I recently had an opportunity to reflect upon our recent UNCF UNITE summit theme, Delivering on the Promise of Black Higher Education, and about what it means to me.

I think about my higher education experience. I attended a predominately White institution, and I wasnt prepared. I wasnt prepared to be there both mentally and academically, and I struggled. I struggled with finding my place and struggled with succeeding in my courses. When I finally got it together, I was accused of being the teachers pet and doing too much. There was no winning.

In my doctoral studies, I enrolled in a course that changed my life: The Praxis of Black Education taught by the preeminent scholar in Black Education, Dr. Joyce E. King.Dr. Valora Richardson

It was the first time I had ever taken a college course where the instructor was a Black woman, and all the students were Black women. In the course, we discussed the issues facing Black education and talked about how we were positioned to make a positive impact and to make sure that we were educated with the right mind as Carter G. Woodson and W.E.B. Du Bois observed, that would benefit the Black community.

The nurturing and guidance that I received in that course developed bonds that still continue to this day. The content of the course was incredible, but there we also established a village of support, empowerment and love. That, to me, is the promise of Black higher educationan historic tradition of academic and cultural excellence.

The trajectory of my education and occupation changed because of that one class. I set my aspirations based on a new-found commitment to use my knowledge and experience to have a lasting impact on my community and to find a place that would embrace my desire to do so. And I have found that place.

As the leader of Digital Solutions at the UNCF Institute for Capacity Building (ICB) charged with launching HBCUv, I now have the extraordinary opportunity to help ensure the success of future generations of Black students by implementing innovations, solutions and experiences that provide them with early access to educational epiphanies that confirm their racial identity and life vocation.

HBCUv is an innovative learning technology ecosystem that is nothing short of revolutionary. It will reimagine the legacy, community and culture of HBCUs into a virtual experience thats accessible, equitable and connected. To reach its full potential, we must honor our institutions students, faculty and staff as true partnersnot the consultants in the roombut as our community stakeholders. They are our inspiration. We insist on listening to them with open minds and hearts.

Weve already learned through a months-long process of co-creating this new learning online ecosystem that:

Students want to be engaged in the full college experience and learning processes based on their preferred learning styles. And they want to be inspired by real-world experiences. Were asking further: What does it mean to be a Black college student in America, especially in the virtual world? What does success mean to them, as a student and post-graduation? Our research revealed that 61% of students who work and/or volunteer find managing their time is easier since shifting to online learning.

Faculty want to be better prepared to engage and build trusting relationships with their students. They want to connect with peers across HBCUs in institutionalizing Black pedagogy to prepare our graduates for a world that doesnt always recognize and value our Black racial identities and heritage. We found that 51% of faculty are very or extremely interested in collaborating with other HBCU faculty to discuss evidence-based best practices.

Staff and administrators want the ability to see a holistic picture of students and foster student accountability, as well as open opportunities for community engagement and lifelong learning.

The entire HBCU community wants an environment where personal well-being is centered, prioritized and incorporated into the day-to-day experience.

HBCUv is our collective endeavor. It will be developed intentionally with the voices of our village. I am proud to lead HBCUv for two reasons: first, because it will be measured by its power to preserve and share Black joy, as my colleague Edward Smith-Lewis wrote about. Second, and more critically, I am proud to help shape a platform that will advance the principles of the Black higher education tradition to all parts of our education ecosystem.

I look forward to sharing more in the coming months as HBCUv is designed and comes to life.

Dr.Valora Richardson is director, Digital Solutions and Innovations, Institute for Capacity Building at the United Negro College Fund.

Read this article:
Our Village, Our Digital Innovation: HBCUv - Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

The Ohio State University is instituting a new educational requirement for all first-year and transfer undergraduate students targeting drug, tobacco and alcohol misuse.

The new online educational modules will cover alcohol and other drug misuse prevention, mental wellness and prescription drug abuse. The program will be used on all Ohio State campuses and begin this fall.

This initiative centers the health, safety and wellbeing of every Buckeye, said Senior Vice President for Student Life Melissa Shivers. We have historically communicated and provided a wide variety of education and prevention information and we continue to identify ways to improve programming to best reach all of our students. Education is critical to creating a community of informed, responsible Buckeyes.

Students will access the modules through BuckeyeLearn. Incoming students must complete the educational modules to register for classes next spring or fall semester.

Local and national data demonstrate the growing need for education around alcohol, tobacco and other drug misuse, especially in light of increasing overdose deaths due to alcohol and other drugs, said Shawnt Elbert, associate vice president for health and well-being, Office of Student Life. These educational modules are a best-in-class opportunity to help prepare our students for a safe and healthy Buckeye experience.

