Will Online Learning replace Traditional Learning? (VIDEO)

 Based on the rise of online educational resources, some people may wonder if traditional learning methods such as physically attending a college will be replaced in the future. Sal Khan discusses this topic and also explains other possible methods being a "catalyst" for more affordable college. Additionally, he also mentions that there are "obvious" tools which could drive down college costs.

The video could not be posted directly on this post, however click here to view the video on bloomberg.com

URL: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-07-30/online-learning-won-t-replace-traditional-education-khan

Democracy Web!

America seems like such a large continent that some may consider it another world. From the tropical climates of Florida and Hawaii to the deserts of the Southwest to the Frozen Tundras in Alaska, America seems to have every type of climate in the world. It is only fitting that the government which oversees the vast landscapes of America is just as complex and unique! Due to these reasons, many residing within the jurisdiction of the United States Government may forget about the rest of the world. It is important that young adults be educated on  government's overseas as well as the United States Government. It is important for people to understand and appreciate the freedoms that Americans enjoy relative to some nations around the world. Democracy Web is a useful online educational resource which provides information regarding freedom around the world.

Democracy Web, which links to Freedom House Organization, rates countries in terms of freedom using an extensive measuring tool. The two large categories that are part of the rating are political rights and civil liberties. Democracy Web nicely organizes all the freedom ratings by using a color code on a world map.

The rating scale that is used measures freedom from 1 to 7. 1 being the highest level of freedom while 7 being the lowest level of freedom. 

In addition to simply ratings on freedom, Democracy Web provides a study guide for rights in specific countries. Clicking on individual countries on the above map actually provides many historical and current resources for the user to understand the country's ideologies. 

Understanding governments and their ideologies is essential to anybody looking forward to contributing to humanity. People come from different paths of life  and it will only foster cooperation if  there is an understanding of different cultures. 

Wyzant History Lessons!

Wyzant  is definitely one of the best tools for stacking up your knowledge of United States history from the 20th and 21st century! On this great website, you can find descriptions of many significant leaders and listen to raw audio of their speeches. You can easily find civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King to  President Clinton.

The descriptions of each leader is rather extensive. For example, on President Reagan's page, it provides an overview from  his career of acting  to his president campaign to his death from Alzheimer's. After the description page there  is a page displaying one of his speeches given in 1964. Rather than just providing an audio feed, there is  a transcript  provided. In addition, a specific description for his speech is also provided above the transcript.

https://www.wyzant.com/resources/lessons/history/hpol/reagan/time-for-choosing This is the link to watch the full video

Some people don't like politicians, and that is totally fine on Wyzant! Rather than just having speeches of political leaders, they also display world class athletes. For example, they display Lou Gehrig's description and his speech regarding Lou Gehrig's disease. Without a doubt, Lou Gehrig is a baseball legend and deserves a firm place within history books. Wyzant is a great educational resource, its history section is a great tool for young adults in school or simply folks with a desire to become more knowledgeable of history.

Enjoy!

Short, quick overview of OER

Here is a short but aesthetically pleasing animation/explanation of Open Education Resources. It covers many of the benefits previously explained  in earlier posts. For example, the ability for teachers to modify online materials.

Merck PTE as a Chemistry Reference

Often students taking chemistry classes will find a variety of data is needed to solve a problem. A great all-in one reference for chemistry data is found in the Application Merck PTE. Merck PTE is available at no charge and can be downloaded on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

What is Merck PTE?

Merck PTE is essentially a three dimensional interactive periodic table. The periodic table is color coded for the type of element, such as Alkali metal or Halogens. Sliding your finger over each element pops up a window with the element's name, the original name (Greek, latin, etc...), and the atomic mass. This feature is  the simplest aspect of this App, but a very helpful one. If you click on an individual element, it provides three tabs of information, general, basic information, and discoverer.

In the tab labeled "general", information such as the designation, classification, group, period and relative atomic mass are provided. In addition, a brief summary of the element on where it is commonly found, and the element's daily uses are given.

In the "Basic Information" tab, there is more technical information given. (I know...I know it says "basic" but relative  to the general tab, it is more technical.) Information from electronegativity to ionization energy about the specific element is provided.

In the final tab labeled, "Discoverer" information about the year , the country  and the scientist which made the discovery is provided.

The three tabs above are the only tabs found inside an element on Merck's interactive periodic table. However, if you go on a side application tab from the periodic table, there are even more features.

The developers of this app  ranked all the properties of  the known elements. 

