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Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The New York Times: No E-Books Allowed in This Establishment!

August 2, 2010, 6:01 pm
By NICK BILTON
A few weeks ago I decided to mosey over to a local Manhattan coffee shop for an afternoon cappuccino. After placing my order I sat down at a table and pulled out my Amazon Kindle.

I barely made it a sentence into the e-book I was reading before an employee of the coffee shop came by, stood over me and said, “Excuse me sir, but we don’t allow computers in the coffee shop.”

I looked up at him with an incredulous look and replied, “This isn’t a computer, it’s an e-book reader.”

He then told me that the “device” in my hand had a screen and required batteries, so it was obviously “some variation of a computer.” The coffee shop, I was told, did not allow the use of computers.

Annoyed with this distinction, I peppered the employee with questions on why reading on paper was more acceptable than reading on a screen. Flustered and confused by the existential debate he had been dragged into, the employee resolutely said, “Look, no computers in the coffee shop.”

I was dragged into a similar dispute at a sandwich shop in Brooklyn, this time while reading and taking notes on my iPad. The employee there said no computers were allowed between noon and 3 p.m. After another lengthy defense of e-readers and screens, I lost, again, and sat there resentfully picking at my sandwich.

I wonder if people went through the same thing in the mid-1400s as they sat in coffee shops with their pesky paper books? I can imagine a coffee shop owner demanding that a patron remove his book from an establishment that only allowed spoken communication.

And how long will it take before e-books are accepted as equals with their paper counterparts?

The answer to that question might come sooner than we think. A report last week by the Center for the Digital Future at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California found that people were quickly moving away from print in favor of digital offerings (although the reports noted that readers don’t entirely trust digital news yet).

On Monday, Ian Freed, Amazon’s vice president for digital, told CNet that the number of e-books Amazon sold in the first quarter of 2010 had tripled compared to a year earlier.

Amazon also recently said that e-books have been outselling hardcover books for several months. And Apple said in early April that iPad owners were downloading hundreds of thousands of e-books from the iBookstore.

So what about that coffee shop that won’t let me read a book on a screen? Even though I don’t agree with the shop’s logic and its distinctions between pixels and paper, I can appreciate a place hoping to offer an escape from computers and the Web. But as e-books continue to thrive and grow and more people, including students, replace their paper products with digital versions, these coffee and sandwich shops might not have much of a choice but to accept that some people now read books on screens — even if they do look like computers.

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Innovative Educators: Best Practices in Social Media: Trends, Engagement Opportunities, and Implementation Strategies

Thursday, August 26 & Thursday, September 23 / 3:00-4:30 EDT ~ (2-part workshop) - $345.00
This webinar will be presented live on the two dates listed above. If you prefer, log in on both dates at no extra charge!

Overview

Has your institution become an active participant in social media yet? Communicating with prospective students, current students, and alumni has become a full-time, multi-media job. Is your current web site one-dimensional or does it support these essential ongoing conversations? Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube are the places your audience goes to learn about everything, including you. During this two-part series, we will look at the right way to get started, using examples in admissions, student services, alumni relations, and individual academic departments.


Part one is designed for higher education professionals that want to develop a strong social strategy. We will be discussing social statistics, engagement opportunities, and best practices. This is a beginning session for those that have touched social media, but are having trouble getting the media to work for their institution.


Part two is designed for people that will be implementing social strategies. We will be reviewing account setup and basic code implementations. This is a beginning-to-intermediate session for those that have touched social media, but are having trouble getting the media to work for their institution.

Objectives

Part One (August 26th)
We will cover the steps necessary to prepare for social media engagement. This session will cover four major areas: audience, staffing, content, analytics to determine if you are ready to join the social stream and how to take those first steps.


Part Two (September 23rd)
This session will list, in detail, the proper steps to build a presence in social media that will last. We will cover successful set ups and content in Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube, as well as how to generate traffic from these sites to your site and vice versa.

Who Should Attend?

2 and 4 year institutions of higher education, public and private
marketing managers
web managers
content producers

Who is the speaker?

