E-books for Everyone

This is an article about David Risher, a former executive of Amazon, and his dream of providing every child on the planet with e-books and the progress he's made so far. While volunteering at an orphanage in Ecuador, David came across a library that was locked while the kids had no books. When he asked the orphanage leader why the library was locked she said because the key was lost, the books were out dated and the kids had no interest in reading. This event is what began his journey    of making e-books more accessible to people around the world. Having always loved reading and being and executive for Amazon this the perfect way to put his passion for reading to good use. Although 50 percent of schools in sub-Saharan Africa have little or no books, most families do have access to a mobile phone. So as a solution to the problem, David and his non profit, world reader, launched a free mobile app that will help make e-books easily accessible on lower end mobile devices. All the data processes for the app happens in the cloud rather than on the phone so people don't have the high charges of data usage. World reader mobile is already on 5 million phones across the world. Publishing, printing and shipping books can be expensive. But David says beaming a book into a child's hand over a cell network should be easy. This app is significant because it works with the technology people already have rather than distributing new devices to read from.


I think this is an awesome step in making books available for everyone, especially when many kids and adults around the world don't usually have the opportunity to read books. And this is a revolutionary step for education in developing nations as well. While books for the schools can be expensive, having the ability to obtain the cheaper, more updated and accessible e-books for schools can make a world of difference. Not to mention more interesting and engaging for kids of the 21st century.



Sarah Middleton
4/19/2013
1:57

http://venturebeat.com/2013/04/09/former-amazon-exec-wants-to-give-free-e-books-to-every-child-on-the-planet/

Chilean March for Education Reform

In Chile this Thursday, students held their first official march of the year, demanding an education reform for their country. Students were marching in about a dozen cities throughout Chile. It was estimated that there were around 150,00 students marching in Santiago alone. The students were marching for a more equal and affordable education that they say should be available to all. The students say the system fails them poor public schools, expensive private universities, unprepared teachers and unaffordable loans. The march started off peaceful and fun, with some students waving flags, throwing confetti and playing drums. It lasted for about three hours until the police used tear gas and water bombs to clear out the crowd and over 100 people have been arrested. However this is not the first occurrence of a march over education, they have been going on for about two years in hopes of free education for their country. Currently Chileans are having to pay for 75 percent of their schooling out of their own pockets. The government's portion has only been enough for the brightest and poorest students in their country, leaving out everyone in between.



This is another great example of what we have been talking about in class regarding inequality in education. Although this is not a discrimination against a sex or race it's discrimination against the middle class of Chile. Just because the Chileans are not classified as "poor" does not mean they can afford to pay most of their very high tuition costs. Therefor the students are upset and have decided to take action in order to get their point across. They say education is a right so it should be free to all. They want a reformation of the education system, just like many other people around the world who are all calling for education equality.


Sarah Middleton
4/12/13
1:43


http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/04/11/chilean-students-stage-widespread-protests-demanding-education-reform/

http://www.santiagotimes.cl/chile/education/25995-more-than-150000-take-part-in-chilean-education-march

A Hope For Girls Education

This is an article written about the amazing contribution a young girl Malala Yousafzai is making for the improvement of education for girls in Pakistan. In 2012 Malala was shot in the head by the Taliban for her incredible activism. After receiving medical help in Britain she resumed her studies there and now despite her obstacles is still fighting for the rights of girls in Pakistan. She just recently announced over a video broadcast a $45,000 grant that has been set up in her name and will go to supporting the education of 40 girls in here home town of Pakistan, Swat Valley. It will help support the learning of girls ages 5 to 12 that would otherwise not have the opportunity and he forced to work and will even provide books and uniforms. But this is just the beginning. Malala hopes that number will grow from 40 to 40,000 with the help from other people and other organizations.



This article is just another reminder of the inequality that many girls around the world are still facing when it comes to education and women's rights. This is a great example of what we have been talking about in class about gender inequalities and unfair treatment among women. However with dedicated and determination of people like Malala and the Vital Voices Global Partnership organization hopefully the issue with girls education and inequality can one day be banished.



