Tag Archive for 'distance learning'

Online Education in the News - January 1-6, 2008

Published by Zornitsa Vodenska on January 7, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

Update on: teachers using the internet to teach niche courses

Anne Bartlett-Bragg, a lecturer in e-learning at the Faculty of Education at University of Technology, Sydney, uses internet tools to deliver courses both online and in class. The Sydney teacher has posted more than 270 short clips of painting techniques, which she combines with an introduction to Chinese language and calligraphy on YouTube. She has 251 subscribers from Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Spain and Sweden who anticipate the free videos and regularly ask for more. Joanne Kay, aka Jokay Wollongong on Second Life, is an educational technologist and designer working with clients to establish a presence in the virtual world. Among her favorite online training courses is Harvard’s CyberOne Project, which allows the public to join in the Harvard Law Extension Program for mock trials. Another is the GippsTAFE program for hospitality students practicing skills at a virtual resort. — Sydney Morning Herald

Schools and Programs in the News - December 24-31, 2007

Published by Zornitsa Vodenska on January 1, 2008 in In the News. 0 Comments

Updates on: mobile virtual classroom in Arkansas, graduate program in educational technology offered through Michigan State University

“Aspirnaut Initiative,” a partnership project between Vanderbilt University, the Sheridan district and the Grapevine Historical Society, turns a schoolbus in Arkansas into a mobile virtual classrom, using wireless router and antenna. Students in the bus use their laptops to connect to a satellite classroom where a teacher helps them with after-school work. They can also take courses while traveling, independent from the classes during the school day. — Education Week

A graduate-certificate program in educational technology is being offered in Kalamazoo County this winter through Michigan State University. The program targets teachers for grades kindergarten through 12 who need to earn graduate credits toward licensure renewal or who seek to learn new ways to use technology in educational settings. — Kalamazoo Gazette

Online Education in the News - November 13, 2007

Published by Erica Nielsen on November 13, 2007 in In the News. 0 Comments

Updates on: National Distance Learning week, reputable online programs

Online education is growing at an unprecedented rate with more than a million adults getting a college degree online. To celebrate the growing trend of distance learning, the United States Distance Learning Association created National Distance Learning week, which runs from November 12th-16th. — PR Web

Online education has been chipping away at the stigma of the diploma mill long enough now that many traditional campus schools have adopted online components into their education programs. So, let’s be clear; there’s nothing wrong with an online education from a reputable, accredited institution. This article describes some advantages of online education tools. — World Wide Blog

IT News - November 8, 2007

Published by Zornitsa Vodenska on November 8, 2007 in In the News. 0 Comments

Updates on: Facebook’s social ads, Microsoft’s server farm, Interwrite’s donation, Nokia and Vodafone’s web services, Yahoo’s mobile advertising strategy, AMD’s new high performance chip, Sony Ericsson’s new phone with Google maps and RSS feeds

Facebook has unveiled plans to target advertisements by injecting them into its members’ conversations, and now the popular online hangout must persuade its users to embrace the initiative. In addition, companies can now create their own pages on Facebook for free and tailor their pitches to the activities of users’ friends. – CNN

Microsoft will invest $500 million for a new “server farm” data center in a Chicago suburb in the latest investment to enhance its Internet services business, planning to include an element of Web services in each of its business divisions. – Reuters

Interwrite Learning donated 30 Interwrite Pads, Bluetooth-based wireless pads used in interactive classroom instruction, to support distance learning for teacher professional education in Southeast Asia. – T.H.E. Journal

Under a new agreement, Nokia’s Ovi platform–which includes music, maps, gaming and social networking–will be introduced on handsets for Vodafone next year. Handset giant Nokia will also produce a number of devices exclusively for mobile operator Vodafone. – The New York Times

Yahoo unveiled its strategy to make advertising on mobile phones as big a market as computer-based web browsers. The company will rely on three-way partnerships involving device makers, network operators and web services. — ZDNet

AMD is introducing a high-performance chip package that uses a technology commonly found in graphics processors, called parallelism, and applies it to general purpose computing. Called the FireStream 9170, the chip package is aimed initially at high performance computers (HPCs) like those used for climate research and oil exploration. But it could also be used more widely for tasks like video-editing and security tasks. – PC World

Sony Ericsson has introduced a “world standard” 3G USB modem, and has extended its relationship with Google by announcing its first mobile phone with Google Maps and RSS newsfeeds as standard. – PC World

Conferences in November

Published by Zornitsa Vodenska on November 7, 2007 in Programs and Research. 0 Comments

