AT&T Announces Expansion of Education Commitment and Increase of Indiana Grad Rate
Posted: March 20, 2012 at 2:33 pm
INDIANAPOLIS, March 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --As access to skilled workers becomes increasingly vital to the U.S. economy, AT&T is launching a quarter-billion-dollar campaign to help more students graduate from high school ready for careers and college, and to ensure the country is better prepared to meet global competition.
According to a March 19, 2012 report by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America's Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education, Indiana has seen a 2.1 percentage increase in 2009 graduation rates, compared with data from 2002.
AT&T Aspire, already among the most significant U.S. corporate educational initiatives with more than $100 million invested since 2008, will tackle high school success and college/career readiness for students at-risk of dropping out of high school through a much larger, "socially innovative" approach. Social innovation goes beyond traditional philanthropy which typically involves only charitable giving to also engage people and technology to bring different approaches, new solutions and added resources to challenging social problems. The Aspire effort already has impacted more than one million U.S. high school students, helping them prepare for success in the workplace and college.
The greatly expanded effort centers on a new, $250 million financial commitment planned over 5 years. AT&T Aspire will build on that commitment by using technology to connect with students in new and more effective ways, such as with interactive gamification, Web-based content and social media. The company will also tap the innovation engine of the AT&T Foundry to look for fresh or atypical approaches to educational obstacles. Finally, AT&T Aspire will capitalize on the power of personal connections in the form of mentoring, internships and other voluntary efforts that involve many of AT&T's approximately 260,000 employees.
"AT&T Aspire works toward an America where every student graduates high school equipped with the knowledge and skills to strengthen the nation's workforce," AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson said while announcing the extended commitment during a keynote address at the second annual Building a Grad Nation Summit. The Washington, D.C., event convened by America's Promise Alliance (http://www.americaspromise.org/), Civic Enterprises (http://www.civicenterprises.net/home.html), The Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University (www.every1graduates.org/), and the Alliance for Excellent Education (http://www.all4ed.org/) brings together nearly 1,200 U.S. leaders to discuss progress and challenges in ending the high school dropout crisis.
"Research is clear that the number one strategy to increase a student's ability to graduate high school on time is to make sure they are on track at the end of their freshman year," said Dr. Jeff Butts, superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township Schools, a previous Aspire recipient, today at an announcement event. "The AT&T Learning Lab at the Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center, funded by an Aspire grant, has made a huge impact on the academic success of our students. Students who fall behind, as a result of failing a class, have an immediate opportunity to retake a course online, demonstrate proficiency, and remain on-track to graduate by recovering the credit. As a result of the interventions provided at the Ben Davis Ninth Grade Center, such as the AT&T Learning Lab, the Wayne Township graduation rate has improved over 20% from 65% to the current 86.4% in just the past 6 years."
Lacking a high school degree is a serious issue in the United States, where one in four students more than 1 million each year drops out, according to a March 19, 2012, report by Civic Enterprises, the Everyone Graduates Center, America's Promise Alliance and the Alliance for Excellent Education. AT&T is the lead sponsor of this report. Education experts believe that the lack of a high school degree significantly worsens job prospects in a rapidly changing, increasingly sophisticated job market.
And, if dropouts find jobs, they earn less. On average, a high school dropout earns 25 percent less during the course of his or her lifetime compared with a high school graduate and 57 percent less than a college graduate with a bachelor's degree.[1]
"It will take all of us working together and supporting the efforts of the education community to continue to improve graduation rates and preparedness for careers and college," said AT&T Indiana President George S. Fleetwood. "American business has an enormous stake in the success of our students. It's time to commit more innovation and resources to the task."