Vector Solutions, the provider of the modules, works with 2,200 colleges and universities. The company provides evidence-based education used by millions of students at institutions across the U.S.

The new modules help educate students about a growing problem facing campuses across the country: Nationally, from 2019 to 2021, deaths from synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, doubled. In Ohio, as of January 2021, incidents of opioid overdose were at the highest rate in 10 years.

According to the 2022 National College Health Assessment:

These modules will be an additional requirement to those related to sexual misconduct and hazing, and part of a strong portfolio that builds on Ohio States commitment to the health, wellness and safety of the campus community, Shivers said.

While the modules are required for first-year and transfer undergraduate students, Ohio State is making the program available to and will actively encourage completion by any student who wants to take part by summer 2023.

More:
New student education program supports drug and alcohol abuse prevention - The Ohio State University News

Opinion: Here's what removing obstacles for new providers to install their fiber optic network facilities in Mesa will mean for residents.

John Giles| Opinion contributor

In todays digitally connected world, access to high-speed internet is not a luxury its an essential utility, just like water or electricity. No one can afford to be disconnected.

Broadband is vital to fully accessing online education, leveling the playing field for economic opportunity, enhancing telemedicine, making e-commerce possible and connecting residents and businesses with family, friends, customers and more.

We need to break down the 21stcentury divide that separates those with high-speed internet from those without. Put simply, someones zip code should not be the determining factor of whether a person gets to access the benefits of modern society.

Thats why I am proud that Mesa is embarking on a massive effort to accelerate the availability of fiber optic internet to every premise in the city. Mesa City Council took a landmark vote to open the marketplace to more providers, moving us closer to the goal of affordable, reliable high-speed internet to every home and business.

The City Council unanimously approved license agreements with Google Fiber, SiFi, Ubiquity and Wyyerd, effectively removing obstacles for new providers to install their fiber optic network facilities within the city's rights of way.

In addition to fast-tracking the availability of fiber in Mesa, this will create more possibilities to bridge the digital divide for those who currently fall in the gap through more competitive pricing, programs and partnerships. And its worth noting that we are doing this at zero cost to the city or its taxpayers.

MESA DEVELOPMENT: Developers have a plan to revamp infamous city eyesore. Will it work?

Mesas approach could emerge as the model for other cities across the U.S.

It has long been a priority of mine and my colleagues to bring additional network connectivity to everyone in Mesa, especially since the pandemic heightened the need for fast, reliable and affordable internet service.

This will be a game changer for our city, one that will catalyze economic growth and improve the lives of residents. In short, we are future-proofing our city for at least the next decade. And fiber optics is the gold standard for high-speed internet, as my colleague, Councilman David Luna, said.

During the height of the pandemic, when schools and other services closed, I was proud that Mesa led the effort to quickly fund and distribute 9,500 computers for students and 7,000 internet plans for households in the city.

But I learned a valuable lesson: just because you give a kid a laptop, it doesnt mean theyll have the ability togo online and join their classmates virtually. I saw this firsthand at an elementary school event in which hundreds of families lined up to pick up thick-paper homework packets because their children didnt have any way of submitting their assignments online.

The reality is, bridging the digital divide is more complicated than just handing somebody a device. In addition to the partnerships with private companies for fiber installation, the city of Mesa is upgrading its Wi-Fi networks through the Smart Cities program.

Free Wi-Fi in downtown, parks, pools and libraries is being upgraded to Wi-Fi 6, 21 cellular radio towers are being installed in west Mesa near underserved neighborhoods in a partnership with Mesa Public Schools and a Citizen Broadband Radio System is being tested.

Im proud that Mesa is leading on this issue. Reliable connectivity is essential, and fiber is the future.

John Giles is mayor of Mesa. On Twitter: @MayorGiles.

Originally posted here:
Deal with providers paves way to fast-speed internet for all in Mesa - The Arizona Republic

The 2021-2022 academic year continued the drive for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) efforts at Illinois State University.

Equity work is not the role of the few, but the responsibility of the many, said Interim Assistant to the President for Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Doris Houston. Grassroots efforts joined with administrative initiatives to reflect and shape the Universitys core value of diversity and inclusion.

Here are some highlights:

A new statement: EDI ISU

EDI is you. It is a simple, but powerful, message. One that is encapsulated in a new wordmarkor a logo created mainly from textfor Illinois States commitment to equity work. The EDI ISU wordmark was conceived by Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer Dakesa Pia from the College of Education, and designed with intentionality of font and style by University Marketing and Communications graphic designer Lawrence Lair. Learn more about the development of the wordmark.

Fulfilling commitments

This year saw further continuation of the work to bring to life the visions and suggestions from the latest Campus Climate Task Force, which wrapped in 2017.

