good in academics so I was happy.We had to move to Bangalore in 2012 and I got a job in Electronic City. We were looking for schools in Bangalore when someone told us about Candor International that had just started the previous year. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to try out a new school but then I heard that commuting in Bangalore was such a big problem and I didn’t want my children spending so much time travelling up and down. Candor International School may have not been around too long but their campus was super impressive. They had so many outdoor and indoor sports facilities, music studios, big laboratories and libraries. When I spoke to the administrator and other teachers they told me that children were encouraged to take part in everything. If they liked acting, they could be part of the drama team. If they liked a particular sport but wasn’t good in that sport they would receive special training. Even if they didn’t make any team, they could still play sports after school and on Saturdays.