One of the goals of applied child development research is to understand the impact of programs and services that serve children and families. Preschool is one of these hot-button programs that has gotten a lot of attention in the press recently. Preschool has been known to have many positive benefits for children (especially for children from low-income backgrounds), but many researchers and policymakers have been worried about recent findings that these positive effects don’t last, they fade over time.
How to…make friends in grad school
Cultivating deep, meaningful relationships with friends after college can be really difficult. What’s your advice for how to make lasting friendships during graduate school?
How to…manage your time in grad school
Ok, so this is one of those posts specifically tailored to students who are already in graduate school, but perhaps if you’re a college student, you might glean something from this as well.
What I’m Reading II
Here’s what I’ve been reading around the web this week!
why the blog
Some of you might be wondering why I have this website and blog. Well, I’m here to tell you!
What I’m Reading
Hi everyone! I’m introducing a new series to the blog! Each week (at least that’s the goal), I’ll post a short list of articles from around the web that I’ve read. The articles will deal with issues related to children and families. I’m starting this as a way to (a) keep myself accountable and focus on reading more relevant and staying current on child and family social policy, and (2) encourage and promote good quality information about these important topics on the internet. All too often I see news roundups that fail to focus on domestic issues that impact children and families from across the sociodemographic spectrum. So I’d like to do my part, and spread the news.
The research assistant
One of the suggestions I gave on the gap year post was to become a research assistant, or RA. I wanted to take some time to explain what that means. Institutions that conduct research (universities, nonprofit firms, institutes, etc.) require assistance at all levels of research from PhD level, to MA level, to even the BA level. These organizations will hire recent college graduates to work, full-time, on their research projects. The “research assistant” (some other places call them “lab managers” or “policy research assistant” etc.) level is typically for individuals who have a bachelors degree. On average, these jobs last between 1-3 years and they are literally designed as a gap year gig. That’s why I love them so much.
How to…Stay Organized
We’ve all been there…you finally mustered up the motivation to get your desktop organized and suddenly you realize your inbox is COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL.
I know this feeling well, so I’ve compiled a list of quick tips for staying organized.
How my teaching has changed since this election
As we all know this year’s election was unprecedented and unusual; it has caused a lot of worry and uncertainty among many different groups of people across the country. And while I have been saddened by much of the dialogue that has come from this administration I have also taken strides in my own life to be a more informed, educated, and civically-minded citizen. One way I have done this is through my teaching.
Continue reading “How my teaching has changed since this election”
Urban Experiences We Take for Granted
A recent Brookings article highlights some of the details underneath the hooplah that was this years election. The article talks about some concepts and inequalities that social scientists and education researchers have known for years: folks who live in rural America are not receiving basic education about how the economy works, this is something urbanites take for granted.
Tanya Tavassolie 