Educational Technology Ray Schroeder, editor, OTEL - University of Illinois at Springfield |
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News, Techniques and Theories of Effective Use of Technology in Education 
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Saturday, July 09, 2005
Association of Hispanic Arts
Based in New York, the Association of Hispanic Arts (AHA) was founded in 1975 as a not-for-profit organization "dedicated to the advancement of Latino arts, artists and arts organizations as an integral part of the cultural life of the nation." With generous funding from a variety of organizations, including the Rockefeller Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, AHA continues to fulfill this admirable mission. First-time visitors will want to start by looking through the Latino Events On-line (LEO) calendar, which serves as a clearing-house of information about upcoming cultural events in the Latino community, such as exhibitions and readings. Equally valuable is the archive of the issues of organization's publication, _AHA! Hispanic Arts News_. The site is rounded out by an area that allows users to peruse various Latino-themed videos, musical recordings, and books. From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2005. http://scout.wisc.edu/ (0) comments
CIA: The World Factbook 2005
Known to several generations of students as a potentially valuable source of basic information about the various nations of the world, the CIA's World Factbook has been published every year since 1962. Since 1971, the Factbook has been available to the general public, and in recent years, the CIA has made new editions of the work accessible via the Internet. From the homepage, visitors can select various countries of the world and learn some basic facts about each country's history, their geography, their demographics, and their government. As might be expected, the site also contains a gallery of the flags of the world's nations, a number of helpful reference maps, and a history of the World Factbook itself. Finally, visitors can also elect to download the entire World Factbook, if they so desire. From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2005. http://scout.wisc.edu/ (0) comments Friday, July 08, 2005
You Talk - the Computer Types: How to use the Text to Speech Feature in Windows 2002 & 2003 - Laura Turner, techLearning
Speech to text technology has been around for a number of years, but the technology was not advanced enough for most computer users to want to use it or try to use it. I am happy to say that is not the case anymore. Microsoft has perfected the technology to the point where the average computer user, with a little help, can now talk and watch the computer type. The ramifications of this now 'easy to use' technology are far reaching. For example I can now dictate my E-mails instead of manually typing them. I can now dictate messages to my online students in WebCT instead of manually typing messages to them. I can now also dictate items in Word (like this article) instead of manually typing them. And so can you! Basically you can now use this nifty feature to dictate in any Windows-based program. Keep in mind that this is the key " the feature will work in any piece of software that runs under the Windows operating system and that will accept word processing input. (0) comments
Assessment and Achievement - eSchool News
The fundamental challenge facing the nation and the nation's schools is to educate students in the full range of core disciplines—English, science, mathematics, social studies, and increasingly, Spanish. To do this requires enhancing efficiency in the classroom by providing teachers with diverse, content-rich resources that help them boost achievement. Few issues are hotter than assessment—thanks to the No Child Left Behind Act and similar measures—but few are more misunderstood. Although many see assessment as simply a yardstick to measure how well students, teachers, schools, districts, and nations perform, assessment is more usefully employed as a method for helping educators match instruction strategies to learning outcomes. (0) comments Thursday, July 07, 2005
Cisco Launches Packetville eLearning Web Portal
Cisco Systems(R) (Nasdaq:CSCO) today launched Packetville, a Web portal rich with interactive and educational content to introduce young students to the marvels of the Internet as it relates to math, science, real-world solutions, education and careers. Students join characters Peter and Penny Packet as they "jump into the Internet" and participate in a variety of fun activities to explore technology and its important role in society. "Gaming is an exciting learning tool, and can be highly effective, depending on the audience and content," said Marcia Sitcoske, senior director of the Creative Learning Studios at Cisco. "The educational and interactive games in Packetville engage students and provide an entertaining learning experience." (0) comments
Inside the Mind of a Grant Reader - Carol A. Kerney, techLearning
We've all done it. We've labored for days over a grant proposal, treating it tenderly like a child, and with hope in our hearts, sent it off to fame and fortune. Then comes that gray day when the rejection letter arrives. They called our "baby" ugly! When it comes to grant writing one thing is certain: once you send in your application, its fate is at the mercy of the readers who pick it up at the other end. At that point, there is nothing that you can do to impact the future of your grant. However, before you place the fateful stamp on the envelope and drive to the post office, there are things you can do to improve your odds. Chief among them is looking at the grant process from the reader's point of view. (0) comments Wednesday, July 06, 2005