Coming up: School board convention (Tennessee), foreign languages instruction (Texas), technical security (Missouri), distance education (Germany), educational technology (Tennessee), effective computer use in education (Louisiana), IT on campus (New York), digital instruction in middle school (California)

Tennessee School Board Association (TSBA) Annual Convention 2007
November 11-13, 2007
Nashville, Tennessee
The conference’s theme is “Successful Students, Endless Possibilities”. TSBA will showcase the successful student achievement programs that are in place across the state, as well as the latest educational trends and innovations. More information and registration

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) 2007 - 41st Annual Meeting & Exposition
November 15-18, 2007
San Antonio, Texas
The convention brings together more than 5,000 teachers, administrators, method instructors and students of foreign languages at all levels from across the world. The convention features over 600 educational sessions on such topics as: Assessment, Culture, Curriculum, Learner Variables, Literature, Materials, Methods/Techniques, Policy/Issues, Professional Development, Research, Specific Purposes, Standards and Technology. On-site registration is available. More information and registration

2007 Advanced Technical Security Symposium
November 27-28, 2007
Columbia, Missouri
This Symposium brings a diverse group of professionals from across the Missouri public sector who are involved with and interested in computer security issues. Conference attendees are from Missouri state government, law enforcement, community information networks, public libraries, higher education and K-12 schools. Registration is open. More information and registration

Online Educa Berlin 2007
November 28-30, 2007
Berlin, Germany
Over 2000 delegates from more than 90 countries and every continent attend the conference, making Online Educa Berlin the most comprehensive annual meeting place for e-learning and distance education professionals. Participants of the conference are high-level decision makers from education, business and government sectors, the three areas driving e-learning adoption and innovation. Online registration is ongoing. More information and registration

25th Annual Tennessee Educational Technology Conference (TETC)
November 28-30, 2007
Nashville, Tennessee
TETC 2007 will provide a great program including training sessions, one-hour labs, and two-hour workshops, and concurrent interest sessions with other educational technology professionals from across the state. A trade show will showcase over 100 of the newest technologies, related software, and services. An estimated 1,500 teachers and administrators are expected at this year’s conference. Registration is now open. More information and registration

Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators (LACUE) - 23rd Annual Conference
November 28-30, 2007
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Sessions will feature accomplished professionals from the education and technology industries who will share their experience and provide insight about the options teachers have to implement effective technological tools and methods to transform the teaching process. Over 1,500 attendees are anticipated. Pre-registration closes on November 14 but will reopen at the beginning of the Conference. More information and registration

CUNY IT Forum
November 30, 2007
New York, New York
The City University of New York and the Center for Digital Education will host its sixth annual all-day conference offering an overview of the University’s key IT initiatives and an opportunity to explore how technology is changing the nature of instruction, research and administration. Online registration is still open. Attendance is free. More information and registration

California League of Middle Schools (CLMS) - Digital Immigrants, Digital Natives: Bridging the teacher-student tech divide
November 29-December 2, 2007
Monterey, CA
Join hundreds of educators at this event to:
- Gain strategies and resources for using technology to differentiate instruction for English learners, special education students, and students who learn differently.
- Learn how technology can transform the use of data in formative and summative assessments to drive instruction and program decisions. More information and registration

Find more conferences through T.H.E. Journal

IT News - November 1, 2007

Published by Erica Nielsen on November 1, 2007 in In the News. 0 Comments

Updates on: Ethernet Alliance, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle, Amazon, e-books and distance learning

Nine universities have joined the Ethernet Alliance, a group advocating the adoption of and research into Ethernet technologies, through the Ethernet Alliance University Program (EAUP). The Ethernet Alliance has also launched its first-annual White Paper Challenge Program through the EAUP. — Campus Technology

Intel Corp and Microsoft Corp are supplying Libya’s government with 150,000 rugged laptop computers that cost $200 to build and are designed to meet the needs of children in developing countries. Libya’s education ministry ordered the equipment in August and shipments began last month. — OLPC News

Intel is to provide 3,000 Classmate subnotebooks to Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education, building on the 250 already sent in a pilot project started a year ago. Announced by Intel Chairman Craig Barrett, the gift is part of a “digital inclusion project” that will also see Intel paying to train 150,000 new teachers in the populous African nation. — Wired News

Oracle announced the global availability of its new Oracle PartnerNetwork Competency Center tool. The Competency Center, found within the Oracle PartnerNetwork Portal and available free to Oracle PartnerNetwork members, is designed to help partners train more efficiently on Oracle products by generating a custom-designed curriculum based on partners’ performance and personal attributes. — CNN

