Archive for July, 2008
College Accreditation and Disclosure
July 18th, 2008
Roland Martin is a pretty frequent CNN contributor. In his latest CCN column online, he states that John McCain’s stance on school vouchers is correct and that Barack Obama’s position is misguided. McCain, as you are probably aware, like most Republicans, favors vouchers, while Obama, like most in his party, is not enthusiastic about them.
I’ve read Martin’s columns before, so I was not surprised that he takes such a strong stance on the issue of vouchers or that he pretty much adheres to the traditional conservative mantra on the subject.
In an attempt to learn more about Mr. Martin, I visited his website, where his activities, past and present, were listed. Certainly Mr. Martin is a prolific journalistic. He has received numerous awards. And, after reading a bit more about his background and his writings it becomes obvious he has an unflinching point of view about the world. Martin is clearly a man to whom faith and religion are important. And, he is married to a clergywoman who is herself a published author.
That’s why it’s surprising that Mr. Martin, a man whose work appears on CNN.com, a man who is seen on TV and heard on radio, a multiple journalism award winner, and a man with strong opinions about education, and a man who has certainly been successful, claims a masters degree from an apparently unaccredited online “university”. The institution in question is Louisiana Baptist University, which describes itself as “a pioneer in distance education” and lists 1973 as the year it was founded.
Louisiana Baptist does not claim accreditation. And, it is not listed in the U.S. Department of Education data base of accredited institutions. The University website does say that it is, “semi-annually examined by an independent review committee comprised of ministers and educators” and lists a few memberships and/or affiliations.
The President’s message states, “We do not strive to pattern our institution after the humanistic, shifting systems of secular education”. Similar statements have appeared on the websites of other religiously-based unaccredited colleges and universities which frequently claim that, because of the nature of their missions, accreditation is not important to them and/or might require them to make unacceptable religious compromises. That premise may seem reasonable to some people.
But, I have a very big problem with it, especially if such institutions do not clearly state that students who spend significant time and money to earn a degree at their institutions will have fewer options than graduates of and universities. I have worked in graduate school admissions and met with folks who have earned B.A. or B.S. degrees from unaccredited colleges. These very decent people were often shocked to learn that the institution for which I worked, and similar graduate institutions, could not even consider them for admission.
Louisiana Baptist offers both undergraduate and doctoral degrees in education. If the University warns prospective students that these programs will not enable them to be licensed to teach in public schools, I couldn’t find the warning anywhere on their website. I bet you won’t find it either.
As for the we-don’t need-to-be-accredited or we-won’t-compromise-our-beliefs arguments that some unaccredited institutions make, my response is simple. Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, two of the most fundamentalist clergymen of the last 50 years founded universities that have become fully accredited. Even Bob Jones University is accredited.
In fact, there is a long list of accredited and universities which ascribe to pretty fundamentalist religious doctrines. And, many more accredited colleges are affiliated with religious denominations.
It is time…well past time, actually… that we compel unaccredited colleges and universities to make full disclosure to prospective students.
And, in my humble opinion, it’s time for Mr. Martin to either remove the reference to his graduate degree from his website or to be up- front about the fact that it comes from an unaccredited institution.
Note: Learn more about the importance of .
Check Out Hot Lava Software on Handango.com!
July 15th, 2008
Check out these awesome programs for PDA’s and Palms created by Hot Lava Software on . They’re a great deal too! Only $0.95 for any of the Hot Lava Software produced programs.
Here are some links to different categories of programs/modules that might interest you.
Go check them out! I’m telling you it’s definitely worth it!
If you are interested in trying out Learning Mobile Author (LMA), please visit .
Fans, Take Out Your Cell Phones
July 15th, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Sarah Brewster
(816) 842-8111 or
Joy Torchia
(816) 932-1045 or
Barbara Walls
(540) 428-2988 or
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - July 15, 2008 – More than one competition will take place at the local T-Bones games this summer. The new Sports Bytes Competition, entering the field this July, is sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and powered by Hot Lava Software.
The Sports Bytes Competition will engage the young fans in the crowd by sending them mathematics, engineering, technology, and science questions via their cell phones. Combining fun with technology, fans will learn the science behind one of America’s favorite pastimes. For example, while the players are warming up for the next inning, fans can learn about the impact of gravity and friction on a baseball’s path.
The in-game promotions will build excitement around science education during July and August home games. The Sports Bytes professor – a quirky-looking, crazy-haired announcer – will leap up on the dugout and guide the crowd through the sports-related science quiz. The announcer will ask the fans a question: “Which ball has the slower speed when thrown: a baseball or a softball?” In response, kids will text either “sporta” for baseball or “sportb” for softball to 83960. They will then receive a response text with the correct answer as well as a link that provides them access to other Sports Bytes questions. Sports Bytes enthusiasts can access the questions anytime from their mobile phones by texting “sport” to 83960.
“We are capitalizing on young fans’ love for cell phones by using them as a learning tool,” said Merrilea J. Mayo, Ph.D., director, Future of Learning Initiatives for the Kauffman Foundation. “This new competition allows us to reach and inspire kids in a unique way. Our hope is that they learn how exciting science can be and potentially explore a career in the field.”