Multicultural Center After more than a decade of discussions and five years of planning, the Multicultural Center opened on October 15 with a ribbon cutting and dedication. Students joined University and community leaders at the center, which provides an affirming environment where students can flourish in their intersecting identities. Read more.

Faculty Diversity Enhancement Program (FDEP) In the ongoing effort to recruit and retain outstanding new faculty who promote equity, diversity, and inclusion at the University, Vice President and Provost Aondover Tarhule announced the launch of the Faculty Diversity Enhancement Program. The $4.5 million program will advance teaching, scholarly, and creative efforts of new faculty who promote EDI through their research, teaching, service, and mentoring. Read more.

Search Advocate Program As part of efforts to recognize and interrupt unconscious bias throughout the search process, Human Resources began training sessions for the Search Advocate Program. Read more.

College of Engineering The Illinois Board of Higher Education approved a new College of Engineering at Illinois State, with the institution centering equity in every stage of development. Read more.

EDI Leaders Circle

The EDI Leaders Circle represents nearly 40 councils, committees, and areas across campus dedicated to advancing EDI at the University. Members gathered for an EDI Leaders Circle Symposium in February to exchange ideas and explore equity Pillars of Progress, designed by Houston. This symposium was a chance for advocate-leaders to continue to forge pathways toward a foundation for equity at Illinois State, she said. Read more.

Leading the way

Low vision and blindness Consistently ranked as one of the top programs in the state and in the country, the Department of Special Education offers one of 33 low vision and blindness programs in the country and one of only eight for undergraduates. Read more.

Illinois Tutoring Initiative Illinois State is coordinating the Illinois Tutoring Initiative in partnership with the Governors Office, the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois Board of Higher Education, and the Illinois Community College Board. The program will provide tutoring for approximately 8,500 Illinois students during the two-year period. Read more.

Hope Chicago Illinois State University announced an agreement with Hope Chicago, opening the door for Chicago Public School (CPS) students and their parents to pursue debt-free higher education. Hope Scholars who are accepted into Illinois State will receive full tuition, fees, room, and board. Hope Parent Scholars have the option to apply and attend the following year, with full tuition, fees, and a stipend for living expenses. Read more.

Giving voice

Collective grief As the campus grappled with the feelings of fear and loss in the wake of student Jelani Days disappearance and death, the Multicultural Center and Student Counseling Services provided support and spaces to grieve, including a memorial service. Read more.

Listening Circles Listening circles provided a brave space for members of the University to express emotions such as fear, confusion, and frustration. Circles this year included topics such as Transgender Awareness Week and the overturning of Roe v Wade. The National Center for Urban Education at Illinois State offers more about listening circles.

Tapis Talk A new podcast launched by Assistant Professor of Race, Visual, and African American Rhetoric Byron Craig, called Tapis Talk, explores issues surrounding equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) at Illinois State. Read more.

First-Generation Triumph Podcast Elevating the voices of first-generation students and their lived experiences is the goal of the First-Generation Triumph Podcast, which launched in September. Read more.

Deliberative Dialogues The new program Deliberative Dialogues seeks to depolarize opinions and connect students with training in constructive dialogues. Read more.

Amplifiers The fall began with instructors having greater access to personal voice amplifiers, which not only assisted low-hearing students, but also faculty who preferred to wear masks. Read more.

Celebrations and anniversaries

Strand Award Mayuko Nakamura was honored with the 2022 David A. Strand Diversity Achievement Award, in part for her work with the Presidents Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council, AsiaConnect affinity group, Campus Climate Task Force, Office of the Provosts Inclusive Leadership Initiative planning committee, and the Multi-Ethnic Cultural and Co-Curricular Advisory Committee. Read more.

Title IX The University hosted a year-long celebration of the landmark statute Title IX.

WGSS Womens, Gender, and Sexuality Studies celebrated 25 years of the annual research symposium. Read more.

Crossroads Project The Crossroads Project selected Tidtaya Sinutokes play Dear Mr. C as the winner of the 2022 Diverse Voices Playwriting Initiative, a play development program for BIPOC playwrights organized by the Illinois State University School of Theatre and Dance. The production was staged in April.

Lincoln Laureate Luke Madden was named one of the years outstanding college students by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, in part for his work with the STEM Alliance.

New roles and new faces

Illinois State welcomed new faces and new roles to administrative positions at Illinois State. Clockwise from top left, Dr. Deneca Winfrey Avant joined the Office of the Provost as the interim assistant vice president for faculty development, diversity, and learning. Chrishaya Dixon was hired as Athletics first assistant athletics director for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Dr. Roopa Rawjee was named executive director of the Office of International Engagement. Dr. Anthony Jones was named director of the Laboratory Schools. Dr. Anthony Pia was selected as the director of online education and chief online learning officer for the Center for Integrated Professional Development.Tamekia Bailey was named director for CAST Connections, the Colleges new student-level success center. Dr. Francis Ebenezer Godwyll was appointed as dean of the College of Education.

