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Category: Society and culture

ITS staffer was king of the Meatloaf Festival

Royce Gilbert (in hat at right) was the 2013 Grand Marshal of the Paxico Meatloaf Festival, and 2012 "King" before passing the title on. His granddaughter ("Meatloaf Princess" as Royce calls her) accompanied him during the parade.

Information Technology Services staff have many talents — musicians, artists, quilters, docents, gamers, volunteers, great cooks and more. But only one has had the title of “king”.

Royce Gilbert, systems/business analyst in the Office of Mediated Education, was crowned King of the Paxico Meatloaf Festival in June 2012. This year, he also served as Grand Marshal of the Meatloaf Festival on June 22 and led the parade before passing the “Meatloaf King” title to the new winner.  Continue reading “ITS staffer was king of the Meatloaf Festival”

Help us solve our nation’s heath problems: Web developers needed for social media physical activity intervention

By Brandon Irwin

We need your help.

Although regular physical activity is a key factor in the prevention of a variety of chronic diseases, the majority of Americans remain insufficiently active. In fact, less than 5 percent of U.S. adults meet the national physical activity recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week. Continue reading “Help us solve our nation’s heath problems: Web developers needed for social media physical activity intervention”

Pogue keynote video online: Why America’s Failing Science & How We Can Turn It Around

David Pogue, keynote speaker, casually leaning on the podium at Union Forum Hall (photo by Eric Dover)
David Pogue, PBS “Nova” science host and NY Times tech columnist, addresses America's declining numbers of science and technical (STEM) students during his keynote at the 2013 ITL conference at K-State. (photo by Eric Dover)

More than 400 people attended the Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference March 4-5 at K-State. A video of the March 5 keynote by well-known author David Pogue is now online via the conference website at theitl.org (click “Watch David Pogue’s keynote!” at top right).

In a captivating “Science, Schmience: Why America’s Failing Science & How We Can Turn It Around” (88 minutes), Pogue humorously and compellingly addresses the four root problems he sees, as well as solutions that can reverse the continuing decline of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students in America’s educational system.

If you need assistance with the video, contact the IT Help Desk, helpdesk@k-state.edu, 785-532-7722 (toll-free 800-865-6143).

Mapping the Twitterverse of K-State President Kirk Schulz

With the popularization of online social networks (OSNs), various software tools have been created to extract social data for research.  One open-source freeware tool is NodeXL, which is a plug-in to more recent versions of Microsoft Excel (Office 2008 and 2010 on PCs, and Office 2011 on Macs).

"Tweeting K-State University President"

Continue reading “Mapping the Twitterverse of K-State President Kirk Schulz”

2012 Beloit College Mindset List identifies worldview of college freshmen

Beloit College’s Mindset List, published annually since 1998, aims to “identify the worldview” of 18-year-olds arriving at colleges across the country. The list is an eclectic (and faintly nostalgic) mix of cultural contexts for most new college students born in 1994.

“This year’s entering college class of 2016 was born into cyberspace and they have therefore measured their output in the fundamental particles of life: bits, bytes, and bauds,” says the Aug. 21 news release from Beloit College’s (Wis.) Mindset List for the Class of 2016. “They have come to political consciousness during a time of increasing doubts about America’s future, and are entering college bombarded by questions about jobs and the value of a college degree.”   Continue reading “2012 Beloit College Mindset List identifies worldview of college freshmen”

Google Maps Street View team photographing campus

A Google team is on the Manhattan campus this week to capture Kansas State University for the interactive Internet experience Google Maps with Street View. The feature lets users explore places around the world through 360-degree street-level imagery.

Continue reading “Google Maps Street View team photographing campus”

Free SIDLIT conference has 60+ sessions on technologies, strategies for higher ed

“Re-imagining Education: Tools and Challenges” is the theme for this year’s annual SIDLIT conference on the latest technologies, strategies, and forward-thinking for higher education professionals. The free event is Thursday-Friday, Aug. 2-3, at Johnson County Community College, and registration is required. (Create a free account before registering. If you already have one, sign in and the registration form will appear.) Early registration is recommended as registration fills up fast.

This year’s schedule of presentations has 37 topics on Day 1, and 26 topics on Day 2. Attendees may find it difficult to choose between the variety of sessions, as up to 10 run concurrently during session timeslots. A sample of topics to pique your interest:

Ethiopia bans Skype, Google Talk, and all other VoIP services

The Ethiopian government has banned the use of Voice over IP (VoIP) services like Skype, Google Talk, and others. This ban comes with severe penalties — up to 15 years in prison — for those who use these services while in Ethiopia, including visitors.

Ethiopian authorities say they are imposing these bans because of “national security concerns” and to protect the state-opened Ethio Telecom, which is also the only Internet service provider in the country.

Continue reading “Ethiopia bans Skype, Google Talk, and all other VoIP services”

Make plans to attend 2012 CHECK conference May 23-24 at K-State

The 2012 Conference on Higher Education Computing in Kansas (CHECK) is scheduled Wednesday-Thursday, May 23-24, at the K-State Student Union on Kansas State University’s Manhattan campus. Registration officially opened March 28. K-State President Kirk Schulz is slated to give the keynote address on “IT and Higher Education”.

Continue reading “Make plans to attend 2012 CHECK conference May 23-24 at K-State”

Debra Sellers to present on Traumatic Brain Injury project at Teaching, Learning, and Technology Showcase March 13

K-State’s free Teaching, Learning, and Technology Showcase is 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 13, in the K-State Student Union Ballroom. All faculty, staff, and administrators are welcome to attend. Pre-register at ksushowcase.wordpress.com/registration

This is a Q&A with Debra Sellers, associate professor and extension specialist, School of Family Studies and Human Services.

Dr. Deb Sellers

What is “traumatic brain injury”?

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) defines TBI as “an alteration in brain function, or other evidence of brain pathology, caused by an external force.” A way to think about this is in terms of something away from the body or not part of the body that hurts the brain. There are two key types: one is a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, and the second type is a penetrating injury.

How did you get involved in your work with TBI survivors? How did this project get its start at Kansas State University?

Jane Mertz Garcia, professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders, has been working with people with traumatic brain injury for more than 20 years, and I have many years of experience in working with older adults and people with disabilities. Older adults are affected by TBI more than other groups, along with young children and adolescents, although anyone of any age may experience a TBI. Additionally, Kansas is significantly affected by TBI, and has the highest fatalities rate of 33 reporting states. Continue reading “Debra Sellers to present on Traumatic Brain Injury project at Teaching, Learning, and Technology Showcase March 13”