AU Blogspot

The following article once again reinforces the importance of Web 2.0 technologies in a progressive educational environment, a message that we have been committed to carrying to our Ashworth University students through our own 2.0 applications such as MySpace, Facebook, Ashworth University Blog, and even our preliminary experiments in Second Life’s virtual world.  It’s nice to see the more “mainstream” educational community is finally beginning to recognize that today’s education is web-based, interactive, and network driven.  Here at Ashworth, we’re committed to these principles and encourage our students and their families to become as engaged as possible in the Web 2.0 revolution: where everyone is empowered to create, learn, and connect on their own terms.

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University 

At Ashworth High School, we place the highest value on the accreditation status of our various program offerings.  From our high school to our masters’ programs, our curriculum development process meets the strict standards set by state, regionally, and nationally recognized accrediting agencies such as SACS-CASI, CITA, and DETC. 

Over the past several months, we’ve been closely following the unfortunate developments in Clayton County’s school accreditation crisis.  As we have a number of faculty, staff, and students originally from and currently residing in your county; this story does hit close to home.  As a school with local community ties, we’re committed to doing whatever we can to provide the citizens of Clayton County with accredited educational options.  

On April 26th, faculty and staff members from Ashworth High School will be hosting open panel discussions from the hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Southlake Mall.  We’d like to encourage students and their families to take a few minutes out of their day to join us for what promises to be a very lively and informative event.  To give you a clearer sense of what these seminars will cover, here’s some of the most important issues we’ll be addressing and program features we’ll be demonstrating:

• Explain the benefits of distance education in today’s world
• Show how parents can fit into a child’s education
• View live demonstrations of course and online tutorials
• Examine our industry leading textbooks, study guides, and course related materials such as lab kits.

This is a great opportunity to meet our distinguished team of experts who develop our accredited curriculum, ask questions of our experienced faculty, and discuss with our student advisors exactly how credits are transferred to our school. 

For more information about this upcoming event, please visit our “Ashworth Options” web page at:

www.AshworthOptions.com

We’ve also created a special hotline number and email box exclusively devoted to answering questions about what Ashworth High School can do for you.

The hotline number is:

877-94-ASHWORTH

The email address is:

options@AshworthHighSchool.com

We’d like to thank you for your time today and look forward to seeing you on April 26th at Southlake Mall!

Sincerely,

Ashworth High School Faculty & Staff

Dr. Lisa Bryde is Ashworth University’s manager of Research and Curriculum Development.  If you have any questions about our accreditation standards or would like to discuss what educational options may best fit your needs, please feel free to contact Dr. Bryde at:

lbryde@ashworthuniversity.edu

                    Thanks to Olivia for permission to use this Photo. 

George Siemens is acknowledged as being one of the most innovative minds in the education field.  Through his groundbreaking analyses of how educators can use technology to their advantage rather than fearing its’ radical capabilities, Siemens has had a major impact on how teachers, students, and just about anyone involved in the education field perceives how our traditional learning models must evolve in order to effectively provide the knowledge and skills most vital in tomorrow’s “connected” world.  In the following slideshow presentation, Siemens outlines some of his main thoughts on what tomorrow may look like if we begin taking the necessary steps to reform our educational system today.  This presentation is a solid introduction to George’s theories.  We’d like to thank him for being an Ashworth University contributing blogger and would like to encourage everyone to check out his amazing elearnspace Blog.  Thanks George!

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University

Photo courtesy of foundphotoslj

Do Homeschoolers Need Teaching Credentials? I’ve got a Pajamas Media column on the California appellate ruling that bans homeschooling by uncredentialed parents. I believe homeschooling is here to stay. If the ruling isn’t overturned on appeal, it will be overruled by the state Legislature.

David Friedman, “academic economist who teaches at a law school and has never taken a course for credit in either field,” noted Justice H. Walter Croskey’s call for indoctrination.

“A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare,” Croskey wrote.

Friedman writes about unschooling his children. His daughter is now applying to college, using her SAT scores — and a very long list of the books she’s read — in lieu of grades.

Joanne Jacobs
Author of “Our School: The Inspiring Story of Two Teachers, One Big Idea, and the Charter School That Beat the Odds.”
Ashworth University Contributing Blogger

*Joanne Jacobs’ solution-based perspectives on education reform have earned her a reputation as one of the most trusted education bloggers on the web. We’re honored to have Joanne as a member of our AU contributing bloggers’ network. For more insights into Joanne’s life and work, please visit her highly informative website here and check out her acclaimed book linked above. Thanks Joanne!