Opportunities and development

Opportunities, workshops, and training thrived across campus as individuals, departments, and divisions made their way further along equity journeys.

The Division of Student Affairs led the way, providing more than 200 professional development opportunities throughout the academic year to students, staff, and faculty.The Office of the Provosts GROWTH program continued across campus, with a focus on collaboration and assessment.Under the guidance of the College of Education, the University offered restorative justice workshops to campus.Human Resources is now partnering with with LinkedIn Learning, a digital library of more than 16,000 courses, covering a wide range of topics that encompass equity and inclusion, technical aptitude and application, leadership, mindfulness, and more.

More EDI insights from 2021-2022

Items in the story were taken from features in the bi-weekly newsletter Identity, and the weekly newsletter Report.

Read more:
EDI Year in Review: 2021-2022 - News - Illinois State - Illinois State University News

India's early learning ed-tech platform for kids between 3-10 years of age, Creative Galileo, raised $7.5 million in a Series A funding round on Thursday.

"We want to enable bespoke learning for children across the globe through their favourite characters to strengthen their foundation during their early years, which will also help develop and strengthen critical thinking, confidence, cognitive skills, and emotional intelligence," Prerna A Jhunjhunwala, Founder, Creative Galileo, said.

The money has been raised from Kalaari Capital, Affirma Capital, East Ventures, Valiant Employee Investment Fund, and angel investors.

"We are excited to strengthen our partnership with Prerna and Nikhil as they continue their journey of transforming learning experiences for children across the globe," said Vani Kola, Managing Director, Kalaari Capital.

The latest round brings Creative Galileo's total funding to $10 million, including a pre-series A round of $ 2.5 million announced in October 2021.

As education shifted online, the edtech sector in India has boomed since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Between September 2020 to June 2022, six unicorns have emerged in the industry, namely, Unacademy, Eruditus, UpGrad, Vedantu, Lead School and PhysicsWallah, according to Inc42.

Byju's, the sponsor of FIFA World Cup 2022, scheduled to take place in Qatar this year, was the first edtech company to become a unicorn in March 2018.

Creative Galileo plans to use the newly infused funds to scale up, accelerate hiring across the teams in multiple geographies, introduce regional languages and further strengthen the research and development of the platform.

It offers a curriculum for children, including narration, games, interactive learning journeys, and detailed parent updates.

The company was founded in July 2020 by Prerna A Jhunjhunwala and co-founded by Nikhil Naik.

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Originally posted here:
Edtech startup Creative Galileo raises $7.5 million in Series A funding - Business Standard

Online education has become a reality. Online classes are taught on a variety of platforms by educators all around the world. Currently, teachers are perplexed about which online education platform is the finest, and this uncertainty extends to students as well.

Disconnected and difficult-to-use systems frustrate a large number of educators. Teacher expansion is hampered by the difficulty of these platforms. Furthermore, some of these online education sites charge astronomical fees. The demand for a platform that is holistic, simple, and secure is greater than ever before.

What youll learn about online teaching platforms in this blog will be useful to you as a teacher. Here is a list of features you should search for in online teaching platforms if you are having trouble with it. Before we get into the specifics, here are some of the reasons why its so critical to pick the correct online teaching platform

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Teachers frequently wonder how to pick the best online teaching platform. There are numerous considerations to be made. The platform must be easy to use and comfortable for you. In this article, well go over some of the qualities to look for in an online platform:

1. Affordability

When it comes to online education, there are a lot of platforms that offer a plethora of capabilities, but when you actually use them, they are prohibitively pricey. There are a number of factors to consider while deciding on an online teaching platform, including cost and LMS features. With built-in LMS (Learning Management System) features and capabilities, Teaching is an online teaching app that is free. In the long term, it is important to choose a platform that will benefit you.

Only when there is a two-way exchange can learning be effective. Teaching loses its purpose when teachers do not ask their pupils if they have any questions or concerns. No matter how amazing the explanation or animation is, there must be two-way student-teacher interaction to ensure that the concepts are transmitted in the best possible way.

Many video conferencing and e-learning services zoom in on the privacy of users. You need to be sure that the online teaching platform you choose is safe before you can use it. Students phone numbers must be protected, and other students must not misuse the phone numbers that are available to them. There are several factors to consider when it comes to security.

