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Word + Quiz: hanker

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Word + Quiz: hanker

: desire strongly or persistently

_________

The word hanker has appeared in five articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Feb. 1 in “A Canadian Preacher Who Doesn’t Believe in God” by Catherine Porter:

The thrice-married reverend has also driven a deep rift into a progressive church considered as Canadian as maple syrup. In 2015, a public letter she wrote sparked so much ire, the local jurisdiction of the church launched a review committee to examine her beliefs.

… For years, Ms. Vosper seemed to hanker for a “heresy trial” in her op-eds, public statements and books. But the church, which has made “inclusivity” a core principle, would not be goaded, even after Ms. Vosper publicly announced she was an atheist in 2013.

_________

Top 10 LXPs for 2019-2020

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Top 10 LXPs for 2019-2020

Vacillation. It is quite a strong word and one that I admit I have thought about the past few weeks.  The reason is well, a bit of odd, in that for my rankings, I post them for the upcoming year (after all the Top 50 Rankings are for 2020, and come out in January).  For the LXPs of 2019, the post was in late 2018. 

You could argue easily that we are in 2019, and thus the rankings should reflect the year 2019, since the qualifications, etc. are from 2019, and knowing (well I do) some changes in the space with a few vendors in 2020, their will likely be a couple of key players that make an impact in 2020, because of there rollout (i.e. new, but has done other things in the e-learning industry) or they are switching over to an LXP, formally an LMS, or they are rolling out their own LXP (they already have an LMS too). 

I know some vendors will think quickly of a Big Dog that must be in the rolling out part, I can tell you, that the Big Dog you are thinking about, is wrong.  

Back to debating. 

Which is how I decided to go with Top 10 LXPs for 2019-20, since this will serve part of the Top 50 rankings for 2020, in that there are a few LXPs from these rankings that will appear in the 2020 rankings,  and the data is built upon 2019, which thus a vendor could easily say in the marketing, Top 10 for 2019 too.

At the end of it all though, to me at least, is that you are going to see who I list as the Best of the Best is this growing segment in the Learning System space.

A couple of Quick Notes

  • Rankings are based on data captured over the course of the past 10 months, certain functionality which is essential parts of an LXP, such as content curation, recommendation engine (prefer algorithm, but not required), playlists/channels, and of course content,  were weighted higher, than say, a vendor who has event management (which a couple have). 
  • LXP Template as part of the process.
  • Two vendors are IMO, Digital Learning Platforms, and should pitch themselves like that, although one I know won’t because heck they prefer not to call themselves anything besides their name.  The LXP industry has a couple of mega problems that for whatever reason, they are ignoring, and then gripe when as a result of one of those problems they start seeing themselves compete against LMSs.

Problem A

LXPs target folks in L&D as their primary audience.  The whole push for the LXP space from day one, was “learner-centric” for soft skills or personal/professional development.  Well, if you add “Assigned” as an option which many have, and more are on the way, how is that learner-centric? 

This, in turn, leads to Problem B

Ubiquity.  They are becoming more and more of an LMS.  They will counter by saying our customers do not want an LMS, but hey, we are adding features like an LMS, because our audience is asking for it (those folks from L&D who are using their LMS for only regulatory/compliance and/or assigned learning).   They forget that the whole other audience, of Training, and that anyone on the planet, can use an LMS for personal/professional development too.  LMSs were built for the latter, not for someone to use it as compliance only.

I’d add a third problem, which is not the vendor’s fault, rather it is folks like ATD and others, who have seminars, where the speaker pitches the amazing of LXP, doesn’t know the entire segment, the differences that exist or non-exist, but gets folks pumped up for going to an LXP.  

People then seek them out, expecting this wonder solution, and then start to ask for features in an LMS, because, wait for it, that is all they know.  On top of that, you have vendors in the Learning System space, who are not LXPs, but will push they offer learning experiences (on their web site, in their marketing) and even a couple say their system includes an LXP, which honestly, means they have a content marketplace – that BTW is not an LXP.

If you want an LXP or a DLP, these are the ones that you should check out. 

FindAnLMS and The Rankings

The very cool thing is that most of them are on my learning system search engine, FindAnLMS, 100% free for everyone, by the way.  I added a new feature just for the launch of these rankings within FindAnLMS, it is our personal concierge program, 100% free for everyone. 

Personal Concierge takes the pushy salesperson out of the equation but having the vendor(s) reach to you, to provide you with additional information, insight, thru a personalized and dedicated experience.

The Power is in your fingertips, due diligence has never been easier. Best of all, the FindAnLMS concierge program is now included with every system on the search engine.  All you have to do is search, uh for the system(s), not the program.  : )

One last note  

To be in the rankings the vendors were not required to be in FindAnLMS, nor did they pay any fee or anything like that.   The rankings are based on the analysis.  Who they have as clients, not a factor.  Whether they are brand new for 2019, or been around since 2016, not a factor.

Before we dive into the rankings, as you examine the vendors and say to yourselves, “okay, I am going to compare them to an LMS”, I’d say, “don’t.”  What I will say, is that any of these vendors can be either the main component of your HUB or a component of your HUB.