Amazon had promised delivery of its keyboard-equipped electronic book reader, Kindle, during the second week of October. Now, those same people say that the company has pushed back that date and is aiming for a launch by the end of this year. — BITS Blog

Recent articles in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and now the Wall Street Journal have discussed e-books and printed books. Librarian Jeff Scott takes a thorough look at the history and attitudes related to e-books and hardcopy books, pointing out interesting points made in recent literature. — Gather No Dust Blog

The 95th anniversary of Dr. Herman DeVry’s portable movie projector, a technology that pioneered the concept of “visual distance learning,” highlights a timely paradigm shift in the use of technology to facilitate education. High school and college students today take for granted that much of what they learn in class is supplemented with educational tools found on the World Wide Web via the Internet. — ah hoc news

Leah S. Piatt: Interviews with E-Learning Professionals Series

Published by Susan Smith Nash on October 31, 2007 in Online Learning. 1 Comment

Welcome to a series of interviews with e-learning and distance professionals. This week’s interview is with Leah Piatt, Duke University, who is involved in corporate training and adult education.

What is your name, and what is your involvement with e-learning?
Leah S. Piatt. Relatively new to corporate training and adult education, I’ve been leading the way in our departmental work with e-learning. I’ve worked with Elluminate. I’m eagerly awaiting the day when I will get to actually moderate a class using this tool.

How did you get interested in distance education?
Some of our participants live and work an hour or more away from our training facility. We’re really trying to alleviate travel and time obligations. I anticipate that e-learning will also help with the number of instructor lead classes we teach and bring about a more blended learning approach.

What is your favorite new trend in distance education?
I love the idea of continuing education via distance education. This could open up the amount of guest speakers we have both by eliminating travel time for the speaker as well as allowing someone who’d missed the session to hear the recording and view the presentation later.

What is your favorite technology?
Elluminate

What kinds of instructional materials do you use in e-learning?
Power Point, Word, clip art, Snag-It, Captivate (soon, hopefully).

How do you use textbooks in e-learning?
We don’t use textbooks, rather participant guides and job aids. These can be emailed before the session begins or converted to power point.

What is your favorite quote? or, what’s a book that caught your eye recently?
quote: “While you teach, you learn.” — based on the words of Seneca the Younger, 4BC-65AD

book: The Primal Teen: What The New Discoveries About the Teenage Brain Tell Us About Our Kids — Barbara Strauch

Online Education in the News – October 30, 2007

Published by Erica Nielsen on October 30, 2007 in In the News. 0 Comments

Updates on: eLearners.com, online education trends, popular online degree schools

Six out of ten Americans say that if they had to go back to school at some point, they’d be interested in doing it online, according to new research released by eLearners.com, the leading resource that specializes in connecting people with online education. What’s more interesting is that even the younger generation is more compelled to go online, with 80% of young adults ages 18 - 24 indicating they would be interested in the online route if they wanted to take more courses or get a degree in the future. — Finance Visor

Distance learning is up by double-digit margins for most local schools over the late 1990s, when online learning programs began. Programs are expanding in both scope and reach: Some schools boast international students. This article looks at online education trends at several universities in Michigan. — Crain’s Detroit Business

Many colleges and universities of the world offer various online degree programs. This means that the competition is now stiff in these schools and the business in online education is enjoyed by school owners nowadays. This article discusses some of the most popular online degree schools and their programs. — Online Degree Blog

Schools and Programs in the News – October 30, 2007

Published by Erica Nielsen on October 30, 2007 in In the News. 0 Comments

Updates on: Lincoln Financial Foundation, Illinois Valley Community College, Vocational and technology institute in Ghana, HP 2008 Technology for Teaching Grant, high-tech search tools, Wikipedia, Voorhees College, Marshall University, West Virginia University,

Lincoln Financial Foundation is stepping forward to support Philadelphia’s struggling school system, awarding more than $900,000 to nonprofit organizations that are providing critical academic support in the city. These education and workforce development grants come just months after the Lincoln Financial Foundation augmented arts education opportunities in the city by giving nearly $600,000 to agencies that bring artists into the schools, provide free and reduced-priced tickets to performances, or offer in-school or after-school arts programs to underserved children in the city. — CNN

Illinois Valley Community College student organization Students in a Free Enterprise is contributing to an international educational project by collecting used, working computers to ship to Guatemala. The college’s SIFE students are partnering with a grass roots Guatemalan organization of community directors — ASDIC — to bring computers to 13 rural mountain communities. — My Web Times

