Archive

Daily Archives: May 3, 2011

With the Debt Piling Up -Taxpayers Do Not Trust The Federal Government

May 3, 2011
Education, Education Reform, Higher Ed, Innovation, Technology
Leave a Comment

Los Angeles – As the federal government rapidly approaches the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling, 96 percent of Americans say it is important to reduce the national debt, according to a new Reason Foundation-Rupe poll. Of those surveyed, 69 percent believe reducing the national debt is “very important.”

With the debt piling up, it is also clear that taxpayers do not trust the federal government to live within its means. In fact, the Reason-Rupe survey finds 74 percent of Americans support implementing a spending cap that would prohibit the government from spending more money than it takes in during a fiscal year. Only 19 percent oppose a government spending cap. Read More

Mediocracy: How to Fix our School System’s I’s

May 3, 2011
Education, Education Reform, Higher Ed, Innovation, Technology
Leave a Comment
Empire State Building as seen from Top of the Rock

Image via Wikipedia

Dan Ross

One letter separates democracy from mediocracy: I.

Our greatest leaders remind us of this from time to time. They have phrased this notion simply and eloquently: “Ask not what your country can do for you,” “Yes we can,” “Let us strive on to finish the work that we are in.” Yet their voices do not echo through the halls of the most important places they should be heard: our public schools. And I’m not talking about kindergartners who scream “MINE!” before they learn how to share.

I’m talking about the grown-ups.

I’m talking about adults blinded by their I’s. I’m talking about teachers who watch the clock in their own classrooms, principals who never leave their offices, district leaders who impose strict regimes on their educators, parents who quibble over their children’s grades and community members who think that living across the street from a great school is an inconvenience. At a school board meeting about the construction of a new high school, I actually witnessed one concerned citizen express that last sentiment, something to the effect of “What are we supposed to do with the burden of this school in our neighborhood?” Read More

How Students Would Handle Education Reform

May 3, 2011
Education, Education Reform, Innovation, Technology
Leave a Comment

At HuffPost Education, teachers, politicians, superintendents, principals and parents weigh in daily with their opinions on controversial issues, from value-added assessment to bans on school lunches.

But how would students approach these hot-button topics? We rounded up their ideas from sites across the Web on what they would do differently, if they were to take over as principal for a day.

Here’s how schools would look if students were at the helm:

“If my principal left I would change the way we learn a lot. I would have more computer interaction. I would have kids on the computer and have interactive programs. I would also have more time for projects because people don’t have much time and I would allow the kids to set how their schedule is so they could pick where they want to be and when.” — NC

See story @ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/14/how-students-would-handle_n_849436.html#s264696&title=On_Online_Learning

Third Annual Bluetooth Innovation World Cup Now Open

May 3, 2011
Education, Innovation, Technology
Leave a Comment

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is once again looking for ideas and prototypes in the areas of health care, sports and fitness, automotive, entertainment, and more, that use Bluetooth technology version 4.0, in this year’s edition of the Innovation World Cup (IWC). Now in its third year, the trade organization contest calls on developers, entrepreneurs and students to submit concepts for applications making use of the low energy feature of Bluetooth v4.0.

“We have seen some powerful ideas and prototypes in our past two competitions and this year should be no different, especially as v4.0 commercializes over the course of 2011,” said Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. “Bluetooth wireless technology offers enormous potential for the development of innovative, wireless solutions in a wide range of markets. The low energy feature of Bluetooth v4.0 allows for low cost and low power wireless connectivity, while also retaining the simplicity, security and massive install base that is inherent with Bluetooth technology. That’s a lot of functionality to play around with for this competition.”