Can you have multiple LXPs in your HUB? The answer is yes.  

And Now…..

The Top 10 LXPs (DLPs too) for 2019-20

We go in reverse order to add excitement.  Please, feel free to share your butter cookies with me this holiday season.  And now, back to the rankings. 

#10 THRIVE (View details – including web site, contact info, save as a favorite, and listing of functionality, and other insight thru FindAnLMS) –  THRIVE is a newcomer in 2019, and right out of the gate it packs a nice set of features and capabilities.  Big wins – UI/UX on the learner side is fluid and fresh. 

Playlists (they may call them something else) are straightforward, and not only can you see recommended content (a standard feature in an LXP), but also select playlists shown by topic of interest – via filters.  On the learner profile page area, you can see skills, topics of interest for that learner, a little bit about themselves, what groups they belong too, among a few other items.

Their content side is a bit cumbersome depending on how much content is presented, besides “their content”,  they have other options including “saved” and “favorite” and for those folks who think learner-centric is required, “mandatory” is an option too.

Outstanding notification capability including SMS (yes!), mobile apps with on/off synch. (YES) – apps are in iOS and Google Play.  They have the majority of the standards for an LXP, with a few nice wrinkles.  Definitely, someone to watch for 2020. 

#9 Percipio by Skillsoft (View details – including web site, contact info, save as a favorite, and listing of functionality, Craig’s Take and other insight thru FindAnLMS)

Product Review HERE

The UI/UX on the learner side is really quite good. Personally, I like it, enough there without being too much, and trust me, there are plenty of vendors who think that “white space” is a dangerous word, err words.

The system does come with IBM Watson, so that is a nice advantage, and extremely rare, like finding a diamond under your seat, in the industry. 

Skills management is solid and something that I hope they improve upon, but it works. 

Playlists are solid, especially the filter options, and although I think 500 channels (you do not have to use or have them all) is a bit too much, okay, a lot too much, I guess it depends on how much usage, folks are tapping into; the content curation is nice.

LXP standards are all there to be seen. 

#8 Absorb Infuse – (View details – including web site, contact info, save as a favorite, and listing of functionality, Craig’s Take and other insight thru FindAnLMS)

Absorb you say? Wait, I thought they were an LMS vendor. Well, they are, and they have another system, an LXP, called Infuse. The UI and UX follow the pattern of very modern and fluid, easy to follow and use.

Yes, you can skin it to match your look and feel (you can with most LXPs too), and yes, playlists follow the same horizontal look as everyone else, but the learning path is vertical, in its design, and that is well, different.

The system is quite good with its machine learning and offers a content marketplace.  If you like or even love gamification, Infuse offers a bit of that, including a leaderboard and your current rank, and how many points you need to get to the next rank.  This appears on your learner home page along with your playlists.

Certification management exists, skill management is solid.

#7 Coorpacademy – (View details – including web site, contact info, save as a favorite, and listing of functionality, Craig’s Take (coming this week) and other insight thru FindAnLMS)

A favorite of mine in the 2019-19 rankings, and a Top 10 learning system for 2019, this LXP continues to deliver. Feature-rich with all the LXP standards you expect, including strong content curation and a huge content marketplace with lots of content to choose from.

Mobile includes apps in Google Play and Apple iOS, and offers some cool game-based learning aspect with “Battle cards”.   Gamification exists too with a leaderboard and points.

Data visualization on the administration side is fantastic. One of the best I have seen in the LXP space.  A lot of data to see, all wonderful and nice. 

The one downer to the entire system and one I have repeatedly told them is a bad idea, is that it is only xAPI for content.   No other course standards are accepted.

#6 Instilled Digital Learning Platform.  (View details – including web site, contact info, save as a favorite, and listing of functionality, Craig’s Take and other insight thru FindAnLMS)

They call themselves an LXP, but I’m here to tell you, they are a DLP.  For folks who say, “they are a video learning platform”, I say, “Hogwash.”

Product Review HERE.

This is a very nice system, rolling out in mid-2019. The power to me is what you can do with videos, but if you have content built-in any 3rd party authoring tool that accepts all the course standards including xAPI. (The only standards it does not work with is PENS and CMI-5).

On the video side – Playlists are quite tight. Video editing is quite slick, and wow there is a lot you can do.  Bookmarking on the learner side is available, you can ask questions, leave comments/notes next to the video too. Auto-transcription is a huge victory, and yes, you can edit it. 

The system comes with the Watershed LRS, which adds just a whole new level of data visualization to the equation.  

Content curation is very nice too.  

UI and UX for the learner side are slick.  The admin side, is a bit wonky, at the moment, but that is partially due to some navigation aspects, that I surmise they are working on resolving. 

#5 Linkedin Learning –  They call themselves, uh, yeah, okay, not sure.  A learning platform, or some other moniker that works for them. In reality, though, they are a digital learning platform, and you can easily slide them into the LXP, sans the availability of an extensive content marketplace, it is basically them, and Blinklist and uh, that’s about it.  

