Christensen tells Rotarians about need to transform high school

Original Article - How to teach the lower half of the class?

Working on...

Attitude!!

Justice O’Connor’s Deadline

Original Article - Deadline on affirmative action

Working on ...

Economic along is not going to do it. The measure is wrong. We need better measure. They keep missing the point - giving the equal chances the rest is history. The question is what is the appropriate 'equal chances'. I think we tend to extended that definition indefinitly.

Cultural aspect of respecting the value of education does matter

Original Article

Summary goes here!

Quite some references to other culture related information.

Higher Education Policy - First thought

Original Article

The high higher ed cost is the main concern of general public. It is, therefore, the place to start for the policy.

A policy is not a vision statement. It not only need to have a good goal, it need to be practical, workable and efficient. And this is why 'a good government need to listen and feel what people feel and guide them with incentives toward a forward looking future. Missing any of the elements is a failure in the government.' The vision is the forward looking future while the rest are the guideline for practical, workable and efficient plan.

The high higher ed cost is the main concern of general public. It is, therefore, the place to start for the policy. A policy have to address public's concern to get support and move forward. To address this issue, we need to think about how the price is set in the first place.

As we all aware, to produce a product, it cost money. The price, in general, covers the cost, but don't have to reflect the cost. In free enterprise, due to competetion, the price are, in general, reflect the bare cost to produce the product with specified qualtiy except in the monoply or elite industries where competetion are limited. The elite industries, in general, do not have objective standards for measuring qualities of products and, because of this, a products' percetions are build on named brands that are established via costly advertising that establishes the financial barrier for entering these industry and limits the competetion in these industry. Because of the lack of objective quality checks, the cost and price are not tied to the quality but to the profit and cost of advertising. The idea is that once you produce the named brand, the quality is not relevent in the price scheme and consumer are paying for things with no qality checks. With limited competetion in the field, companies can provide costly packages with features that customer will never need while still enjoy good business.

The traditional higher ed industries resemble the elite industry in that the quality of products is not well specified. In efforts to support the quality claim, accredidation agencies use aternative measures that make sure institutions have enough resources to produce quality products. The problem is obvious, a well financed company does not necessary produce quality products. And more frequent than not, the errosion begin with well established companies since the survival is not seem to be in the scene. Because the accredidation is based on resources rather than the quality of the product, the establish of the resource become the necessary barrier in entering this industry even if quality product can be produced with less resources.

The fundamental to bring down the higher ed price is, therefore, establish objective qualities of the higher ed products. After this is done, the market will be driven by free enterprise spirits and the system will be supported by free enterprise. For example, if companies were using the result of testing services in hiring employee, potential applicants will pay for the testing fee. The testing statistics can be used to evaluates each institutions and helping students in making education choices. With the competetion, institutions are forced to customize their products of quality to fit students need at the lowest possible price. - There may be needs to regulate the testing industry??

The next step need to do is guide the society to bright future. From time to time, public can be blind or short-sighted. There could be important trainings or courses that will be over sighted by public aiming in pursuing their financial well-being. Some of these trainings may eventually get emphasied by employers if they find their values eventually. Others may only proof to be essential for the sacks of the society or human race. It is governments' duty to look into these area in behalf of the society. Since there isn't any interestes from free enterprise on these issues, this is where governments really need put their efforts in. Governments need provide real incentive here to guide the society to bright future.


Based on arguments in The environment!

• The world of free enterprise
• Clear labeling through standard test. Focus on result to bring the cost down
  
• Provide alternatives for customers.
• Promote the idea of flexible worker - with enterprises
  
• K12 focus on attitude modling
• Emphasise the importance of design/thinking instead of routine/procedure - research!
  
• Promote the globle view of the world - promote forward thinking
• Promote the idea of bright future
• Research will still be done with support of government and private enterprice. The result should made available. More people can follow these researches and produces teaching material.
• 
  

Higher Education Policy - The environment

Original Article

In the US, federal government do not have direct authority over institutions. ...There are, however, oppotunities that governments can exploit to build accountability checks.

In the US, federal government do not have direct authority over institutions. Federal government do recognize accreditation agencies. But, again, do not have direct authority on them. State governments have various degree of control on institutions operated inside it's boundaries. - check to see if there are more detailed info on how much control each state government have on private institutions. Adding the free atomsphere of US higher education institutions to the limited control of governments, there are, practically no effective way of regulating US higher education institutions.

An environment like this is approaching that of self-governing and is the source of irresponsibility. The lack of responsbilities had cost higher education system their reputation and result in calls for higher education reform. The environment also responsible for the high college cost of today.

As of today, the free enterprise spirits are still exist and are likely to continue. It is not likely, governments will resort to brute force to force changes. There are, however, oppotunities that governments can exploit to build accountability checks. These oppotunities include public's cry for lower college cost and public's call for accountability. The other oppotunity is raising of the for-profit institutions. The raising of the for-profit institution put pressure on traditional institions in terms of effeciency and force traditional institution to change how they operate.

Higher Education Policy - What's our future?

Our citizen have to be able to look over the skin-deeped paper of certificate or diploma and valued more the deep-inside wisdom.

The narrow definition of this question is how do we keep us ahead of other countries so that our people can enjoy a high standard of life. Of cause, the more broad goal should include the whole human race.

History provides valuable lessons, failure is your future if you do not progress like rawing against current and you can't count on other people's failure but your own success.

As we all know by now, the knowledge is the power. A lot of us also know that learning is a life long things. A successful life requires constant learning, analyzing and adopting.

So. To sustant our lead in the world, we need to create generation of citizens that prosess these characters. That are capable of constantly learning and are self-motivated to learn and are looking into the life with positive attitute. Our citizen have to be able to look over the skin-deeped paper of certificates or diploma and valued more the deep-inside wisdom.

This is a grand goal and it call for un-preceedent efforts in refreshing our government, our society and, most importantly, our mind.

Higher Education Policy - What do people want?

Are they really interested in the knowledge or they simply want the tickets to the job market?

As pointed out in Higher Education perspectives, citizen these days are well aware of the benifits of higher education and are asking for afordable higher education and their demand have not been met.

We, however, need to exam these demands carefully. Are they interested in lower price but same service or are they interested in lower price with watered down services? Are they interested in the full scaled baccalaureate training or are they simply instered in the tech training needed to land a job? Are they really interested in the knowledge or they simply want the tickets to the job market?

Answers to these questions will help us better understand people's mind and help us setting strategys to lead our people to brighter future.

Higher Education Policy - Government

Original Article

... a good government need to listen and feel what people feel and guide them with incentives toward a forward looking future.

It's hard to be a good government, especially a good government in a democratic environments. There are times good ideas and intents could not be executed and there are times only a small part of a good idea get pass through the divided legislature bodies.

A democratic government is to serve the people and look out for people. There are times general public do not perceive the value of a given idea. The leader will need to carryo the extra burden of educating the general public. A democratic government usually are also limited by law on what it can do. A successful government in democratic environments need to observe all these limitations when carry out it's act. It is, therefore, important to examine all these limitations when setting up policies.

In general, a good government need to listen and feel what people feel and guide them with incentives toward a forward looking future. Missing any of the elements is a failure in the government.

To reform the US higher education, we need to feel and listen to the people. We also need to exam the situation and figuring out the real future for the country. We then need device the incentive and lead our people to that future.