Professor Cappelli is the George W. Taylor Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Human Resources at the Wharton School and Professor of Education. His article is titled “Why Focusing Too Narrowly in College Could Backfire” http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324139404579016662718868576 It gives some good practical advice and I think it is well worth reading. Some of […]
“At Berkeley” is not “At College”
November 8, 2013 by
Here is the pre-review I posted on the New York Times movie site. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/movies/at-berkeley-a-documentary-by-frederick-wiseman.html?ref=movies&_r=0#preview “I’m a former math professor. I worry that viewers of “At Berkeley” will leave with an impression of colleges and universities. That would be a big mistake. It is not true that “a college is a college is a college”. I […]
Wall Street Journal’s David Wessel Supports Plan for College Loan Solution.
November 8, 2013 by
But I think we need to ensure the product is worth it first. It seems to me that it is a little like the mortgage crisis. You have to start by making sure the house is in good shape, and appropriate for the buyer. The article is here http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304672404579181632945326834 I posted two comments on the […]
Another Good Article by Miles Kimball & Noah Smith on Learning Math
November 4, 2013 by
The authors wrote a previous article for The Atlantic that explains the need for math in economics. Here is a link to a post on that article Need for Math to Study Econ – Excellent Description – But… They have now written their suggestions on changing how math is taught. The article makes a good point […]
New York Times: Concern for the Humanities
October 31, 2013 by
Tamar Lewin wrote this front page article in the Times today: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/education/as-interest-fades-in-the-humanities-colleges-worry.html?hp I expressed my concerns which I pasted below. “There several reasons to be concerned. There is what Jonathan Jacobs at John Jay College points out is the inability of many graduates to even recognize a rational argument. A subgroup of these graduates teaches […]
How Can Frank Bruni Be Excited About Change in K-12 Without Change in Higher Ed?
October 29, 2013 by
Change in K-12 does matter but I don’t see how it can help a lot without the change in higher ed that I advocate here. Here is a link to his op-ed, followed by my comment. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/opinion/bruni-a-bold-bid-for-better-schools.html?ref=opinion&comments&_r=0 ” From whence cometh these teachers? They cometh from the universities, many of whom seek fame and fortune […]
New York Times Writes That Average Cost of College Steady Over a Decade
October 25, 2013 by
The sticker price has gone up considerably but the discounts have gotten bigger, according to the report that the NYTimes cites. (Here is the link to the Times’ article http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/25/education/despite-rising-sticker-prices-actual-college-costs-stable-over-decade-study-says.html?ref=us) There must be a reason why the colleges are increasing their sticker price while keeping their real charges the same. I suspect its marketing. The […]
WSJ Writes That Businesses Want Workers With Math and Science Degrees
October 21, 2013 by
But they are having trouble sinceIn terms of basic math and science skills, “we’re really floundering here in the U.S.,” Mike Russo, Globalfoundries’ director of government relations, said in an interview. . Here is the article, http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303672404579147282887082384 But Washington University in St. Louis says they have been working to fix this, as I wrote in […]
Just Interesting: Teachers Cheating, Students Cheating, Chic Smelling College Brands
Here are the articles I’m referring to: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/opinion/sunday/how-i-helped-teachers-cheat.html?ref=opinion http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304200804579163983479119364?KEYWORDS=perfume+college A quote from this article: “At LSU,… he says there is a benefit to having the school’s brand associated with a chic product.” There is an earlier post (http://www.inside-higher-ed.com/another-wsj-article-illustrating-university-focus-and-insight-of-great-thinkers/ )linking to another WSJ article that quotes a consultant saying, “…Prospective freshmen and their families…increasingly view themselves […]