The content is both a mix of old – via Lynda.com and new, via Linkedin Learning.  There are big fans of the content,  but personally, I find it hit or miss.  That said, this is a strong digital learning platform to consider.

Product Review is HERE.

Content curation is very strong including the playlist options.  Machine learning is quite good, but I’ll admit, that I am not a fan of crowdsourcing playlists, whereas in this case, for recommending it is every one that is on the system, as in the LL Platform and not just your end-users. 

I have no problem if a vendor wants to offer the full crowdsource experience (again, for every company that is on LL Platform, which goes beyond “crowdsource” some vendors use to refer to only employees at said company), as long as they make it optional, rather than here it is, and enjoy. 

Trending by role, for example, is based on everyone who uses LL Platform, not just the folks at your company.  Now on the back-end (Admin side), you will see just for your employees. 

The administration side is pretty straight-forward.  This is not a system for data visualization nor extensive metrics, because it does not exist.

Skills management is super strong. I’d say, perhaps the best out there, because it leverages a lot of data that comes from Linkedin itself.

I never could get an answer from Linkedin on the number of dead accounts that exist, nor how they can assure that the data is fresh since you are relying on people who may never update their job role for example, and which in LL job role data is utilized within it. 

UI on the learner side is good, but some folks might feel a bit overwhelmed. 

#4  Juno Journey (Coming soon to FindAnLMS) –  Another relatively new LXP on the market, that goes from having one of the coolest front – think journey like thing, too many feature sets you have come to expect in the LXP market.

Skills management is elite including the ability to have proficients listed (and can be edited by the administrator/manager).  UI/UX on the learner side is good, admin side is solid.  For Playlist fans, you can create your own playlist (an LXP standard), share it with others (most LXPs do) and others can subscribe to it (not a common standard). 

Sort of gives the early stage of Spotify from that regard and I wish more vendors dived into that angle of subscribing to end user’s playlist, so when they update, you see the updates, etc. 

One nice feature in their robust machine learning is the ability to can scan documents, courses, content, audio and video files and produce text results in a transcript or similar items. This is a relatively new machine learning feature in the learning system space, so it is nice to see it as part of the platform.

Video management could be better, and the system does not use mobile apps i.e. via Google Play or Apple, rather they go the Progressive web app route.  While I like PWAs, from a consumer standpoint, it is better to leverage the native apps, especially with on/off synch (and yes it can be done via a PWA, but it is not a simple process, and most folks are used to seeing “apps”).

Juno is one system to watch.  A disruptor in the making?  Well, when you are talking about a content marketplace with 36 providers, including the well-known and lesser but still very nice content ones, yeah, I’d say that.

Disruptor Alert.

The Top Three  (The suspense is killing me)

#3 Degreed (View details – including web site, contact info, save as a favorite, and listing of functionality, Craig’s Take (coming this week) and other insight thru FindAnLMS)

I’ll say it right out of the gate, Degreed has improved in the right way. I love the bookmarklet capability, where you can just drag the bookmarklet to your browser header bar and off you go to capture pages, etc. that you find on the web and place back into the system.

From a standard feature set, Degreed has them all. On the Learning Environment side, the system has nearly ever feature, that I have on my template.  Skills management is quite robust, a strong suit for them, although by far one of the coolest components Skills Ratings is an additional-fee.  Personally, I think that is a mistake.

Machine learning is very good, but they continue to do the biggest irk of them all, where you have to “complete” the content for the algorithm, which defeats the entire purpose of why WBT (e-learning was created in the first place) and secondly, if it is learner-centric, and my interest is only how to view pivot tables, and the content includes seeing labels, why do I have to complete it?  Without doing so, what you will see in your recommended is skewed.  

Of course, the complete is simply clicking complete, but that opens a whole new can of worms, since it means, well, nothing.

They do the same when it comes to viewing articles.  The data shows it viewing an article, but there is no way to tell how long someone was on the site for example, in other words, the data is me clicking the link.

Besides a couple of hiccups (namely those, and the lack of on/off synch for their native mobile apps), there is plenty to like here. 

Analytical data is solid and well-rounded.  Data visualization could be better, especially for a system at this level, but most people will find it more than sufficient.

Well, they advertise a huge marketplace, be aware that again, as with any marketplace, most are fee-based, and while you can bring in freebies such as TED, it is still heavily skewed towards fee-driven (as 99% of the marketplaces in the learning system space are).

Learning Paths are very nice.  UI/UX is good.   For fans of assigned learning – good news, they offer it.  Playlists are easy to use, and well placed on the learner side.  NexGen is good, but frankly, they should be a tier 3.  Right now, more in line with Tier 2.1.

#2 Learn Amp – (View details – including web site, contact info, save as a favorite, and listing of functionality, Craig’s Take and other insight thru FindAnLMS)

By far one of the most robust LXPs on the market, and yet still under the radar in the segment.  Targets the SMB/SME audience, which I really like, because so many vendors ignore the less than 1,000 employees, let alone 500 employees, and focus only on the upper mid-market and Large Enterprise.   Can you go that route with Learn Amp, absolutely, but for those the under 1,000 crowds, here is one system that actively seeks you out.

