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WINfuture the
Grad school decisions influence students’ future career plans Daphne Reed Feature Writer
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enior Sarah Hinshaw sits at her kitchen table and looks over the dozen college and scholarship applications she has before her. It’s a typical night for the 54 percent of West students that plan to obtain a four-year bachelor’s degree. However, Hinshaw has one more item on her mind: graduate school. For her, post-graduate study is not only an option — it’s a requirement. “I plan on working in science, and even though I don’t know exactly what I want to do, I still have to think about it when I’m deciding what college to go to and how scholarships, financial aid and student loans will come in,” Hinshaw said. “A master’s degree, and even beyond that, is totally necessary in advanced fields such as science.” In today’s world, graduate study is not only important for science and medical fields, but also for essentially every skilled field out there, including business, psychology, education and law. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in 2009 was 9.7 percent for those with just a high school degree; whereas for those who had obtained a master’s degree the rate was just 3.9 percent. It has reached the point where, to simply get an entry-level job, companies choose those with a graduate degree. In addition to the higher rate of employment, salaries dramatically increase with the added bonus of graduate study. In a report done by the U.S. Census Bureau, a master’s degree is worth $1.3 million dollars more in a lifetime’s earning than simply a high school diploma. However, the increase in ability to be hired and average salary is not always the driving force behind one’s decision to attend graduate school. English teacher Jason Rhodes attended Appalachian State University before attending graduate school, once for a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting and a second time in English. A year and a half later, he was in New York City attending Teacher’s College at Columbia University, a top-ranked graduate education program in the United States. “I didn’t want to teach yet, and I thought that getting my master’s in education would be beneficial to me as a teacher; it would mean I would be accomplishing something, and it kind of kept my foot in education even though I wasn’t educating anyone,” Rhodes said. In fact, Rhodes names money as irrelevant to his decision. “I get paid a little bit more, but that’s not why I did it,” Rhodes said. “With my student loans, I won’t equal what I paid for that education. I would say it’s the experience, and you have to experience your life, too. To me it was worth it and would be worth it whether I made a dime more or not because I’m a better teacher — I think I’m a better person.” Many students may not be thinking about life af-
Q&A
Technology
Q:
What will the requirements be for students to fulfill the new Information and Technology Standards?
A: Q:
What kind of technological advances do you envision for West in the future?
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Students will be required to understand the aspects of research and how to assess the relevancy of their sources, use technology in accessing those sources and create a product or project in every class.
“I envision a lot more personal technology, like you being able to bring your Mac laptop or something in here and just flop it open on the table in the library and access the readily available Web. I envision an iPad in everybody’s hands. Textbooks, I think, are mostly going to be digitized and in ebook form. That’s my hope; we’re just not there yet. As soon as the finances come, I think that’s our next step.”
How are the teachers embracing the introduction of new technology?
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“A whole new school of thought has been introduced and readily accepted by these teachers. It’s really cool and I’m excited for the future because so many things are happening.”
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n a quiet corner of West’s media center, Volodymyr Siedlecki flipped open the screen of a laptop and pushed the power button. A soft whirring sound began to emanate from below the keyboard, telling him that the machine was coming to life. After logging in a few moments later, Siedlecki, a junior, prepared to being his research on author Upton Sinclair for a paper in his English III class; he scrolled through an assortment of icons, finally stopping on one labeled “Internet Explorer.” With a just a few more clicks of the mouse, Siedlecki was cruising through the largest collection of data in history — the information superhighway. “In English III Honors, I used the Internet for my research paper instead of using books, which had only little bits of information,” Siedlecki said. “The Internet had a massive amount of data that I could use to write about Upton Sinclair. With the Internet, because information can be spread more easily, there’s more stuff to learn.” Classrooms across North Carolina are moving into the 21st century. Over the past several decades, the explosive growth of technology in society and industry has helped to make computers, the Internet and a variety of devices and gadgets an integral part of high school courses. As the growth continues, standards for education are being altered to include more use of technology in schools, and in the meantime classrooms are adjusting to prepare and produce tech-savvy students for the future business world. In North Carolina, education guidelines are defined by a book called the Standard Course of Study. Developed and maintained by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the Standard Course of Study sets requirements for content and curriculum in public schools across the state. Although the Standard Course of Study already contains guidelines for computer and technology
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New standards evolve to fit technological advances Tyler Bice