Its possible that not all professors are up to date on the latest technology. Even if youre not tech-savvy, your ability to instruct students shouldnt be affected. Select an app for online education that is simple to use and understand. There are some platforms that are really tough to use and understand. Such platforms should be avoided at all costs.

It takes a long time to record peoples attendance. When it comes to online classes, this is even more true. Loopholes can be found by students, who can then claim to be present when they werent. Automated attendance features in an online teaching app can help avoid confusion and complications.

Students need to be able to share assignments, notes, and other resources in order to stay motivated and receive an excellent education. To educate online, there are a variety of tools and platforms that teachers employ. One site for assignments, another for testing, and a few others for sharing study material. Select a platform that allows you to perform all of your tasks from a single location. Sharing content is a breeze with Teachmint since its quick, easy, and only a click away.

The greatest online teaching software combines all of your classroom tools into one location. Timetables and schedules for classes as well as study materials, the number of students who have signed up, their attendance records, and so on. Make sure to take in mind the ease of administration while selecting the best online teaching platform.

The digital divide in India is particularly pronounced, therefore its critical to pick a platform that doesnt use a lot of data and GB. In spite of the fact that Teachmint provides excellent video conferencing and two-way interaction, it uses a minimal amount of internet bandwidth, saving you money.

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It is possible to use a wide range of online and mobile teaching technologies to make classes more interesting and participatory. In one of our previous posts, we went into great detail about how to apply to be a teacher. You can read that blog here.

In the event that you are looking for an online teaching platform that includes all of the above-mentioned characteristics and more, then Teaching is the answer. There is no better solution for instructors and tutors than Teaching.

Because of this, several educational institutions and private instructors around the country are now offering classes via the internet. Online schooling has never been easier or more convenient thanks to this free software.

Check Here for More Updates:BulletinXP

Original post:
Teachmint Login: How To Sign Up And Log In To Teachmint? An Online Teaching Platform! - bulletinxp

Something remarkable is happening with online learning. Lets call it ed techs second wave.

Its been said that necessity is the mother of invention. And wowthere has been a lot of necessity over the past two yearsand a lot of invention. For business leaders and companies, the massive social experiment that required shifting from in-person to online environments has reshaped how we think and design learning at work. We were already in an upskilling imperative, faced with ever-increasing demands on skill development and hiring challenges. The pandemic managed to accelerate those demands.

The first wave of ed tech started about 15 years ago with game-changing companies like Khan Academy, Udemy, Pluralsight, and Coursera. By making great educational content available as widely as possible, these online services worked to democratize learning. As an ed tech leader and an instructor to more than 200,000 online learners, Ive seen how transformational this educational revolution has been. Millions of people have access to life-changing learningdelivered straight to their computers and mobile devices.

Following the ed tech revolution, were seeing an exciting and necessary evolutionone to address the elephant in the online classroom. The reality is that online learning engagement and completion rates are famously low. Learning leaders struggle to boost engagement, even when learners have access to content on nearly every skill imaginable. Not enough people are making the progress they want with online education.

What is standing in the way? I see three core reasons: accountability, effectiveness, and connection. Without accountability to a schedule and other learners, people dont always have a reason to finish a course or even get started. Whats more, passiveinstead of activelearning is less effective. (You dont learn to ride a bike by watching someone ride a bike.) Finally, being connected with a teacher and peers makes all the difference in learning and retaining material, especially in remote and hybrid environments.

This second wave takes advantage of the science behind how adults actually learn with modern conveniences we all expect in a world of instant gratification. Simply put, this evolution of traditional online learning builds on the benefits of asynchronous learning (taking a class on your schedule and where you happen to be at a given moment) and dramatically amps up accountability and effectiveness by layering on a cohort experience (a group of students who support and strengthen what youre learning).

Early in the pandemic, a common joke was how wed never be able to tell ourselves we would be more productive if we only had the time. The truth is, a goal without a plan is just a wish. And learners without a plan are most likely a little lost.

When you put learners in a group together and give them a plan, you amplify their learning ability. The opportunity to learn from one another and see others progress offers a sense of belonging in a dynamic group, which bolsters motivation.

After all, you arent working in a vacuum or an echo chamberneither of which are effective learning environments. An ideal program plan has elements of choice: You can choose when to work through curated content but within a set time frame. You are given milestones and deadlines to complete at your convenience. By having a schedule where you must learn the material and finish the course, students complete the work. Whats more, working in a group of learners makes you feel beholden to them and your instructor.

When I think of online education as a whole, too many people and products focus on What is the knowledge I need to share with people? instead of What do I need to do so that learners will learn? Its like handing learners a book and saying, Great, I did my part, instead of designing an experience that ensures learners will not only learn the material, but are energized and excited to learn it (which leads to greater retention).

