Remembering your ‘why;’ Higher ed acquisitions and investments; Youth political organizing online

No. 245 | 11/27/20 | Subscribe to this newsletter This issue is sponsored by The feasting may have been a little lighter or lonelier this Thanksgiving, but hopefully the holiday still offered an opportunity to pause and reflect.   It's a fitting occasion for the personal essay we bring you this week from EdSurge columnist Cali Morrison. She took time out from this whirlwind semester to consider what motivated her to start her career in higher education in the first place. She remembers the family and friends who inspired her to help others pursue their academic goals, thinks about what her career might mean for her daughters, and shares how she hopes her work has ripple effects in the lives of her students.     It's an exercise she recommends that readers try, too. With challenges mounting for so many people—including college faculty, staff and students—the way to keep going isn't just to wonder how we get through this or when this storm will be over, she suggests. Instead, Morrison writes, "now, more than ever, as educators and institutions, we need to recenter ourselves on our why."     "Why did you take that first job in higher education? Why did you pursue your degrees? Why do you get up every morning and commute or log on to your campus?"    We invite you to think about your answers to those questions, and consider sharing them on Twitter using the hashtag #MyWhyEdu. Feel free to tag Morrison (@calimorrison). Maybe even add a photo like the ones she included in her essay.  Thank you for reading—we're grateful. 👂 EAR TO THE GROUND   WHEELING AND DEALING: Money is flowing into college and workforce training products and services. Online program management company Noodle gobbled up the key assets of another OPM firm called HotChalk. Virtual school operator K12 Inc. stretched into adulthood by acquiring online bootcamp provider Tech Elevator for $23.5 million. And a company that uses virtual reality to train workers raised $12 million. Read more about that last company, called TRANSFR, in this EdSurge column about innovation at community colleges.     NEVER TOO YOUNG: For high schoolers passionate about politics, being just shy of 18 years old on election day was disappointing. But many found other ways to participate in civic efforts this year, including volunteering as poll workers and organizing virtual town hall events for candidates. Here's how teenage students stepped up to help with political outreach and organizing, much of it shifted online due to the pandemic. ✍️ COLUMNIST CORNER   #MyWhyEdu: When EdSurge columnist Cali Morrison teaches, she doesn't just affect the lives of her students. She also influences the people they go on to serve in their careers as military leaders and emergency management specialists. That's part of what keeps Morrison going even now, when the whole higher ed system feels fragile. Remembering your "why" can help you persevere through the uncertainty, Morrison writes this week. 🎙️ LET'S TALK     CATCH US AT ISTE20: The EdSurge newsroom will be leading several sessions at the upcoming ISTE 2020 conference, taking place virtually Nov. 29 through Dec. 5.  A live EdSurge Podcast taping with José Vilson, co-founder and executive director of #EduColor and NYC math teacher, on inclusive teaching in a time of social unrest and political polarization An interactive discussion, led by two EdSurge reporters, about some of the ways educators have been forced to experiment during the pandemic—and what should stick around long-term. And a primer to how you can write and share your own stories on EdSurge. Learn about how ISTE, our parent organization is raising the bar for virtual events. Then register today! The following is a message from our sponsor Join us for Google Cloud's Public Sector Summit — a free two-day digital event taking place on December 8-9, 2020 will connect academic, edtech, and government communities across the globe. Create your own experience from over 50 sessions, book time to "ask an expert", explore success stories, and more. Register now 🎧 ON THE PODCAST   IN RESIDENCE: "No-excuses" charters and "progressive" schools don't have much in common when it comes to teaching and learning methods. But both models are devising a new way to train teachers in their respective pedagogies through year-long residencies. Author Victoria Theisen-Homer embedded herself in two such programs and explains how they work—and how they're dealing with the critical subject of race in society. 📈 STAT-O-MATIC 36,264 The number of faculty and staff represented by the 118 new union bargaining units formed at U.S. colleges between 2013 to 2019, according to a new report from the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions. The largest increase in faculty unionization came at private nonprofit institutions, which saw an 81.3 percent increase in the number of bargaining units and a 61 percent increase in the number of faculty represented. 