The kids who answer at least one Sports Bytes question correctly are entered into a drawing to win a prize pack, which is given out later in the game. With baseball players in mind, the prize pack will include free tickets to an upcoming T-Bones game, signed baseballs, a first pitch certificate, a kajeet mobile phone, and T-Bones merchandise.
In addition to the T-Bones, the Frederick Keys, Aberdeen Ironbirds, Bowie Baysox, Wilmington Blue Rocks and Delmarva Shorebirds are participating in the in-game promotions, along with the D.C. United Soccer Team.
About the Kauffman Foundation
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City is a private, nonpartisan foundation that works with partners to advance entrepreneurship in America and improve the education of children and youth. The Kauffman Foundation was established in the mid-1960s by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman. Information about the Kauffman Foundation is available at
About Hot Lava Software, Inc.
Hot Lava Software Inc. is the leading provider of mobile authoring, publishing, delivery and tracking solutions. Using Hot Lava Software’s content development and publishing system (LMA) integrated with the Hot Lava Mobile Delivery and Tracking System TM (MDTS) allows organizations to have the tools and knowledge needed to launch and track mobile initiatives faster, with more cost efficiency. Hot Lava Software provides mobile content solutions and a mobile content design, authoring and publishing solution to corporations, government and universities around the world. More information is available at
-
Alabama plans to be the first in the nation to have distance learning (synchronous and asynchronous) at all of its high schools. This should give students access to courses their school may not offer. Will this allow students to take online courses from other schools rather than face the tough teacher at their school?
-
Here is the website for the Alabama distance learning program. It looks like they have a list of courses and are recruiting teachers. Other than being the first, I wonder what the advantages are of rolling out a program like this. It seems like a centralized approach is working for other states.
-
Is iTunes U good for education? How can universities afford to give it away? I believe that iTunes U is a great tool for the open content movement in education. Free content is different than free courses, certification, or degrees.
-
Malasian schools participating in a 1:1 computer initiative with Intel Classmate computers. They are happy with initial results and will be expanding the pilot to include more schools.
Reformed Theological Seminary
July 14th, 2008
For pastors who want a refresher or another perspective, and for lay leaders in the church who can not head off to seminary, a great resource on the Internet is Reformed Theological Seminary's virtual campus. RTS provides lectures to full courses at a Master's level that are available free on iTunes. You can find the information . There is even a way that you can earn an accredited Master's through distance education in this manner. I am not the most reformed Christian, but I have enjoyed listening to these lectures (I have listened to the courses on Apologetics and Pentateuch) and I have learned lots. This is a great resource that should be taken advantage of.
Good Option for Gifted Kids
July 12th, 2008
It's not exactly a revelation of stunning originality to point out that if you're the parent of a child who basically doesn't fit the school system's age-grade lockstep plan, it can be challenging to fit an education to your child. There's no sense in trying to fit your child to the education that's available.
On that note, really, thank God for distance education. , the, and a host of others provide distance education options for university classes, of course, but what some folks might not know is that they also have classes at the high school and middle school levels as well -- and best of all, they're, which means that if you're a homeschooling parent whose child may (at some point) want to attend high school in the future, she or he won't have to sit through Freshman English again if they've passed their distance ed. coursework in that area.
Best of all, for parents of gifted or profoundly gifted children, none of these programs gives a rat's caboose about the child's age.
This is really a miracle when you think about it, given the fact that basically no school system would even consider the kind of radical acceleration some gifted kids genuinely require. I'm not talking about one or two grades: that's relatively easy and it happens (usually with politely pitched battles between parents and administrators) from time to time. Instead, I'm talking about six or seven grades, and that ain't gonna happen in public school, no how, no way. Pleasantly enough by contrast, when we registered at Distance Ed for freshman English and gave the date of birth, the person registering didn't so much as blink (or appear to blink; this was on the phone). It was no longer the Dreaded Birthdate of Doom.
Interestingly, the Distance Ed. course uses the same textbook as I'm supposed to be using for a class I'm teaching at Techno High School in the fall, I was amused to see. The teacher assigns a boatload more writing than I assign...I'm thinking of doing the same and seeing if I can get away with it. Anyway.
I find myself wondering what people did before the invention of the Internet and the popularity of homeschooling. I have a feeling that most of them probably did nothing -- not because they didn't want to do nothing, but because there was a dearth of options. I'm fairly sure that a parent whose kid needed radical acceleration -- especially in a "fuzzy logic" area like English -- was probably given the usual host of excuses: "Well, Billy can read very well, and yes, he's read Romeo and Juliet before, but he's never read it with me. I'm sure he's going to get a lot out of the class," or "Elizabeth seems to have a good grasp of the material, but her organizational skills and handwriting really need work, so I think we'll keep her where she is right now."
And, though some parents fought the system, most probably figured out it was a losing battle and told their kid, in whatever way they told them, that they'd basically have to put up with it, that this was the fate of being an academically able kid in a system that essentially doesn't want or care about the academically able: sitting in class, making no waves, and just enduring it until it passes, like labor pains.
