Dr. Chaz Austin, Ed.D. has worked as a career trainer for clients all over the world for the past 20 years. He has been a guest on over 25 podcasts in the past year, has over 35,000 followers on LinkedIn, and wrote and teaches a series of three courses for LinkedIn Learning:

CREATING A CAREER PLAN http://goo.gl/IFMDCj

SUCCEEDING IN A NEW JOB https://goo.gl/lYxRSH

TRANSITIONING OUT OF YOUR JOB http://goo.gl/YtWBkr

The courses have been viewed by hundreds of thousands of people, and each one has a rating of 4.7 (out of 5.0) based on over 3700 reviews.

He is also a TEDx speaker who said, “When I work with my clients, we always start at the end: what’s your goal? And my personal goal is to find a university willing to do a pilot study of my program, which involves training college students on the business side, in how market themselves and monetize their education. It consists of a MANDATORY series of courses, beginning freshman year, that’s embedded into a traditional college curriculum. I know from experience that my program works. And then, my LONG TERM GOAL is to have it adopted by every college and university in the United States.”      

Dr. Austin has presented papers to: the National Association of Women MBAs, the Association for Business Communication, the National Council for Workforce Education, the Society of Educators and Scholars, the International College Teaching and Learning Conference, and the Global Conference on Leadership and Management, among others.

He holds a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University, and has been a college professor for over 20 years.

Dr. Austin has authored three books on self-marketing, treating yourself like a business and behaving like an entrepreneur. His latest book, from which the following is excerpted, is “How To Find Work for the Rest of Your Life,” and can be purchased here: https://shorturl.at/XXWMY

Determine the Value of a Degree

In the 20th century, a degree was the primary, default marketing tool

needed to find work. In what’s become a freelance workplace in the 21st

century, degrees are sometimes necessary, but are now insufficient. A

degree guarantees nothing, but in some fields, you need to have one to

get to the starting line.

 

If they work or want to work in an industry where a degree is useful, my

students and clients often ask me whether they should pursue yet an-

other degree. Usually my answer is yes. In certain fields (like education),

the more degrees you have, the more options you have. But if you’re on

a career track where degrees are useful and/or required, you’ll need to

choose whether that particular degree is worth the time and money you’ll

invest to earn it. And unfortunately, there may not be a direct correlation

between your investment and the results.

 

When you buy a car, you know what you’re getting. You can choose the

options you want and know ahead of time what it will feel like to drive it

and how it will perform. The results of an education are more indirect. I

paid approximately $70,000 for my doctorate. I can’t actually measure the

return on that investment, however, because it’s indirect. Was it worth it?

Absolutely. Can I tell you the specific results? Not exactly. I can say that

since earning my doctorate, I have more intellectual rigor, am paid better

for my work, and have enjoyed teaching and publishing opportunities that

I would not have had without it. Have those new opportunities paid back

the $70,000? Yes. But – those opportunities were only partially a result

of my becoming DOCTOR Austin. The relationships I’ve developed, the

experiences I’ve gained, and the accomplishments I’ve achieved during

the many years before I earned my doctorate, how I leveraged them, and

my ability to market myself have all contributed— and continue to

contribute—to my success.

 

I can’t tell someone who is thinking of getting a law degree—and with it, a

debt load of perhaps $100,000—whether it’s going to be “worth it.” What

I can advise is that before you enroll in a degree program, you should

decide if this degree will help you to manifest your passion in the world.

In other words, don’t get a law degree just because you can make more

money if you have one. Don’t have it be a default step because you’ve hit

a wall in your career of choice (say, acting) and you’ve heard and/or read

that lawyers make a lot of money, even though you’re not particularly

interested in the law. Instead, do your research. Talk to people who already

work in the field and find out from them whether they think it would be

worth your time and money.

 

If you’re just graduating college and don’t want or are afraid to get into

the workforce, don’t get a master’s degree just because you don’t know

exactly what you want to do. Instead, get to work. Find some kind of a

job and give it a few years. You may find that you didn’t need an M.B.A.

after all. You might discover that you like working in art restoration, so the

degree you need is an M.F.A. Or maybe you’ll learn that you didn’t need

a degree at all.

 

And if you’re graduating high school and want to be an auto mechanic,

getting a bachelor’s degree doesn’t make a lot of sense. Repair shops

hiring mechanics don’t value them. What you’ll want to pursue is your ASE

certification.