UI/UX on the learner and admin side is quite good.  One of the first LXPs to offer classroom management functionality (which is beyond rare) and event management (extremely rare).  Content curation is quite good, playlist options are nice too. 

The content marketplace is a plus too. The system comes with an LRS but has yet to maximize its full potential with the analytical side of the house.  Still, there is more than enough for most people to find worthwhile.  Data visualization exists too.  This is a very extensive system, but if there was a minus, they still do not have any mobile native apps (on the roadmap for 2020). 

Accepts most course standards including SCORM.

If you are someone who says, you know I wish I could find an LXP that can be a standalone without ever to buy an LMS, well, good news, because Learn Amp is that LXP.

Drum Roll – Number One… One..One… (please use your own sound effects, I am)

#1  EdCast (View details – including web site, contact info, save as a favorite, and listing of functionality, Craig’s Take (coming this week) and other insight thru FindAnLMS)

Powerful, yet potent. Rejuvenated, yet relaxing. A place to take the kids! In all seriousness, this is a very robust NexGen LXP, that will deliver what you want.  Playlists are very good, strong content marketplace, lots of API integrations (many LXPs have this option too), UI/UX is quite good on the learner side.

The administration side is solid but needs a few tweaks, and I’d argue isn’t as strong as the rest of the platform.

Machine learning is very good, and if you ignore the marketing spin they overuse too much, you will see a system that delivers what you want it to do. 

They are the only LXP to have over 98% of the functionality in my LXP Template.  Which, you know to me, is very impressive. 

Bottom Line

There they are. 

The Top 10 for 2019-2020.

Vacillation

Resolved.

E-Learning 24/7

 

 

 

 

 

 

Test Student Blog

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There is nothing more exhilarating than being around people who exude the energy of endless possibilities. These kinds of people are needed in our lives if we wish to see what is attainable. When we surround our environment with people who believe in the harshness of life we are drained of energy and vitality. Therefore, the choice is really up to us – do we want to reach the stars or do we want to stay on the ground constantly looking up secretly wishing that we were among the dazzling jewels that grace the heavens. A strong, positive and resilient attitude will help elevate you to unimaginable heights.

In life attitude is everything. Check the people around you and observe their attitude barometer – negative or positive – and if the results are negative then you may need to look at your own attitude and make certain adjustments. Usually people mirror our own unconscious feelings and attitudes about life that we perhaps are not acknowledging head on. Remember, your attitude determines your altitude. That’s why its so important to be choosy about who we do spend our time with. I believe that we do become what we think about, and who we surround ourselves with every day strongly influences what we think about or become. A positive attitude is not about displaying a phony smile, a happy face and a perky disposition. It is simply a way of responding to life in a manner that allows us to accept the duality, the contradictions, the contrasts of our experiences. A positive attitude enables you to make a difference in the world around you because when you are able to see things in a positive light, you help to influence and shape other people’s attitude as well.

What is attitude anyway? It is the mental state or position you take regarding your life and affairs. This means its not what you think but how you think it. Your attitude forms every event in your life, whether you realize it or not. Out of your attitude comes your enjoyment of life and gratitude for all your blessings. Out of your attitude also comes your disappointment and anger at how things have turned out. Out of attitude also comes the feeling that no accomplishment will be ever be good enough or that you are not good enough. Everyday, your attitude is challenged by other people and by external factors. How will you react? Will you allow adversity to stop you from moving forward? Will you allow a negative person to ruin your day, make you lose your cool, or force you to give up on your dreams? When such temptations come knocking on your door, stand at the door of your mind and declare powerfully and silently, “No one is home”. In other words, cease to engage.

Author : oldnametest Kamlast
Degree : Masters
Major : Information Technologys
Country : United States
Language : English

On Coursera, Courses now Start Every Day

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On Coursera, Courses now Start Every Day

MOOCs started out with a structure parallel to college classroom courses, with a start date and an end date, and specific deadlines for assignments/homework. Usually, these courses were offered once or twice a year, similar to university courses.

Unlike on-campus students who are required to prioritize their learning, most online learners fit their courses around their existing work, family, and social commitments.

Providers began moving to a model where courses are available more often. Back in 2016, Coursera moved to a flexible session-based model – wherein courses are now starting on a regular schedule (monthly/bi-weekly) and learners can carry over their progress to the next session if they fall behind.

According to Coursera, this approach was better than the self-paced model because it allowed for more community interaction. But now, for a majority of MOOCs, the community is no longer a major selling point.

In an investigation by Class Central, we found that most Coursera courses show a start date that corresponds to the day you visit the course page. Out of the 3,800+ courses currently listed on Coursera, over 90% follow this pattern.

Only around 270 courses follow the old flexible session-based model while the rest are finished or haven’t launched yet.