Learning is a verband we have to rethink how we design effective learning experiences. At my company, we design eight-week learning journey programs that combine independent learning with live workshops. We connect learners with experts and practitioners. Plus, we provide opportunities for learners to collaborate and hone their skills with lab practice settings and business-relevant projects.

These kinds of active and social offerings motivate students. Compare this with someone staring at their screen for hours, simply listening without practicing or receiving feedback on their progress. Which do you think achieves better learning outcomes?

Alongside innovation in workplace learning, weve seen previously unimaginable shifts in where employees work. Many employees have spent the last two years at homeand they dont want to go back to their offices. This physical isolation presents unique challenges for companies during a time when retention is difficult and resignations are climbing. Employees who have connections at work are significantly more likely to have job satisfaction, higher performance, and longer tenure.

Online learning builds connectiona commodity we crave in todays isolated world. Cohort-based education can provide a way out of this solitary confinement, offering many of the best qualities of in-person instruction. When implemented correctly, learners can meet with instructors for one-on-one meetings, have break-out sessions with fellow students, or participate in full-class interactions with the teacher and students.

I like to think of cohort-based learning as the modern water cooler where you meet your colleagues and build relationships along with learning new skills.When implemented well, this new wave of online learning, based on how people really learn, works because you are inspired and pushed to a new level by other learners. Or, as the ed tech evangelist Steven Anderson puts it, Alone we are smart but together we are brilliant.

Shelley Osborne is an ed tech and learning expert and the Head of Learning atModal

See the original post here:
Why learning together is the future of online education - Fast Company

I remember a very painful series of meetings a few years ago as a member of my university's innovation council when online courseware was all the rage. Traditional university presidents and provosts were being regularly assaulted by teams of young techies explaining that they urgently needed to get their faculty to put basic courses online using that particular vendors' tools and technology.

The techies impolitely suggested that the schools' current digital efforts would have been absolutely fine 10 years ago,but they now needed to move forward -- before it was too late -- to enhance and expand their offerings. The Covid-19 pandemic is just the latest reminder that the entire educational system in this country, from grade school to graduate school, is a continual proof case of "too little, too late" as we continue to fail our kids and forfeit their futures.

Too late, in the university context of the past decade, means a variety of things to the different audiences to whom this serious warning was addressed, but among the main expressed concerns were the risks that: a) better and readily accessible online course content might rapidly become available from other, more prestigious institutions, often at little or no cost to the students; and b) that most of these universities did not have the time, resources, or staff to create their own content delivery systems with the bells and whistles that were going to be increasingly required to meet emerging production standards, quality levels, and best practices. Blackboard, among other antiquated programs, was basically yesterday's black hole, which too many schools kept pouring time and money into with little or no benefit or return.

And even under the best of circumstances, the prospect of a single school spending scarce resources to basically reinvent the wheel when startups had already spent millions to build systems that were being quickly adopted across the country made very little sense to the colleges' administrators and financial officers. And, to their credit, the best of the startups offered an even more compelling argument. They would develop, record, and onboard the course material at their own expense in exchange for a multiyear commitment from each school to share its online tuition revenues.

So, over a relatively short period of time, especially given the glacial pace of innovation in higher ed, the transition work began, and more universities aligned with online curriculum providers although -- interestingly enough -- far more of the impetus for the changes came from the administrative side of the house than from the academic. This is in large part because the financial benefits that drove much of the entire movement accrued almost exclusively to the schools rather than to their faculties who -- as a further insult -- were regularly reminded that the incremental revenue generated by the new digital initiatives helped to pay for some portion of their own compensation and secured their jobs.

The indignities didn't stop there. The ultimate blows came when the online providers sent their employees (typically the age of graduate students or younger) to help "convert" the content of the faculty members into the instructional formats and bite-size buckets better suited to the new delivery formats. Imagine, if you will, any professor from your past being told by some young, officious techie that his or her decades of training and teaching were about to be reimagined and transformed by the alchemy of the digital age into glitzy and compelling content sure to hold students' attention and, at a minimum, entertain them if not educate them. This wasn't any old shovel ware or simple standup video lectures -- it was definitely new age. And it was Marshall McLuhan's dictum come to life: "Anyone who tries to make a distinction between education and entertainment doesn't know the first thing about either."

But the truth is there is simply no compression algorithm for education or experience. As the utterly bereft efforts at online education during the pandemic convincingly demonstrated to millions of students and parents, effective education is still delivered from one person who connects -- personally and emotionally -- to another. Teachers don't teach content or courses; they teach students. It's an alchemic process for sure, but not one that even the best technology can put into a box and deliver convincingly at scale regardless of the skills of anyone involved in the process. We might appreciate our smartest teachers, but we're most grateful for the ones we believe care honestly and deeply about us and about preparing us for an uncertain and challenging future.