 

If you’re a carpenter, you’re guided by the mantra, “measure twice, cut

once.” You can use this idea whenever you consider furthering your

education. Research as thoroughly as you can before you commit either your

time or money to a certificate/degree/license, so you can determine if it

will provide a reasonable return on your investment.

“How To Find Work for the Rest of Your Life,” and can be purchased here: https://shorturl.at/XXWMY

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., — Today, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) announced the expansion of its work in artificial intelligence to help ensure education tools that leverage AI are grounded in research and best practices for teaching and learning.

CZI launched two new AI developer tools for education designed to empower developers to integrate high-quality education content seamlessly into their platforms. Knowledge Graph helps developers enhance AI system inputs by aligning them with learning science research, state academic standards, and curricula, while Evaluators help developers assess AI system outputs to ensure they meet the accuracy, rigor, and quality essential for teaching and learning.

Alongside these new private beta tools, CZI also announced the appointment of a new advisory board that includes experts in schools, data privacy, artificial intelligence, education technology, and learning science.

“With the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, improving the quality of outputs from large language models is increasingly important — especially where student learning and outcomes are involved,” said CZI’s Head of Education, Sandra Liu Huang. “CZI is partnering with education, research, and technology experts to help ensure artificial intelligence tools are high quality and support educator efforts to unlock the full potential of every student.”

These new tools are part of CZI’s efforts to help schools address everyday challenges by co-building tools with educators and empowering technology developers with resources to build high-quality, research-backed AI solutions for education.

Core AI Resources for Education Developers

Through Knowledge Graph and Evaluators, CZI is using its learning science expertise and technical strengths to enable edtech developers to incorporate rigorous, high-quality educational content into their platforms and improve the overall infrastructure of AI-driven education products.

To help developers improve the quality of their inputs, Knowledge Graph will launch with two key interconnected datasets: a high-quality, openly licensed core math curriculum in partnership with Illustrative Math, and academic standards from all 50 states in partnership with 1EdTech.

For Evaluators, CZI also worked with academic experts to help edtech developers support teachers in closing the gap in student reading skills. They leveraged a Rubric for Literature from Student Achievement Partners to evaluate the complexity of AI-generated text outputs. They also worked with English Language Arts experts from The Achievement Network and Gradient Learning to assess the dataset.

The private beta phase includes initial collaboration with Playlab and Diffit, who are piloting the tools to improve their AI-based educational offerings.

Education Advisory Board

CZI is also announcing its Education Advisory Board, bringing together a diverse group of experts to help guide efforts in advancing the use of AI to transform learning and improve educational outcomes.

The Advisory Board members are:

Dan Carroll
Former Chief Product Officer and co-founder of Clever

Richard Culatta
CEO of ISTE+ASCD

Alina von Davier
Chief of Assessment at Duolingo, CEO and Founder of EdAstra Tech, and VC Partner at the LearnLaunch Accelerator

Louis Gomez
Professor of Education at UCLA and a member of the National Academy of Education

Babak Mostaghimi
Founding Partner of LearnerStudio

Amelia Vance
Amelia Vance, Founder and President of the Public Interest Privacy Center (PIPC)

Advisory board members represent a range of perspectives with expertise in learning science, education technology, data privacy and artificial intelligence. See here for their bios.

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About the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was founded in 2015 to help solve some of society’s toughest challenges — from eradicating disease and improving education, to addressing the needs of our communities. Through collaboration, providing resources and building technology, our mission is to help build a more inclusive, just and healthy future for everyone. For more information, please visit chanzuckerberg.com.

As educators, we are constantly seeking ways to enhance our teaching methods and engage our students in a meaningful way. Blended learning, also known as hybrid learning, is a teaching approach that combines traditional face-to-face instruction with online learning. It has gained popularity in recent years as technology has become more integrated into our daily lives. Blended learning offers a unique opportunity to enhance classroom instruction and create a more dynamic and engaging learning experience for students. In this article, we will explore the benefits of blended learning and how it can improve classroom instruction.

Charlotte, NC. (Wednesday, December 18, 2024) — Discovery Education has been selected to receive two prestigious Industry Impact Awards. Presented by The American Consortium for Equity in Education, the Industry Impact Awards honor the PreK-20 companies, organizations, leaders, and products whose proven results have advanced educational equity and access for learners.  

