Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

  • Our Verdict
  • GET IT

Next book

ONLINE EDUCATION: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SUCCESS IN THE ONLINE ENVIRONMENT

A reliable, authoritative resource for prospective online students.

Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

  • Our Verdict
  • GET IT

A guide to the increasingly complex world of online education.

More and more institutions have begun offering online courses in recent years, and many people are interested in using such courses to further their education. In this self-help debut, Bayode (Onsite Dean/Strayer Univ.) draws on a decade of experience as a teacher of traditional and online classes and aims to debunk a number of online education myths, including the notion that online courses are easier or less expensive than traditional ones. In fact, online learning can be costly; students may need to pay not only for the course, textbooks and supplies, but also for a computer and special software. The author writes that he has taught thousands of students in online courses and points out that people must be highly motivated and disciplined to complete the coursework and participate effectively with other students. Bayode stresses self-discipline in nearly every chapter of this book, particularly for students who also have full-time jobs. He meticulously delineates the many challenges of online education, which can be especially daunting for students with inadequate computer skills. In an eye-opening chapter titled “Questions You Must Answer Before Taking Online Courses,” he urges readers to ask themselves hard questions about their comfort with independent learning and technology. In an intriguing final chapter, Bayode looks at the emergence of online education in developing countries and how corporations and higher-education institutions might collaborate in delivering online education in the future.

A reliable, authoritative resource for prospective online students.

Pub Date: Aug. 22, 2012

ISBN: 978-1477474068

Page Count: 222

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: Jan. 3, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2013

Categories:
Next book

UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN

This guide to Black culture for White people is accessible but rarely easy.

A former NFL player casts his gimlet eye on American race relations.

In his first book, Acho, an analyst for Fox Sports who grew up in Dallas as the son of Nigerian immigrants, addresses White readers who have sent him questions about Black history and culture. “My childhood,” he writes, “was one big study abroad in white culture—followed by studying abroad in black culture during college and then during my years in the NFL, which I spent on teams with 80-90 percent black players, each of whom had his own experience of being a person of color in America. Now, I’m fluent in both cultures: black and white.” While the author avoids condescending to readers who already acknowledge their White privilege or understand why it’s unacceptable to use the N-word, he’s also attuned to the sensitive nature of the topic. As such, he has created “a place where questions you may have been afraid to ask get answered.” Acho has a deft touch and a historian’s knack for marshaling facts. He packs a lot into his concise narrative, from an incisive historical breakdown of American racial unrest and violence to the ways of cultural appropriation: Your friend respecting and appreciating Black arts and culture? OK. Kim Kardashian showing off her braids and attributing her sense of style to Bo Derek? Not so much. Within larger chapters, the text, which originated with the author’s online video series with the same title, is neatly organized under helpful headings: “Let’s rewind,” “Let’s get uncomfortable,” “Talk it, walk it.” Acho can be funny, but that’s not his goal—nor is he pedaling gotcha zingers or pleas for headlines. The author delivers exactly what he promises in the title, tackling difficult topics with the depth of an engaged cultural thinker and the style of an experienced wordsmith. Throughout, Acho is a friendly guide, seeking to sow understanding even if it means risking just a little discord.

This guide to Black culture for White people is accessible but rarely easy.

Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-250-80046-6

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2020

Next book

TRANS CHILDREN IN TODAY'S SCHOOLS

Essential guidance on proactively navigating the challenges of gender-diverse student bodies.

A comprehensive look at gender-diverse youth in the classroom.

As the transgender student population continues to become more widely visible, navigation tools have become critical for educators and parents alike, notes Key, a veteran gender diversity educator. While written with parents of trans+ children in mind, the book is primarily directed at teachers, administrators, and school staff who directly impact students’ lives on a daily basis. Key shows readers what is involved when a child considers a gender transition process, and he confronts the challenges of gender inclusion, which may be a new topic for some readers. Particularly striking are the stories from parents of trans+ students who are managing the stages of their own apprehension alongside those of their child. Key incorporates learning points on gender vernacular and fighting community stigmatization. Personal anecdotes and timely discussions from school educators complement instructive illustrations and Q&A sections that answer sensitive questions regarding sports participation, bathroom choices, and changing areas. In an encouraging, consistently positive manner, Key addresses the overt political and/or cultural resistance that proliferates within heated debates and public forum discussions, and he asserts that accurate information is the best way to educate and collaborate. He stresses the importance of delivering practical, real-world discussion tools and assistance to parents and educators of trans+ children, who often find themselves without resources, advice, answers, or support to fortify what can often be an overwhelmingly complex experience. Key’s checklists of suggestions successfully bridge the gap between trans+ kids, adults, and school educators with strategically supportive approaches and behaviors. Authoritative yet written in pleasant, straightforward language, this book is an invaluable resource for understanding what it clearly means (and doesn’t mean) to be transgender while ensuring that every student has access to an optimal learning environment free from discrimination.

Essential guidance on proactively navigating the challenges of gender-diverse student bodies.

Pub Date: June 27, 2023

ISBN: 9780190886547

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Oxford Univ.

Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023

Close Quickview