2 . On June 6th Columbia University announced that it will no longer co-operate with US News & World Report’s undergraduate rankings. It is the first top-notch institution to do so. Might its departure be the start of a mass departure?

Columbia’s decision follows a rankings scandal last year. In February 2022 one of Columbia’s own maths professors accused the college of fudging its data in several areas. The university later admitted to having used “outdated and/or incorrect methodologies”.

In the 1980s prospective students started to expand their college search beyond their local area, and it was hard to learn about universities and compare them. Hence, US News began ranking America’s top universities in 1983, and has released its findings annually since 1988.

Colleges have gone to great lengths to move up in the ratings. Richard Freeland, Northeastern University’s former president, capped class sizes and hired faculty to improve its spot; it moved from 127th in 2003 to 44th this year. Others went too far. A dean at Temple University’s business school was sentenced to prison and was ordered to pay a $250,000 fine after being found guilty of fraud in relation to artificially inflating his programme’s rankings.

The ranking system used to seem unstoppable. Universities have tried to ditch it before, only to find that doing so can backfire badly. US News still ranks non-participating universities, using publicly available information, and the data often do not go in their favour. Reed College, a liberal-arts college, stopped taking part in 1995. It tumbled from the top quartile to the bottom. Columbia did not submit data for this year’s analysis, citing concerns about Dr Thaddeus’s claims, and its ranking fell from second in 2021-22 (tied with Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology) to 18th in 2022-23 (tied with the University of Notre Dame).

Recently the mood has begun to change, however, especially among graduate schools. In 2022, of the 15 highest-ranked law schools, only the University of Chicago submitted data. Some undergraduate schools have already opted out this year (Rhode Island School of Design, Colorado College, Stillman College), but none are as prestigious as Columbia.

In May US News announced changes to its ranking methodology. It is moving away from metrics that rely on reputation and towards student outcomes. One way or another, the rankings—and universities more broadly—are in a state of constant change.

3 . The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in educational technology (EdTech) has brought incomparable convenience and efficiency to classrooms worldwide. However, despite these advancements, it is crucial to recognize the challenges these AI-driven tools pose to the autonomy and professional judgment of instructors.

One of its primary concerns is the depersonalization of instruction. These tools often rely on pre-packaged digital content and standardized solutions, leaving insufficient room for instructors to tailor their teaching methods. Each student possesses unique characteristics. Instructors, armed with their wealth of experience and knowledge, are best positioned to tailor their approaches to these individual needs. However, AI-driven tools restrict their ability to do so effectively, resulting in a one-size-fits-all approach that fails to inspire students to reach their maximum potential.

EdTech companies offer step-by-step solutions to textbook problems. These are intended to act as study aids. However, some students employ this feature as a means to merely copy solutions without comprehending concepts. Consequently, instances of cheating on assignments and exams become widespread. While these tools may offer convenience, students may use external resources or cooperate with others during quizzes, affecting the honesty of their learning outcomes.

The implications of this depersonalization and the increase in academic dishonesty are far-reaching. By decreasing the role of instructors as facilitators of meaningful educational interactions, we run the risk of preventing the growth of critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students. Education should not only focus on knowledge acquisition, but should also develop the ability to analyze, evaluate, and apply that knowledge in real-world contexts. It should help one’s mind grow, not simply memorize information. Through dynamic classroom discussions, cooperative projects, and hands-on activities, instructors play a crucial role in developing these essential skills.

While AI-driven EdTech tools undeniably have their virtues, we must not lose sight of the importance of preserving instructor autonomy and educational experience. Instead of relying only on pre-packaged content and standardized solutions, these tools should be designed to empower instructors to adapt and customize their approaches while taking full advantage of the benefits of technology.

4 . Within the education system, teachers are often asked to do too much and, in some places for some subjects, there are teacher shortages.    1     . It can free up teachers’ time by providing them assistance to complete labor-intensive activities, such as feedback, grading and even lesson planning.

An AI teaching assistant, for example, can offer students more frequent and immediate feedback on their writing, and can ask them to explain their steps on a math problem.     2    , they learn better. But this is impossible with one teacher and large class sizes.

    3    . It can reduce the amount of time teachers spend on planning by creating lesson plans, brainstorming class activities and drafting quizzes for certain groups of students respectively.

Spending less time on these tasks does not mean we need fewer teachers. It means teachers have more time to build relationships with students. Studies show that strong relationships with teachers and school staff help increase students’ motivation and academic engagement. Teachers help students achieve a sense of belonging in school, see themselves as capable of success, and act as architects of their own future.    4    .

Using AI can shift responsibilities so teachers can focus on the uniquely human things they can do to help students learn and prepare to solve the challenges of tomorrow.    5    .