Entries for the 2011 IWC competition are being accepted May 1 through September 15 at www.InnovationWorldCup.com. Finalists’ ideas and prototypes will be presented at MEDICA in Dusseldorf in November 2011 and at CES in Las Vegas in January 2012, where international audiences will have the chance to rank the finalists. The Innovator of the Year award will be announced and presented at ispo in Munich, also in January 2012. The Innovator of the Year will receive prize money of USD 5,000 and a Bluetooth Qualification Program voucher worth up to USD 10,000, as well as an Ellisys Bluetooth protocol analyzer.

i

Quantcast

2011 IWC Sponsors

Texas Instruments (TI) is the title sponsor of this year’s IWC. TI will be awarding free Bluetooth v4.0 development kits to the first 20 developers who submit prototypes to the competition. Additional sponsors for this year’s competition include Ellisys and Freescale Semiconductor as preferred technology partners, and Bluegiga, Nordic Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics and VARTA Microbattery. Freescale will give out free sensor toolboxes to interested participants, and Bluegiga will award starter kits to the nine finalists. Furthermore, the IWC is supported by an international network of partners including the Continua Health Alliance, ispo, Team Côte d’Azur, Wearable Technologies and the WFSGI.

Bluetooth Innovator of the Year 2010

Last year’s Innovator of the Year award was presented to the Pervasive Computer Group at Imperial College, London for its small ear sensor that measures balance, body posture, activity level and heart rate.

“We were delighted to win the 2010 Bluetooth Innovation World Cup. Bluetooth low energy technology represents an important step towards realizing the full potential of body sensor networks for the future of health care, well-being and sports,” said Professor Yang at The Pervasive Computing Group at the Imperial College in London.

See story @ http://www.bradenton.com/2011/05/01/3157288/third-annual-bluetooth-innovation.html

Saint Leo University Builds up, Plugs in – Enrollment Exploding

May 3, 2011
Education, Education Reform, Higher Ed, Innovation, Technology
Leave a Comment

By Khalil Madani, St. Petersburg Times Correspondent

Saint Leo University’s new School of Business building is going up near the column-fronted St. Francis Hall on campus.

Saint Leo University’s new School of Business building is going up near the column-fronted St. Francis Hall on campus.

ST. LEO

Past the tall pillars off State Road 52, amid the Spanish-style stucco buildings and the oak foliage, a group of pajama-clad young women bustle across campus. Young men in jerseys stroll by carrying lacrosse sticks, while in nearby classrooms, professors at Florida’s oldest Catholic university lecture with state-of-the-art technology.

Tucked into the pastoral hills of east Pasco, Saint Leo University is “somewhere anyone could love,” junior Will Johansen said.

But don’t be fooled by the serene surroundings. The rural campus is booming — just look at the construction of the new School of Business building and a pair of new dorms. Enrollment has exploded over the past decade to more than 15,000, fueled by satellite locations and online programs that prove the convenience of distance learning can be just as enticing as an 185-acre lakeside campus. Read More

Forty Texas Educators Chosen To Represent the ‘Best in Texas Education’ as Finalists in the 2011 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards

May 3, 2011
Education, Education Reform, Innovation
Leave a Comment

Educators Will Now Compete on a Statewide Level for Cash Prizes Totaling More Than $500,000

SAN ANTONIO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Forty Texas educators are being recognized as the “Best in Texas Education” with their selection as finalists in the 2011 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards.

This year, the awards are celebrating their 10th anniversary of recognizing and rewarding outstanding educators, schools and school districts. Since their inception, the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards has grown to become Texas’ largest monetary recognition program for the state’s educators and one of the largest in the nation.

The 40 Texas educators selected as finalists for a 2011 H-E-B Excellence in Education Award will now be invited to compete on a statewide level for greater recognition and cash prizes. A celebration weekend will be held in their honor May 13 -15, 2011 in Austin. The weekend will include a free health and fitness event for the public on May 14 featuring Health and Wellness Expert Jillian Michaels and a keynote address by General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) at the awards’ celebratory dinner on May 15. Read More

Zaffirini and Powell Escalate Texas Higher Ed Fight

May 3, 2011
Education, Education Reform, Higher Ed
4 Comments

By Reeve Hamilton Texas Tribune

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University Partner to Promote Student Success

May 3, 2011
Education, Innovation, Technology
2 Comments

AUSTIN, Texas — A new partnership between researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University has been created to help improve teaching and learning through educational innovation and technology.