They created a molar mass calculator with elemental mass compositions.

They provided a glossary explaining many important chemistry terms and concepts.

You can filter the periodic table based on properties

Atomic Radius Chart

I strongly recommend both science enthusiasts and chemistry students to download this app because it is such a great all-in one tool! In addition it's a no cost app!

Have fun!

Why it is important for you and education to vote!

Seeing the title above makes you wonder why an article regarding the importance of voting would be present on an education blog. I decided to write about this because we are currently in voting season and  I had the honor of working a poll in my home district primaries this week. By connecting it with education, both myself and Ross Brenneman's article can explain why education is very much a part of politics. Everything which drives the progress of a school  is political. Politicians take part in funding, testing, and curriculum decisions. It is important to note that nothing in this world is obtained completely free. There may be many free online educational resources, but the research money behind each site is not a small amount. Many people have different opinions on funding priority on a government bill. Some politicians prioritize other government programs or prefer tax cuts and some politicians prefer raising funding for schools. However, a critical question pertaining to the correct amount and the most efficient method of support from the government is brought up. How much should the schools be receiving and how should this be done? This is for you to decide.

So why is it important to vote?

Representation- Our country was founded on the basis of democracy. The founders were upset that Great Britain taxed the colonists without providing representation from the Thirteen Colonies in the parliament. Hence, the famous phrase, "Taxation without Representation". After a war and several voting right bills over the last 240 years, American citizens can now select their representatives. It would be ludicrous for American citizens  not  to exercise a right which lives were taken to obtain. In education, especially at the local levels, many politicians, or so called representatives make critical decisions for the education of your children. Examine their views on education and their ability to represent people with similar views. Make an informed decision regarding their credibility and determine whether their decision is in the best interest of your children and the community. Every vote matters, and many elections at the local level can be decided by very slim margins. Local elections, even though not as advertised as national elections, are very significant to education. The fact that fewer people vote in these elections, makes each vote much more powerful. I'm not suggesting any type of opinion on school funding, but it is important to remember that education is POLITICAL! Politicians make direct impacts on funding, testing and curriculum. The easiest way to impact education is heading out to a school election and casting a vote free of charge.

How can I find out more about the candidates?

I would suggest directly calling the candidates or their representatives on the ballot several days before the elections. School elections are important and I'm sure they will gladly answer any questions you may have. If they dodge your questions, perhaps their credibility may be in question. Additionally, Google is a great tool for researching candidates. It may be more difficult to use at local level elections. However, at state and national elections, many websites provide an extensive view of each candidate's political ideals. If every citizen were to expect greater accountability from each politician, then the right leaders will find a position in our nation. Every vote counts for the spirit of quality education, your children and the community.       

A Great Research Resource for Country Statistics!

Happy Memorial Day! Speaking of Memorial Day, many people enjoy travelling to various destinations for vacation.  Some would like to spend their much needed break before finals or after APs completing their research projects. A great resource for a history, statistics or economics  project which involves the daily life of a country would be the website named Knoema.

Knoema provides country profiles, maps, country rankings, commodities of individual countries, and other topics of significant such as energy or national defense. All of these features on Knoema are free of charge and additionally, you can make a free account using your Google account. 

Country profiles are basically pages of each country which contain specific information regarding facets of daily life ranging  in subjects from the economy to crime to the environment. All of the information provided is statistically based  using trusted sources and because they only provide a statistical number, bias is limited and great for research. A good example of a global profile on Knoema would be the United States. 

All of the most important statistics are provided quickly and easily at the top of the profile. According to this profile statistically, the United States is quite a diverse nation.

Maps is another great feature of Knoema. Basically, Knoema has tons of statistics stored onto their servers for every nation. The maps features incorporate all of these statistics onto an easy to view map. These maps do not only apply to specific countries but also to individual states. This is great because it provides a more detailed view towards an issue because some nations such as the United States are quite large. 

Above is a color coordinated map  that shows the number of motor vehicles registered in each states. Several interpretations could be made by a raw, but simple map without any explanation. For example, the automobile industry is thriving in the mid-Atlantic where population is more dense than the Mid-Western states of North Dakota, South Dakota or Wyoming. A disclaimer for this argument is that an additional map with populations of each state would be more convincing. Click here to view a population map.

Knoema is a great resource for any student needing detailed data for research. The fact that explanations are limited is great because it limits bias. The raw, but simple statistics places the role of interpretation on the viewer and allows the viewer to explain his/her reasoning in a report without outside influences.