Post from Mark Cubans Blog about Passion….what do you think?
I hear it all the time from people. “I’m passionate about it.” “I’m not going to quit, It’s my passion”. Or I hear it as advice to students and others “Follow your passion”.
What a bunch of BS. ”Follow Your Passion” is easily the worst advice you could ever give or get.
Why ? Because everyone is passionate about something. Usually more than 1 thing. We are born with it. There are always going to be things we love to do. That we dream about doing. That we really really want to do with our lives. Those passions aren’t worth a nickel.
Think about all the things you have been passionate about in your life. Think about all those passions that you considered making a career out of or building a company around. How many were/are there ? Why did you bounce from one to another ? Why were you not able to make a career or business out of any of those passions ? Or if you have been able to have some success, what was the key to the success.? Was it the passion or the effort you put in to your job or company ?
If you really want to know where you destiny lies, look at where you apply your time.
Time is the most valuable asset you don’t own. You may or may not realize it yet, but how you use or don’t use your time is going to be the best indication of where your future is going to take you .
Let me make this as clear as possible
1. When you work hard at something you become good at it.
2. When you become good at doing something, you will enjoy it more.
3. When you enjoy doing something, there is a very good chance you will become passionate or more passionate about it
4. When you are good at something, passionate and work even harder to excel and be the best at it, good things happen.
Don’t follow your passions, follow your effort. It will lead you to your passions and to success, however you define it.
STEM Update 3
Study Shows AP Program Igniting Learning for Thousands of Youth
A rigorous study just released by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) finds that students who were part of the Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP) “took and passed more AP courses and exams, and enrolled in college in greater numbers. Most of this increase occurred at four-year colleges and private universities. Affected students were also more likely to persist in college, to earn more college credits, and slightly more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree. In addition, affected students were more likely to be employed and earned higher wages.”
Green Schools and Students’ Science Scores are Related
A nationwide survey shows a positive correlation between Green School practices and student achievement in science. The study was conducted by the University of Colorado Denver’s Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences and presented last week at the Green Schools National Network conference in Denver. Schools that took part in the survey observe GreenPrint core practices as defined by the Green Schools National Network (GSNN).
Low Retention of STEM Faculty Raises Concerns
AWIS in Action! – February 2012
A recent study published in ScienceDaily indicates that men and women faculty members are now being retained in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at roughly the same rate, with the exception of mathematics departments. Funded by the NSF-ADVANCE Program, this is the first large-scale longitudinal study on faculty retention, and researchers found that the median number of years male and female faculty stay at an institution is 11. This means that half of the faculty hired this year will be gone in 11 years, which is a real problem for research universities which have competitive startup packages and expensive recruitment strategies.
STEM Update 2
USA Science & Engineering Festival Gears Up for Second Celebration
Plans for the second USA Science & Engineering Festival, a national celebration of science, are moving full-steam ahead with less than 60 days to go. The Festival, first held in 2010, was created to increase public awareness of the importance of science and excite the nation’s youth in the fields of science, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by presenting the most compelling, exciting, educational, and entertaining science festival in the United States. Taking place April 28-29, 2012 at the Washington, DC Convention Center, the Festival already proves to be bigger than last year and will feature over 3,000 different hands-on activities and experiments, and over 100 stage performances.
STEM Updates…very cools stuff going on
Google Seeks Young Scientists to Compete in 2nd Annual Science Fair
Google is currently looking for the brightest young scientists from around the world to submit interesting, creative projects that are relevant to the world today. The second annual Google Science Fair is an online international competition for individuals and groups of students between the ages of 12 and 18. Google encourages students to start by identifying real world problems that they are personally curious about and interested in exploring.
OpEd piece about Politics and Education..
I thought this piece was great and I am proud to say I worked for Klein during my tenure in NYC. We need to push more for our children and our country.
Two Great Opportunities for Students…
Doors to Diplomacy: Projects Due March 15
The U. S. Department of State and GlobalSchoolNet.org sponsor the “Doors to Diplomacy” educational challenge – to encourage middle school and high school students around the world to produce web projects that teach others about the importance of international affairs and diplomacy. Each student team member of the winning “Doors to Diplomacy” Award team receives a $2,000 scholarship, and the winning coaches’ schools each receive a $500 cash award. Additional prizes may be provided by sponsors.
http://www.globalschoolnet.org/gsndoors/aglance.cfm
International CyberFair:
International Schools CyberFair, now in its 15th year, is an award-winning authentic learning program used by schools and youth organizations around the world. Youth conduct research and publish their findings on the Web. Recognition is given to the best projects in each of eight categories. This White House-endorsed program encourages youth to become community ambassadors by working collaboratively and using technology to share what they have learned. Students evaluate each others projects by using a unique online evaluation tool. In partnership with the World Future Society, students are also encouraged to also share their dreams for the future – by thinking about the possible future, the probable future, the preferable future and the preventable future. Projects that best illustrate “future thinking” are invited to the World Future Society international conference in Toronto, Canada, July 2012, WorldFuture 2012: Dream. Design. Develop. Deliver.