Peru

Texas A&M System helping build Peru's agricultural capacity

cinthia_rossell — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 02:14:37 -0500

Lima, Jul. 25 (ANDINA). The Texas A&M System has entered into a three-year cooperative agreement with Peru's primary agricultural institution, the Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina and its agriculture ministry's Instituto Nacional de Innovacion Agraria, INIA.

The agreement will be implemented through Texas A&M University's Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, according toHigh Plains Journal.

"This is not the first time our universities have worked together, but it is a significant expansion and broadening of efforts regarding agricultural teaching and research enhancement and innovation," said Mike McWhorter, Ph.D., assistant director for academics and training at the Borlaug Institute in College Station.

McWhorter said Borlaug Institute and other Texas A&M staff have been collaborating with Peru's agricultural university professors and administrators on a one-to-one basis since the mid-90s."This agreement, however, represents the first concentrated effort to train groups of Peruvian agricultural academics and researchers toward a consistent goal using a specific plan of action," he said.

"The primary objective of this agreement is to strengthen the teaching and research capacity of UNALM and move toward a curriculum that will enhance technical knowledge and improve agricultural competitiveness," said Glen Shinn, Ph.D., a professor in the agricultural education department of College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Shinn and Gary Wingenbach, Ph.D., another professor in that department, will be providing oversight for agreement implementation.

Shinn said this came about from a broader three-year participating agency service agreement formulated between the U.S. Agency for International Development and U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agriculture Service for the purpose of supporting the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement. The three main objectives of that project are to improve Peru's regulatory framework to increase market access, improve agricultural education and research capacity, and strengthen public-private sector interaction.

The goal of this broader agreement is to "strengthen the capacity of Peru's agricultural institutions and private sector through the use of targeted technical assistance, exchanges and training activities," according to documentation. This will include assisting and partnering with key institutions in Peru's agricultural and food sectors, the agriculture ministry and many of its agencies, regional governments and the private sector.

Activities under that broader agreement are expected to improve the Peruvian government's ability to develop and enforce plant and animal health standards, improve food safety, conduct more advanced agricultural research, manage resources, and identify and implement specific trade promotion strategies.

"We're being funded as a result of that USDA-FAS and USAID participating agency agreement, and our efforts will primarily be directed at the objective related to improving Peru's agricultural education and research capacity," Shinn said.

He explained that needs assessment done by the USDA's Foreign Agriculture Service earlier this year resulted in recommendations for "increasing the capacity to carry out research, teach and modernize instruction systems."

"For our part, we will focus on engaging key UNALM professors in training and experiences which will lead to certificates of excellence in teaching, especially in the areas of agricultural innovation and competitiveness" Shinn said. "We also will engage key university and agricultural innovation institute staff in training and experiences which will lead to certificates of excellence in research, also emphasizing agricultural innovation and competitiveness."

He said he and his team also would assist in acquiring and sharing important knowledge about competitive agricultural education programs and work with both agricultural university and institute staff to collaborate and enhance their technical skills.

"We'll also be serving as instructors for the professors at the university and will be conducting five face-to-face workshops over the next three years with university faculty," Wingenbach said. "Initially we will begin working with 32 teaching 'cohorts' and 32 research 'cohorts' at the university."

Wingenbach said after an in-person assessment of current faculty competencies at the university by himself and other A&M System personnel, the first basic workshop will be conducted, to be followed by intermediate and advanced workshops. They also will begin establishing a web-based repository of resource and reference materials for participants and other university staff.

"Our goal is to ensure the participants are confident enough with their teaching and research skills that they will want to collaborate with other universities, especially in research projects, or conduct their own research," he said. "We also believe in the 'multiplier effect' and believe the cohorts who participate will transfer this learning to others to help increase their skills and competencies."

Shinn and Wingenbach said some of the other ways A&M System staff will be involved include course development and redesign and online conferences and teleconferences. Research-enhancement activities will include technology transfer, technical assistance and coaching on research methodology, technology workshops, modernizing technical knowledge systems, improving access to agricultural science and technology journals, and offering research-related university scholarships.

"The faculties of the university which will be directly involved in this agreement are those of the departments of agronomy, sciences, forestry, economics, food industry, agricultural engineering, fisheries and animal husbandry," said J. Abel Mejia, UNALM rector, during a recent visit to the Texas A&M campus in College Station.