5 . Whether in work or study, great people always do things as effectively as possible. Productive (高效的) people have one thing in common: A solid routine made up of small habits that helps them to keep a healthy mindset and lifestyle. Research shows a habit takes about 2l days to become normal behavior.     1    

●Make daily to-do lists.     2     Some people prefer to make their to-do lists first thing in the morning, while others like to do them each night to prepare for the day ahead. As a matter of fact, either way helps you to manage your time and workload efficiently.

●    3     Writing down your thoughts in your diary can help you achieve goals. You should even write down your progress, no matter how small it is, to help motivate you to keep going. This process will help you reflect and improve your memory and brain function.

●Have a rest. Whatever you are working on, you do not have to use up every ounce of energy you have.     4     When coming back, you’ll become clear-headed and happy, leading to greater productivity than just rushing through it.

●Clean up and organize for tomorrow.     5     It may be a little tiring. However, tidying up your home and preparing for tomorrow can prevent stress. This daily maintaining can ensure that you do not have to spend an entire afternoon cleaning during the weekend.

8 . How to Teach Your Child the Value of Money?

Do your teens understand the power of money? Do they know how to stop wasting and begin valuing money?     1    .

Set up the family’s money values

Since there is a lot of money decisions we have to make in a lifetime, it makes sense to set up foundational money values. Have you ever sat down to figure out your family’s money values?     2    . Communication helps set the stage for money management in your house, which is a great exercise for them.

Help them make calculations

    3    . Instead, you should have them see it with their own eyes. Calculating a cost-per-use for whatever your teens want to buy will help them in making their spending decisions. To do this, your teens will need to estimate how many uses they’ll get out of what they want to buy. Then, they’ll divide the cost of the item by the number of uses to find what the cost of use is.

    4    

This calculation is going to help your teenagers see how many hours they need to work in order to buy what they want. Let’s say their hourly pay is $5. If they want to spend $70 buying a pair of shoes, they have to work 14 hours to pay for them. That will tell them how many hours this item or event will cost them.     5    

Hopefully, these will help your teenagers become a financially aware person — the actual end-goal of money education.

9 . “What do you want to be when you grow up?” When I was a kid, I dreaded the question. I never had a good answer. Adults always seemed terribly disappointed that I wasn’t dreaming of becoming a scientist or an astronaut.

One of my complaints about the question is that it forces kids to define (定义) themselves in terms of work. When you’re asked what you want to be when you grow up, it’s not socially acceptable to say, “A father,” or, “A mother.” This might be one of the reasons many parents say their most important value for their children is to care about others, yet their kids believe that top value is success. When we define ourselves by our jobs, our worth depends on what we achieve.

The upside of low expectations is that they erase the gap between what we want and what we get. A lot of evidence shows that instead of painting a rosy picture of a job, you’re better off going in with a realistic preview of what it’s really like. Sure, you might be less excited to take it, but on average you end up more productive.

I’m all for encouraging youngsters to aim high and dream big. But asking kids what they want to be leads them to claim a career identity they might never want to earn. So instead, invite them to think about what kind of person they want to be — and about all the different things they might want to do.

10 . We always put into children’s minds that learning to read is extremely important to their future success. But we don’t put that same urgency(迫切性) on adults, even though a large percentage of American adults have a low reading or writing ability.

Learning those skills requires many levels of support. Take, for example, the three hours every day in a Louisville community center.

Ardo Ahmed and Yurilia Manzanares are among the people sitting in classrooms and listening to teachers. These three hours are about learning English. Yurilia came to the United States from Mexico, and Ardo from Somalia. “Everyone is coming here to learn English, to have the same kind of support as their children,” their teacher Meagan Lamb said.

Literacy(读写能力) among adults, specifically among moms, is a concern that reaches far beyond Louisville, far beyond immigrant communities. A Barbara Bush Foundation study found fewer than half of American adults can read beyond a 6th-grade level. A study supported by the National Institutes of Health stated “a mother’s reading skill is the greatest determinant of her children’s future academic(学业的) success.”

“There’s a stigma(耻辱) there,” said Felicia Cumings Smith, the new head of the National Center for Families Learning. “There’s quite a bit of funding that goes into literacy for K-12, but if students are not successful during those schooling years, that all comes to an end.”

These three hours, every day, make a difference. But they’re only possible because the community center where they take place provides childcare while the parents learn English.

The children are learning English, which creates even more stimulus for the parents to learn as well.

“The kids are speaking English in school every day,” Meagan said. “And then they go back home, and little by little Spanish doesn’t feel like their native language.” It’s why, in the last of these three hours, Yurilia and Ardo attend “Parent Time”. It’s where they practice not just the language but how to apply it.