blogging about .edu stuff
Archive for jobs
May 28, 2007 at 8:39 pm · Filed under jobs, trends
When I think ahead in terms of what students could do after college I’m perplexed. On the one hand I believe in the value of liberal education; on the other I remember working at Jimbos in the 80s, managing the deli and looking over applications from college graduates, wondering why they wanted to make sandwiches for $5 an hour. Envisioning what one could do in life with a degree in psychology or communication has never been easy. It’s why I left school after an associates in the early 80s. I knew a degree didn’t secure anything I was interested in, like music. It’s of course very different now. I don’t hesitate saying that the world is very different, more competitive and without a foundation, it’s difficult.
This article is interesting in that it sheds some light on the changing landscape of work. It helps us as educators connect students with what’s next. I think it might be part of liberal education after all, helping students envision connect what they’re doing in college with what they could be doing as a result of their education. There are so many “jobs” that require a composite of skills, like the ones illustrated in this article about Nokia.
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February 7, 2007 at 4:57 pm · Filed under News, education, educational technology, higher education, jobs
Reed said he “envisions students becoming more like
telecommuters. They might meet with faculty and peers one day a week
on campus, and then use simulations, virtual worlds and downloaded
information the rest of the week to complete coursework.” Read more
Feels like I’m on the crest of the big Kahuna wave, here….
May 28, 2006 at 12:52 pm · Filed under Students, jobs, learning
I appreciate George Siemens posts, they’re often filled with lots of food for thought. His white paper Learning in Sync with Life: New Models New processes got me to thinking again about non-formal learning and metacognition.
How do learners accumulate their learning and demonstrate competence and capability?
How do learners understand and perceive their own learning, acquired competencies and capacity? I read some years ago that the skills and knowledge a “homemaker” accumulates from the myriad of duties she attends to to keep a home running, equal or exceed those of a middle manager.
I’d guess that most people have little interest in how they learn, but rather in how their skills can be transferred and applied to various situations. Resume writing and preparing for job interviews are a great vehicle for synthesizing and summarizing our competencies.
I’m not sure we can create a culture of life long learning without exposing our beliefs about what it (learning) looks like, when it happens, and how.
And I’m wondering too as I write this, that perhaps some of the fears of obsolescence educational professionals have, might be justified. Tools, games and connections continue to become more sophisticated technologically, socially and politically. We need to keep up enough to be able to guide students’ attention and co-construct what’s going on. This process might make it possible for us to model and facilitate non-formal learning and metacognition.
May 25, 2006 at 7:48 am · Filed under News, Students, jobs, trends
A culture of debt we are but this is the first time I’ve heard it put in these terms:
…With hefty repayments in their future, however, many students, including Boston University graduate Lowery, are walking away from low-paying government, nonprofit, and teaching jobs.”I really want to work in advocacy law,” she says, “but from a practical perspective that’s not going to happen. I just won’t be able to pay back my loans.”
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