Education

"In Maori culture, autism is referred to as 'takiwātanga,' which translates to 'in his/her own time and space”. What a beautiful way to respect people with autism. This profound concept from Maori culture offers us all a transformative lens through which to view neurodiversity. Rather than framing autism as a disorder or deficit, this perspective honors the unique temporal and spatial experience of autistic individuals. It acknowledges that each person moves through the world according to their own internal rhythm and perception. The term "takiwātanga" was introduced in 2017 by Keri Opai, who led the development of a Maori glossary of mental health terminology. In creating this term, Opai consulted with both Maori elders and autism specialists to find language that would be respectful, accurate, and culturally meaningful. What makes this perspective so powerful is how it shifts the narrative from one of pathology to one of respect. Instead of viewing autistic processing as "wrong" or "delayed," it's simply recognized as different, a natural variation in human experience that deserves acknowledgment and accommodation. This wisdom reminds us that true inclusion isn't about forcing everyone into the same mold, but about creating spaces where diverse ways of being are valued and supported. When we embrace the concept that everyone moves through life "in their own time and space," we create communities where neurodivergent individuals can thrive authentically. Learning from indigenous perspectives like this enriches our collective understanding and reminds us that wisdom about human difference exists across cultures and throughout history. It invites us to question dominant narratives and to seek out more compassionate, holistic ways of seeing each other. What cultural wisdom about human diversity has expanded your understanding? How might viewing neurodiversity through this lens of "in one's own time and space" change how we structure our schools, workplaces, and communities? Let's celebrate these beautiful perspectives that help us all become more accepting, patient, and appreciative of the rich tapestry of human experience. AA✨ ———————————————————————— 👋🏾 Hi, I’m Abi - Founder of The Culture Partnership. Click my name + follow + 🔔. I discuss organizational culture, inclusion, leadership and social justice.

When I moved to the U.S. as an international student to pursue my Master’s in Data Science at Columbia University, I knew it would be an expensive and intense journey. But by the time I graduated, I wasn’t just debt-free—I had actually earned money during my program. How? I strategically combined research assistantships, internships, and scholarships throughout my Master’s. From the very beginning, I sought out research assistant positions, and by my second semester, I secured one that fully covered my tuition and provided a generous stipend. During my summer break, I balanced two internships—one at Columbia and another at IBM —while continuing to work on impactful projects and research. By graduation, I wasn’t just financially ahead, but I had also built a portfolio of high-impact work that propelled my career. Here’s my advice for anyone looking to do the same: 1️⃣ Be proactive about research assistantships: Most professors don’t advertise openings. Reach out directly, express interest in their work, and show how your skills can contribute to their projects. 2️⃣ Ask about scholarships, always: Even at private universities, scholarships and tuition waivers exist. Make it a point to ask professors or program coordinators and negotiate whenever possible. 3️⃣ Never skip negotiations: Whether it’s a stipend or internship salary, don’t settle for the first offer. Many positions are negotiable, and advocating for yourself can significantly increase your earnings. 4️⃣ Choose long-term value over short-term gains: Focus on projects, internships, and assistantships that align with your career goals. While jobs like working in a library or cafeteria might provide instant money, they don’t contribute to long-term success. To my fellow immigrants and international students: I know how overwhelming it can feel to chase your dreams in a new country, often with limited resources and endless challenges. But trust me, every opportunity is out there waiting—you just have to go after it. Be resourceful, stay persistent, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or put yourself out there. Your Master’s program isn’t just about earning a degree; it’s about building a foundation for your future, creating opportunities, and proving to yourself just how far you can go. You’ve got this—let’s make it count! What strategies or lessons have shaped your journey? I’d love to hear your story. 👇👇👇 Share this with your network ♻️ Follow me (Aishwarya Srinivasan) for AI insights, news, and educational resources.

