I. Summary of RSS Feed

 When searching through "Google Reader", I tried various search options that would lead to be possible subscriptions pertaining to education. Particularly, articles that I found most interesting. Some of my search options included: "education", "english education", "teaching", etc. Some of the most popular subscriptions that came up were of the more famous websites, blogs, and scholarly journals. I found great posts by the New York Times, Forbes, and The Guardian. Amongst them, I found two articles from Forbes, two from the New York Times, and one from the Guardian. Each of the articles is on a different topic, but all of them regard an issue in education. Some of them offer possible solutions to problems, while others include a job descriptions, an article about Japanese students, etc. There was a plethora of information available on Google Reader. I enjoyed searching through the various sources trying to find articles that I sought fitting to my role as a future teacher or just that were the most enjoyable to read. An article from Forbes, "Why Our Education System is Ripe for Disruption", offered a possible answer to why America's education system is going through such turmoil. It was a point-of-view I had never even thought of. In the article, Naveen Jain, author, states, "We conveniently place the blame on problems that stem from budget cuts, teacher layoffs, inadequate technology in our schools and our education policies. We need to recognize the fact that our education system is NOT BROKEN but has simply become OBSOLETE. It no longer meets the needs of the present and future generation." I thought this was interesting because he brought up how American society places blame on budget cuts and the lack of funding in education, and then say that the solution is to introduce new teaching methods into the classroom based off our old teaching ways. Jain points out just how "flawed" that solution is. He suggests thinking a new and innovative way- bringing things teachers never thought possible into their classroom. Allowing thousands of students, all whom are individuals, grasp ahold of their individual abilities to learn and interpret new information. He is basically pointing out that our system isn't flawed because of the lack of finances and school resources. It is flawed because America is trying to teach students based off of methods that were designed 60 years ago- with job opportunities that don't even relate to the skills they are taught. Although that's only one of the articles I found, the rest provide a large variety of interesting reads relating to education. Another article is written by an English mentor, who is planning to become an English teacher next year. She talks about her role as a mentor and the difficulties she finds in being a teacher. It's interesting to hear what she thinks of it. Another article posted by Forbes is about "Innovation: The Five Keys to Educating the Next Generation of Leaders." There five keys are as stated: language, leadership, authenticity, breadth, and resilience- all followed by an abundance of reasonings why these "keys" are pertinent to America's next generation of  businessmen. The NY Times posted an article saying that some schools are advertising B.Y.O.T. (bring your own technology) and stating there reasonings behind it. I thought this one was interesting because so many schools have policies and classroom procedures regarding cell phone use or prohibit laptops, but now, the tables have turned. Schools are starting to encourage use of personal technological devices, emphasizing the fact that it saves schools money! The NY Time also posted an article about Japanese students seeking to study abroad. Unlike other Asian countries, like China, Japan's number of students-abroad was actually declining, according to a study. Yet, another study has came out that Japan's students abroad population is beginning to increase, with the Australia and Canada as the hot choices. 

Bibliography:
      "Behind the Job Title: My Role as an English Teacher." The Guardian. Web. 7 March 2013. http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/mar/07/english-mentor-student-support     
      Doss, Henry. "Innovation: Five Keys to Educating the Next Generation of Leaders." Forbes. Web. 19 March 2013. http://www.forbes.com/sites/henrydoss/2013/03/19/innovation-five-keys-to-educating-the-next-generation-of-leaders/      
      Jain, Naveen. "Rethinking Education: Why Our Education System is Ripe for Disruption." Forbes. Web. 24 March 2013.http://www.forbes.com/sites/naveenjain/2013/03/24/disrupting-education/
      Richtel, Matt. "Some Schools Urge Students to Bring Their Own Technology." NY Times. Web. 22 March 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/23/technology/in-some-schools-students-bring-their-own-technology.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0      
      Tanikawa, Maki. "More Young Japanese Heading Abroad to Study." NY Times. Web. 24 March 2013.http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/25/world/asia/25iht-educside25.html?partner=rss&emc=rss