📢 SPOKEN WORD   "I realized that it doesn't matter how many devices I have around me to distract me—I'm still going to be distracted. I think it's just being on Zoom." —Jessica Orozco, a second-year student at Ohio State University. She's featured in a long profile detailing what the student experience was like this semester. But the article concludes that in the pandemic, "there's little sense of a shared college experience." (The Chronicle of Higher Education) 💼 BYTE-SIZED BRIEFS   More people with bachelor's degrees are going back to school to learn skilled trades. (The Washington Post)   New research from Microsoft finds "online risks that sow hate and division are growing." (Library Journal) New initiative looks to reduce student debt at select HBCUs. (Diverse Issues in Higher Education) 📚 FROM THE ARCHIVES   HUNGRY STUDENTS: A third of college students may not regularly have enough to eat, according to government research. So campuses across the country run food pantries to help students—and faculty and staff, too— uncertain where to find their next meal. Learn why some higher ed leaders are thinking of taking these pantries to the next level by offering students food aid plans that supplement financial aid programs.  Looking for a job in edtech? You've come to the right place. EdSurge has the leading edtech jobs board with over 400 openings from schools, nonprofits and companies. Post a job See all edtech jobs Senior Learning Technologist Digital Learning & Innovation ​The Senior Learning Technologist is a valuable contributor to the development of innovative, scalable designs and user experiences for the Questrom Online MBA and other large-scale online programs at Boston University. Higher Ed Admin Operations   •   Higher Ed Institution  •  Boston, MA   Instructional Media Designer University of North Carolina at Charlotte The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is seeking applications for an Instructional Media Designer for the Audiovisual Integration and Support for Learning Environments (AISLE) with the Academic Affairs Department. Higher Ed Instructional Designer  •   Higher Ed Institution  •  Charlotte, NC   Technical Product Manager  Calbright College In this role, you will be responsible for managing the on-time and on-spec delivery of products and projects completed by members of the Technology Team and cross-functional collaborators from across the College staff. Product Management   •    School   •   Remote   Harvard Strategic Data Project Fellow  Center for Education Policy Research SDP Fellows are placed in full-time roles at host agencies including LEAs, CMOs, SEAs, foundations, and education nonprofits. Fellows will develop clear plans for using data and build organizational willingness to use data for decision-making. Data Analysis   •   Non Profit  •  Cambridge, MA   Assistant, Associate, or Senior Instructional Designer University of Central Florida The Center for Distributed Learning (CDL) at the University of Central Florida (UCF) is recruiting for a full-time, non-tenure track, 12-month position as an instructional designer (ID). Higher Ed Instructional Designer   •    Higher Ed Institution  •    Orlando, FL   Research Manager MIT SEII SEII is recruiting a Research Manager based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Research Manager works with SEII faculty and staff to help answer major policy questions related to education, the workforce, and inequality. Research   •   Higher Ed Institution  •  Cambridge, MA   Events Post an event   •   See all events and meetups   ISTE20 Live ​ISTE20 Live will provide the learning you need NOW through 600+ sessions that ensure you walk away with skills to teach in any learning environment! Attend for interactive content, stories of inspiration and strategies to address today's challenges. Nov 29 - Dec 5   •   Online   •   $51 - $250   Google Cloud Public Sector Summit Join us for Google Cloud's Public Sector Summit — a free two-day digital event taking place on December 8-9, 2020 will connect academic, edtech, and government communities across the globe. Dec 8   •   Online   •   Free   The Standards and STEM Working towards effective STEM learning means gaining a deeper understanding of the future we aspire to build, and having the ability to imagine this future. Dec 15   •   Online   •   Free     THANKS FOR READING   ➔ Got any feedback? We love hearing from readers. Shoot us a note, critiques, a joke—whatever you've got! ➔ Interested in reaching our readers? Sponsor this newsletter. ➔ Event planners: Feature your in-person or virtual event on our calendar & newsletters. EdSurge covers and connects the people, ideas and technologies that shape the future of learning. We are an independent news and research initiative of the International Society for Technology in Education. International Society for Technology in Education, 621 SW Morrison Street, Suite 800, Portland, Oregon 97205, USA, 800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 503.342.2848 (Int'l) Unsubscribe Manage preferences