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ter college given the distance between now and then; or, if it is on their mind, it is because they plan to be a doctor or lawyer, both careers that require professional education. But in many ways it could benefit a student to begin planning further ahead than simply what one wants to study in college. “I definitely would want to attend a private college, like Duke for undergraduate study,” Hinshaw said, “but the thing is, when you have to factor that expense, plus graduate school, plus the loans I may have to be paying for years, it adds up. I think you really have to think about it, even when you’re just choosing your first college. Plus, colleges raise their tuition costs every year.” In a case close to home, the University of North Carolina at Asheville has recently implemented a tuition increase, raising the tuition for 1. Network systems and data the 2011-2012 academic year communication analysis by $606 for in-state students and $1,466 for out-of-state students. 2. Physician assistant As a past graduate student, Rhodes encourages students to 3. Computer software engineer, consider it. “If you want to do someapplications thing else — maybe you’ve got a four-year degree, and you 4. Computer software engineer, have a job, and then you say, ‘Well, I want to do this.’ Well, systems software with a four-year degree you can often get a master’s degree 5. Networks and computer systems in something either related or even not related at all.” adminstrator Not every career field will necessitate, or even recom6. Data base administrator mend, a graduate degree. Manufacturing, construction and electrical jobs, among oth7. Physical therapist ers, don’t even require a high school diploma. But if your intended career path is more 8. Medical scientist skilled, graduate study may be helpful. 9. Occupational therapist Prospective graduate students are encouraged to take the decision-making process 10. College instructor seriously. “You have to really weigh (info from www.money.cnn.com) the benefits: what value it’s going to have for you and for your life,” Rhodes said. “I didn’t want to be in North Carolina, so I went to New York City. That meant the school I was going to would be in New York. I got to know a lot of people, and I got to see a lot of cool schools and have a lot of cool experiences.”
with Media Specialist Tom King
feature5
wingspan • april 8, 2011
skills, according to Tom King, media specialist, those guidelines are Even in the absence of guidelines such as the Information and being revised to ensure that students use technology in every course. Technology Essential Standards, use of technology in schools has “The North Carolina Standard Course of Study, a very big book grown tremendously since the invention of the first personal comfull of the standards that you have to meet for every single kind of puter. At West, 61 classrooms currently have mounted data proclass you teach, is getting changed,” King said. “One of the changes jectors. A vast schoolwide network allows teachers to share files they’re doing is they’re integrating information and and communicate with each other at the click of a technology into each one of the different classes mouse. It takes the stress out of physically retrievand disciplines.” ing files in order to communicate with other teachI’ve seen the The new guidelines, called the Information and ers. These and other innovations open the door to integration of Technology Essential Standards, would require stuwhole new styles of teaching. dents to use technology, the Internet or both to do “I’ve seen the integration of technology in the technology in the a project of some kind in each of their classes. The classrooms, and I’ve seen many teachers start turnclassrooms, and project could be a physical product, such as a triing to me to give them help on lesson plans or some fold poster, or it could be as simple as researching a I’ve seen so many ideas regarding technology,” King said. “Our staff is scientist or author and giving a presentation to the really on board with that. Our teachers are very keen teachers start class. The key is that students follow the parameters to get technology in the hands of these kids.” outlined in the new guidelines, King said. The technology explosion in schools has not turning to me for “It’s students learning to do appropriate recome without its share of controversy. One particuideas regarding search and use technology to do the research or lar item of fierce debate is the Internet. technology. create a product,” he said. “It could be a paper or Some lawmakers, educators and others advoa PowerPoint or multiple things. It could even be Tom King cate the use of filters to block inappropriate content teaching the class themselves, and it’s using safety media center specialist from students. Filters, they say, are the only way and understanding the rules of safety on the Interto keep students safe from inappropriate material net. Those are the four standards teachers have to found on the Internet. have in every classroom.” Others call for free Internet access in public schools, arguing Under the new standards, teachers will be held accountable by that filters block the wealth of resources the Internet provides. Still school administrators to give some kind of assignment incorporat- others like King take the middle ground. ing technology, although the assignment doesn’t have to be graded. “You have to strike a balance between freedoms you want and Training and assistance will be available to teachers who might be security we have to have,” King said. “And that’s a really tenuous balunfamiliar with technology. ance. My job is to find an alternative. If teachers can’t get YouTube, “Teachers won’t be alone,” King said. “They will have all kinds of then I purchase Discovery education video streaming so they can resources. Every one of them can come to me at any time. I will drop get some video content for free and show the kids. We work within what I’m doing and get them on page, just like I do with the kids.” the rules, but we try to be successful as well.”
