A Portfolio Instead of a Diploma
February 22, 2009 by Dion Baker
A Portfolio Instead of a Diploma, posted to the blog BuzzMachine and written by Jeff Davis
Response: It’s true that we need to be concerned about our portfolio rather than just our diplomas and degrees. Generally, our traditional school curriculums lack certain practical lessons. One of them is basic financial education about income management, credit, debt management/reduction/avoidance, etc. As mentioned in Jeff Davis’ posting, these things can be taught in math courses. I recommend that type of math course be integrated with behavioral finance style lessons to highlight students’ psychological approach to money. Students are more likely to need that information rather than need to 
apply the equations used in calculating the trajectory of a projectile.
I speak from my own experience. In school, I was not taught basic financial education but I did learn how to compute the trajectory of a projectile! Learning that type of math is useful but their needs to be a balance teaching lessons more applicable to daily living. As a result, I learned about financial education outside of academia.
This all reinforces:
1) the need for us to be proactive in our self-education.
2) the need for new approaches to academic learning.
3) the need for more practical education in curriculums/courses
Are you aware of schools that have more practical courses integrated in their curriculums? What are your thoughts on the ideas mention in Jeff Davis’ article?
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