Redefining what it means to be ‘college-ready’

ecampusnews | October 21, 2019

Societal pressures on high school seniors seemingly grow by the year. These days, a student’s level of college and workforce readiness is said to be dependent on their college admission test scores, completing the most rigorous high school classes possible, and obtaining AP credit. But research shows that these are not the sole indicators. ACT recently released a report that claims only 26 percent of 2018 high school graduates were ready for the workforce, but I believe readiness is dictated by so much more than a standardized test score. Related content: Program targets college readiness gap. For example, research from the University of California Berkeley found that high school GPA is the best indicator of grades during freshman year in college as well as college graduation. Of course, I don’t presume that everyone should go to college. When educators say they want students to be “college-ready,” it’s easy to assume we mean a four-year degree. What we really mean is “post-secondary ready.” If an individual wants to earn a family-supporting wage over the course of their work lifetime, they need access to some form of post-secondary education. For example, if their goal is to become a police officer or a firefighter, they’ll have to learn how to move through the ranks. Though college might not be the path for them, they will need to demonstrate proficiency and take coursework. I did a presentation on this topic in southern Illinois and somebody asked, “What if I want to be a family farmer?” Before I could respond, three people piped up, saying that farmers need to understand things like crop rotation, agribusiness, and irrigation. Every profession requires a level of expertise in some niche area. Having access to post-secondary coursework is a way everyone can stay relevant and nimble as an individual who wants to support themselves and possibly a family.

Spotlight

The B2B buyer journey has always been complex. And today, with the ever-changing demands of the modern industry buyer, it has become even more necessary to rethink the buyer journey, creating a future-ready digital experience

Spotlight

The B2B buyer journey has always been complex. And today, with the ever-changing demands of the modern industry buyer, it has become even more necessary to rethink the buyer journey, creating a future-ready digital experience

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TALENT DEVELOPMENT

Flatiron School Launches Artificial Intelligence Curriculum Enhancements For Students

Businesswire | May 18, 2023

Flatiron School, a global provider of technical education, launched curriculum enhancements designed to teach students how to leverage powerful, emerging artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The curriculum enhancements affect Flatiron School’s four disciplines - software engineering, data science, cybersecurity, and UX / UI product design - and come at a time where AI requirements are increasingly appearing in job descriptions. For the past 10 years, Flatiron School has been committed to keeping curriculum modern, aligning with the ever-evolving tech landscape. Now, as new AI tools emerge, Flatiron School continues to lead tech education in providing students with the skills needed to thrive in today’s job market. “Even as AI reshapes the industry, we expect demand for tech talent to remain strong,” said Kate Cassino, Flatiron School CEO. “The most competitive talent will have the skills needed to unlock the full potential of AI, and that’s why now is the time to invest in our students. Our latest curriculum enhancements empower students with the skills needed to not only excel in an evolving job market, but also to advance the future of tech through innovation.” The enhancements cover topics such as machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and prompt engineering. Students will learn how to use generative AI as a research tool, effectively communicate with AI chatbots, build AI models, and leverage machine learning (ML) for testing. Curriculum enhancements include: • Software Engineering. Discover how AI can help with code debugging, enable code completion, and integrate AI features into apps. Students will also learn prompt engineering and how to successfully correspond with chatbots. • Data Science. Learn the fundamentals of AI theory, including concepts such as data leakage, overfitting, and regularization. Students will also learn scikit-learn (a popular AI library for Python programming language) as well as how to build AI models for text data (also known as natural language processing). • Cybersecurity. Gain experience leveraging AI and machine learning for threat intelligence feeds, vulnerability and penetration testing, and detecting anomalous and behavioral events. Students will also learn how bad actors could leverage AI to crack encryption. • UX / UI Product Design. Explore how to co-create with AI for inspiration, as well as how to analyze potential biases in AI-generated design solutions. Students will also learn about the implications of AI on intellectual property, how to develop user journeys with generative AI, and how to use natural language processing to automate identification of patterns in user data. Taught by instructors with real-world experience, Flatiron School’s courses are offered online or in-person on New York City or Denver campuses. Students can choose full-time or part-time programs, which are paced between 15 and 60 weeks. Upon graduation Flatiron School provides up to 180 days of 1-on-1 career coaching. About Flatiron Since 2012, Flatiron School has been an education innovator, training over 10,000 graduates in software engineering, data science, cybersecurity, and product design. Flatiron School works with students, universities and colleges, and industry-leading companies around the world to provide essential technical training. When it comes to landing a job, Flatiron School graduates have a proven track record of success thanks to experienced instructors and dedicated career coaches.