The fundamental flaw in online education today -- now glaringly apparent to parents and even politicians -- is the failure to appreciate and understand that education is something that is done to you; learning is (and must be) something you commit to and do for yourself. Engaging the curiosity of our kids is absolutely crucial -- schools can't be dream-snuffers. Teaching isn't about instruction; it's about creating interest, engagement, and excitement about learning. It's not about filling an empty vessel with knowledge; it's about igniting a passionate desire to learn.

Even more to the point, it's difficult to scale true learning without some new and far more interactive tools that provide personalized and immediate feedback because ultimately, it's not about teaching anyone to memorize facts, but rather about leading them to think about the facts, understand the context and issues they represent, and then to think about how to address and solve the problems they pose. And ultimately to synthesize those arguments, thoughts, and conclusions and present them convincingly to others. This is the only chance we have to return to a time when the prime focus of education was to make better and more informed citizens, rather than competent factory workers and grossly indebted college graduates.

The best technology will never replace great educators; ideally, tech will empower, extend, augment, and enhance their skills while relieving them of the enormous burdens of paperwork that they currently bear. If we don't immediately employ effective classroom and administrative technologies to support and relieve some ofthe daily stress and strain on our best and most conscientious teachers, they won't stick around, and we'll be left with a combination of the oldest and least effective teachers and a mass of inexperienced and inadequately trained newbies.

In 2021, nearly one million people quit jobs in public education, a 40 percent increase over the previous year. Following the pandemic, it's estimated that one in three teachers in the U.S. is thinking of leaving their position. We waste so much of our teachers' time tracking, documenting and keeping score that we lose sight of something critical that every entrepreneur and game developer can tell you. We learn much more from trial and error -- even from failures -- than we ever do from our successes. Happy endings areinstructive only in the movies, and even then, the messaging is mixed at best.

We've got to do a great deal of work going forward to figure out how to properly (and efficiently) measure not what students are taught, but what they're actually learning and whether we're providing them with the practical education and the tools they will need to succeed not just in school, but in life. If the pandemic taught us anything about online teaching, it was that after all these years of trying, we still haven't learned a thing.

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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You Can Put College Courses Online, But You Can't Get an Education There - Inc.

A study by the University of Macau (UM) showed that the number of negative opinions towards online teaching expressed by Weibo users the Chinese social network equivalent to Twitter rose from 4.6 per cent before the pandemic to 51.6 per cent.

The percentage of Weibo users with neutral opinions about online teaching dropped to 33.04 per cent while negative opinions increased to 51.6 per cent, during the pandemic and with different outbreaks, according to the Study Monitoring of the Public Opinion on Online Teaching during Covid-19 in China.

The publics perceptions of online teaching were, before the pandemic, mostly neutral (79 per cent) and only 4.6 had a negative perception, the study pointed out.

In the event of an outbreak of covid-19, with measures of confinement and suspension of face-to-face classes, adopted in China, the number of topics on the Chinese social network reflected widespread concern about schools, teachers, students and curricula.

For example, the main topic in that [outbreak] period included terms like prevention and control, pandemic and China, reflecting a close relationship between online teaching and the external environment. The second topic was more related to online teaching users, teachers and students, indicated the research.

Thirdly, the most common topic was related to personal disposition and growth, while in fourth there were school-related issues such as homework, course, among others, he added.

On the other hand, in outbreaks, the negative opinion of women about online education increased from 5.5 per cent to 19.1 per cent and the situation did not go down much beyond the situation (16.2 per cent).

Comparatively, men seemed to maintain a positive view of online teaching, regardless of the stages. Women with a negative view of online teaching during an outbreak was nearly twice as high as men, the study described.

The director of the UM Education Research Center, Zhou Mingming, told Lusa that students of all levels of education in Macau use the teaching platform recommended by schools without difficulty and most are able to participate in virtual classes.

However, parents are concerned about issues such as childrens self-regulation and whether virtual classes will be as effective as face-to-face learning. Some parents are required to supervise virtual classes and homework, she added.

Due to the outbreaks of covid-19, online education has increased in China, which has 176 million students, up to the age of 18, leading to a development of tools for virtual teaching, with the Internet registering about 800 million Chinese users, according to the study.

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Macau study shows rise in negative opinions towards online teaching - Macau Business

Vermont Business Magazine The Center for Financial Literacy at Champlain College, in partnership with the Vermont State Board of Education, is offering a free online, on-demand conference on teaching personal finance that will begin on March 28, but will be accessible asynchronously through April 30.