Eric Hodgson has helped higher education institutions optimize their web presence through content management and social media for the past decade. Eric is currently the web content manager at the University of Iowa Foundation and previously consulted on web direction and social engagement for Stamats, Estrada CMS, and independently. He holds a BA in Marketing from the University of Northern Iowa and has spoken for several organizations, including Innovative Educators, eduWeb, and CASE.
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Bowie State Featured in 2011 College Access & Opportunity Guide

Bowie State News - July 29, 2010

Bowie State Featured in 2011 College Access & Opportunity Guide: College guidebook uniquely targets low-income, first-generation college-bound students


BOWIE, Md.-Young people in all socioeconomic groups have college aspirations. In fact, eight out of 10 expect to attain a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the U.S. Department of Education. But despite these aspirations, low-income students and those who are the first in their families to pursue higher education are severely underrepresented on college campuses.


According to the College Board, high-achieving students from low-income families have about the same chance of enrolling in college as low-achieving students from wealthier families. And even worse, those who do make it to college are not finding supportive college environments or graduating. A recent USA Today article notes that 89 percent of low-income, first-generation students leave college within six years without a degree.


Bowie State University is working to change this trend and has been recognized in Center for Student Opportunity's 2011 College Access & Opportunity Guide, a comprehensive college guidebook designed to help low-income, first-generation college-bound students make their college dreams a reality.


"We are proud to be profiled in the 2011 College Access & Opportunity Guide," stated Don Kiah, assistant vice president for enrollment management at Bowie State. "This provides a significant opportunity to showcase Bowie State University's quality programs, affordable cost, comprehensive financial aid, and scholarship opportunities to prospective parents and students, assisting them in realizing their dreams of obtaining a college education."


Published by Sourcebooks, a leader in college guides and study aids, the 2011 College Access & Opportunity Guide is significant breakthrough in arming students and their supporters with the necessary information to pursue and succeed in college.


"As the director of TRIO, a program designed to assist low-income, first-generation college-bound students, at Bowie State University, I am especially excited about the partnership with the Center for Student Opportunity and the profile in the 2011 College Access & Opportunity Guide," said Monica Turner, director of BSU TRIO-Student Support Services. "These opportunities, combined with the recent Walmart Minority Student Success Award granted to the university, will significantly enhance our efforts to enroll, retain and graduate our students."


The Guide features:
* 284 colleges and universities highlighted for their outreach efforts, financial aid opportunities and student support services
* A 4 step plan to college developed by partners, KnowHow2GO
* Articles and advice from college students and other experts
* Valuable information for parents and mentors, including a new Spanish-language section

"We want to show students and their supporters that the opportunity for college is there," said Matt Rubinoff, Executive Director of Center for Student Opportunity. "The 2011 College Access & Opportunity Guide is a special resource that provides guidance through the college process and delivers important information on college programs aimed to serve low-income, first-generation college students."


About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds who seek a high quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The University places special emphasis on the science, technology, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit the website at http://www.bowiestate.edu/.


About Center for Student Opportunity
Center for Student Opportunity (CSO) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting higher education opportunities for first-generation and other historically underserved college-bound students. CSO programs serve colleges and universities, counselors, and community-based organizations in support of their college access goals. More information about CSO is available at http://www.csopportunity.org/


About KnowHow2GO
KnowHow2GO is a national public service campaign designed to inform young people about the actual steps they need to take to make their college dreams a reality. The campaign includes television, radio, print, outdoor and interactive advertising. It is sponsored nationally by the American Council on Education, Lumina Foundation for Education and the Ad Council. For more information visit KnowHow2GO.org.


About Sourcebooks
Sourcebooks is a forward-thinking, independent publishing house with a passion for books and a dedication to the belief that books change lives. We are committed to innovative publishing, where every book is personal and every author's voice has a place. We are a group of passionate, energetic and enthusiastic book lovers, and we are committed to helping readers experience each book. Sourcebooks stands today as the largest woman-owned independent book publisher in North America.
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WELCOME TO LEARNING TIMES!

     
WELCOME TO LEARNING TIMES!

LearningTimes is the leading producer of online communities and online conferences for education and training.
Our clients and partners include educational and cultural institutions, non-profit organizations, associations and membership groups. LearningTimes provides the training, platforms, applications and unmatched expertise to ensure your success.

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Come Celebrate with the DU Division of Student Success in Honor of the Office of Enrollment Management!


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