Word + Quiz: crepuscular

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Word + Quiz: crepuscular

: like twilight; dim

_________

The word crepuscular has appeared in 12 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on June 13 in “‘The Dead Don’t Die’ Review: Zombies Gobbling Up Scraps of Pop Culture” by A.O. Scott:

… This is an end-of-the-world party with an appealing guest list and inviting, eccentric décor. Bill Murray is, if not the official host, then the master of ceremonies, as wry and craggy as you’d want him to be. Eszter Balint is here, and Rosie Perez, too. Also Tom Waits. The consumption of human flesh just keeps it interesting, and the crepuscular light — shot by the ghoulishly gifted cinematographer Frederick Elmes — gives it a bewitching, Halloween ambience.

_________

Should Students Be Punished for Not Having Lunch Money?

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Should Students Be Punished for Not Having Lunch Money?

Find all our Student Opinion questions here.

Is eating lunch at school a right that all students should be guaranteed, regardless of financial circumstance? Or should school lunch be made available only to those who can afford it? Do you think students should be punished if they cannot pay for lunch once? What if they cannot afford to pay for school lunches over multiple weeks?

In “First, the Tuna Fish ‘Badge of Shame.’ Next, Banned From the Prom?” Tracey Tully and Nate Schweber document the evolving lunch policy in Cherry Hill, N.J., that restricts students who owe more than $20 to a tuna sandwich lunch. However, in September the lunch policy expanded:

But the policy now includes another penalty: It allows principals to block students who owe more than $75 from buying yearbooks or prom tickets, and from participating in nonacademic field trips and some extracurricular activities.

The school district’s latest move has drawn the scorn of a leading Democratic candidate for president.

“This is cruel and punitive,” Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on Twitter about the controversy.

“Excluding them and punishing them — what are you teaching them?” asked Sunny Reed, 35, whose son attends kindergarten in Cherry Hill. “It’s beyond ridiculous. It’s punishing children for being poor.”

Holding children publicly accountable for unpaid lunch bills is hardly unusual. A 2014 report from the United States Department of Agriculture found that nearly half of all school districts used some form of shaming to compel parents to pay bills.

Some schools have decided to focus on parents and caregivers, rather than the children, when lunch bills mount:

Last year, in an effort to prevent shaming, the Agriculture Department issued guidelines that encouraged districts to “focus on the adult(s) responsible for providing funds for meal purchases, rather than focusing debt collection efforts on the child.”

Cherry Hill’s debate erupted not long after a similar dust up in suburban Pennsylvania. In July, a regional school district about 30 miles southwest of Scranton, Pa., sent letters home warning parents that if they did not repay overdue lunch bills, they could lose their children to foster care, according to The Associated Press.

In 2017, New York City joined Boston, Chicago, Detroit and Dallas in offering all students free school lunch. Some individuals have even offered to pay off debts that are owed by students; however, the Cherry Hill School District’s superintendent, Joseph Meloche, said he did not think this was the right solution.

“Simply erasing the debt does not help those who need support and compassion and meals through the free and reduced meal programs,” Dr. Meloche said in a statement. “Simply erasing the debt does not address the many families with financial means who have just chosen not to pay what is owed.”

Missy Lang, president of the parent teacher association at Cherry Hill High School West, one of the district’s two comprehensive high schools, said she was confident the policy would be applied sparingly, if ever.

“I don’t think it’s malicious, and I don’t think that they’re trying to shame them,” Ms. Lang said. “We are a great community, and we take care of our people.”

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

  • Do you think students should be punished for not being able to afford school lunch? What is your reaction to the “tuna sandwich” policy in the Cherry Hill School District? What about restricting students’ ability to participate in extracurricular activities?

  • What do you think it feels like to be punished for not having lunch money? How do you think it might make students feel about school and, in particular, lunchtime?

  • Who do you think is responsible for paying for a student’s lunch? In the article, some make the case that the student is responsible, while others think it is the responsibility of the parent, school or government. What do you think? If a student is unable to pay for lunch, do you think someone should be held accountable?

  • Should students have to pay for school lunch or should it be free? What do you think about school districts, like those in New York and Illinois, that have made school lunch free for everyone?

  • Cherry Hill’s district superintendent expressed concern that simply forgiving lunch debt would send the wrong message to families “with financial means who have just chosen not to pay what is owed.” How big of a concern is this to you? Should we worry that wealthier families might get a free lunch and exploit the system? Or is the larger goal of making sure all students have access to a healthy meal, without shame, more important?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Lesson of the Day: ‘‘I Have Waited 68 Years to See This’: How Honor Flights Help Veterans Reflect’

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Lesson of the Day: ‘‘I Have Waited 68 Years to See This’: How Honor Flights Help Veterans Reflect’

Find all our Lessons of the Day here.

Featured Article: “‘I Have Waited 68 Years to See This’: How Honor Flights Help Veterans Reflect”

Each year, for Veterans Day, an organization, known as the Honor Flight Network, transports veterans from American Wars to the nation’s capital to see the monuments honoring them.

In this lesson, students reflect on what Veterans Day means to them and learn about the experiences of veterans visiting the nation’s war memorials. In a Going Further activity, they conduct an interview with a veteran in their own community.

How do you celebrate Veterans Day?

Is Veterans Day an important day for you, your family or your community? Or is it generally seen as a day off from school and work for the people you know?

