Book award program benefits ESL students

This article is from Lake County News

A new program started by the Mendocino College Foundation is providing financial assistance for books to English as Second Language (ESL) students, and the foundation is seeking additional funding to benefit more students.

With donations from the Ukiah Branch of the American Association for University Women (AAUW), the ESL Book Award program began in fall 2011.

The AAUW and the Sons of Italy, Ukiah, have agreed to donate funds to continue the program in the fall of this year.

Online learning opportunities in Colorado

This article is from Colorado Education

“A full-time Online Education Program in Colorado is defined as..."a non-religious, non-sectarian full-time online education program or school . . . that delivers a sequential program of synchronous or asynchronous instruction from a teacher to a student primarily through the use of technology via the internet in a virtual or remote setting."

Online schooling differs from traditional (brick and mortar) schools since classes do not take place in a building, but instead at home, on the road, or wherever an Internet connection can be found. Students take courses online with support from their teacher via phone, online Web meetings, and sometimes even face to face.

NBTHS hopes to have good fortune with new online learning class

This article  is from Sentinel 

About 30 students have shown interest in a new Mandarin class that will be offered online next year at North Brunswick Township High School (NBTHS).

The New Jersey Virtual School (NJVS) program is the high school’s first attempt to offer online learning during the school year, “a 21st-century skill our kids really need,” according to Kevin Farrell, director of guidance.

The course would be offered for one period each school day, but students would work at their own pace. They would be supervised by an NBTHS staff member, but would have access to a NJVS instructor using a chat option. They would learn basic Mandarin, such as numbers, the alphabet, culture and basic conversation. The course would fulfill a one-year world language requirement, because there would be assignments, assessments and participation grades as in a regular instructional class.

IU School of Education Partners With Peace Corps

This article is from Indiana Business

A new partnership of the Indiana University School of Education and the Peace Corps will help fill a global need for well-prepared teachers of English as a Foreign and/or Second Language (EFL/ESL) while allowing the Peace Corps experience to count toward a master's degree.

In the Master's International program, a Peace Corps service assignment counts for 6 graduate credits toward a master's degree from the Department of Literacy, Culture and Language Education at the School of Education.

The master's program emphasizes EFL/ESL teaching, meeting a surging worldwide demand. Faridah Pawan, associate professor in Literacy, Culture and Language Education, said demand has recently tripled and grows yearly.

"We're working with the Peace Corps in preparing them about what to expect when they go abroad," Pawan said. "It goes with the School of Education's internationalization mission. We're not only giving them early exposure to what's out there; we're developing qualified, highly informed individuals in terms of teaching English overseas."

Classes for the Master's International are available on campus and online. Students must apply for admission into the Peace Corps to be eligible for the MI graduate program. However, students can apply for the MI separately and at any time before or while they are applying for the Peace Corps.

Because classes can be taken online, on campus or in combination, MI coursework can be completed before, during or after students' overseas service assignment. This flexibility allows for students to receive early preparation before they leave for their Peace Corps service.

Additionally, they can receive support while they are in the field to help them address some of the daily challenges they experience and provide a collegial network with others who teach English abroad. When students return home, the MI program and the qualifications they receive from it can help the students set up for the next phase in their professional lives.

The program started through an internal grant from the IU School of Education dean's office and initiated the first cohort in the fall semester. The Peace Corps spent time recently at the IU School of Education in Bloomington to recruit more for the program.

"We're looking for people with the skill set or degree within education who are hoping to gain valuable work experience abroad while serving their country and serving the community," said Laura Fonseca, regional recruiter for the Peace Corps. "So we're hoping to reach out to some of those students who have an interest in gaining international work experience within their field."

The work is already under way. First-semester student Joan Connor is teaching English as a Foreign Language in Mongolia. Former Indianapolis teacher Alyssa Sizemore leaves for the Federated States of Micronesia in June. Two other students are taking coursework and awaiting assignments abroad in the fall.

Pawan said the studies help the participants in more ways than just simply better preparation for teaching English. "It creates a network of like-minded people who will be in the same situation," Pawan said. "They are connected with other individuals who are in the Peace Corps who are about to go or are abroad. So in essence, it creates a community of practice for these teachers."

