The trappings of social media

As my readers know, I'm a huge fan of social media. I love social  bookmarking sites, like Diigo, book networks like Goodreads and, of course, sharing sites like Twitter.

I've written widely on the value of social media in the classroom, and I speak loudly about their dangers and how to avert them.

Now that I'm a full-time writer and education consultant, though, I find myself using social media more than ever, as a promotional tool. I use Facebook to promote my books and LinkedIn to promote me as a consultant. I have suddenly become obsessed with using social media as one giant commercial tool.

Photo credit: nonprofitspam.wordpress.com

Today, this social media trap taught me a valuable lesson.

I tried something new. I got an invite from a trusted online source, and the next thing I knew I was uploading my LinkedIn connections to this new social network as "colleagues." Little did I know that when I did this, the nefarious program would automatically generate a very "spammy" email to all of my LinkedIn connections.

Before I knew it, my inbox was overflowing with emails from connections, asking me about this. Suddenly, I was doing damage control, explaining to people that I had no idea an email would even be sent.

After some contemplation, I realized I was more mad at myself than I was at the company. How could I, someone with years of experience with web tools and social networks, make a mistake like this? Then, it dawned on me that I'd been caught in the trappings of social media -- the obsession of omnipresence.

So, am I shutting down my social media accounts and unplugging from the Internet? Of course not. Will I discontinue all promotional posts? No.

What I can promise any reader or social  media connection of mine is that I'll never make the mistake I made today, in search of popularity and omnipresence.

Oh, and the next time I have the opportunity to discuss social media use with teachers or students, I'll be sure to share this experience with them. You should do the same.


Don't miss Mark's book ROLE Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom, now available in the ASCD store, Barnes & Noble and at Amazon.com

Is Education Reserved for the Wealthy?

Special to Role Reversal
Lael De Boer

Far before your student ever receives their high school diplomas, they are dreaming of getting in to the perfect college with its academic reputation, beautiful campus facilities, and amazing athletic teams. The acceptance letter used to be the only worry clouding that dream, but now the piggybank is beginning to

overshadow this concern with an even greater one: How will you afford college?

Photo credit: Phase3Profit.net

College tuition and expenses have risen drastically over the past thirty years. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average yearly tuition has risen from $9000 to the current price tag of $21,657.  While tuition has risen greatly, the average amount of financial aid remains below $8000. This gap between the expensive bills and the available aid is creating a generation of college graduates with enormous college debt and high school students without much hope.

Those with mutual funds and mansions may be able to afford the rising costs, but as we have watched the cost of a college education rise more than more than ten times what it was 35 years ago (Bloomberg), the rest of us are beginning to wonder if education is becoming unreachable for the average citizen. 

Preserving Your Chance at Higher Education

For those of you who have been depending on student loans to pay for college, the latest events in Congress should be of great concern to you. Until July 1^st, interest rates on student loans remained at 3.4%, but due to the inaction of Congress, loan rates just doubled to 6.8%. This additional burden is placing higher education further out of reach for many.

Education Week reports that student advocacy groups are looking for a one-year extension of the lower rate, but this is only a short-term fix. For those of us who want to see long-term change, it is time to get involved in the political scene, even if it is simply sending a letter to your representative urging them to take action on this issue. Politicians need to start moving towards a comprehensive solution.

Still, college and exorbitant bills are approaching quickly for many, and parents and students are desperately searching for ways to make it more affordable. With the new interest rate in mind, the best way to pay for college involves avoiding loans. Chelsea Watkins outlined some of the best steps for funding a college education without creating debt in a recent interview. The most important points boil down to being prepared, being educated on what is available, and putting your best foot forward.

1. Start Accruing Money Now – No matter where you go to college, having money saved up will help when those bills arrive. However, instead of simply saving for college, start accruing money by placing your college savings in accounts that will grow that money. Similar to how a college loan would cost you more in the long-run through interest payments, placing money in accounts like 529s, Roth IRAs, and Dividend Paying Whole Life Insurance will make you more money overtime by gathering interest, meaning you’ll end with more money than what you started with. 