Let’s talk about the kind of disabilities you can’t always see—like ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety. Just because they’re invisible doesn’t mean they’re not real. Yet too often, students with these conditions are left to figure it out on their own. Its like telling someone in a wheelchair to use the stairs because you can’t see what they need. Sounds wrong, right? That’s exactly what happens when we ignore the needs of students with hidden disabilities. Things like extra time, quiet rooms, or clearer instructions aren’t a favor. They’re the basics. They give these students a fighting chance to show what they’re capable of. Without them, we’re setting them up to fail. I’ve seen what one small change can do. It can mean the difference between falling behind and finally keeping up. Between giving up and showing up. What if we built our classrooms to work for all kinds of minds? What if we stopped treating accommodations like bonuses, and started treating them like rights? Have you ever seen a simple change make a huge difference for someone? Or do you think schools are truly doing enough? Let’s talk about it. And let’s do better, together. Image Courtesy: No Nonsense Neurodivergent #Disability #Accessibility #SDGs #Equity #HumanRights #WeAreBillionStrong #HumanInclusion ID: Allowing a student with a hidden disability (ADHD, Anxiety, Dyslexia) to struggle academically or socially when all that is needed for success are appropriate accommodations and explicit instruction, is no different than failing to provide a ramp for a person in a wheelchair.

An important element of the current debate about higher education is the issue of the “relevance” of degrees, especially for traditional-age learners. Skeptics often point to the disconnect between what people major in, and what they end up doing from a career perspective. This distorts a fundamental truth about college: a good education doesn’t just prepare you for your first job, it prepares you for all of the jobs that follow. In some professional fields—medicine, engineering, and law, for example—it’s easy to see the path to a job. But a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that fewer than one in three college graduates work in their field of study. The reason is that work requires a combination of general knowledge and human capabilities combined with specific skills and knowledge. Often times, your major provides a solid foundation, but not the entire infrastructure for the many jobs you will do over a work lifetime. Humanities and social science are often in the crosshairs of these kinds of discussions. As many English majors can attest, one of the gotcha questions they are often asked goes something like this: “What are you going to do with your English degree – teach English?” In fact, English majors, as just one example, do quite well in the labor market, according to the Modern Language Association. English majors’ average unemployment rates are equally low as all BA recipients, and average salaries are equally high. In general, humanities and social science majors often find that their salaries lag others for the first few years after graduating, on average, but then catch and often exceed them later on. There are no guarantees in life. Getting a degree certainly isn’t a guarantee, though in general it offers incredible economic and social advantages, as numerous studies have shown. And your major doesn’t determine your career destiny – it gives you a wide array of tools to adapt and evolve as the nature of human work also adapts and evolves. The better we understand that, the better equipped we’ll be to help students with the bigger questions they face in work and in life. Read more about why college majors are not as important as they might seem in my latest Forbes piece here: https://lnkd.in/gW_-DfA2

I updated my Schrödinger equation visuals. This time I included the unbounded inner product Gaussian in the first 2 animations, and used the more familiar localized inner product on the last. To review: The Schrödinger equation is one of the cornerstones of quantum mechanics, describing how the quantum state of a physical system changes over time. Here's a detailed explanation without using any equations: ### **Core Idea:** The Schrödinger equation governs the behavior of quantum systems, much like Newton's laws govern classical mechanics. Instead of predicting exact positions and velocities of particles, it tells us how the *probability amplitude* (a complex-valued function related to the likelihood of finding a particle in a certain state) evolves over time. ### **Key Concepts:** 1. **Wavefunction (ψ):** - In quantum mechanics, particles don’t have definite positions or paths. Instead, their state is described by a *wavefunction*, which contains all the probabilistic information about the system. - The wavefunction doesn’t tell us where a particle *is* but rather where it *might be* and with what probability. 2. **Time Evolution:** - The Schrödinger equation explains how the wavefunction changes with time. It doesn’t determine a single outcome but describes a smooth, deterministic evolution of probabilities. - If you know the wavefunction at one moment, the equation tells you how it will look in the next instant. 3. **Energy and Hamiltonian:** - The equation depends on the *Hamiltonian*, which represents the total energy of the system (kinetic + potential energy). - Different potentials (e.g., an electron in an atom vs. a free particle) lead to different wavefunction behaviors. 4. **Superposition & Quantization:** - The equation naturally leads to *superposition*—where a quantum system can exist in multiple states at once until measured. - For bound systems (like electrons in atoms), it predicts *quantized* energy levels, explaining why electrons occupy discrete orbitals. 5. **Uncertainty & Probabilities:** - The wavefunction’s square magnitude gives the probability density of finding a particle in a certain state. - Unlike classical physics, quantum mechanics is inherently probabilistic, and the Schrödinger equation encodes this randomness. ### **Analogy (Rough but Helpful):** Imagine a ripple spreading on a pond. The shape and motion of the ripple depend on the water’s properties (like depth and obstacles). Similarly, the Schrödinger equation describes how the "quantum ripple" (the wavefunction) evolves based on the system’s energy landscape. ### **Interpretations:** - The equation itself doesn’t explain *why* the wavefunction behaves this way or what it "really" is—that’s the realm of quantum interpretations (e.g., Copenhagen, Many-Worlds). #quantum #quantumphysics #quantummechanics #physics #math #engineering #programming #Schrödinger #science