Steven W. Leslie, executive vice president and provost at The University of Texas at Austin, said the partnership brings together top educational researchers from the Mazur Group at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Department of Physics with educational innovators from The University of Texas at Austin. They will lead the implementation and dissemination of cutting-edge, evidence-based, interactive strategies of instruction that leverage educational technology to improve student learning and success. The primary vehicle for the collaboration will be the university’s new Course Transformation Program, a state-of-the-art effort to advance pedagogical innovation, effective teaching and student success in general education courses. Read More

National Instruments Unveils NI LabVIEW for LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Robotics

May 3, 2011
Education, Innovation
Leave a Comment

AUSTIN, Texas, PRNewswire

National Instruments (Nasdaq: NATI) today introduced LabVIEW for LEGO MINDSTORMS, a new education-focused version of the company’s professional LabVIEW graphical system design software. Developed specifically for secondary school students to use with the LEGO Education robotics platform in classrooms or competitions, LabVIEW for LEGO MINDSTORMS is a teaching tool that helps students visually control and program MINDSTORMS NXT robots, while learning the same software used by scientists and engineers. The high-school-focused programming environment joins the already successful line of LEGO Education robotics platforms, which includes LEGO Education WeDo™ software for elementary students and LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT software for middle school students. Read More

Could Lower Tuition Be in UT’s Future?

May 3, 2011
Education, Education Reform, Innovation
Leave a Comment

By: William Lutz
When lawmakers passed tuition deregulation, it was assumed legislators were passing the buck — allowing appointed regents to take the heat for raising tuition to the level desired by university administrators. Did anyone think the governor-appointed regents would turn the tables — lowering tuition over the objections of both university administrators and some key legislators? Read More

Jeff Sandefer Breaking His Silence on Higher Ed Debate

May 3, 2011
Education, Education Reform, Higher Ed
1 Comment

by Reeve Hamilton Texas Tribune

Jeff Sandefer, the architect of the “seven breakthrough solutions” that have rocked the Texas higher education community, is breaking his silence on the matter.

Jeff Sandefer

Jeff Sandefer

“It seems I’ve stirred a hornet’s nest,” he writes in an email to “friends,” which links to his new blog on higher education reform.

Much of the ongoing controversy is fueled by the perception that Sandefer and the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank that promotes Sandefer’s approach, have taken an antagonistic approach to academic research.

“I’m a big fan of productive research,” Sandefer notes in his email. “Anyone who says I’m ‘anti-research’ just isn’t telling the truth.”

Here’s the full letter:  Read More

UT Austin Audit Integrity Possibly Compromised

May 3, 2011
Education, Education Reform, Higher Ed
Leave a Comment

By Weston Hicks

Accountability data has been compromised in the UT Austin internal audit called by the Board of Regents. The new establishment-controlled audit could release results this week. Two of the most important data points are teacher salaries and quantity of teaching. The existence and integrity of these important data points are now in question.

Rick O’Donnell was hired by the Board of Regents to run an internal audit into UT Austin’s inner workings, including how much teachers teach and get paid. The higher ed establishment erupted in opposition and succeeded in having fired Rick O’Donnell along with the meaningful accountability he represented.

Teaching, research, and money-spending were the subject of the two task forces sent to gather data in the interests of accountability and transparency.  The higher ed establishment at UT, represented by Senate Higher Ed Committee Chair Judith Zaffarini (D), Chancellor Cigarroa, the Texas Exes, and others responded explosively to the call for accountability , essentially accusing the Regents of plotting the downfall of the University of Texas. Senator Zaffarini and Chancellor Cigarroa have a long history together of courtly privilege at taxpayer expense.

Read More

Regents’ Chairman Suggests Boosting UT Enrollment, Halving Tuition

May 3, 2011
Education, Innovation, Higher Ed, Education Reform
Leave a Comment

By Ralph K.M. Haurwitz  AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF – 445-3604

Rick Perry Governor wants schools to offer $10,000 degrees.
Chairman Gene Powell, UT Regents

Chairman Gene Powell, UT Regents

The chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents has suggested increasing undergraduate enrollment by 10 percent a year for four years at UT-Austin and reducing tuition across the system in the range of 50 percent, according to a draft copy of his goals obtained by the American-Statesman.

The goals outlined by Gene Powell in an April 7 memorandum titled “Draft Notes and Ideas for Discussion” also include boosting enrollment by an unspecified percentage at the system’s eight other academic universities, adding a “high quality, low cost degree” to the system’s current offerings and coming up with a timeline for making the Austin flagship the nation’s No. 1 public university.

Read More