2. Understand Financial Aid – The amount of aid that colleges and the government will provide depends greatly on your EFC and the college’s % of Need Met. Your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) is the amount of money that the family is expected to pay for their student’s education. This number is calculated by examining the students and parents’ income and assets. Your “need” is than determined by taking the Cost of Attendance for an education institution and subtracting your EFC. Colleges vary in the amount of need they meet. Attending an institution with a higher % of Need Met means that you will receive more financial aid and will pay less out of your own pocket.

3. Put Your Best Foot Forward—Colleges determine their financial aid packages around a variety of factors besides need. Students already know that grades and their entrance exam scores affect their acceptance into college, but should remember that these factors also affect their financial aid awarding. Colleges also examine the strength of students’ applications. Doing what you can to ensure a stellar application and entrance essay will make colleges want you, thereby making them offer more aid in order to secure your

Lael De Boer writes for Launch Education, studies English Language Arts and writes everything from research papers and literary analyses to creative fiction. She is an avid proponent of proper English grammar usage and has become a keen editor from years of academic proofreading.

Don't miss Mark's book ROLE Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom, now available in the ASCD store, Barnes & Noble and at Amazon.com

ASCD announces new short book format, Arias

ASCD's new Arias format

I am so proud to be part of the launch of ASCD's new short format books, called Arias. The Arias are available as both eBooks and on-demand hard copies, and are limited to 9,000-11,000 words (40-50 pages). These are quick reads that are built around a central question, written in the first person.

The idea behind Arias is to give educators something they can read in one sitting and apply immediately to their classroom, school or their school district.

My book, The 5-Minute Teacher: How do I maximize time for learning in my classroom, demonstrates how teachers can create brief, student-centered teaching and learning segments that make learning interactive and fun.The 5-Minute Teacher takes some of the concepts from Role Reversal and zeroes in on what they look like in actual lessons and activities.

To learn more about ASCD's new Arias, read today's press release. Oh, and don't forget to reserve your copy of The 5-Minute Teacher today.



Don't miss Mark's book ROLE Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom, now available in the ASCD store, Barnes & Noble and at Amazon.com

Do your students understand why we pledge allegiance?

At my school, we say the Pledge of Allegiance to begin each day. Many schools do this, but some do it only on major holidays -- like Patriot Day and around Memorial Day. Some schools say it only on the first day of the week.

What has always frustrated me as a teacher is how many students give so little regard to saying the Pledge. Some don't understand its meaning; they also have little or no comprehension of the great history of the flag. They slouch, mumble or stare into space, while their peers pledge.

This video, produced by the History Channel, provides an excellent, brief history of the flag. Share this with your students, no matter what age, and discuss the tradition of the flag and why we pledge our allegiance to it.

Then, encourage your students to stand straight and pledge with pride throughout the year.


Cross-posted at Learn it in 5

Don't miss Mark's book ROLE Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom, now available in the ASCD store, Barnes & Noble and at Amazon.com

Lessons from the Tattoo Artist

Students often don't see the value in what we teach. "When am I ever going to use this?" they'll say. A simple example is spelling. Not that I'm a fan of making elementary students copy spelling words over and over again (a ridiculous waste of time), but understanding pronouns, contractions and homophones, for example, certainly has a place in education.

Sadly, all too often, teachers fail to relate what seems to be insignificant to real life, emphasizing why particular lessons are so important.

Sometimes the real-life lesson can be provided in a simple picture. Take this picture from Funtasti.com.

Talk about a picture being worth a thousand words -- even when it's only three!

Share this picture with your students. Begin by asking what is wrong? Some students will figure it out immediately. "The contraction should be the possessive pronoun 'your'," the excellent reader and grammarian will announce. Still, many will scratch their heads, failing to see the problem.

Not only does the picture help teachers explain the homophones, it provides a wonderful real-life teachable moment.

"Remember class, if you don't know the difference between 'you're' and 'your,' stay away from the tattoo artist."


Cross posted at ASCDEdge