A Teacher's Simple Strategy That Changed 30 Lives Every Morning Ever wondered how one small gesture can transform an entire classroom's energy? Let me share a powerful thing that's reshaping how we think about starting our school days. Here's how it works: Each student gets to choose their preferred way to start the day: - A gentle high-five - A quick hug - A friendly fist bump - A simple smile and nod - A quiet "good morning" The results? Remarkable. Students who once dragged themselves to class now arrive early, excited to make their choice. Anxiety levels dropped.  Class participation soared.  Even the most reserved students found their comfortable way to connect. What makes this approach powerful is its simplicity. It: - Respects personal boundaries - Builds trust - Creates a safe space - Teaches emotional awareness - Promotes daily positive interactions This isn't just about starting the day right – it's about teaching our children that their comfort matters, their choices count, and their well-being is priority. What if we all took a moment each day to ask others how they'd like to be greeted? Sometimes, the smallest changes create the biggest impact. #Education #TeachingInnovation #StudentWellbeing #ClassroomCulture #PersonalizedLearning

While institutions chase engagement metrics, they're ignoring decades of cognitive science about how memory actually works. We don't need more flashy content or group projects—we need to apply what we know about memory formation and retrieval. 1. Memory requires filtering, not flooding. Most courses overwhelm students with content volume instead of focusing on essential knowledge structures. This is why students retain only 10-20% of what we teach—their cognitive architecture can't process the flood of information. And 80% of the content is irrelevant to our academic needs. 2. Retrieval practice beats review every time. Yet we keep designing courses around passive consumption and content recitation instead of active recall, issue spotting, and problem solving. The science is clear: information that isn't retrieved regularly decays. Spacing retrieval events and increasing difficulty and complexity gradually builds lasting knowledge. An effective retrieval strategy is moving from questions to answer to problems to solve with the answers to those questions. 3. Learning transfer requires multiple contexts. One-off demonstrations in artificial environments don't create applicable skills. We need to scaffold complexity through varied scenarios while maintaining cognitive load at productive levels. Mastery is an overriding quality. It's not about the learner getting it right once, it's about them proving that they are unlikely to get it wrong. While others chase engagement metrics, let's keep focusing on what THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING shows actually works—deliberate practice, retrieval strategies, and proper spacing of learning events, et. al. The goal isn't to make learning entertaining; it's to make it effective. We can't network our way to competency, and we can't engage our way to expertise. Only evidence-based practice moves the needle. Here's a scaffolding aid. Happy Holidays :) #instructionaldesign #scienceoflearning #higherED #teachingandlearning

Today’s release of the Nation’s Report Card tells a story that is too familiar, but one that we cannot accept as the status quo: our education system has not evolved fast enough to meet the needs of this generation of students or to set them up with the learning, experiences, and skills they need to learn, lead, and thrive in the 21st century. The results from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 4th- and 8th-grade math and reading assessments show that student learning continues to decline in reading and is not progressing enough in math to make up for pandemic learning losses. We’re not doing right by our kids and they deserve better. The good news is we know what works, and we need to invest in that now. When students read proficiently by 3rd grade and master certain math principles by 4th and 8th grades, they are more likely to graduate high school and to be prepared for college and careers, putting them on track to have agency and freedom in their lives, to fuel our economy, and to make their greatest contributions to their communities and country and strengthen our democracy. To get there we have to work together and invest in high-quality, evidence-based curricula and professional development for educators alongside high-dosage math and reading tutoring for students. We also have to embrace the idea that every child can be a reader and be good at math. And we need to leave room for innovation so that our education system can keep up with what students need from a 21st-century education. The potential is there, we just have to match it with investments and support for all students. In the 35 years since our founding, Teach For America’s “why” has remained consistent — to create a world where one day, all children will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education. The stakes are too high for us not to unite around this simple belief and work with a shared commitment to kids and communities. Seventy-thousand people have joined our teacher corps and Ignite tutoring fellowship with this abiding belief. We look forward to continuing to recruit, train, and support the next generation of teachers and tutors and working alongside others, including our alumni – at the classroom and systems level – to ensure every child in every neighborhood can receive the education they deserve.