TV viewing good and bad for kids, Seattle study says - Carina Stanton, Seattle Times
A new study by Seattle researchers suggests that television viewing by children younger than 3 can damage their reading comprehension and short-term memory. But the same study also says that for 3- to 5-year-olds, watching TV may actually improve some cognitive abilities. Researchers say the findings, published today in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, provide a much-needed analysis of the effects of television viewing among young children, and illustrate how important it is for parents to monitor what their children watch. "Television is not inherently good or bad — it's how you use it," said Frederick Zimmerman, co-author of the study and an associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington. (0) comments
The Assessment of 21st Century Skills: New Report & Online Tool
The Partnership is working to articulate and build national consensus around the assessment of 21st century skills to ensure that we measure the content and skills that will help prepare our students to meet the demands of the global community and tomorrow’s workplace. To move forward this comprehensive agenda focused on educational assessments that support 21st century skills, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills released The Assessment of 21st Century Skills: The Current Landscape, and an online tool, Assess 21. (0) comments Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Test seeks to measure students' Web IQ - Associated Press
Students apply to college online, e-mail their papers to their professors and, when they want to be cheeky, pass notes in class by text-messaging. But that doesn't necessarily mean they have a high Internet IQ. "They're real comfortable instant-messaging, downloading MP3 files. They're less comfortable using technology in ways that require real critical thinking," says Teresa Egan of the Educational Testing Service. Or as Lorie Roth, assistant vice chancellor of academic programs at California State University puts it: "Every single one that comes through the door thinks that if you just go to Google and get some hits — you've got material for your research paper right there." (0) comments
More Computer Classes Urged for Kids - Ben Feller, Associated Press
Even in a nation where most every school has Internet access and computer use often starts by nursery school, teachers of technology see a warning message flashing. For students in elementary and secondary schools, states have few developed standards or required courses in computer science a field that goes beyond basic literacy to encompass hardware and software design, real-world applications and computers' effect on society. (0) comments Monday, July 04, 2005
Let Your Mentors Do the Coaching - Barbara Bray, techLearning
You don't have to spend a lot of money to create a sustainable professional development program that will successfully impact student learning. You have the people and the means in your own organization to make it happen. The challenge for you in creating a coaching and mentoring program will be determining the program goals, choosing and training the right people as mentors, providing the appropriate incentives, creating relevant resources, and finding time to develop and implement your program. (0) comments
ED mulls migrant student database - eSchool News
For children in migrant families, school is more like a way station than a final destination, which poses significant challenges for the teachers who are charged with their education. Now, a proposal from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) would track those students as they travel along traditional migrant routes, ensuring that school records follow them wherever they might go. "The challenge with migrant children, because they are so mobile, there is no consistency in terms of their education," said Albert Pacheco, executive director of the Idaho Migrant Council. (0) comments Sunday, July 03, 2005
Hand-held computers eyed for kids - Terry Webster, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
They take pictures, record messages and keep track of classroom assignments. They can even take the temperature of water. Those are just some of the features of computers that the Birdville school district wants to put into the hands -- literally -- of more teachers and students. Trustees are expected tonight to approve spending $55,396 to buy 200 Palm- One Zire 72 hand-held computers from CDW Government of Illinois. Most would go to teachers who have been trained to use them to manage student grades and attendance. Seventy-five would be reserved for fifth-graders at Mullendore Elementary School in North Richland Hills who would use them to take class notes and make short videos of projects. (0) comments
Nationwide wireless 'hot spot' for ed - Corey Murray, eSchool News
As thousands of educators converge in Philadelphia June 27 for the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC), many will get their first look at a fledgling concept that would allow students and faculty nationwide to access their institution's wireless local area network, or WLAN, from any wireless access point at any other campus in the country. Dubbed the Education First Network, the joint effort--sponsored by wireless technology providers Airpath Wireless Inc. and Bluesocket Inc., in association with the National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA) and the Broadband Alliance--seeks to build the first ever coast-to-coast, inter-campus Wi-Fi network specifically for the education community. (0) comments Educational Technology News Blog Archives OTEL - Ray's Home Page - Notebook - UIS Online - U of I Online - UIS Home Fair Use |