In yet another sign that the home school education movement is gaining mainstream acceptance, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California has denounced a court ruling restricting the rights of parents who want to home school their children.  The following article outlines the details of this developing story.  Scharzenegger referred to the ruling in question as “outrageous” and stated that “parents should have the right to decide what’s best for their children.”  We here at Ashworth University applaud the Governor’s stance against the governmental regulation of parents’ rights and are happy to see the home school movement continue to gain momentum on the national stage.  As always, if you have any questions about Ashworth University’s Home School initiatives, please feel free to contact us at any time.  Dr. Lisa Bryde, our manager of Research and Curriculum Development, will be happy to advise you on what homeschool options best fit your family’s needs. 

You can contact Dr. Lisa Bryde at: 

lbryde@ashworthuniversity.edu

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University

Making students accountable for test scores works well on a bumper sticker and it allows many politicians to look good by saying that they will not tolerate failure. But it represents a hollow promise. Far from improving education, high- stakes testing marks a major retreat from fairness, from accuracy, from quality, and from equity.
- Sen. Paul Wellstone (1944-2002)

Standardized testing is quite the hot topic, to say the least. I remember spending pretty much the entire semester of Tests & Measures in college debating the validity of standardized tests.

A lot of educational institutions are being accused of “teaching to the test”. If you have to teach to a test, then obviously the test isn’t really testing what it should be, right?

Standardized tests are used for different purposes. We won’t get into the political purposes right now, but we all know that those exist. In elementary, middle, and high schools, they are used to make sure that students are performing at an appropriate level, and they are used to place students in appropriate courses at the appropriate level. These tests should be testing grade-level knowledge, reasoning and problem solving ability, writing skills, etc. A well constructed test does just that – it tests whether or not the test taker has certain knowledge and skills and can apply that knowledge and those skills.

Special thanks to SideLong for permission to use this photo.

I have seen student records where a student is earning decent grades in math courses like Algebra and Geometry, but then they are unable to pass a state exit exam in math. What is the problem here? Is it that the students are not actually learning the material? Are grades being “given” to students? I find it impossible to believe that a student can earn a B in Algebra I and Geometry and then fail a math exit exam that most likely only skims the surface of basic Algebra and Geometry. Is the test bad or are the courses bad?

The only thing I really have to go on to answer that question is that the tests are standardized while the courses are not. We see students across counties and states performing at or above level in their high school courses and then failing exit exams. What are these tests actually testing? I’m not saying the courses themselves are perfect, I doubt they are. Improvements on these courses that are being made are based on how students are performing on these tests though, and that is a little scary. Courses should be designed so that the student learns and understands the material, and the tests should be designed to make sure they have done just that.

If we are teaching to tests, especially bad tests, we are really failing our students.

Nicole Burris
Associate Registrar
Ashworth University

 
              Thanks to juanjoseixas for permission to use this Photo.

With the public school system failing, one wonders whether the federally mandated emphasis on pass/fail standardized testing (reactive) rather than ian investment in the comprehensive reform of our educational models (proactive) is anything more than a political “red herring.”  The following video features an influential educator by the name of Ken Robinson.  Mr. Robinson eloquently discusses the creativity crisis that our schools are suffering from and proposes possible alternatives to policies that undermine student creativity rather than provide an environment conducive to its’ development.  At Ashworth University High School, we take great pride in our ability to customize our program studies to meet the diverse learning styles of our students.  We’d love to hear from our home school parents out there.  Please share your perspectives in the comments section of this post.  We’ll talk again soon.

Ryan Rode
Ashworth University

 
               Thanks to Kafkaesque for permission to use this Photo.

Forbes magazine recently featured a commentary piece by Bill Gates on expanding educational opportunities.  Gates speaks very candidly about his concerns for education– which include a lack of skills based training, a shortage of qualified teachers, and his overarching belief that our education model/system suffers from what he terms a “problem of scale.”  Fortunately, Gates’ feels confident that technology and all its’ potential applications can be the most effective tool in balancing issues of scale.  Many of us often overlook the philanthropic contributions of the world’s richest man.  We must note that he has literally invested billions of dollars in educational incentive programs.  Let us know what you think about Gates’ prescription for change.  You may be surprised how inspiring his vision for education turns out to be.

Ryan Rode
Interactive Services Manager
Ashworth University