Skip to main content

Ideas for the Future of Higher Education

Yesterday while walking back from my Econ class a Fraternity brother and I were talking about how often Tech Alums really don't use there degree.   He is a CS student and he made the comment that basically the CS degree has some theoretical parts that would be helpful if you decided to study for PhD or Masters Degrees and that the practice experience is just to prove to employers some experience.  As we kept walking I just threw out the idea that we could get rid of the requirement to get a CS degree to get a CS job.  We simply need to figure out some metric to determine which candidate right for the job.  

Currently I am enrolled in two Psychology courses at Tech, Abnormal and Personality Theory.  These courses are really interesting even though the Georgia Tech Psychology department is highly theoretical.  My Professor for Personality Theory worked in industry designing recruiting tests that could identify employees who should be directed toward high level management positions when they were still young so they could be trained for many years to eventually step into CEO roles.  I desire to take some of the principles he employed to identify high achieving leaders and apply them to helping students acquire jobs faster and waste less time and money in college and universities.

This idea is also being fueled by the overwhelming financial burden the higher education has caused upon my peers.  Four maybe Five years of your developmental adolescence being spent at university has been seen as a worthy investment for some number of years but as the brick and mortal institutions slowly fad into the rear view mirror I see the horizon opening to a massive way of innovation.  People will be driven by the amazing mass of wealth currently being consumed by the education industry and decide they want a piece of the pie.  Hopefully the advances to come enable both the innovator and customer to have a mutual betterment.  I see the students of the future being educated in a variety of new methods and manners.  One side of the equation I might stick my neck into would be the analysis of potential talent before they enter this new realm of education.

The reason behind this post is that I desire to see the full potential of individuals utilized for the benefit of the community, country, and global family.

I hope to be ponderously writing some more in the next few week to keep these ideas flowing out of my mind rather than being retained and never fully developed.

In the Power of the Son there is Freedom,
Paul Shackelford 

Popular posts from this blog

Rise Again - Needtobreathe

I have been reading a book about the arts and Christians role in creating culture.  Steve Turner, the author, asserts a major critique that modern Christian art does not speak about real life.  The art created does not sound genuine or have any ties to real life that people outside the faith can connect with.  While reading the book I listened through this album and I think that this song does a great job of breaking the mold.  The members of Needtobreathe are all outspoken followers of Jesus but very little of the art that they produce mentions Jesus or Christianity at all.  Instead they craft creative music, written from places of pain and joy.   "Rise Again"  steps through pain that occurs in life as we see relationships stretched and torn.  The bitterness of broken hearts and friendships is then contrasted with the truth that we will get up from this pain and rise again.   "I can see us moving on, I can feel that coming on strong", the joy that comes after the

Twenty-Four - Jess Ray

Lately I have been listening to lots of music and podcasts while working and biking to work.  I was feeling a need for some new music so I turned to NoiseTrade to check out some new artists.  My favorite thus far is Jess Ray because of the honest lyrics, tastefully simple musicality and overall enjoyable listening environment.  While on my flight back to Atlanta I was struck by this song at first because of the drums that propel this song behind the walking guitar.  If I were to add drums to a track like this it would have been done in a very similar manner.  Once I got past the drums I was awe struck by the simple power of these lyrics, take a read below and follow the link to her blog to listen.   To me it was not written for an outward expression of hope or encouragement but rather as a inward proclamation to the soul.  As the psalmist often choose to sing, this song speaks inward in a call to stand up and be reminded of truth all to often forgotten.  As I gear up for the star

You Will Be My Ain True Love - Alison Kraus

This song has so much power, even if you remove the lyrics.  I just decided to take in the full potential of the song by turning the stereo all the way up and playing the song a few times.  Before even looking for a video of this song I knew it was related to the Civil War and the separation that occurred between loved ones.  This song starts out explaining the battle field and how the soldier has survived the terrors of war.  As the song continues to build you can tell that the soldier wants to be with his love.  They have been separated by this war and now he wants to be back with her.  The last few lines portray his death and how he has been reunited with his "True Love".  I believe that this song describes his "True Love" as God, our eternal True Love. He has returned to his maker after being killed in Battle and this song paints that picture so well. This song has tons of power in the music behind the lyrics, it adds so much to the meaning of this song!