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Scholarships can help with tuition increases cuts are also in the process of raising tuition to offset lost funding. According to www.newsobserver.com, the UNC system’s governing board n Monday, March 14, 43 students at Coapproved an increase in next year’s tuition of 6.8 lumbia University, along with thousands percent. of others in the area, participated in the In February, Randy Woodson, chancellor of annual “March in March” at the New York state N.C. State Univeristy, gave a statement to the RaCapitol to voice two rising concerns: budget cuts leigh News & Observer concerning the decision: that impact universities and the increasing cost of “We’re trying to do everything we can to precollege tuition. serve the quality of education,” Woodson said. These students are not the only ones ex“This (decision), frankly, is a necessary step.” periencing the impact of state and federal cuts The vicious cycle of budget cuts and tuition to higher education. Schools across the United increases has proved to be stressful for not only States are cutting majors, programs and satellite the admissions officers but also for students and schools in order to make up for declines in revprospective students. According to Shannon enue, all the while raising tuition. Auten, guidance counselor, students and parents According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, have been more involved in the college process North Carolina is facing a $3.4 billion budget this year than in previous years. shortfall for the 2011-2012 budget. Administrators “During college application week, we at Asheville-Buncombe Techdefinitely saw an increase in the nical Community College are of students and parents,” I would look back number preparing for a $3 million loss of Auten said. “Something different at what Mrs. state and federal funding beginwe saw this year was that almost ning July 1. (Jane) Porter had everybody that came in to fill out Glenda Lancaster, guidan application for a four-year done in the past, ance counselor, has noticed school also filled one out an aplicaa decrease in the number of tion for a two-year school.” and I saw that programs A-B Tech and Blue Despite the effects of the rethe scholarship Ridge Community College offer cession on budgets and tuition, at West. federal and university financial amounts had “I know that community aid has remained relatively stable. gone down, and colleges are having some budget When the recession hit in 2008, cuts, too,” Lancaster said. “What sometimes we just many local scholarship providers we are really seeing now is a to lower the amount of money didn’t get a couple had change in the number of coursthey able to award. Some even of scholarships. es offered. Community colleges withdrew their funds completely. used to offer several courses on Shannon Auten “Last year was my first year workour campus. Now they’re only guidance counselor ing with all of the scholarships, and doing two because they have that’s when I started to notice a cut the budget for other courses. change,” Auten said. “I would look So I know that that is hurting us a little bit.” back at what Mrs. (Jane) Porter had done in the Although community colleges are experiencpast, and I saw that the scholarship amounts had ing a large decrease in funding, it is the state fourgone down, and sometimes we just didn’t get a year colleges and universities that are struggling couple of scholarships.” the most. The University of North Carolina system For current students, however, there has contacted campuses across the state and asked not been much of a decrease in the scholarship that administrators prepare for a 15 percent budamount from last year to this year. In fact, West’s get cut for the next school year. Already, at UNCClass of 2010 received $2.6 million in scholarship Asheville seven employees have lost their jobs, offers. while 22 unfilled positions have been eliminated. According to Auten, students should not let John Pierce, the vice chancellor for finance the perception that there is a decline in scholarand campus operations at UNCA, told the Citizen- ship funds deter them from applying. She has Times that job cuts were felt in every area of the seen a “remarkable decrease” in the number of university. seniors applying for scholarships so far this year. “In coming up with these reductions, we tried “It’s a little more frustrating this year as far as to come up with positions that were furthest away scholarships go,” she said. “You know the funds from the education experience,” Pierce said. “We are still out there despite a few reductions. We’re have tried to protect the academic core.” a little disappointed in the number of seniors that The same schools that are coping with budget have not come out for the opportunity.”
Brandi Martin Editor-in-Chief
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“I really want to be a surgical technologist. It’s somebody who helps out in the operating room. You get to watch the surgeries, and it’s really interesting. Allied Health has opened up my options to see all of this stuff. I’ve always thought that I would be squeamish if I saw that kind of stuff, but I’ve gotten to see some stuff that made me realize that I wasn’t squeamish. I just think it would be exciting. You don’t see the same thing every day. It won’t be boring.” Caitlyn Rainwater senior “I want to go to California State at Long Beach and get my general education degree; then I want to transfer to the University of California at San Diego and study computer engineering. I haven’t decided if I want to do hardware or software yet, but I definitely want to go into computer engineering. In five years I’ll probably still be in school. After college I want to be working at a company like Microsoft or something like that.” D.J. Rauland senior
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what your
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“I want to be a teacher, either special education or second grade. I’m looking at Roanoke College, but it’s private and it’s out of state, so it’s really expensive. That’s one of the reasons I don’t want to do Teaching Fellows, but I haven’t decided yet. I have always loved doing it. When I was little, I used to make my brother be my student and make him do stuff, and he would go and cry to my mom and tell her I was being mean and that he didn’t want to do it.” Taylor Young junior “I want to be a civil engineer because my dad is an engineer, but I didn’t want to go into the same line of work that he did. He’s a mechanical engineer. I like math, and I’m taking drafting engineering in high school. I want to go to UNC-A for two years and then N.C. State because they have a good engineering program. I think I’ll like helping out the community and making the community better with bridges and stuff like that.” Caleb Brown junior