Rhode Island Classroom #3 Debuts February 6

On Thursday, February 6 at 8 p.m., Rhode Island Classroom explores three new stories about the latest technology, lessons, and personnel who are making the grade in Rhode Island Kindergarten through grade 12 classrooms. The 30-minute quarterly series is hosted by Margie O'Brien. 

Resilient Kids is an independent, secular program brought to inner city schools in Rhode Island that teaches students tools to cope and deal with life’s challenges. Innovative and adaptive Yoga and Mindful Practice are two of the approaches used in helping to empower students and increase self esteem and self awareness. Margie and crew visits three different elementary schools and talks with students, teachers, and school officials, who have embraced this practice wholeheartedly. Kids “love their yoga” and have learned how to “take deep breaths in a difficult situation to calm down.” Teachers love the universal language Resilient Kids has brought to their classroom and the peace it has created. 

How To Get In To College and Pay For It – Margie hosts a round table discussion with professionals about how students are “standing out” on their college applications, how schools go about choosing an incoming freshman class, and how families can afford to pay for an education. Joining the conversation are Anne-Marie Flaherty, a guidance counselor at East Greenwich High School, Cynthia Bonn, dean of admissions for University of Rhode Island, and Catherine Capolupoas, vice-president for enrollment management at Roger Williams University.

Getting your GED –as if it wasn’t challenging enough already.  As of January 1, 2014, the GED test has taken on a whole new look and is more costly.  Applicants will only be able to take the test online and will now pay $120 as opposed to the old fee of $55. Margie talks with a class of students at Dorcas Place about the changes and what they’re doing to prepare to pass the new GED.

After the premiere on February 6 at 8 p.m., Rhode Island Classroom will encore on:

Rhode Island PBS

2/8/2014 12:31 AM 

2/9/2014 6:30 PM 

2/11/2014 4:30 AM 

2/15/2014 11:30 PM 

Learn

2/11/2014 10:30 PM 

2/11/2014 8:30 PM 

2/12/2014 5:30 AM 

2/12/2014 3:30 AM 

2/13/2014 2:30 AM 

2/13/2014 12:30 AM

WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) programming over the air on digital 36.1; on Rhode Island cable services: Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, Full Channel 08; on Massachusetts cable services: Comcast 819HD, Verizon 18 / 518HD; on satellite: DirecTV 36 / 3128HD, Dish Network 36.

WSBE Learn transmits over the air on digital 36.2; on cable: Cox 808, Verizon 478, Full Channel 89, Comcast 294 or 312.

Crystal Clear Fruits of Technology in Education

Dr. Maria del Pilar Velásquez de Tondreau, director of Education Services at WSBE Rhode Island PBS, has been a tireless advocate of both adult education and video streaming* since she arrived at the station in 2002.

Building professional connections, forging community partnerships, and promoting technology in education throughout her career, Dr. Velásquez partnered with the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in 2007 to conduct a pilot program that introduced video streaming into existing Rhode Island adult education programs. The pilot project trained 35 GED instructors from 11 organizations that offered adult education. The project also included 11 adult GED education students, recommended by their instructors, to help the students develop basic computer skills and Internet navigation skills. The success of the pilot project resulted in extending video streaming services to adult education centers statewide.

The impact of Dr. Velásquez's commitment and effort was no more evident than on a cold evening in December. That night, a large group of tutors, volunteers, families and friends gathered to celebrate the graduation of 20 students in the Adult Education Program sponsored by Progreso Latino in Central Falls, Rhode Island.

During the graduation ceremony, Progreso Latino Director Mario Bueno presented a special award to Dr. Velásquez for her efforts to introduce WSBE video streaming technology to the adult education program at Progreso Latino. In his presentation, Mr. Bueno remarked:

"When we started our educational initiatives in our GED classrooms in October 2009, we began to see the impact that this initiative had. Our students began using the video streaming technology to access curriculum-based content and GED content online that completed their regular classes, developing different activities, and improving their basic and technology knowledge and skills on a daily basis while using these new educational tools."

WSBE Rhode Island PBS offers hearty congratulations to all of the GED graduates from Progreso Latino, and warm thanks for recognizing the station's ongoing efforts to improve the quality of adult education in Rhode Island through the use of video streaming and digital media technology.

The December GED certificate recipients from Progreso Latino adult education program are Luis Acevedo,  Nubia Bulhoes, Mariela García, Norma A. Herrera, Antonio Larios, Fredy Medrano, María Morales, William Moscoso, Jeraldyne Ojeda, Lisandra Ortiz, Argelia Otero, Mirian Y. Paredes, María Pérez, Yeimi Portillo, Silvia Quiroa, Carlos Ruiz, Misneyi Ruiz, Ángela Sánchez, Nelva Sánchez, and Luz Zapata.

Norma A. Herrera 
Progreso Latino Adult Ed Student
 and new GED graduate

One of the 20 recipients of the GED certificate, Norma Herrera, shares her story of challenge and learning success in a testimonial spot that is part of the WSBE Rhode Island PBS My Source media impact and public awareness campaign. The spot, which also includes Bueno, can be seen on the air on WSBE Rhode Island PBS (digital 36.1) and WSBE Learn (digital 36.2), and online at www.ripbs.org/mysource.



*Streaming media technology - video streaming - enables the real time, or on-demand distribution of audio, video, and multimedia content over the Internet. Streaming media is the simultaneous transfer of the digital media (video, voice and data) so that it is received as a continuous real-time stream. Streamed data is transmitted by a server application and received and displayed in real-time by client applications such as the Microsoft's Windows Media Player or the QuickTime Player. These applications can start displaying video or playing back audio as soon as enough data has been received and stored in the receiving player's buffer. A streamed file is simultaneously downloaded and viewed, but leaves behind no physical file on the viewer's computer.