Filling Up the Void of Meaningful Educational Statistics

GUNNAR Myrdal in his monumental work, the Asian Drama, which is actually an inquiry into the poverty of nations, a kind of an unintended complement to Adam Smiths Inquiry into the Wealth of Nations, cited educational reforms and investment in man, the quality of mens lives, as important variables in the development planning equation for the poor countries of Asia. He was critical about the dearth of meaningful educational statistics in the region, and the misplaced overemphasis on physical investments and the inappropriateness of the capital/output model of the First World, as a measuring gauge of development in the Third World.

A case in point is the data on literacy rate. Quite conveniently, policy-makers and decisionmakers use literacy rate globally as some kind of index for the educational level of a country, although strictly speaking there is a world of difference between the two. For one, to be literate simply pertains to the ability to read, write and do arithmetic. On the other hand, to be educated means much, much more than doing the three Rs; it means, among others, the total development of the person to realize his God-given potentials, to be a useful and responsible citizen of the world.

Per se, high literacy rate does not, ipso facto, translate to high economic performance. We can only grant, theoretically, that it should mean a highly "teachable" labor force that could support economic growth. Stark ironies however, are borne out by a preponderance of world data readily available from the Internet. The Philippines is the most literate in South East Asia region, with 95.9 percent literacy ratings; but it is also one of the poorest countries in the region, when theoreticaly, high literacy should translate to better economic performance. Laos and Cambodia, are behaving true to form, they registered the lowest literacy ratings with 52.8 percent and 69.9 percent, respectively; their economic indices are also dismal. We do not have data for East Timor, a relatively new Republic included in the SEA region. Indonesia has the highest population in the SEA region, and the fourth biggest in the world; it is almost three times the population of the Philippines. Indonesias literacy rating is relatively high at 88.5 percent, but its economic performance is in the same league as ours, read as poor. Brunei has the smallest population, with the third highest population growth rate and fourth highest literacy rate; but its an oil-rich country, which explains its high per capita GDP.

Among the 11 countries of the SEA region, three are in the top 15 highest population of the world (Indonesia, 4th; Philippines, 13th; and Vietnam, 14th). The Philippines is the only predominantly Roman Catholic country in the SEA region, all the others are predominantly Buddhists. However, the two richest countries in the SEA region, Japan and Brunei, are neither Catholic nor Buddhist; Japan is predominantly Shintoist, while Brunei is predominantly Islamic.

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Educational Foundation Funds Innovative Projects

Byline: Deanna Griffin Barrington 220 Education Foundation

Established in 1999, the Barrington 220 Educational Foundation is dedicated to "bringing more to the classroom" in Barrington Unit School District 220. As a nonprofit organization, the Foundation raises funds for innovative and meaningful projects not otherwise supported by tax revenues.

The Foundation's projects and grants vary widely in scope and application. "Major projects" are large-scale endeavors for which Foundation trustees work with district administration, staff and community members to identify, prioritize and ultimately fund projects that enhance the student experience.

A small sampling of past major projects include helping establish the highly successful BHS-TV; "Project Lead the Way" pre-engineering curriculum; the Barrington High School Jim Hicks-Joe Chung Physics Learning Lab; the Middle School technology labs; Sound Field Amplification Systems and Leveled Literacy Libraries at the various elementary schools; and, with the help of a generous donor in the community, the playground at the new Early Learning Center.

The trustees of the Educational Foundation are proud to announce the major projects for the 2012-2013 school year.

They include: ongoing support of the nationally recognized "Project Lead the Way" pre-engineering program; a large-scale purchase of document cameras to interact with existing SMART Board Technology; and funding of the OverDrive Digital Download Library, which allows students to access a large variety of reading materials on electronic devices.

The Educational Foundation also received a matching grant for this school year to fund the purchase of specialized high-tech devices in every K-12 school in the district to assist special-needs readers.

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Educational Toys Endure Test of Time

At a time when computer chips allow dolls to converse and video games vie to achieve a reality more vivid than virtual, the National Association for Gifted Children's annual list of educational toys has a very old-fashioned flavor.

"The list runs the gamut from building toys to musical instruments to toys about the human body," says Peter Rosenstein, executive director of NAGC. His group publishes the list in its Parenting for High Potential magazine.

"But our biggest surprise was the inclusion of some old standbys - like Crayola's Big Box of crayons and the Klutz yo-yo."

Mr. Rosenstein says a panel of parents, children and educators reviewed more than 120 submissions before whittling the list to 18 recommended toys.

"We had just three criteria," he says. "They had to be both fun and educational, they had to cost less than $50 and they had to stand the test of time."

Mr. Rosenstein says his panel expected children to enjoy coloring with the 96 Crayola colors, but was amazed when a Montessori class built a colorful toy train out of the crayons.

"We loved the way that this old favorite triggered inter-generational play," Mr. Rosenstein says. "That's what marks a classic toy - it spans the generations and becomes something that parents enjoy playing with their kids on a rainy day."

Stacy Gabrielle, spokeswoman for Binney & Smith - makers of perennial favorites Crayolas and Silly Putty - says "people love to call us and share their nostalgic stories."

She says using crayons as building units is new to her, but "our purpose is to encourage hands-on fun - we challenge kids to think outside the lines - even when coloring within them."