35 minutes. That’s all it took to build a fully‑interactive, scenario‑based training video during my 45‑minute session at ATD’s AI Intensive. Here’s the play‑by‑play so you can replicate (or improve) the workflow: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗚𝗣𝗧 One prompt generated: ▪️A realistic customer‑service scenario (5 scenes) ▪️Two Midjourney image prompts (frustrated customer & empathetic agent) ▪️Matching action lines + voice‑over script for Google Veo‑3 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 ▪️Ran both image prompts → got studio‑quality stills in <90 s. ▪️Selected finals, no upscales needed. 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲‑𝘁𝗼‑𝗩𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗼‑3  ▪️Dropped each image + script → Veo auto‑generated 5 video clips with native voice‑over. ▪️Zero mic time, zero stock footage. 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗮 ▪️Trimmed tops/tails → final MP4 in 4 min. ▪️Export preset for 720p, 30 fps—ready for any LMS or social feed. 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗩𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 ▪️Embedded MP4 in a lightweight HTML5 player. ▪️Injected JavaScript triggers to pop a reflective question at the end of each scene—no authoring tool required. 𝙒𝙝𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙇&𝘿 ▪️Speed to learning: same‑day turnaround for tailored, story‑driven content. ▪️Cost slash: AI handled voice, visuals, and pacing—no talent fees, no b‑roll licensing. ▪️Engagement: scenario + mid‑scene questions = active learner, not passive viewer. ▪️Scalability: swap the prompt, rerun the pipeline, and you’ve got a new module in minutes. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙮 𝙉𝙚𝙭𝙩 ▪️Branching: feed ChatGPT your quiz logic and let it auto‑write alternate endings. ▪️Localization: swap scripts into Google Veo‑3’s language variants—voices auto‑match. ▪️Data hooks: connect Vibe events to your xAPI/LRS for real‑time performance analytics. Download the prompts below in the comments, and give this workflow a try. Enjoy!

International students are a BIG revenue source for universities… but are the universities doing enough in return for the students? Context: According to data from NAFSA: Association of International Educators, over one million international students contributed $40.1 billion to the U.S. economy in the 2022-2023 academic year (which is a 19% increase compared to the previous year). That’s about $40,000 per international student. It doesn't end there. International students also contribute through their spending on accommodations, transportation, food, and consumer goods while living in the U.S. Yet, there’s a mismatch between what an international student contributes to this country versus the support they get in return. ❌ Issues with the current higher education system - There is a severe lack of education about immigration. - Most students think that their only path forward is F-1 → OPT → H-1B. - Most students are unaware that they can be self-employed on an OPT, work for multiple employers, or even volunteer. - Most students are unaware of pathways like the O-1 visa that serve as alternatives to the H-1B if they start working toward it from Day 1. (If I knew about the O-1 while I was at Columbia University, I would’ve gotten it a few years sooner) - Most students work on finding a job on their own, without sufficient help from their Career Services department. - Most students don’t get the support they need from their ISO office (International Student Office) for immigration, and resort to getting it from social media & independent attorneys. To anyone reading this who works at a university, you have a lot of power in your hands that could be used better. ✅ What universities SHOULD be doing for their international students, - You should have multiple sessions throughout the academic year educating your students on all of their options BESIDES the H-1B to work in America. - You should be closely working with non-profits, hospitals, and orgs that can sponsor cap-exempt H-1Bs for your students. - You should actively bring in experts — O1/EB1 talent visa recipients, lawyers, and immigrant founders — who can talk about their journeys in navigating the system. Further, also work with orgs that can sponsor an Early Career STEM Research Initiative (J1 pathway). There's a BIG mismatch between universities promoting themselves to international students to make money vs. not helping students actually obtain jobs & navigate the immigration pathways later on. I hope this starts some much-needed discussion. …… Please re-share this post so it helps more people! 🙏 Finally, if you’re an immigrant in America, join 17,500+ who get my weekly newsletter packed with breaking news & free resources like this: https://lnkd.in/gKtUGU-r :) #unshackled #immigration #USA #h1b #visa #students #education