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TALENT DEVELOPMENT

Brightwheel Acquires Experience Early Learning; Advances Early Education Space with All-in-One Offering

Businesswire | April 10, 2023

Brightwheel, the leading all-in-one early education platform, today announced that it has acquired Experience Early Learning, a nationally recognized brand that produces a comprehensive research-based early education curriculum and assessment system. Through the acquisition, brightwheel is merging the best of physical and digital learning tools for the first time as it advances its mission to deliver high quality early education for every child. “Young children need to learn in-person with physical materials that they can touch and feel,” said Dave Vasen, Founder and CEO of brightwheel. “The merging of physical and digital will save providers many hours each month, improve the classroom learning experience, and even extend it to the home, all through the brightwheel platform. I couldn’t be more excited to bring these two companies together and completely rethink what’s possible in early ed.” Aligned with NAEYC, Common Core, Head Start, and all 50 states’ early learning standards, Experience Early Learning covers all areas of development including social-emotional, physical, language & literacy, math & reasoning, science, social studies, and creative arts, designed for infants through pre-K aged children. This leading program provides a monthly toolkit with everything a teacher needs to bring the curriculum to life in the classroom, including hands-on materials such as books, music, posters, art supplies, games, and workbooks, each tailored for specific ages. Brightwheel allows preschool administrators and teachers to manage everything that happens day-to-day such as billing, enrollment, attendance, compliance, and communications all through the brightwheel app. Teachers can easily capture learning moments in real time through photos and videos, take notes, track child development, and conduct assessments. Brightwheel is the first and only platform where teachers can automatically share prewritten notes with parents that help to continue the learning at home. Experience Curriculum is now live on brightwheel for Preschool and Toddler levels, with Baby coming in the future. Benefits of the newly integrated offering include: • Elevated quality of learning during the most critical first five years of a child’s development with a professional, research-based curriculum aligned to all 50 state standards. • Makes teachers’ jobs less time consuming and more rewarding, thereby improving staff retention at a time when turnover in the industry is at an all time high. • Greater engagement from families in their child’s learning through automated sharing of progress, photos and updates in real-time. As brightwheel invests in expanding its curriculum offering, it has appointed Julie DeLoyd as Head of brightwheel Education, responsible for leading and scaling the company’s education business. DeLoyd joins brightwheel from developmental toy company Melissa & Doug where she served as Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer. “I have long admired brightwheel’s dedication to improving the early education experience for children, families, and teachers,” said DeLoyd, Head of brightwheel Education. “For the first time ever, there is a one-stop destination for everything education providers need, empowering them to focus on what they do best. I am proud to join this talented team as brightwheel scales its education offering and improves the quality of early learning.” About Brightwheel Brightwheel is the complete preschool and childcare platform providing everything educators need to easily run their program all in one place. Quick to set up and even easier to use, brightwheel’s #1 rated platform enables providers to save time, get paid faster, connect with families and staff, and support child development. Trusted by millions of educators and families across North America, brightwheel is committed to elevating the early learning experience for every child. About Experience Early Learning Experience Early Learning is a research-based early education program that fosters a joy for learning through sensory-based experiences. Since 1984, this nationally recognized curriculum system has supported children’s social-emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Monthly thematic kits with lesson plans and hands-on learning materials support teachers in and out of the classroom and encourage learning through play. Experience Early Learning is a community of educators with a mission to help children embrace their unique strengths, grow confidence, and love others.

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CORPORATE LEARNING SYSTEMS

Walmart Partners Springboard for Educational Programs Through LBU

Springboard | March 09, 2023

On March 08, 2023, Springboard, an online learning platform, announced that Walmart selected it in partnership for upskilling and reskilling programs through Live Better U™ (LBU). Through this partnership, it would extend the reach of educational programs in technology and data careers. Springboard prepares students for in-demand careers through comprehensive educational programs. It would design the programs for upskilling and reskilling programs through Walmart's LBU in partnership . These education benefit programs are free of cost to Walmart and Sam's Club Associates in the U.S. It will offer courses in data analytics, data-driven strategic thinking and software development. Walmart's LBU program has empowered upward career mobility and removed all the obstacles to their access to education. The programs offered through Springboard for business focus on developing employees at Fortune 500 companies. CEO and Co-Founder of Springboard, Gautam Tambay said, "Walmart is a leader in career-driven development and we are thrilled to partner with them to deliver high quality education to their associates." He added, "Walmart and Springboard are both committed to ensuring that non-traditional students, regardless of their background, can build in-demand skill sets — helping them find new career paths, grow their earnings, and increase their economic security. Springboard graduates have earned over $1 billion in post-graduation salary since 2016, and this partnership will help us accelerate and extend that impact, which is particularly important in the current economic climate." (Source – Business Wire) Senior Vice President of Associate Learning and Leadership at Walmart, Lorraine Stomski said, "We're creating a path of opportunity for our associates to grow their careers at Walmart, so they can continue to build better lives for themselves and their families." She added, "We're excited to add Springboard to our list of education partners." (Source – Business Wire) About Springboard Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Springboard, an e-learning solutions provider, has been transforming the educational journey of learners since 2013. Every learner has unique learning needs, and it strives to address them. It teams with advisors and experienced mentors for the ideal learning experience. It works with the projects under the guidance of industry experts to provide the education needed for the current scenario. It supports learners at every step of their learning journey. It connects students to mentors and seniors for enhanced learning outcomes. It prepares students for career enhancement and success in their lives.

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