What kinds of ways does your family, school or town commemorate the service and sacrifices of United States veterans?

(If you want to know more about the origins of the Veterans Day holiday, you can read this article.)

Read the article, then answer the following questions:

1. What are the goals and mission of the Honor Flight Network? How did the organization get started?

2. How many veterans have participated in Honor Flight Network’s trips to war memorials since the organization started? What factors prevent many veterans from visiting these memorials on their own?

3. What are some of the practical challenges involved in transporting veterans — many of whom are in their 70s and 80s — to Washington, D.C. from across the country? What kind of training do volunteers undergo to address these challenges?

4. How did experiencing an Honor Flight Network trip impact the veterans who participated? Give three examples from the article.

5. What has been the public response to veterans during their trips? Why were some veterans, like Harold Bruso, surprised by the response?

6. What did you learn from the article? How did it change the way you view veterans and Veterans Day? What would you recommend to peers and others to better understand the meaning and significance of Veterans Day?

Look through the photos in the article, and then choose one on which to focus. Answer these three questions:

  • What do you notice in the photo?

  • What do you wonder? What questions do you have?

  • What story do you think this image tells?

If you’re doing this activity in class, share your photo and responses with your peers.

If you have time for a longer project …

You can interview a veteran to learn about her or his story.

The Library of Congress has created the Veterans History Project, where it collects interviews and oral histories with American veterans. Students and youth groups throughout the United States have contributed significantly to it. The project provides many resources on how to get started like sample interviews, sample interview questions, as well as background materials on American wars of the 20th century.

For specific interviewing tips and guidelines, watch the five-minute video “Four Tips for an Effective Interview” by StoryCorps or read “Interview Tips Sheet” by What Kids Can Do.

After your interview, consider sharing it with your class or even submitting it to the Veterans History Project.

What Students Are Saying About Sports Blowouts, Laughing at Others’ Pain, and Dream Homes

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What Students Are Saying About Sports Blowouts, Laughing at Others’ Pain, and Dream Homes

Home, the place you spend most of your time, the place you feel comfort, the place you grow up. When I think of the perfect home I don’t think of it physically because that’s not what matters. In my perfect home you have the ability to be yourself without repercussions. You have family meals each night, and movie nights on Thursdays. You are able to make mistakes without the fear of disappointment, or tell the truth instead of lying to get out of trouble. In my perfect home you feel loved by your family no matter what. I’m not saying my house is perfect, but it has everything I need inside of it, inside of each member of the household. The characteristics that build me as a person as I grow up inside, that’s what makes a perfect home.

— Charlotte Todd, Hoggard High School

Many people grow up dreaming of a huge mansion filled to the brim with all the new appliances, furniture, and toys, but not me. My dream home has always been just that- a home. A place where the people I love the most can gather together and share stories about their day-to-day life, and eat meals surrounded by laughter. The house of my dreams isn’t nessicarily a place, it’s the idea of people gathering together to build each other up and share tough things in a comfortable place. If that means an actual four walled building with beds, bathrooms, fireplaces, and a kitchen, great! If it means a campground with a firepit and a picnic table, even better. Home doesn’t always mean place, it means people, memories, community.

— Lauren Carr, Lubbock, TX

Ahh, a dream home. If I was to get my dream house, I would live in Kauai, with a mansion built somewhere in Wainiha. The mansion would be four stories with food, clothing, activities, and job districts that would allow residents to purchase or receive all needed amenities. I would have furniture from some really spendy furniture stores, along with furniture for my dogs. I would build a personal greenhouse to grow all of my fruits, vegetables, and flowers. On the top level of the house, a penthouse like design would be implemented to allow for maximum partying. I would include a slide from the top of the home to the bottom, to allow for speedy departures. Overall, I feel a lot of my home would be for quality of life and nothing else.

— Davin, Hawaii

My dream house would be located on a few acres of land in the country. I would love to have a big house with lots of land for the kids to play on. On my land, I would love to have a big pool and pool house to enjoy during the summer time. A pond in the front of my house would be amazing, with little fish swimming around. Inside my dream house, I imagine a big staircase at the entrance of my home, and the stairs spiral upwards. I would want a large kitchen to serve and prepare meals in.

— Kiersten, Bourquin

I have thought a lot about what my dream home would look like. I get a lot of ideas from movies that I really enjoy, most of them more vintage and old. I think I would want my house to be more medium-sized; not too big, but not too small, and located in more countryside Italy. I would want the outside of my house to be a calm cream color with lots of plants and trees outlining the sides and a front yard with plush grass and a stone walkway leading to the front door. Inside, there would be 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. The living room would have a wall dedicated to a bookshelf where I would store my unhealthy collection of books. There would be a wall that has huge windows and overlooks the oceans, mountains, and other towns. I would want there to be a spiral staircase that connects the top room to the bottom and a big backyard for my dog(s). The rooms would be airy and calm, with old movie posters and pictures of my trips with my family on the walls. I would want to live alone (unless I find a special someone) but be close to some friends so I do not get lonely. I would also want a beautiful garden that I can walk through a pick a variety of fruits and vegetables. In the middle of the garden would be a small pool surrounded with white tiles and a gazebo for relaxing in the late afternoon sun. My house would be safe, with soft touches of my dream career (archology) and paintings I have collected over the years.

