Nick Acheson
February 26, 2010
A new education proposal by the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) is starting to receive a lot of attention due to the fact that the proposal allows 10th graders to “test out’ of high school. Eight States have already joined with the NCEE including: Connecticut, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine. It is known as the “NCEE Board Examination Proposal” and is designed to significantly increase the number of students who leave high school ready for college.
According to the New York Times, “More than a million college freshmen across America must take remedial courses each year, and many drop out before getting a degree.”
All over the world Board Examination Systems are currently in place, and working. Countries using this system include Australia, France, Denmark, England, Finland, Ireland, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Scotland, as well as other countries. “We’ve looked at schools all over the world, and if you walk into a high school in the countries that use these board exams, you’ll see kids working hard, whether they want to be a carpenter or a brain surgeon,” said Mark Tucker, President of the NCEE.
School districts from the eight states can choose whether or not to participate in the voluntary program. Students who do choose to participate will take exams at the end of their sophomore year and if the pass, they will be able to graduate from high school. Students who pass have the option of attending college the next fall or may remain in high school and take courses designed to get them ready for a selective college of their choice.
The cost of the program is estimated at around $500 per student which will allow the school to buy tests and courses as well as training teachers. A generous $1.5 million donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation will allow the NCEE to get the program started. To help with the added costs, the 8 states also intend to apply for federal stimulus money.
More Specifically in Maine, the Maine Education Commissioner is meeting this week to discuss the program with school superintendents. And although programs like this have worked in other countries, there is still a whole lot of information about the program and how it will work that is relatively unknown. According to the Kennebec Journal (an Augusta, ME newspaper), the president of the Maine Education Association said last week he was concerned about the "top-down" nature of the plan, which he said was "made with no input from practitioners in the field."
There have also been questions about the readiness of 16 year olds to enter college. A comment made by a reader on the Kennebec Journal Website said, “What 16 year old is prepared for the challenges and stresses of college? And I'm not talking academics here. There are parties, drugs, and promiscuity rampant in the colleges and universities all over the country.”
Clearly there is more information needed until people can make an informed decision on the subject. But if this program looks to have a real chance of improving schools in Maine as well as the Country, I think we need to consider it.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Assignment 6-1: Campus Event
Nick Acheson
February 19, 2010
Although the Umaine Hockey is getting a lot of publicity for being near the top of the Hockey East, and rightfully so, there is another Umaine team that is performing way higher than expectations. The University of Maine Black Bears men’s basketball team has been having a great season, thus far.
After a 72 to 53 win last night over the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH the team has a 17-9 overall record along with a 9-4 record in the America East. Not what most fans have come to expect from the Umaine men’s basketball team. Over the previous two seasons, the team had an America East record of 7 wins and 25 losses. So it might be an understatement to say that this season is the best season the men’s basketball team has seen in years. About a month ago, the team was talked about on ESPN as one of four teams that have never made the NCAA tournament, that have the best chance to make it this year.
The Black Bears are currently in third place in America East standings trailing Stony Brook with an 11-2 record and Vermont at 11-3. Late in the season, every game becomes that much more important.
Starting on February 21, the team has 2 important home games against America East opponents. This Sunday the Black Bears will be playing the University of Hartford Hawks at 2 p.m. at Alfond Arena in Orono, ME. Youth tickets are only $2, and the game is being televised by WABI TV 5 news. Then on February 24 at 7:30 p.m. the team is hosting the University of Albany at Alfond Arena.
Fans should come out and support the men’s basketball team in Orono on either Sunday’s game, Wednesday night’s game, or both. All University of Maine students get in free and Adult tickets are just $8.
February 19, 2010
Although the Umaine Hockey is getting a lot of publicity for being near the top of the Hockey East, and rightfully so, there is another Umaine team that is performing way higher than expectations. The University of Maine Black Bears men’s basketball team has been having a great season, thus far.
