Teaching is one of the most important, yet underrated, professions on the planet. Without teachers, you can’t have students, many of whom become inspired to touch the lives of other students like their teachers did for them. For those interested in becoming a teacher, it is important to have a good background degree.

The demand for teachers is high, because unlike other current job markets effected by the economy, there are always students that need to be taught. Not only are teachers needed for public schools at the elementary, middle and high school level, but at the college level, as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Some people say that earning an education is a student’s main job. I have always had a problem with this saying because of one simple fact: earning good grades does not pay your electric bill, put food on your table, or help offset your student loans…unless, of course, you have a GradeFund account.

GradeFund is a revolutionary new social media site that allows family, friends, corporations, philanthropists, or anyone else who wants to sponsor a student to reward hard-working students with financial contributions.

How does it work? Basically, you create an account and invite sponsors to support you. At the end of each semester, you send your transcript to GradeFund, and then if you meet the qualifications set by your sponsors, you receive either a check in the mail or a credit to your school towards your tuition. Sounds pretty easy, right? Read the rest of this entry »

“Can I ask you to recall a time when you really loved something?” Dan Meyer asked an audience at a recent convention. “A movie, an album, a song, or a book. And you recommended it wholeheartedly to someone you also really liked. You anticipated that reaction, you waited for it, and it came back and the person hated it. That is the exact same state that I spent every working day for the past six years.”

What exactly is Dan Meyer’s job? It sounds completely awful to me.

Surprisingly – or maybe not so surprisingly – Dan Meyer is a high school math teacher. Meyer says he is providing a product (math education) that nobody wants to buy, but are required by law to do so. However, Meyer says that the future of math education is actually quite bright. Read the rest of this entry »

“Listen to your elders.”

It’s a common phrase that I have heard many times during my lifetime. But who says older people really have it all figured out?

Adora Svitak, a 12-year-old, who is also a published author and teacher, begs to differ; she says that “irritation” or “childish” thinking is one area where our elders should actually be listening to us.

Svitak refers to Anne Frank and Ruby Bridges, two young females who dared to think “childishly” and deeply impacted history around the world.

“Who’s to say that certain types of irrational thinking aren’t exactly what the world needs?” Svitak asked an audience at the 2010 TED Conference. “Maybe you’ve had grand plans before, but stopped yourself, thinking ‘Oh that’s impossible,’ or ‘That costs too much,’ or ‘That won’t benefit me.’ For better or worse, we kids aren’t hampered as much when it comes to thinking about reasons not to do some things. Kids can be full of inspiring aspirations and hopeful thinking.” Read the rest of this entry »

Okay, so you have decided that you want to study abroad. You’ve picked your country and approved your decision through your university. The only problem is that your school does not offer foreign exchange to that country. What do you do?

Read the rest of this entry »

I have had the great fortune of studying abroad this summer. Part of studying abroad is, obviously, taking classes. I decided to take a Spanish literature class. Now, I have never been a fan of literature classes, mainly because I do not like having to memorize the teacher’s opinions about the work and accept them as fact, even if these opinions differ from my own. However, it is very interesting to read literature about a different culture and country. I feel like I know more about Spain and its development as a country from reading these literary works than from what I learned in my Spanish history course.

Here’s my challenge to you: I challenge you to read at least two books this summer by authors who are from a foreign country. These works of world literature will open your eyes to a way of life that is different from your own. Here is my list of the top world literature works to read for summer 2010.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dakota Fanning: Photo via celebuzz.com

While many high school students are balancing after school jobs, clubs, athletics and school work, 16-year-old Dakota Fanning somehow manages to be one of the most popular young actresses in Hollywood while still finding time for her homework.

In the Twilight Saga: Eclipse, premiering later at the end of June, Fanning reprises her role as Volturi Jane and told People Magazine that star Kristen Stewart is one of her best friends.

Read the rest of this entry »

It is no secret that a college education is expensive.

In fact, the average price for tuition at a private college according to the College Board for the 2009-2010 was $26,273, a 4.4 percent increase from 2008 and public school was an average of $7,020, up 6.5 percent. Over the next 18 years, the cost of a college degree is expected to increase to a couple hundred thousand dollars.

There is hope however for families who will need to start planning now for those expensive four years.

Read the rest of this entry »

Hey everyone! I am currently in Valencia, Spain, a beautiful city located right on the Mediterranean Sea. I will be vacationing here for a week before my classes start.

Valencia is home to La Lonja. La Lonja is a Gothic style building that was built in the late 15th century and served as a cultural hot spot. People came from across the country to conduct trade and socialize.

La Lonja is a huge building that can seen from blocks away; however, if you are awful with directions like me, you might get lost for three hours before you find it. But once you do find it, the gorgeous architecture and garden take your breath away. If you would like to see La Lonja for yourself, check out my (completely unprofessional) video tour above!

I think Llotja de la Seda was one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen, but Spain is filled with beautiful, historic  sites, so stay tuned and I’ll bring you more from my European study abroad!

Facts About La Longa:

• La Lonja means Silk Exchange. This describes the commercial nature of La Lonja.
• La Lonja has a Gothic style architecture. It is one of the oldest buildings in Spain and is a World Heritage Site.
• La Lonja was built between 1482 and 1548.
• Since Spain has been home to three main religious groups (Muslims, Christians, and Jews), there are many buildings that are designated for each particular religion. La Lonja is not one of these buildings. The Latin inscriptions on the wall of the main room declare La Lonja to be a commercial place for everyone.
• This is the translation of the Latin text: “I am an illustrious house built in fifteen years. Try and See, fellow-citizens, how negotiation is such a good thing when there is no lie in the speech, when it swears to the neighbour and does not deceive him, when it does not lend money with an interest charge for its use. The merchant who acts this way will prosper galore and at the end he will enjoy the eternal life.”

Read also:

• Let’s Go to Spain!

Oregon’s Department of Education  recently announced that they will now offer the Google Application Education Edition to all of the public school districts in the state budding from an effort to save the schools $1.5 million dollars annually.

The application allows teachers to access Gmail, Google Docs, and programs for spreadsheets, presentations, calendars, and video hosting remotely, specifically from their classrooms, computer labs, homes, city libraries and other places.

One looming problem however is the potential of server failures or power outages that could potentially result in inaccessible data.

Despite that potential drawback, analyst Melissa Webster says, “the growth in adoption of Google Docs should worry Microsoft. Google’s momentum could indirectly threaten some of Microsoft’s Office 2010 upgrade revenue by providing buyers some negotiating leverage. And in the longer term, the two are on a collision course.”

Recently, the city of Los Angeles also announced that the city’s 30,000 employees will be switching from Novell GroupWise to the Google App as well.

Via PCWorld