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for October, 2009.
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Two University of Florida professors are making the news today, and it’s not for their academic accomplishments.
First, it was reported this morning that UF Professor Michael T. Garrett stepped down amid an investigation that he slept with students. He was director of the School of Human Development and Organizational Studies and a professor of counselor education. You can read more in this Associated Press story.
Then comes the news that the Feds have indicted Samim Anghaie, director of UF’s Innovation Nuclear Space Power and Propulsion Institute, and his wife on fraud and money laundering charges.
The two are accused of receiving $3.7 million in fraudulent contracts from NASA and other government agencies.
Source: South Florida Education Blog
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From Staff Writer Anna Beach:
Like it or not, electronic health record systems are about to become a fact of life for the healthcare community.
To inform and educate healthcare professionals who need to integrate the records into their practice, Miami Dade College has established the Institute for Health Informatics.
It will focus on health research and information management and aims to make healthcare graduates familiar with the new systems. It also will train information professionals to evaluate, design and support the electronic records.
Local physicians, hospital administrators and others will discuss implementing the electronic records at a kickoff for the Institute being held 1-8 p.m. on Nov. 4 at MDC Medical Center Campus, 950 NW 20th St., Building 1, Auditorium, Room 1175, Miami.
For more information contact Mark Nestor at 305-237-4452 or mnestor@mdc.edu
Source: South Florida Education Blog
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The grandson of famed marine explorer Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau is set to visit two Palm Beach County schools on Wednesday.
Philippe Cousteau is the chief environmentalist for Discovery Education, which provides digital videos to classrooms across the nation.
Cousteau is scheduled to speak to students at Pine Jog Elementary west of West Palm Beach, and Jupiter High, about environmental and conservation causes.
Cousteau’s appearances are in recognition of the school district achieving a milestone last year: one million educational videos viewed by students.
The videos for all grade levels include titles such as: Magic School Bus; Planet Earth; and Math Mastery.
The district pays $280,000 for annual access to Discovery Education’s catalog and other services, says Gary Weidenhamer, director of educational technology.
“Teachers report that students are more interested, engaged and focused as a result of having the videos available to support their lessons,” he said.
Source: South Florida Education Blog
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Florida Atlantic University is proud of its top five ranking from a condom manufacturer.
As I wrote Thursday, Trojan Condoms listed FAU as the fifth best school in the country in its 2009 Sexual Health Report Card, up from 18th place last year. The rankings measure access and availability of information and resources at 141 colleges and universities.
“We’re very excited,” said Rosemary Dunbar, director of the FAU’s Today and Beyond health and wellness education program. “It’s not just about giving out condoms. It’s about sexual health and awareness. We promote abstinence and healthy relationships, as well as awareness of all the sexually transmitted infections out there. It’s about trying to keep students safe.”
Source: South Florida Education Blog
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From Staff Writer Anna Beach:
Students don’t always find it easy to choose a college; and that’s just the first step in an admissions process that’s getting more complicated.
The Greater Fort Lauderdale National College Fair, being held on Nov. 5 and 6, may be the place for answers.
Free and open to the public, it offers one-on-one information and guidance from representatives from universities and colleges close to home and as far away as Australia.
There will workshops on such topics as College Selection, Scholarships and Financial Aid and a counseling center is available to discuss individual needs.
Students who pre-register online at www.gotomyncf.com even get a printed bar code they can use like an electronic ID so they don’t have to keep filling out the same information for different colleges.
The fair, presented by the National Association for College Admission Counseling and the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling, is being [...]
Source: South Florida Education Blog
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Florida Atlantic University has now cracked the top 5 in a new college survey.
No, not the U.S. News & World Report’s list of best colleges, where it remains a fourth tier school. This ranking comes from Trojan Condoms, which released its 2009 Sexual Health Report Card this week.
The ranking measures access and availability of sexual health information and resources at 141 colleges and universities. FAU placed fifth in the survey, up from 18th last year. The University of South Carolina clenched the first placed spot, followed by Stanford University in California, the University of Connecticut and Columbia University in New York.
An FAU spokeswoman could not be immediately reached for comment late Thursday afternoon.
An independent research firm conducted the study, using feedback from students and resources available on campus, such as availability of condoms and other contraception, testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases and sexual health programs offered.
Trojan [...]
Source: South Florida Education Blog
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A few months ago, I wrote a story raising the question of why colleges are still using expensive textbooks instead of lower cost digital alternatives. Well, a new study indicates at least some students are ready for a change.
New products, such as the Kindle and iPhone, have the potential to dramatically drive down textbook costs, according to data released Thursday from the Student Public Interest Research Groups, which advocate for affordable textbooks.
The survey of 1,133 students from 17 colleges looked at student attitudes toward various textbook formats. The findings suggest that there is substantial student demand for new ways to experience textbooks. Although the majority of students still prefer print, students also expressed strong interest in the new technologies mentioned in the survey.
Source: South Florida Education Blog
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Cooper City parents and students upset about the proposed boundary change for Pioneer Middle School are taking their fight to Facebook, with two groups popping up this week on the popular social-networking site.
The parents’ group, Cooper City Parents & Residents Against BCSB Boundary Proposal, is encouraging people to write the Broward School District and School Board members to oppose the planned changes, as well as attend a meeting the district scheduled next week at McArthur High School to discuss the proposals.
The students’ group, Students Not Getting Kicked Out of Pioneer Middle!, is organizing students to also oppose the proposed changes. It was started by two students who don’t want to see Pioneer’s boundaries moved.
Pioneer Middle is the only school in Broward that will have significant boundary changes this year. Board members reviewed two proposals for moving students, starting with the upcoming school year.
One plan would move 173 sixth- [...]
Source: South Florida Education Blog
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From Staff Writer Anna Beach:
Do all those service hours deserve more than a pat on the back?
If you’re an outstanding volunteer who attends middle or high school, you need to apply for the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.
Submit your application by Nov. 2 to your principal or other authorized “certifier,” such as the head of an officially designated organization like the Girl Scout Council.
The certifiers chose local honorees and nominate for state-level judging.
Two honorees will be chosen from each state, then ten national honorees are picked based on criteria such as personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth.
State winners receive $1,000 and a trip to Washington D.C.
National honorees get an additional $5,000, plus $5,000 more for a charity of their choice and another trip to Washington D.C. for the national recognition events.
Former First Lady Laura Bush was the speaker at the 2009 awards. Other speakers [...]
Source: South Florida Education Blog
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From Staff writer Anna Beach:
You can’t address a shortage of nurses if you don’t have enough instructors to teach them.
But the high cost getting a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing education could discourage some potential faculty members.
Now, nurses wanting to earn those higher degrees may be able take advantage of a loan forgiveness program.
Thanks to $477,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, nurses accepted into Barry University’s Nurse Faculty Loan Program can expect an 85 percent forgiveness policy. So, after graduating, as long as they teach full-time at any college or university for up to five years, they only have to pay back 15 percent of the loan.
For more information, visit Barry’s Division of Nursing web site or call 305-899-3800.
Source: South Florida Education Blog
Filed under: Uncategorized