Thank God those aren't the only options now.
Yeah, there are some down sides to distance ed for gifted kids, to be sure. One of the most unanticipated (okay, unanticipated by me...) issues was one of worldly experience. For instance, one Distance Ed prompt for an English journal assignment asked the student to explain about a time when they'd felt betrayed by a friend. Depending on the child's age, that simply may never have happened. As a result, the child will basically have to a) draw upon vicarious experience gleaned from reading, or b) use her or his imagination. The other down side is that, like most distance education, the parent has to do the bulk of the actual teaching. The distance ed. people provide you the "bones"; that is, the textbook, the assignments, the course goals, and some skeletal explanations, but for the most part, the discussion of the actual material, that give-and-take of initial understanding, clarification, examples, elaboration -- that job is left up to the parent. That's not much different from homeschooling itself (and it's actually less work than homeschooling overall), but the parent needs to know about the subject matter in decent enough depth so that they can work with the material.
Overall, it's a good deal.
by Timothy K. Shih and Jason C. Hung, editors
"This book summarizes theoretical studies and practical solutions for engineers, educational professionals, and graduate students in the research areas of e-learning, distance education, and instructional designs. Readers will find solutions and research directions in this interesting book"
Published 2007 | 297 pages | 1599043785 (electronic book) |
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: Heather A. Katz, Ph.D.
540-428-2988
FREDERICK, MD - July 3, 2008 - This summer the Frederick Keys are changing the way that fans learn about baseball. The Keys have teamed up with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Hot Lava Software, Inc. to bring fans a new way to learn the science behind sports. The promotion, dubbed the Sports Bytes Competition, tests fans’ knowledge of the science behind sports via their mobile phones. Throughout the months of July and August the Keys will facilitate fans to use their mobile phones in new and exciting ways to learn the science behind the baseball game that unfolds before their eyes!
Attend a Frederick Keys home game during July and August this summer and you will see a wild haired professor in a white lab coat and safety goggles. The Professor will appear in the middle innings and lead on top of the dugout. He will playfully challenge the intelligence of the audience and encourage fans to take out their mobile phones and participate by text messaging an answer in response to a science question about baseball. The Frederick Keys have embraced this effort and are committed to educating the community through the Sports Bytes Competition. Attend a Frederick Keys home game this July or August and experience, live, the thrill of the Sports Bytes Competition! Or access the questions via your mobile phone by text messaging “sport” to 83960 and prove that you are smarter than the Professor! Sports Bytes are also available at www.hdwap.com/s.
About Hot Lava Software, Inc.
Hot Lava Software, Inc. is the leading provider of mobile authoring, publishing, delivery and tracking solutions. Using Hot Lava Software's content development and publishing system (LMA) integrated with the Hot Lava Mobile Delivery and Tracking System TM (MDTS) allows organizations to have the tools and knowledge needed to launch and track mobile initiatives faster, with more cost efficiency. Hot Lava Software provides mobile content solutions and a mobile content design, authoring and publishing solution to corporations, governments and universities around the world. More information is available at
About the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private nonpartisan foundation that works to harness the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to grow economies and improve human welfare. Through its research and other initiatives, the Kauffman Foundation aims to open young people's eyes to the possibility of entrepreneurship, promote entrepreneurship education, raise awareness of entrepreneurship-friendly policies, and find alternative pathways for the commercialization of new knowledge and technologies. It also works to prepare students to be innovators, entrepreneurs and skilled workers in the 21st century economy through initiatives designed to improve learning in math, engineering, science and technology. Founded by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman, the Foundation is based in Kansas City, Mo. and has more than $2.4 billion in assets. More information is available at
Teacher Tools
July 7th, 2008
I am sitting in an on-line teacher training and I am amazed at how many distance education teachers do not know about the plethora of tools available. While this series is not going to be completely comprehensive, it will give you a spring board.
While I am putting together the list I invite you to check out the following podcasts on technology tools for the classroom (all links will launch iTunes):
Last day in Paris- July 5
July 5th, 2008
Last day in Paris.
Yesterday was fun.
I had lunch with 2 great people from Indiana Uni - Roger and Amy. Chatted away happily for a few hours.
Then wandered off to what I thought was an Aussie bar. Thought it might be fun to have some Oz wine.
Well - it's not an Oz bar anymore but there were some nice people to chat with anyway.
Got talking with the scottish barman - Dave and a New York woman living in Paris - Julia.
Met up later with Julia and went to another local bar called Rhubarb to meet some of her friends.
Had a lovely time and then home to bed before midnight.
Up and about now.
Have to be out of the studio by 12.30. Need to pack and clean up.
I located a storage facility about 30 minutes walk from here. Will book my big case in and then have until 6pm to wander a few more Paris streets before getting a cab to the airport.
Staying with a friend in Dublin tonight and then back to Ballinamore on the 1pm train.
Looking forward to getting home.
Have a lovely weekend dear reader.
Liz