NOVA Science Now Future Tech

Watch What Will the Future Be Like? on PBS. See more from NOVA scienceNOW.

Here are some is another video detailing future uses of technology.

NOVA Science Now

Watch What's The Next Big Thing? on PBS. See more from NOVA scienceNOW.

This video shows some future technologies.

Fiscal Conservatism

Its quite true that the United States government and indeed many governments are spending simply too much money these days.  What both parties do not understand is that they are both to blame.

We need serious entitlement reform.  We also need to make sure that we aren't spending so much money on foreign wars.  A huge amount of money could be saved by engaging in serious entitlement reform and increasing the efficiency of how the military-industrial complex uses its money.

True Conservatism

We could use some true conservatism on the part of the Republican parties these days, and with a radical change to be more conservative, the GOP might gain some votes.

Being a conservative means thinking before acting.  It means conserving our resources-monetary and environmentally.  Spending less money and eliminating waste when possible is a very smart thing to do in government, though many "conservatives" are still content to spend on foreign wars and on pork in their districts.

Being a conservative also means conserving the environment.  Making sure through careful stewardship that our natural resources and parks are still there for our children.

Education Reform

As we make several posts on education reform, we'd like to share some very informative videos and articles that share interesting and different perspectives on education.  These varying perspectives are essential in revolutionizing our education system and adapting it for the 21st century.  Today, we'll share some clips of Salman Khan the man who founded Khan Academy.

Posted by ReasonTV, Khan talks about education reform in our country and how we can restructure the education system.  Early on, he advocates paying teachers more, establishing teaching as a profession on par of highly-trained doctors.  He feels the country needs to change to dynamic in the classroom and the teaching profession.

Below is a nice 60 Minutes piece complied by CBS.  It details the specifics of Khan Academy and how it can change education.

By creating videos such as this, Khan is effectively using technology to further education.  While technology used ineffectively can certainly stall student learning, there are many situations when technology can prove effective.  This is one of those cases.

Additionally, here is an interesting video put together by edutopia with more information on Khan and his creation, as well as his views on how it can be used.

Education Reform: The Problem

As many education reform proponents say, the difference between a good teacher and a bad teacher is vast.  A fantastic teacher can cover loads of material and inspire kids to become world leaders, while bad teachers can bring down an entire class, causing students to be ill-prepared for their ongoing education.  Eric Hanushek, a Stanford economist, contends that on average, good teachers cover a year and a half's worth of material as opposed to half a year for bad teachers.  This is one whole year's difference, and when tabulated cumulatively, can result in huge gaps in learning.

The problem then, is to find ways to get good teachers.  This is obviously easier said than done.  It is often not apparent that a bad teacher is bad until the teacher is already behind in the material.  Test scores can be used to track teachers, but it requires large sample sizes, with scores taken over many years, to get anything close to a clear picture of teacher performance.  The thing is, we want a way to quantify teacher success when there may not really be one.  A teacher that inspires his or her students to join a science summer camp would not have a measurable change in their student test score performance.  Good teachers also have intangibles, which are equally if not more important than testing performance.  Not having a clear way to distinguish a good teacher from a bad one is just part of the problem of our education sector.

If a teacher is considered bad, it is not always straightforward on how to get rid of them.  While some schools can certainly get rid of teachers, at others it is harder.  Powerful teaching unions, along with the use of tenure, have often been barriers to the removal of bad teachers, preventing better ones from being hired.

Money earmarked for education is also not always well spent.  Studies show that spending money on good teachers is more beneficial than classroom size changes.  This is a small example, but an example nonetheless of a situation where schools and educators must be aware of the economic impact of schooling.  Education is perhaps one of the most important services the government provides. We need to make sure that it is fiscally responsible in a way that it can continue.

Fiscal Cliff Deal

While a deal has been reached in the fiscal cliff saga, the result is a disappointment. There was no grand bargain, which was unfortunate, though grand bargains are likely going to be hard to come by in the near future.  The deal basically kicks the can down the road, meaning congress will have to deal with the situation later, or kick the can further away.  Remember, the fiscal cliff was a creation of congress that delayed tough decisions.  This strategy has been the new norm for any debt related debates, leading to a stagnant reform effort.