The yo-yo - whose history dates to the ancient Greeks - was another classic on the educational list. "The Klutz Yo-Yo Book," by the editors of Klutz Press at $12.95, was included not for the enclosed yo-yo, but for the educational book.

"That's the difference between a hula hoop and a yo-yo," Mr. Rosenstein says. "A hula hoop may be fun, but with this book, children learn about physics when they read about how a yo-yo works."

Karen Phillips, spokeswoman for Klutz publishing, says the book, which has been out for more than a decade, has been updated this year to take advantage of the new interest in the old toy.

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Educational Program Will Focus on Childhood Blood Cancer

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which provides information and support for patients battling leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, will offer a free educational program this month titled "Coping with Childhood Blood Cancer - Beyond Diagnosis and Finding a New Normal."

The program, which will include a complimentary dinner, will run from 5:15 to 8 p.m. April 29 in downtown Buffalo, and focus on the nuts and bolts of cancer treatment, pediatric medical traumatic stress and resilience, family dynamics, educational needs and social networks. A panel which will discuss childhood blood cancer will include Dr. Martin Brecher, chief of pediatric hematology/oncology at Women & Children's Hospital, and Waldemar J. Kaminski, chair of pediatrics at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Preregistration is required by April 28. For more information or to register, email mary.walls@lls.org or call 249-3004.

Next RevCommunity ride will benefit Grassroots Gardens

The next Revolution Indoor Cycling RevCommunity ride, which offers a free spinning class in exchange for the commitment to help instructors with volunteer work afterward, will take place next Saturday.

After an hour workout that starts at 12:30 p.m., class participants will refresh and refuel before setting out for about two hours to help Grassroots Gardens.

Space is limited to 20 people; reserve your bike at revolutionbuffalo.com .

Educational program will focus on childhood blood cancer

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which provides information and support for patients battling leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, will offer a free educational program this month titled "Coping with Childhood Blood Cancer - Beyond Diagnosis and Finding a New Normal.

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Our Educational System

MANILA, Philippines - "Anti-poor" and "commercialized" are a damning way to describe and specify the country's education policies.

But that is exactly how some members of Congress see them and they are calling on the government to do something to quash such depiction of our educational system.

The Congress leaders, namely Rep. Raymond Palatino of the party-list Kabataan and Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan of Gabriela are hoping President Benigno Aquino III will step in to put a stop "to the commercialization of the country's educational system."

They are also seeking the restoration of budget cuts for state universities and colleges.

But they are not the only Congress leaders who are seeking education reforms. They are joined by some 100 more House members who signed a manifesto calling on President Aquino to increase the subsidy allocated for state colleges and universities.

Behind them are a huge gathering of students "protesting not merely to beg for a few crumbs from the state." They are demanding that the President reject the policy of reducing the role of government in providing higher education services to the youth.

The fact is, by providing financial assistance and other resources to the students, the government could at the same time help colleges and universities fortify and reinforce their leadership role in nation-building.

Surely, the needs are as endless as they are urgent in the education of the youth: Funding for extension and continuing education program, supporting undergraduate scholarship and work-study programs, developing institutions and strengthening them through faculty exchange proposals

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Nikolai's Web Site Uses Animation to Educate

Educational programs created for today's computers are opening doors to new animated figures. Children can use these characters to build their skills and imaginations.

Designed for a series of educational CD-ROMs, the best buddy duo of Nikolai and his orange-shirted feline puppet pal, Neow-Neow, help children while having fun.

On Nikolai's Web site, he and Neow-Neow lead viewers into educational areas that will appeal to 3- to 10-year-olds.

NIKOLAI'S WEB SITE

SITE ADDRESS: www.nikolai.com

CREATOR: H+a (I. Hoffmann and Associates Inc.) of Toronto develops interactive entertainment and educational content available for distribution on CD-ROMs, digital video disk and on line. The H+a collection features more than 85 games produced in more than 10 languages, including the Nikolai Adventure Series.

CREATOR QUOTABLE: "Nikolai.com is truly a family entertainment destination," says Uno Hoffmann, creative director for H+a. "Parents and children can explore engaging activities hosted by two lovable characters that create a 100 percent family-friendly Web experience."

WORD FROM THE WEBWISE: The site continues the series, developed for CD-ROM, and really highlights adventure and learning.

First, stop by Neow-Neow's Newsletter for some fun. In the section, children can enjoy adventure stories and the new comic strip featuring Neow-Neow as a superhero. A personal favorite in this area, Poems With Pizzazz!, features odes and haiku (whose subject often centers on food) written by Nikolai's furry friend.

Because the world is a big place filled with interesting things, Neow-Neow also invites young users on an informative, virtual photo tour of England. Children can click through 10 images that include places such as Stonehenge, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. Of course Neow-Neow is present in all the photos, including marching along with the Palace Guards. Nikolai must be the photographer.

For preschool and elementary school students, the ABCD's of Learning presents language arts, science, mathematics and art curricula designed to correspond with the child's educational level. For example, the Language Arts area challenges students with activities that hone skills in identifying synonyms and placing items in alphabetical order.

The Bookshelf area invites users to peruse Nikolai's personal collection, read his book reviews, take part in interactive stories that grow with each visitor, read classic stories, learn new jokes or even submit a literary effort for others to enjoy.

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