— Kirra, HI

In my dream house, it would be a very modern minimalist. I would like a small studio apartment. With the walls painted white so it looked clean. Then a simple kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Nothing to the complex just simple looking and the capability to do its task. Preferably I’d like to use electric to the minimum so I’d downsize most appliances such as having a mini-fridge rather a large fridge and only having a shower than an entire bathtub. I would also not have much room consuming furniture such as a futon than a bed and kotatsu rather a sofa. I believe the less you have the less you need to worry about. I also wouldn’t need a large office size desk just a simple foldable coffee table would do to work on. In my dream house, it would be a very modern minimalist.

— Nene, America

The home I’ve always dreamed of having is modern and minimalistic. I love not having so many things bunched together, it makes you feels free. Almost like a weights been lifted off your chest. I would want a garden in the back of the house filled with flowers and herbs as well as plants decorated inside my house. It would be a place where everyone feels free and welcome. A home that’s comfortable and relaxing yet also aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. I would want it to be exactly what it’s called — a home.

— Malia, Kauai

At a young age, I have always fantasized about my dream home. Skyscraper ceilings, modern interior, and the minimalist feel is my ideal space. A home is a place where you love to live, unlike a house which can just be random walls to some. That is why my dream home will be somewhere I go to retreat after a long day. My dream home would have almost nothing in it. I live a very minimalistic life, and I find I act better in those types of spaces. I equivalate an empty room to a clear mind. If there is an overabundance of furniture and decorations I find myself stressing out and not being able to relax. My dream home will be empty with room to grow and prosper. It will be luxurious and serene. Walking into my dream home would relax any person at any given time.

— Lauren Cleveland, Lubbock, Texas

Creating emotive spaces

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Creating emotive spaces

Architecture touches all of our lives. It’s present in the places we call home, the buildings we work in, and even their interiors. We’re constantly interacting with the results of architects’ dreams. Believe you could think up the next iconic landmark? Keep reading.

With a degree in Applied Science with Curtin University through Open Universities Australia (OUA), you can make your start in architecture – building skills to create emotive spaces.

So, which degree can make it happen? It all depends on your goals.

Architectural Science

Choose the Bachelor of Applied Science (Architectural Science), and you can start laying the foundations for a career as an architect.

This degree encourages you to explore how architecture relates to culture and daily life, helping you form a appreciation for structures before moving onto the more technical aspects.

Not only will you learn the technical skills of drawing and design, but you’ll also learn about habitation, and what it takes to design for larger buildings and cities. As every architect needs to know how to hold his or her own, you’ll also learn much-needed skills in collaboration and leadership – which can be used across many career paths.

“You develop a range of skills that will prepare you to not only design, but to think outside the box,” says Steven Feast, Curtin University’s Online Coordinator of Architecture.

To become registered as an architect, you will need to study a Masters degree in the field as a Bachelors degree. You also need to register for Associate Membership of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects. But this degree is a solid place to start.

Interior Architecture

More concerned with the interior of buildings? Study the Bachelor of Applied Science (Interior Architecture) and you’ll immerse yourself in colours, textures and layouts – considering how they shape a person’s experience of a space, including their mood and even their health. Pretty amazing, huh?

Throughout this degree, you’ll be given a safe space to bring your own creative idea to life – developing a functional space that satisfies the people who use it. You’ll also learn elements of construction, and perhaps most importantly, how to stick to budget.

“Interior architecture offers the perfect blend of creative and pragmatic skills training,” explains Amy McDonald, First Year Coordinator and Online Tutor at Curtin University.

Like many Curtin University academics, Amy has strong links to industry. In fact, Amy runs her own practice. Ever dreamed of learning from an expert? Here’s your chance.

But it’s not only Curtin University‘s lecturers and tutors making a splash. Much of the university’s alumni have worked across the globe, including in San Paulo, Vancouver, New York and Amsterdam. That could be you one day.

Why Curtin University through OUA?

Curtin University is ranked in the top 25 universities in the world for the field of Architecture, according to the University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) 2018-2019.

Choose to study with Curtin University through OUA, and you can craft the blueprint for your future via online study. You’ll have the flexibility to study when and where it suits you – meaning you don’t have to sacrifice your job, family or social life. The best part? You’ll graduate with the same qualification as students who studied on campus.

To learn more about how to study through OUA – fill out the form on this page, and a friendly student advisor will get in contact. You can also chat to them on OUA’s website Messenger service, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp or SMS. They’ll help you find the right course for your future.

Otherwise, head over to the website to browse hundreds of degrees and subjects from leading Australian universities right now.