The two Discovery Education solutions receiving Industry Impact Awards are: 

In the Career Readiness and Success Solution Category: Career Connect  
The 2024 Education Insights Report shows that while 88% of district leaders, teachers, parents, and students rate life skills as very important, only 57% of students believe their schools adequately teach the life skills needed for future success. Career Connect from Discovery Education is the one-stop-spot to facilitate, plan, and organize interactions between professionals and students. With Career Connect, teachers can request virtual classroom visits from industry professionals based on job types, industries, language preferences, and location.  

In the National or International Impact Category: The STEM Careers Coalition  
The STEM Careers Coalition is an alliance of industries and non-profit organizations collaborating to create equitable access to free STEM content and career connections. Since 2019, the STEM Careers Coalition has reached over 10.7 million students, including 2.97 million in the 2023-2024 school year alone, 65% of which are from Title I schools.    

“Congratulations to all the deserving winners of the Industry Impact Awards, and a heartfelt thank you for the work you do to support educators and students,” said Maia Appleby, Communications and Editorial Director for the American Consortium for Equity in Education. “It’s a joy to announce these winners, highlight their meaningful contributions to education, and it will be just as exciting to see what they do next.” 

Every nominee, finalist, and winner of the Excellence in Equity Awards has made invaluable contributions to improving opportunities and outcomes for students. Learn more about the winners at https://www.ace-ed.org/awards.  

“Career exposure and preparation is a focus for many schools and districts across the United States, which is why Discovery Education has created essential solutions to ensure all students have the opportunity to explore the connection between what they are learning today and a possible career tomorrow. This recognition is powerful validation and inspiration for our team to continue to create solutions that prepare students for success beyond graduation,” said Amy Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Alliances at Discovery Education. 

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.     

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About the Excellence in Equity Awards 
The annual Excellence in Equity Awards program recognizes the companies, nonprofits, leaders, and educators whose work contributes to the critical goal of ensuring access and equity for every learner. Learn more at www.ace-ed.org/awards. 

About Discovery Education 
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and corporate partnerships, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com. 

Contacts 
Grace Maliska 
Discovery Education 
Email: gmaliska@discoveryed.com 

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The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) recently named Just Right Reader’s decodable books for grades K-2 as approved instructional materials for both English and Spanish phonics. After undergoing the SBOE-governed Instructional Materials Review and Approval (IMRA) process, these literacy resources were found to meet 100 percent of the applicable Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) state standards and 100 percent Phonics Rule Compliance (Chapter 74). Just Right Reader is now eligible for state funding. 

“As one of only two companies to be approved by the SBOE for both English and Spanish phonics, educators throughout the state can now use Just Right Reader’s literacy resources to support all of their young learners in their reading journey,” said Sara Rich, founder and CEO of Just Right Reader. “Our Science of Reading decodable books provide engaging and relatable content that students can read over and over again as they practice their phonics to become proficient and joyful readers.”

According to the SBOE website, all instructional materials submitted to the IMRA process are reviewed for TEKS and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) alignment, factual errors, suitability, quality, physical/electronic specifications, and parent portal compliance. Instructional materials are also open to public review and feedback.

Following the review of instructional materials, the SBOE votes to determine which materials to add to its list of approved instructional materials. All instructional materials added to that list, which now includes Just Right Reader’s literacy resources, are considered high-quality instructional materials (HQIM). 

Just Right Reader’s Science of Reading decodable phonics books come in multiple levels to meet students’ current reading experience. They provide structured phonics practice through engaging, relatable texts that students can enjoy anytime, anywhere. Additionally, families can access a variety of at-home support resources and practice materials online by scanning QR codes included in the decodable books.

“The confidence levels have increased when it comes to approaching books, working through the text, and even jumping in and trying to decode words,” said Cori Gandara, literacy specialist at Sinton Independent School District in Sinton, Texas. “Students are really excited to dig in and read together.”

To learn more about Just Right Reader, visit www.justrightreader.com. To learn more about the IMRA process, visit https://sboe.texas.gov/state-board-of-education/imra. 

About Just Right Reader

At Just Right Reader, we do whatever it takes to accelerate student achievement and create joyful reading experiences through high-quality Science of Reading research-based resources, an extensive family engagement platform, and a commitment to personalized learning. Our library of more than 850 English and Spanish literacy resources, aligned with all core phonics programs used in schools, offers structured and engaging phonics practice, while the Science of Reading Take-Everywhere Literacy Packs™ deliver personalized, data-driven practice that extends beyond the classroom for literacy success.

Visit www.justrightreader.com for more information.