A Vocational and technology institute was on Thursday commissioned at Agona Duakwa in the Central Region of Ghana to provide the opportunity for unemployed youth and school dropouts in the Agona District to acquire appropriate skills and technology to earn income and reduce poverty. The Institute is affiliated to the National Coordinating Committee on Technical and Vocational Educational and Training (NACVET) and other bodies that seek to enhance the vocational and technological skills of the youth. — AllAfrica.com

HP has opened up its 2008 Technology for Teaching Grant program, offering $6 million to K-12 and higher education institutions in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The initiative is aimed at efforts to improve education through the use of innovative uses of technology in the classroom, increase the number of underrepresented students on a path toward high-tech careers, and enhance student success in math, science and engineering. — Campus Technology

It appears that some colleges may be trying to improve their ratings and future donation potential by literally “buying” their students, armed with high-tech search tools for test-score application information, target zip codes, neighborhood demographics and socioeconomic data. In this article, a National Merit student reflects on her experience getting bombarded with college offers. — Bloomberg

Wikipedia: time-saver for students, bane of professors everywhere. Or is it? Martha Groom, a professor at the University of Washington at Bothell’s Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences program, assigned Wikipedia projects as a core curriculum component. Readers’ comments show that she is not alone. — Inside Higher Ed

Voorhees College in South Carolina has completed a multi-phase deployment of new voice and data solution to enable distance learning, increase bandwidth, and add emergency communications services. The college partnered with CDW-G for planning and implementation, with systems provided by Verizon and Sprint. — Campus Technology

Online classes can serve as a recruiting tool for universities. Marshall University and West Virginia University, West Virginia’s two biggest universities, reflect on growing enrollment trends for the past decade as related to online education. — Charleston Daily Mail

Illinois Valley Community College’s adult education program, in association with the Richard A. Mautino Memorial Public Library in Spring Valley and the Peru and La Salle public libraries through a state-supported library outreach, will sponsor an online GED study program. The GED-i online program is designed to prepare students to take the GED test. — MyWebTimes

Schools and Programs in the News – October 29, 2007

Published by Erica Nielsen on October 29, 2007 in In the News. 0 Comments

Updates on: public education, Brooklyn Tech, STEM and the National Science Foundation, online student statistics in Minnesota, Gatlin Education Services, Hodges University, California R-I School District and NETS

Donald Nielsen takes a critical look at the problems incurred by public education and offers solutions. “I believe public schools are the most important institutions in our society. Being educated is essential for a productive life and it is also essential for the preservation of our democracy. Failing to educate our children puts our very way of life in jeopardy. Today, as a nation, we are failing to adequately educate a majority of our children.” — The Seattle Times

Teachers at Brooklyn Tech — the largest math and science themed school in the city — are getting schooled in, well, technology. The school’s alumni recently installed a state-of-the-art technology center to bring the school’s 200-plus teachers up to speed on the latest technological advances — from the elementary (e-mail) to more-advanced techniques, like the use of so-called “SMART boards,” which allow teachers to project digital images onto enormous touch-sensitive whiteboards at the front of the classroom (cool!). — The Brooklyn Paper

In an effort to explore methods for encouraging females to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), the National Science Foundation has awarded the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) Education Foundation an extension services grant. The grant comes through the Research on Gender in Science and Engineering Program and was awarded to implement NAPE’s five-year STEM Equity Pipeline project. –Campus Technology

Growing numbers of online students and high school students taking college courses helped boost enrollment at the 32 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities by 4.5 percent over the last year, officials said as they released enrollment figures. This fall, the state college and university system has 180,848 students, an increase of 7,832 students from last fall’s enrollment of 173,016. Last year, enrollment increased by 1.3 percent. — DL-Online

Online education providing work force skills and certification training has come to a pair of local colleges, making it more convenient than ever for region residents to get the type of education they are looking for from the convenience of their computer. The online courses are provided by Gatlin Education Services, a provider of online certificate training programs to community colleges, universities and accredited career-colleges worldwide. — NWI Times

Hodges University provides online degrees to students who have never set foot on American soil. Alen Savatic, 34, is midway through a master’s degree program. He lives in Sarajevo, in the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hodges also has an online international student from Germany, and a British student will start virtual classes in January. — News-Press

In the era of constant upward changes in technology, California R-I School District has constantly made an effort to keep up with the trends and more recently the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for students. — California Democrat