After a 72 to 53 win last night over the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH the team has a 17-9 overall record along with a 9-4 record in the America East. Not what most fans have come to expect from the Umaine men’s basketball team. Over the previous two seasons, the team had an America East record of 7 wins and 25 losses. So it might be an understatement to say that this season is the best season the men’s basketball team has seen in years. About a month ago, the team was talked about on ESPN as one of four teams that have never made the NCAA tournament, that have the best chance to make it this year.
The Black Bears are currently in third place in America East standings trailing Stony Brook with an 11-2 record and Vermont at 11-3. Late in the season, every game becomes that much more important.
Starting on February 21, the team has 2 important home games against America East opponents. This Sunday the Black Bears will be playing the University of Hartford Hawks at 2 p.m. at Alfond Arena in Orono, ME. Youth tickets are only $2, and the game is being televised by WABI TV 5 news. Then on February 24 at 7:30 p.m. the team is hosting the University of Albany at Alfond Arena.
Fans should come out and support the men’s basketball team in Orono on either Sunday’s game, Wednesday night’s game, or both. All University of Maine students get in free and Adult tickets are just $8.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Assignment 5-1: Profile Story
Nick Acheson
February 12, 2010
As the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia draw near, it is important to know a little more about an athlete who has called Maine home his entire life. If you haven’t heard of him yet, you will soon. I’m talking about Seth Wescott, the 33 year old gold medalist snowboard cross athlete from Farmington, ME.
Although Wescott was born in North Carolina, he has lived in Maine nearly his entire life. “I consider myself a Mainer,” said Wescott in an interview with NBC. This Olympic athlete already knows what it feels like to compete in Olympics. In 2006, he represented the United States at the winter Olympics in Torino, Italy winning a gold medal in Snowboard Cross (also known as “Boardercross” or “Snowboarder X”). Because it was the first time Snowboarder X had been made an event at the Winter Olympics, Wescott is the only male Olympic gold medalist ever to win the event
For those of you who do not know or have never heard of Snowboarder X, here’s a crash course. It consists of a group of snowboarders (usually 4 to 6) starting simultaneously racing down an inclined course racing to the finish line. The course consists of multiple man made sections that include jumps, gaps, steep and narrow terrain, turns, and drop offs. The rider who stays in control and maneuvers all of these sections the fastest wins the race. In most races, riders receive gold, silver, and bronze medals for finishing in the first, second, and third place, respectively.
It isn’t often that we as Mainers can brag about athletes that grow up and train in our State. The cold weather and climate make it difficult for athletes from many other sports to become great. But, the Winter Olympics are the one exception to the rule. Seth Wescott is living proof of this.
So when the Olympics start in these next couple days, stay on the lookout for Seth Wescott. You probably won’t have to stay tuned in long to hear about him.
Snowboard Cross qualifying begins at 10:30 a.m. (Vancouver time) on January 15.
February 12, 2010
As the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia draw near, it is important to know a little more about an athlete who has called Maine home his entire life. If you haven’t heard of him yet, you will soon. I’m talking about Seth Wescott, the 33 year old gold medalist snowboard cross athlete from Farmington, ME.
Although Wescott was born in North Carolina, he has lived in Maine nearly his entire life. “I consider myself a Mainer,” said Wescott in an interview with NBC. This Olympic athlete already knows what it feels like to compete in Olympics. In 2006, he represented the United States at the winter Olympics in Torino, Italy winning a gold medal in Snowboard Cross (also known as “Boardercross” or “Snowboarder X”). Because it was the first time Snowboarder X had been made an event at the Winter Olympics, Wescott is the only male Olympic gold medalist ever to win the event
For those of you who do not know or have never heard of Snowboarder X, here’s a crash course. It consists of a group of snowboarders (usually 4 to 6) starting simultaneously racing down an inclined course racing to the finish line. The course consists of multiple man made sections that include jumps, gaps, steep and narrow terrain, turns, and drop offs. The rider who stays in control and maneuvers all of these sections the fastest wins the race. In most races, riders receive gold, silver, and bronze medals for finishing in the first, second, and third place, respectively.