Sarah Middleton
4/7/2012
3:46

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/05/malala-yousafzai-announces-grant-for-girls-education/

The Education Crisis in Syria

This is an article written about the current education crisis in Syria that is a result from the constant warfare in the region at this time. A recent study shows that at least 2,400 schools have closed and an additional 1,500 are being used as shelters for displaced people. Education is a target of violence in Syria, over the last five years 31,500 violent attacks have been made on school systems. Parents are reluctant to send their children to school with the chaos resulting in some cities where children have already missed up to two years of schooling. The impact the the conflict in Syria is having on their education could be devastating for the future of Syria if education is not prioritized soon. It could result in fewer children going to school, less schooling and lower literacy rates which would hurt the country in the generation to come. There are currently not as many schools left to attend forcing girls to have to get married at a young age so they can have a protector in the violence instead of schooling. This article says the United States could lead the way to rehabilitation of their education in Syria by supporting an education relief plan. Working on setting up safe places for children to learn is key and good for the children's psychological health. Whether that be in homes or other safe places. Many families have fled to neighboring countries such as Jordan where 29,000 children have been given access to their schools despite their overcrowding issue they had before.

This is a social issue because it talks about the effects war and conflict are having on education, the children of Syria and their country's future. It also mentions the problem in Jordan with overpopulation in schools which goes along with what we have been discussing in class about demography and emigration. The families are being forced to leave their own county to find better opportunity and in this case also safety in another country. Education is an important issue that paves the way for a countries future and makes it stronger, without the proper education and learning for children the consequences of an uneducated generation could be extreme and result in an even worse situation then what is already at hand.


Sarah Middleton
3/22/2013
8:19 am

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2013/03/21-education-obama-trip-middle-east-jalbout-winthrop

How Children Get To School Around The World

This article is about the exhibit Journey to School that's on display at the United Nations Visitors Center. Its an exhibit that shows how children around the world get to school everyday and their often treacherous journeys they have to take. The exhibit shows 13 countries routes children have to take including walking for long periods, snowmobiling, canoeing and riding the subway. For example one of the developing countries featured is Nigeria and it shows the children of the nomadic Fulani minority in Kulumin Jeji. These children have to wake up at 5 o'clock am to do their chores that include fetching water and gathering firewood and then they have to walk to school for an hour and a half only to return back home to their herding responsibilities. This article is quick to point out though that transportation troubles are not limited to developing countries, but are also here in the U.S. as well. The article has a few words from Santiago Munoz who is a student that lives in Far Rockaway, Queens and has to travel 2 hours everyday to get to school at  Bronx High School of Science, which includes two bus rides and a subway.


Transportation for children on their way to school and on their way home is a big social issue because it often puts children in danger or is not good for them physically. The children that have to walk for hours before getting to school often become dehydrated or exhausted causing them to not be able to focus as well while they are there. Also the long and tiring journeys can be the cause of children dropping out of school. Being sure that there is a safe and timely transportation to school is just as important as the classroom itself.




Sarah Middleton
3/8/2013
3:39


http://transportationnation.org/2013/03/05/beyond-the-school-bus-how-children-around-the-world-get-to-school/

Is England's Education Falling behind?

This is an article written about an international study that was conducted on student test scores in England and Asian countries. The results the study showed was that England's brightest students are consistently two years behind students in the far east. The study shows that student scores seem to be about the same up until the age of ten. The different between the two groups increases when they get to secondary school or between the ages of ten and sixteen. Some argue that intervention however needs to occur even earlier than secondary school to ensure the students have a strong foundation for learning. Some also argue that greater attention should be paid to the brightest students to ensure their success and therefore the success of England in the future, however they are warned against dividing students saying this could have a negative effect. Another argument is that the difference in test scores could be caused by cultural influences rather than the education systems. Far eastern countries place a very high importance on education complete with individual family tutoring sessions. The article ends by saying however that England's brightest are not only two years behind Asian countries but also every other country as they get older.



This is a social issue because it shows problems in the education system of England and problems that could be emerging for their country which affects a large amount of people. In order to have a strong country you must have good education for the people who are going to run the country in the future. With a weak education system they could being to slip behind other countries and lose its place in the top ten world powers and lose military strength over time with weak leadership and lead to poverty.


Sarah Middleton
3/1/2013
2:31 pm

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/english-pupils-two-years-behind-asian-peers-in-maths-8505821.html

New Policy for Transgender Students

This article is about the policy that was recently passed by the Massachusetts Department of Eduction in regards to transgender and gender non-conforming students. The policy states that students may use the restroom and locker rooms and play on the sports teams of the gender they identify themselves with regardless of physical anatomy. This gives the students the freedom to pick the sex that they wish to identify themselves with. Advocates for transgender youth are strongly behind the new policy and say it will help reduce confusion among the people around the transgender student and will make the environment more safe and welcoming for the child. While some people are arguing that it may cause non-transgender students discomfort the document states that this discomfort is not a reason to deny access to the transgender students. It even goes so far as saying that using the wrong gender pronoun than wanted by the student can be grounds for punishment.