The situation poses a serious risk to American competitiveness as corporations struggle to find talent, especially in the math and sciences fields. The dropout rate, along with inadequate training and education, is keeping many high-paying Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) jobs from being filled. And the situation is expected to worsen as STEM jobs grow a projected 17 percent by 2018. Workers in these positions typically earn 26 percent more than those in non-STEM positions.[2]
Visit link:
AT&T Announces Expansion of Education Commitment and Increase of Indiana Grad Rate
M.Ed. Special Education Degree at SNHU Offers Flexibility of Online and On-Campus Courses
Posted: at 2:33 pm
Manchester, NH (PRWEB) March 20, 2012
With the earlier diagnosis of learning disabilities in young children, the number of special education students has risen in recent years. This increase has stepped up the need for more educators certified in Special Education. Southern New Hampshire University is making it easier for educators to earn this certification with the option of taking all classes online as they work toward their M.Ed. in Special Education degree. The degree can also be taken at the Manchester, N.H., campus or through a combination of online and on campus courses.
As part of their Special Education degree course work at SNHU, students will learn how to identify specific learning disabilities, assess student needs and create individual educations plans (IEPs), design and implement behavior management plans, incorporate techniques for teaching in an inclusive classroom, use developmentally appropriate teaching methods, and help students with disabilities reach their potential.
Educators who are already certified in elementary or secondary education can earn an additional endorsement in Special Education following completion of a specially designed 39-credit masters degree program at SNHU. These Special Education degree candidates complete an internship and e-portfolio that demonstrates an understanding of effective special education practices. Completion of their M.Ed. Special Education degree allows them to support students with disabilities in regular classrooms or teach students with disabilities in a resource room. They might also become a special education integrated classroom curriculum developer or special education assessment coordinator.
Adults with a bachelors degree who are not state-certified in education can earn initial certification in General Special Education (K-12) by earning a masters in Special Education degree at SNHU. Following successful completion of the PRAXIS I exam, Special Education degree candidates take part in a 16-week student teaching practicum under the guidance of a Special Education teacher. This hands-on teaching experience is accompanied by a teaching seminar that provides support in working with special education students. Completion of the 42-credit program allows graduates with this initial licensure to teach special education students in a resource room setting.
The Special Education licensure granted in conjunction with the masters in Special Education degree from Southern New Hampshire University is approved by the state of New Hampshire. Students outside New Hampshire should check with their state for Special Education certification requirements. Certification is reciprocal in many states.
Visit the Southern New Hampshire University website for more information on the M.Ed. Special Education degree program.
About SNHU Southern New Hampshire University is a not-for-profit, regionally accredited university with an 80-year history of educating successful professionals. SNHU has a total enrollment of more than 13,000 students in more than 150 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, available online, at our main campus in Manchester, N.H., and at our regional centers in New Hampshire and Maine.
SNHU was the only university to make Fast Companys 2012 list of the Worlds 50 Most Innovative Companies; the university was ranked at No. 12, higher than LinkedIn, Starbucks and the NFL.
SNHU also is the proud recipient of several awards, including GetEducated.coms Best Buy award, Best of Business Awards for Best Online Degree and Best MBA, and G.I. Jobs Military Friendly Schools designation.
See more here:
M.Ed. Special Education Degree at SNHU Offers Flexibility of Online and On-Campus Courses
Connie Costa Life Coach – Video
Posted: at 1:37 am
Read more:
Connie Costa Life Coach - Video
College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins retires
Posted: at 1:37 am
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) Bobby Cremins said this time he is stepping down for good.
Nearly two months after taking a medical leave of absence from the College of Charleston men's basketball team, an emotional Cremins announced Monday he was retiring from the game.
But he struggled to get the words out.
The coach's voice cracked and he fought back tears as he addressed players, friends and administrators on the floor of TD Arena, the Cougars' home court.
''With the blessings of my family, my team, staff, friends, and the College of Charleston, I have decided to retire as our coach,'' Cremins said.
The 64-year-old Cremins announced on Jan. 27 that he would miss the rest of the Cougars' season and later said he was physically exhausted. Cremins went on an indefinite medical leave of absence but said his condition was not life-threatening.