Fonseca noted that the Master's International participants will have the same benefits as anyone else in the Peace Corps. Participants are paid and receive living expenses for their assigned post, are eligible for a year of non-competitive eligibility for federal jobs and can apply to do further graduate work through a Peace Corps fellowship program that provides reduced tuition and scholarships.

Those accepted into the Peace Corps spend three months in training for work in their assigned country. While assignments vary by the needs of the country, Fonseca said a large number of countries are looking for educators.
"More than 30 percent of our programs are in the field of education," she said. "This is just a basic, very common demand from communities overseas, and we want to make sure those demands are met."

Pawan expects that the EFL/ESL Master's International will help those Peace Corps volunteers who are most often assigned to teach English when they are overseas.

"It reduces the mystery of what to expect in different global contexts," she said. "More importantly, it provides them with a set of experiences, skills and a supportive network to undertake the exciting international experience that awaits them."

Joining the EFL/ESL Master's International program is one way to respond to the Peace Corps call for students to take action and participate in the globalized world through their motto, "Life is calling!"
The mission of the Peace Corps is to promote world peace and friendship and a better understanding between Americans and people of other countries. Since the start of the Peace Corps by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, more than 200,000 Americans have served in 139 host countries. Today, 9,095 volunteers are working with local communities in 75 host countries. Volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age to serve a 27-month commitment.

Clemson University to Trial Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging Technology

This article  is from Market Watch The Wall Street Journal 

Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) announced today that it will participate in the 2012 Apollo Launch Program hosted by Evatran(TM), the developer of Plugless Power wireless electric vehicle recharging systems. The Apollo Program aims to encourage electric vehicle adoption across the United States through the launch of a convenient recharging alternative to the repetitive plug-in, unplug process.

The Plugless Power system allows a user to avoid the plug-in process traditionally required by electric vehicles (EV). The wireless system provides the driver with parking guidance upon approach and automatically begins charging once the vehicle is in position. When the driver is ready to depart, the system automatically discontinues the recharging process.

Clemson University, as one of the Department of Energy's GATE Centers of Excellence, is participating in the Program to research technologies that may influence the development of advanced drivetrains and electric mobility as a whole. CU-ICAR is actively developing a portfolio of research activities and services around the ecosystems for sustainable mobility and the networked vehicle. To that end, Clemson University is also collaborating with Duke Energy, another Apollo Program participant, to understand how electric vehicles may interface with the electrical grid.

"The Apollo Program fits perfectly with CU-ICAR's efforts in a holistic view of alternative power train solutions and their infrastructure implications," said Dr. Joachim Taiber, Research Professor at Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research. "We are very pleased to be part of the trial and are confident the Program will lead to significant advances in understanding key aspects of wireless infrastructure."

Additional partners will be announced at the Apollo Launch Event scheduled for February 23rd, 2012 in Richmond, Virginia with installations beginning in March 2012. Once installed, the participants will trial the wireless charging systems for three months and provide feedback on usage and features. More information on the Apollo Program can be found on Evatran's website.

About Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research

Clemson University's International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) is a 250-acre advanced-technology research campus where university, industry and government organizations collaborate. CU-ICAR offers Masters and PhD programs in Automotive Engineering and is conducting leading-edge applied research in critical areas such as advanced product development strategies, sustainable mobility, intelligent manufacturing systems and advanced materials.

CU-ICAR has industrial-scale laboratories and testing equipment in world-class facilities available for commercial use as well as a comprehensive computational center, dedicated to solving clients industrial problems, and backed by a massive high-performance computing infrastructure.

About the Apollo Trial Program

The Apollo Trial Program is an initiative started by Evatran(TM), the developer of Plugless Power(TM) wireless recharging technology, to encourage electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Through partnership with five electric vehicle industry leaders from various market segments including Duke Energy and Clemson, the Program aims to increase awareness of wireless charging technology by setting up prototype trials across the country. Installations focus on commercial partners with Nissan Leafs or Chevrolet Volts in their fleets and Evatran is working with Yazaki North America(TM), a Tier 1 automotive supplier, to develop the prototypes for the trial.