This article is a great example of the sex, gender and sexuality issues we have been discussing in class. The issue with this document that was released by the Massachusetts Department of Education is that it only regards the concerns of the transgender students. It doesn't have an adequate solution for the non-transgender students and the discomfort they may feel with having a person of another sex in their restroom or locker room. Although it does recommend sex-neutral restrooms and changing areas, which would be the best solution for the situation, it says the discomfort the students may feel is not a reason to deny access of these facilities to transgender students. This is an issue because not only is there a problem for the transgender and gender non-conforming students with where they can feel accepted, there is also a issue with telling the majority of students they have to be okay with there being a boy in the girls locker room or vice versa.



Sarah Middleton
2/22/2013
3:13

http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2013/02/20/mass-department-education-issues-directive-trans-students

Blog 2: Education of the Future

In this article World Class: A Superschool for the Global Age, it  explains a new schooling concept that is clearly the product of globalization on education and the process that is preparing kids for life in a globalized world. This article explains the new school in Manhattan, Avenues, as a 'world school' or 'integrated learning community' because this school's focus is not only on the education that will benefit one here in America but education that will prepare a child for global relations. At this particular school half of all it's subjects are taught in either Mandarin or Spanish. This new school concept is based on the premise that today's global culture the traditional school model has become outdated. An aim is for all pupils to be trilingual by the time they leave school. Part of their curriculum is spending 6 to 8 weeks studying around the world. Character schooling, the teaching of moral and ethical values, is also integrated into the program. No religion is advocated at the school but they are taught in a scholarly manor. Class rooms are furnished with oval tables set in a semi-circle to ensure that there is no back row. Another interesting aspect about Avenues is the technology. All students are given an ipad at the age of 7 and if need be you may attend class virtually when sick. Ipads are the new book bags. Avenues was said to be the most technologically sophisticated school in the country by the wall street journal. Their plan is to open up 20 more campuses around the world within the next 10 years.

I really enjoyed this article because it goes perfectly along with what we have been talking about in class, globalization. Globalization has had an impact on many different aspects of everyday life such as the job market, consumer products and prices, but one wouldn't think about how globalization will effect even the most basic fundamental principles of our societies such as education. It does make a lot of sense to me though to be educated about other countries and their languages because of our growing relations and solidarity between nations and we can only expect for these ties to grow even stronger in the future. Our kids are the future and they should be ready for it.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/9831417/World-class-a-superschool-for-the-global-age.html

Sarah Middleton
2/8/2013
1:11 pm

Blog#1: Why Toilets = Education

This is an article I found about John Kluge and his partner Michael Lindenmayer who are Co-Chief Toilet Hackers. These men along with their partners, such as the Water for People organization, are taking on the issue of sanitation across the globe. John Kluge says "Be thankful. You have a toilet. 2.5 Billion people do not. This is a big deal. You need to know this shit". This past December, John and Michael hosted a hackathon with over 1250 innovators to help come up with a solution for solving this problem with sanitation and girls attendance at schools. Sanitation is a big problem for girls in other countries. The articles states that in one survey 23 percent of Indian school-aged girls dropped out of school when they reached puberty. Often their families encourage the girls to just stay home and get married. But thanks to the hackathon that was put together, 181 prototypes were built for 130 sanitation-related problems over the course of 48 hours and these prototypes are going to be tested in the field. This was step one in the initiative to fix this social issue. They also plan to launch subsequent hackathons that address behavior change towards the issue.


I found this article very interesting because it shows a global social issue that's impacting a large number of people but it also showed people who are standing up and making a difference and helping to solve this issue. Before reading this article I knew that many people around the world do not have toilets but I never thought of the devastating effects that can have on a society, especially for girls and their education. Being a girl myself there is no way I could even imagine having to go without proper and clean sanitation. Another aspect I found interesting about the article was how they also want to address behavior changes towards the issue. Many people find toilets and natural body processes a touchy subject or for the ones that don't have the toilets, it can make them feel shamed.They want people to feel comfortable talking about these issues so that maybe we can fix them.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/deniserestauri/2013/01/03/why-toilets-not-cell-phones-are-key-to-education-around-the-world/

Education

I'm choosing to do education because its a topic that I'm interested in and I would like to know more about whats going on around the world in the field of education. I'm also an education major so I feel like learning more about this topic would be very beneficial for me.