IEEE Learning with MOOCs VI: Meeting the People who Make the MOOCs

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IEEE Learning with MOOCs VI: Meeting the People who Make the MOOCs

Diercks Hall MSOE

I was a first time attendee at the sixth iteration of IEEE’s Learning with MOOCs conference held in October 2019 at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was there representing Esri and its MOOC Program, which I manage. (Why does a private software company offer MOOCs? I answered that question earlier this year.) I believe this was the smallest conference I’ve ever attended. There were just about 50 attendees! That said, these were the “right” 50 people to discuss the worldwide state of MOOCs. There were people from universities, governments, platform providers and private companies from among other countries, Uruguay, Singapore, Japan, Germany, India and Israel. A good number hailed from the United States including organizations using MOOCs in non-traditional ways. For example, Lincoln Labs, a defense/tech contractor based outside of Boston uses MOOCs for internal and contractor training. I was surprised to learn about a MOOC that teaches the basics of lasers by having students build one from a kit!

These are my takeaways from the conference:

The opening keynote speaker, Kerrie Douglas from Purdue, had us meet one another and then discuss some key MOOC topics in small groups. One takeaway for me what that the definition of a “good MOOC” varies depending on the goal of the provider and the student. Douglas cited a National Academy Press report of which I’d not heard: How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures that might be of interest to others who “make MOOCs.” The other point she made that was valuable to hear was that MOOC providers need to be realistic about having some students who are “fully engaged”, others who are “somewhat engaged” and a group that are “sporadically engaged.”

K. Holly Shiflett from MOOC platform provider and conference sponsor FutureLearn, suggested in her keynote that the responsibility for lifelong learning is moving from the employer to the learner. She described the “old model” of a high school diploma or single degree followed by employer training as all that was needed for a 40+ year career. The “new model” involves learner-directed lifelong learning. She divided learning options by their time span: from 5-60 minutes, 10-50 hour, 50-150 hours, to those that take a year or more that may lead to a certificate or degree.

Anant Agarwal, the CEO of edX, a sponsor, gave a “state of the art” keynote. (A video of his presentation is available on the IBLNews website, a conference media partner.) Agarwal noted that MOOC students seek different MOOC experiences. He described five:

Five MOOC goals

  • Relevant: acquire specific skills
  • Multidisciplinary: broaden/find complementary skills
  • Fluid: have learning be part of their lives
  • Connected: be locked to a location/family but still learn
  • Transformational: change themselves

Agarwal noted that employers are looking for a variety of skills in their new employees with about one third being soft skills. He noted too, that today about one third of Americans will change fields from their first job.

The delegates from India spoke about different components of the government initiative SWAYAM, a platform that offers free online college courses. Currently students can use the courses, once a fee-based exam is passed, for up to 20% of their degree credits. One course I learned about was aimed at introducing teachers to a variety of open source technologies that they might use in their classes. Students in that course were expected to create “lessons” with the technologies and then share them. Any MOOC that encourages students to create a valuable new product (a lesson, a research study, a software program, a laser, etc.) ranks above those that involve rote exercises in my book.

The delegate from Israel described the government initiative to provide free online preparation for the country’s college entrance exam, the Psychometric Entrance Test. The government wanted to level the playing field for lower income residents who could not afford existing fee-based face to face or online preparation courses. The solution is hosted on the country’s Open EdX implementation and with limited advertising generated a lot of interest and was judged by the students to be at least as good as, and often better than, the paid courses. The team behind the course even trialed an effort where students paid a small fee to also attend face to face sessions and have email access to a tutor. That was quite popular and successful, but alas does not scale.

A small company in Uruguay offers continuing education medical courses in Spanish and Portuguese. The courses fulfill requirements for continuing education for licensing in some countries (and are paid for by hospitals and other organization) but are also taken by medical professionals on their own dime. The company partners with experts on specific topics to develop and offer the latest information on specific medical topics.

The delegates from the Hasso Plattner Institute, home of the open HPI platform have a good deal of experience with MOOCs, since the platform dates back to 2012. One of their papers highlighted how a small change in the MOOC interface, changing the name of the button for the group chat, made a huge difference in student participation. That was a good reminder that no matter how good the content of a MOOC, small interface tweaks can make a significant difference in student experience.

One of the large group of students in attendance from North Dakota State University presented an interesting twist on finding topics for student projects. When it came time for students to identify project topics in Biomedical Engineering, a program with a “MOOC-ish” component, he pointed them to the listing of federal funding opportunity announcements to find a topic. I thought that was a clever way to have students find topics, tackle real world issues even as they networked! A good proportion of students found themselves invited to conferences and one even got a grant.

A few of the papers discussed the evaluation of language in MOOC content. I learned there are software tools to (1) evaluate the readability of course content, (2) embed definitions of terms in the course text and, (3) identify if the course content includes any gender stereotypes that might be reconsidered. I’ve not used such tools, but I am interested in seeing what they can do!

The final comment I want to share relates to the conference format. There were a handful of invited or sponsor-delivered keynotes of 45 minutes, but the paper presentations were just five minutes long. Each presenter also shared a poster covering the same content in a three-hour poster session on the first day. This format meant I was exposed to every accepted paper and spoke with nearly every attendee at least once. That’s not something I can say about too many other conferences!

Class Central is a media partner for LWMOOCs.

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