College of Charleston athletic director Joe Hull said at the time that he planned to speak with Cremins over the next few weeks to determine it the coach will be out even longer.
''It was unfortunate what happened to me in late January. I didn't like what happened and I'll never know why,'' Cremins said. ''Our bodies sometimes send us signals, so we have to listen. The silver lining is that my staff, led by Mark Byington, my team, my school, they had my back and they responded in a special way.''
Ten days after his initial announcement, Cremins said on Feb. 6 that he ''had no gas'' and that his players knew. ''They could feel it.'' He added that while his energy level wasn't where it needed to be, he was ''definitely feeling a lot better'' at that time.
Under Byington, the Cougars finished the season 19-12 and were knocked out of the Southern Conference tournament in the first round for the first time since joining the league in 1998.
See the original post here:
College of Charleston coach Bobby Cremins retires
Cremins retires from coaching
Posted: at 1:37 am
BASKETBALL
Cremins retires
from coaching
CHARLESTON, S.C. Bobby Cremins retired Monday as mens basketball coach at the College of Charleston, nearly two months after he left the team and went on a medical leave of absence.
Cremins addressed players, friends and administrators on the floor of TD Arena, where his voice cracked with emotion and he fought back tears in announcing the end to his coaching career.
With the blessings of my family, my team, staff, friends, and the College of Charleston, I have decided to retire as our coach, Cremins said.
The 64-year-old Cremins announced on Jan. 27 that he would miss the rest of the Cougars season and later said he was physically exhausted. Cremins went on an indefinite medical leave of absence but said his condition was not life-threatening.
College of Charleston athletic director Joe Hull said at the time that he planned to speak with Cremins over the next few weeks to determine it the coach will be out even longer.
It was unfortunate what happened to me in late January. I didnt like what happened and Ill never know why, Cremins said. Our bodies sometimes send us signals, so we have to listen. The silver lining is that my staff, led by Mark Byington, my team, my school, they had my back and they responded in a special way.
NASCAR
Read more here:
Cremins retires from coaching
Bayne brings experience to coaching Titans
Posted: at 1:37 am
Brett Bayne has been around baseball most of his life. He began playing baseball at the age of 5 in his hometown of Palatine. He even plays as an adult in a competitive league in his hometown during the summer. So it was no surprise that when a coaching position opened on the Titan baseball staff, he jumped for it.
Bayne, a Western Illinois graduate and current English teacher at MRHS, has been the JV coach for the Titan softball team for four years and compiled a record of just below .500 in his four years. Several of his players made the jump to varsity as underclassmen and that can be accredited to his coaching.
I am big on hustle. I will bench a kid if I feel they are disrespecting the game by not hustling, Bayne said. Im also a big team guy. We win as a team and we lose as a team.
Bayne joins head coach Chris Schwarz, who is in his second year as head coach of the Titans.
Coach Schwarz has done an excellent job of instilling a solid foundation here at M-R, Bayne said.
Bayne will be the head coach of the JV team and an assistant to Schwarz on the varsity. Bayne said he has already set goals for his JV squad.
We want to have a winning record, he said. In addition I want to make sure I have equipped the kids with the skills to perform well at the varsity level.
Bayne is also optimistic about the varsity squad.
After seeing what they can do at practice, I would be scared if I were the other teams in our conference, Bayne said. We have a pretty deep squad.
Overall Bayne is excited for the opportunity to bring success to the baseball program at M-R.
See original here:
Bayne brings experience to coaching Titans
Jerry Sloan Should Not Take the New York Knicks' Coaching Job
Posted: at 1:37 am
COMMENTARY | What have we learned from the Mike D'Antoni experiment with the New York Knicks?
Coaches who can't handle media and fan pressure to win a championship now can not sit on the sideline of the basketball team in the biggest NBA market.
Also, if the star player, in this case Carmelo Anthony, doesn't get what he wants, New York is ready to make any change to make his life better. Anthony didn't want to do what D'Antoni asked him to do on the court, so he didn't. Instead of the front office backing their coach, it took sides with Anthony; the player they made a blockbuster trade with the Denver Nuggets to acquire right around this time last year.
