Ideas within topic education: (click suns to rate or comment on ideas)

1		Murphy Analysis: Murphy's Law says whatever can go wrong will go wrong. When seeing whether some data fit your theory, erase your assumptions and brainstorm alternative theories the data could fit. Often one of those is right and your theory is wrong.	E-mail
2		Just as some people are hyperactive, some people are hypoactive. They're just not noticed because they are quiet. However, it may cause problems: aversion to exercise may harm health, and aversion to interaction may cause problems in marriage and work..	E-mail
3		To replace time-consuming and rigid grant applications, pay scientists a fixed salary, from which they need to pay all their research expenses, including supplies, equipment, and staff, encouraging efficient use of money to produce the best results.	E-mail
4		Make an online activity for each citizen to assign spending and taxation categories of his national government. Experiencing the compromises needed to balance the budget will make people more realistic and will transmit that realism to their government.	E-mail
5		Teach kids reading with their bedtime storybook. Start by teaching 1-letter words, then 2-letter words, just one each night. If he can't remember a word, then tell him, and read the previous sentence again and ask him the word again. Use praise.	E-mail
6		I heard this: "I'm a historian, not a futurist." That's like a scientist saying, "I collect data. I don't make theories." The purpose of gathering data is to make theories to predict what will happen and improve the course of events. History should, too.	E-mail
7		Applicants to universities should submit a business plan for their chosen career, showing their research into job prospects for their field. This may prevent some painful surprises on graduation and may steer people to better paths before it's too late.	E-mail
8		Before starting to date, everyone should find and interview 10 married and 10 divorced people to learn how to avoid their mistakes and do what worked well. This is difficult for kids, thus high schools should arrange this as part of sex education.	E-mail
9		To promote tourism, the tourism development agencies of developing countries can provide cheap interpreter-cum-guides. Teach the poor but intelligent youths some lesser learnt (in that region) foreign language. Help them & the region earn more.	E-mail
10		Color-blindness in relationships: People are different and will feel some things that their partners don't, as if one is color blind to a feeling the partner sees as glorious, leading to confusion, frustration, and pain. Explain, understand, manage.	E-mail
11		Create a website with interviews of people who tried to enter various careers and failed or succeeded, with statistics on % who quit that track or got a job. Are they happy? Provide the site for all high school career guidance counselors worldwide.	E-mail
12		To fight brain drain (poor countries losing precious funds teaching doctors, who then leave for more pay in rich countries), use education loans, to be forgiven by working in home country or repaid in cash earned from rich country.	E-mail
13		To ensure science graduates jobs, universities can have contracts to be executed collectively by its unemployed students of the past 5 years with the guidence of the Prof. & using university setups. This can reduce unemployment & impart on-job training.	E-mail
14		Use more retired and elderly people in daycare centers. Background checks could be used if necessary. A lot like the adopt-a-grandparent program a few years ago.	E-mail
15		University students could start their own online job service. This would publish a complete department-wide list of students with their profiles and academics. From the published lists any recruiter could contact the students for interviews.	E-mail
16		I think that people need to stop having this us against them way of thinking, and peace would be better able to exist. I think that this way of thinking needs to be taught in schools, and by parents at an early age.	E-mail
17		Teach estimation for real-life: Fermi quiz (power of 10 estimates), budgets, taxes, should I buy insurance, how likely are coincidences, how much food to make for a meal. (math,probability,statistics)	E-mail
18		Teach practical history. Don't memorize dates. Generalize how people behave in similar events around the world over time: culture clashes, democracy movements vs. dictators, economic booms/busts, ethnic wars, development. Apply to future.	E-mail
19		Teach how to handle money: calculate income taxes, how to set up an IRA, how to buy stocks, how to compare returns of various investments, life insurance, annuities, how to start a business, credit cards, loans, mortgage. (practical economics)	E-mail
20		Teach practical behavior: top reasons people divorce or stay married, or have children. Causes of spouse abuse & child abuse. Parent/teen relations. Recognizing and treating psychiatric illness.	E-mail
21		To improve health, teach preventative measures at school: good fitness, sensible eating, weight control, non-smoking, moderate drinking, etc. Less visits to doctor = lower overall costs.