It isn’t often that we as Mainers can brag about athletes that grow up and train in our State. The cold weather and climate make it difficult for athletes from many other sports to become great. But, the Winter Olympics are the one exception to the rule. Seth Wescott is living proof of this.
So when the Olympics start in these next couple days, stay on the lookout for Seth Wescott. You probably won’t have to stay tuned in long to hear about him.
Snowboard Cross qualifying begins at 10:30 a.m. (Vancouver time) on January 15.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Assignment 4-1: Local Newscast Critique
Nick Acheson
February 4, 2010
For this assignment I watched WABI TV 5 on Wednesday night at 5 pm. I found this assignment difficult to critique the writing of this news program because the program is obviously well written and also because newscasters talk very quickly. These two factors made it very difficult for me to find parts of the newscast that I would have changed. However, I did find some pieces of the newscast that I would have done differently.
When talking about the new recall that the car company Toyota has enacted, WABI TV 5 newscaster said, “again we’re also told the owners who have a recalled notice model will actually receive notices by mail from Toyota that will tell them to take their vehicle to be fixed.” Although there is no major problem with this previous quote, it is somewhat confusing. I’m not sure if the newscaster misspoke or not but the words, “recalled notice model,” do not make much sense to me. I would have worded it differently such as “recalled model notice” or maybe just “recalled notice”. I think either makes more sense than what was said in the actual newscast.
Another part of the program I might have changed or excluded would be when the meteorologist had the map of the entire United States behind him and he said, “Look at all this moisture in the south.” He was talking about the large amount of precipitation that was hovering over Texas and the southern United States. This would have been fine if his statement actually led to something that affected all of us up in Maine. It actually had nothing to do with Maine and he quickly switched areas to Canada to show us where all the recent cold air was coming from. So the quick blurb about precipitation in the South was completely useless to everyone watching this in Bangor, ME.
Throughout the newscast, I realized a trend with the verb tenses. Almost all the verbs used on the show were past tense verbs. Some of these verbs included: “said” “seized” “filed” and “charged.” Using past tense verbs makes sense because they are reporting on information that has already happened in the past, excepting the upcoming weather for the week.
These are some of the areas of the newscast that caught my attention and might have changed if I had been in charge of editing the program.
February 4, 2010
For this assignment I watched WABI TV 5 on Wednesday night at 5 pm. I found this assignment difficult to critique the writing of this news program because the program is obviously well written and also because newscasters talk very quickly. These two factors made it very difficult for me to find parts of the newscast that I would have changed. However, I did find some pieces of the newscast that I would have done differently.
When talking about the new recall that the car company Toyota has enacted, WABI TV 5 newscaster said, “again we’re also told the owners who have a recalled notice model will actually receive notices by mail from Toyota that will tell them to take their vehicle to be fixed.” Although there is no major problem with this previous quote, it is somewhat confusing. I’m not sure if the newscaster misspoke or not but the words, “recalled notice model,” do not make much sense to me. I would have worded it differently such as “recalled model notice” or maybe just “recalled notice”. I think either makes more sense than what was said in the actual newscast.
Another part of the program I might have changed or excluded would be when the meteorologist had the map of the entire United States behind him and he said, “Look at all this moisture in the south.” He was talking about the large amount of precipitation that was hovering over Texas and the southern United States. This would have been fine if his statement actually led to something that affected all of us up in Maine. It actually had nothing to do with Maine and he quickly switched areas to Canada to show us where all the recent cold air was coming from. So the quick blurb about precipitation in the South was completely useless to everyone watching this in Bangor, ME.
Throughout the newscast, I realized a trend with the verb tenses. Almost all the verbs used on the show were past tense verbs. Some of these verbs included: “said” “seized” “filed” and “charged.” Using past tense verbs makes sense because they are reporting on information that has already happened in the past, excepting the upcoming weather for the week.
These are some of the areas of the newscast that caught my attention and might have changed if I had been in charge of editing the program.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
