Bruce Wydick, professor of economics and international studies at the University of San Francisco, recently published study findings that show that child sponsorship works. The academic paper appears in the current edition of the Journal of Political Economy. Wydick provided an overview of the material for a lay audience in the June 2013 edition of Christianity Today (p.20-25). Based on research done using a grant from USAID to analyze the impact of child sponsorship Read More …
education
Every Kid Needs a Champion (#1086)
In recent years Rita Pierson has drawn on over four decades of educational experiences to conduct professional development workshops and seminars for thousands of educators. A former teacher (elementary, junior high, and special education), testing coordinator and assistant principal, Pierson believes that every kid needs a champion. Watch her recent 8 minute long TED talk on the topic now. So What? In this talk, Pierson challenges her listeners to rethink their roles in the Read More …
Educational Debt – BS (#1030)
When I initially encountered Greg Henson and David Pohlmeier's new infographic on what incoming seminary students bring with them, I found myself gravitating toward the financial data. The data used to generate the graphic comes from surveys completed by 6,900 incoming students at 161 ATS schools during the 2011-2012 school year. Among the findings: 51% of all incoming students enter seminary with educational debt (the image at right shows the debt load of Read More …
Adult Enrichment in 2013 (#0887)
I have the privilege of developing adult educational opportunities at Naples United Church of Christ. These holistic growth opportunities, along with our musical enrichment offerings, are open to our congregation and to the community. The following brochure is a second annual brochure covering many of the events that will occur between Advent 2012 and Pentecost 2013 (for more, read about and view the 2012 edition). I welcome your feedback. Read More …
Review of The Mobile Wave (#0792)
Meet the Author Michael Saylor founded (1989) the publicly traded company MicroStrategy, a leading provider of enterprise software platforms for business intelligence, mobile intelligence, and social intelligence applications. Currently he serves the business as Chairman of the Board, President and CEO. Saylor earned degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Aeronautic and Astronautic Engineering and in Science, Technology and Society. He has appeared on Read More …
Rethinking Teaching Online (#0741)
Margarita A. Mooney, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Faculty Fellow in the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina, recently blogged about her experience with rethinking how best to teach online. She writes: . . . I have flipped the order in which I present material to students and it definitely captured their attention better than before. I used to assign heavy readings, give a lecture, and then Read More …
Future Church – More Connected (#0704)
Church v.2020 - Ten Changes: #4 More Connected – Less Geographically Dependent When compared with the American church of 2012, the future church (v.2020) will be more connected and less geographically dependent. The increased abilities of technology along with increased utilization within the church will facilitate many changes, including: Most congregations will move from being identified primarily by a physical presence (e.g., church campus that includes one or more buildings) Read More …
Review of Religion for Atheists (#0680)
Meet the Author Alain de Botton is the founder and chairman of the School of Life and creative director of Living Architecture. He is the author of numerous essays on a variety of topics as well as multiple best-selling books, including The Architecture of Happiness (2006) and How Proust Can Change Your Life (1997). (I recently blogged about his TED talk on Atheism 2.0, which focuses on the theme of his latest book: Religion for Atheists.) Book Read More …
Is a Master’s the New Bachelor’s? (#0633)
Laura Pappano's "The Master's as the New Bachelor's" is one of many recent articles to note that graduate degrees are increasingly required to enter many fields. The number of masters degrees awarded annually has more than doubled since the 1980s, and is the "fastest-growing degree." The current percentage of the adult population over age twenty-five with at least a master's degree is roughly the same as the percentage of the population holding at least a bachelor's degree in Read More …
Adult Enrichment in 2012 (#0579)
One of my many roles during this season in life is as Director of Adult Education at Naples United Church of Christ. The document below is my first attempt at what I intend to become an annual brochure. The 2012 edition features events in January, February and March. I welcome your feedback (if you happen to be in Southwest Florida, I hope you will join us for one or more of these events). Open publication - Free publishing - More adult Read More …