22		A world language: Finally, a possibility of understanding, real and direct, for more than 6 billion people speaking 6,700 languages. Adopt the state-of-the-art, planned international language Fasile as the 2nd language.	E-mail
23		To raise money needed by charities (such as schools) for specific needs, set up a website to allow recipients to post proposals and allow donors to choose which they will fund. DonorsChoose is an example.	E-mail
24		Teach how to behave in the legal system: what to do when police stop you or arrest you or if you are summoned or sued, what is bail, what is it like in jail, what to do if you're a victim of crime, how to survive in a mugging or rape.	E-mail
25		To prevent further damage to our Earth, I think that we need to have education in our schools that teaches the consequences that our actions have on the Earth.	E-mail
26		Establish a "communications link" between children of different nations, even in times of war (whenever and wherever possible), as children represent the future of the planet.	E-mail
27		Why are school buildings reminiscent of Gothic, Medieval, and Prison architecture? If you want kids to be bright and creative, let them learn and develop in unique and colorful buildings that combine technology with nature. Hire some new architects.	E-mail
28		Libraries could digitise all their books and put them on an online database. In doing so, they can offer paid online membership throughout the world. Well-known libraries would benefit from this kind of project to the maximum extent.	E-mail
29		Teach how to use government (civics): how to lobby for changes in laws, how to contact officials at each gov. level, how legislatures work, how to run for office. If you try this, please e-mail me to let me know how it goes.	E-mail
30		In colleges, create a service organization of computer-savvy students who volunteer to help nonprofits create webpages, teach computer skills to underpriveleged children or the elderly, etc.	E-mail
31		Before deciding to train in a particular field, talk with people working in that career to help predict whether you'd like that job. Volunteer to work in that area for a while during summer to experience it before committing to it. E-mail me if you try.	E-mail
32		Transit rest homes (day care centers) in regions and countries where they are not yet common. They would help nuclear families by keeping their children for one or more days or even hours in safety so that parents can do their work in peace.	E-mail
33		Examples of group violence are constantly reported in the news, but little is done to prevent them. Group loyalty/hatred should be studied scientifically like other illness to find the psychological/social causes and, most importantly, preventions.	E-mail
34		Idea contest for kids in school. Teachers may divide kids into teams to brainstorm and compete against other teams for greatest number of ideas or best ideas (as judged by other students).	E-mail
35		To save paper, trees, energy, and money, try to make your workplace paperless. Instead of printing documents, read and store them on your computer. Use e-mail instead of paper memos, faxes, or letters.	E-mail
36		Racetrack: a good non-computer game for kids on long trips. Very simple, using only graph paper, pencil, and creativity, and teaches physics and planning ahead. Instructions.	E-mail
37		Let U.N. conduct annual essay/project competitions for students from developing countries to evaluate/improve the functioning of democratic institutions in their countries. Helps to spread awareness/critical evaluation.	E-mail
38		High school students, organize a Head Shave for Cancer Research event at your school. Have the students donate to see their favourite teachers and administrators go bald.	E-mail
39		Teach practical health: vaccines, sex ed. & STDs, how to prevent colds (wash your hands), how to recognize commonly undiagnosed diseases (depression, heart attack, stroke) & what to do, first aid, CPR, exercise, car safety, diet.	E-mail
40		A local online auction and bartering site for used books, CDs, VCDs, DVDs, etc. could be a very hot proposition for students at a university. Since it's local, students could then meet to exchange items in person without postage or delay.	E-mail
41		Universities should allow their text books and reference books to be read at their web sites. This will facilitate inquisitive minds to quench their thirst for reading and create a well read society. MIT does.	E-mail
42		To deal with school bullying: show confidence, stay in groups, avoid the bully, and ignore the bully (this is hard, so have friends or parents help you practice at home). If that doesn't work, tell teachers and parents and take self-defense lessons.	E-mail
43		Teach more statistics and probability for real-life. Use examples from the news: polls, scientific studies, lottery, insurance, relative risks from different activities (living near a coal power plant vs. a nuclear plant).	E-mail
44		For curricula that require learning by small group work, try "jigsawing"--pairing up groups that understand the material with those that don't, so that the former can 'teach' the concept to the latter.	E-mail
45		Teach basic science facts: light things fall as fast as heavy ones (besides drag), drugs short-circuit pleasure circuits in brain, suntan is from nuclear radiation, a liter of water is a kilo, a liter of any gas has ~same # of molecules. (chemistry)	E-mail
46		In many K-12 classrooms, there is a computer and an overhead projector. There needs to be a simple, reusable, inexpensive and reliable way to transfer a powerpoint presentation from computer to the wall.	E-mail
47		Teach geography: rough locations of biggest 100 countries, big religions, big languages, income by region, lifespan by region, government (democracy, dictatorship, theocracy, anarchy) by country, cities over 5 million. Not state capitals.	E-mail
48		Require all high school students in "developed countries" to study a lesser developed country for two courses, or do some large project. Most students will retain lifelong interest in this country.	E-mail
49		Politicians of all levels are required to send their children to public school. This would provide a personal incentive for them to improve our education system and also give them more direct feedback on how the system is doing.	E-mail
50		Children between ages of 15 and 17 are taken to a developing country to work for six weeks at the rate of pay that the average person in the country makes. This will raise awareness of how privileged we are in the US.	E-mail