The conference was originally offered last spring, when more than 500 registered for the event. Many educators indicated that due to pandemic related reasons they were unable to take this free training and asked that if be offered on more time. The economic sponsor of that 2021 event, Northfield Savings Bank Foundation, has provided funding to our Center so that we can offer this event one more time.

The event was designed primarily for Vermont K-12 educators. Again this year, the online, on-demand conference is also open to state adult educators, prison educators, social workers, and representatives from community action agencies and restorativejustice programs in Vermont.

John Pelletier, director of the Center for Financial Literacy, says the conference is designed to improve the financial literacy of 80,000 K-12 public education students by giving Vermonts 8,000 educators access to the tools, resources and training they need to successfully integrate new personal finance education standards into their classrooms.

Pelletier says Jump$tarts National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance were approved in 2018 by the Vermont State Board of Education. He says Vermont educators can earn up to 7 hours of professional development training over the 90-day period of the conference.

During the conference, which features nationally known experts, participants will learn how to implement the standards, which enable the teaching of personal finance in an interdisciplinary or standalone manner.

There will be educational tracks for elementary, middle and high school teachers.

Pelletier says Vermont and other states have embraced the JumpStart standards because they are more rigorous and comprehensive than most state standards. Experts agree that free, interdisciplinary personal finance standards are the most effective.

Participants will also see that these standards are flexible, so that educators can develop appropriate and relevant content that aligns with the standards in content areas like mathematics, language arts, social studies, family and consumer sciences and business. This type of programming is also used by many special educator in the state with their students, says Pelletier.

This event is being funded as part of a $200,000 grant from Northfield Savings Bank Foundation, $45,000 from the National Life Group Foundation and $16,000 from Next Gen Personal Finance.

Champlain Colleges Center for Financial Literacy, the Vermont Agency of Education and 16 state educators created the materials for the conference and enlisted the speakers.

About Northfield Savings Bank Foundation

The Northfield Savings Bank Foundation (NSBF) was established in 2000 through Northfield Savings Bank (NSB) as part of NSBs long-standing commitment to donate 10 percent of its yearly earnings to the local community. The Foundation supports Vermont-based efforts focused around improving residents well-being and self-sufficiency in areas such as financial literacy, education and at-risk youth. When considering an area of need or partnership, NSBF is deliberate, focused and thorough in its assessment to ensure significant results can be achieved given the amount of time and money to be invested.www.nsbvt.com

About Next Gen Personal Finance

Founded in 2014,Next Gen Personal Finance(NGPF) is the leader in the K-12 personal finance space with more than 60,000 middle and high school teachers who rely on NGPFs engaging, hands-on personal finance curriculum and professional development workshops.NGPFs mission is to ensure that, by 2030, all students cross their high school graduation stage having taken a personal finance class. NGPF creates no-cost middle and high school curricula, offers no-cost teacher professional development workshops, and leads advocacy efforts to increase student access to personal finance education. Next Gen Personal Finance is based out of Palo Alto, California.

About the Center for Financial Literacy

Established in 2010, Champlain Colleges Center for Financial Literacy is committed to improving the personal finance knowledge of our nations K12 and college students, teachers, and adults. The Center supports this mission with advocacy, published research reports that are used by state and local policymakers, K-12 educator training programs, and providing training and tools for educators and college students. Champlain College is one of the few colleges that requires undergraduates to take personal finance training. The Center is nationally recognized for its work: by the White House in a 2012 report Every American Financially Empowered for its unique graduate-level training program for high school educators (subject to a National Endowment for Financial Education study and Center study) and its college undergraduate training programs; by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in reports for state and local policymakers (see 2015 Report and 2017 Report); and by the press for its Adult and High School Report Cards on Financial Literacy. The Centers founding Director, John Pelletier, was formerly chief operating officer and chief legal officer at some of the largest asset management firms in the United States. John was appointed by the governor to co-chair the Vermont Financial Literacy Commission alongside the Vermont State Treasurer. For more information visit the Centers website: http://www.champlain.edu/cfl.

About Champlain College

Champlain College has provided a radically pragmatic education since 1878. It is a small institution with big ideas, and supports innovation, social equity, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Champlain's multidimensional approach pairs in-depth career learning with a renowned Core curriculum and built-in financial literacy and career positioning programproviding a comprehensive educational experience unmatched in higher education. Graduates enjoy uncommon early career success: Over the last six years, 93% of graduates were employed or continuing their education within six months after graduating. All this is achieved through Champlains upside-down curriculum, faculty with industry experience and students who learn by doing.

To Register, clickhere.

Contact: John Pelletier atjpelletier@champlain.edu

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Free Online conference on personal finance being offered again to Vermont teachers - Vermont Biz