This led to D'Antoni leaving the Knicks. If he didn't quit, he surely would have been canned in a matter of weeks.
Ex-Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan has been mentioned in filling the shoes left by D'Antoni that Mike Woodson is temporally sizing. If the former long time coach of the Jazz (1988-2011) took the job, the same kind of situation would happen.
In my mind, Sloan is a far superior coach to D'Antoni. He has won 1,221 games for a winning percentage of 60% compared to D'Antoni's 388 wins and 53%. Sloan has coached in far more overall games than D'Antoni so it isn't fair off of numbers, but Sloan was never surrounded in the controversy D'Antoni has been in his shorter career.
Not only was D'Antoni in the fire with New York for most of his three and a half seasons there, but he was roasting in Phoenix (2003-08) when the Suns didn't play any defense and couldn't get to the finals with arguably a top five point guard to ever play in the NBA: Steve Nash.
Even though I think Sloan is a better coach and would improve the Knicks from their current slumber, Sloan would get the axe or quit in a short time span as well.
Sloan didn't quit because of fights or quarrels with his two superstars - Karl Malone and John Stockton - but left Utah in 2011 when Deron Williams shared words with him. In a press conference around the time he resigned from Utah, Sloan said "I've had player confrontations for as long as I've been in the league. My energy is not as high as it used to be."
If Sloan didn't have the energy a year ago with a small market team, how is he going to have the energy now as coach of the gaudy and well followed Knicks? He wouldn't.
Follow this link:
Jerry Sloan Should Not Take the New York Knicks' Coaching Job
Lori
Posted: at 1:36 am
Read the rest here:
Lori
Health and Fitness Vlog Intro – Video
Posted: at 1:36 am
Read the original:
Health and Fitness Vlog Intro - Video
Citigym marks 6th anniversary with health and fitness events
Posted: at 1:36 am
CEBU, Philippines - In line with its 6th year anniversary, Citigym organizes a unique event that will further promote health and fitness in Cebu.
On March 30, Citigym will hold a 'Fitness and Wellness Fair' from 8 am to 9 pm at the Balearic- Tazman rooms of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino.
For a minimal fee of P100, one could take part in boxing sparring from 9 am to 7 pm and some fat burning cardio sessions such as ala zumba, belly dancing, hip-hop aerobics and beach body workout from 8 to 9 am and from 5 to 6 pm.
Citigym has also invited experts to talk about different topics as well as guide the participants on health and fitness activities.
The program includes Effective Exercise (no equipment needed) by Anne Manubag of American Council on Exercise (9:15-10:15am), Triathlon 101 by Cebuano elite triathlete Noy Jopson (10:30-11:30am), True Yoga Beginnings off the Mat (mixed level) by registered Yoga Teachers Kaye Luym and Robert Vechionni (1:30-2:30pm), Heal yourself with energy (A healthy alternative to medicines), Reike, Kalimasada and Pranic Healing (2:40-3:40pm), Modern Day Warriors thru Mixed Martial Arts: Jiu-Jitsu, Capoeira, Taekwondo and Wing Chun (3:40-4:50pm) and Trigger Point Therapy Training: Ultimate 6 Fundamentals, Myofascial Compression Techniques for sports coaches, personal trainers and athletes by Ultimate 6 Master Trainer Linzi Arellano-Co (4:30-6:30pm).
Citigym will also hold the fitness challenge 2012 on March 23 where teams get to compete and test where their workout has taken them.
Interested participants shall form a four-person team with at least one female member. One member will compete separately in the swim, bike and run challenges. The whole challenge would be a race to complete everything with the fastest time.
Aside from the swim, bike and run, mental challenges and surprise fun tasks have also been included in the race. - (THE FREEMAN)
See the original post:
Citigym marks 6th anniversary with health and fitness events