"Our faculty members look forward to working together with the faculty members of Texas A&M University," he said. "This type of collaboration improves the capacity of each university and adds to the agricultural economy of Peru and Texas."

Mejia, who was previously on the university's agricultural engineering faculty, has postgraduate degrees earned in Brazil and specializes in soil and water resources management.

"Peru, like Texas, is very concerned about the sustainability of our food production and our natural resources," he noted. "Faculty members from Texas A&M University will add to our technical knowledge."

Source: http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/Noticia.aspx?id=4IBPX+/fpaU=

Specialization Diploma: ICT for Higher Education

cinthia_rossell — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:41:16 -0500

The PUCP Faculty of Education (Facultad de Educación PUCP-Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru) is organizing a Diploma in "ICT for Higher Education". The purpose is to develop skills in higher education teachers and in this way incorporate the ICT use in their classes.

This Diploma is for higher education teachers, principals and coordinators from educational institutions who are interested in the ICT use in Higher Education.

The registration and documents submittal is til August 25th, 2010. The enrollment is from September 1st til September 15th and the first class would be on September 18th, 2010.

Source: http://www.pucp.edu.pe/puntoedu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3342

ADOC, E-LEARNING DISTANCE EDUCATION, MOODLE PLATFORM

cinthia_rossell — Thu, 27 May 2010 22:23:54 -0500

ADOC, Apec Digital Opportunity Center, offers the Free Software, the Virtual Platform of the Educational System and the Moodle Distance Education to the national and international public. They offer educational courses and practices in different subjects. In this way, students, professionals, non-professionals and general public can access to a course from any place that has internet access.

When you study online, you have lots of advantages. You can decide the best time for you to go online. You can print, read and save in your computer teaching materials. In this way, you can go through these documents any time you want and without internet. Also, you can make a schedule for the days you will go online and log into the course, activities and check aditional materials.

Source: http://labuenavidaperu.blogspot.com/2009/05/adoc-e-learning-educacion-distancia.html

EdD Distance Learning Adult Education – Can You Get a Legit Doctoral Education and EdD Degree Online

cosuna — Sun, 23 May 2010 04:31:03 -0500

A Doctorate in Education (EdD) is the degree that opens any door in the education field. If you are an experienced education professional then this degree is designed to satisfy your needs both educationally and professionally

As you are aware a doctorate is a research level degree, and in distance learning the format is the same however with more flexibility to conduct independent research that allows you to manage you own schedule and allows you to utilize knowledge from your own practical experience in the field.

Most EdD courses offer a well-rounded education that is focused on diversity and equality as well as delivering an education that allows for sustained personal development throughout your career. In these programs you will discover that there is a balanced effort in both theory and practice. And you will gain a well-rounded education by exploring educational, social and environmental change in a range of settings.

An EdD distance learning degree is suitable for adult professionals in many education and related fields, like:

* Lecturers who are currently involved in the education field.
* NGO working in global settings trying to expand educational practices in diverse cultures.
* Teachers with masters degrees who are looking at higher leadership roles in their profession.
* Governmental employees or appointees who are wish to be involved at policy creation at the highest level.
* Professionals in industries that support the education community.

The distance learning school you choose for your EdD will need to be and adult education university with both accreditation and the ability to provide you with a high quality learning program in both teaching and research.

By: James Pentington III

Source: http://educaperu.com/?p=14

Video and Computer Skills that Sharpen Skills

cosuna — Sun, 23 May 2010 04:30:41 -0500

Working with numbers improves concentration, problem solving skills, memory, focus and general clarity of thought. And there is great news for gamers young and old! Video and computer games are rich with numbers! I have done some research to hone in on the games that utilize math skills to a greater extent.

Computer Games are generally less expensive and a bit more versatile. They are usual sought after by a slightly younger audience. By younger I am referring to school age children. being that a very large portion of video game users are adult males! So I will start with a review of a couple of math focused computer games that I feel are of good quality. Math Munchers Deluxe by The Learning Company reinforces math skills by encouraging problem solving through gaming in areas of whole numbers, decimals, factors and simple geometry. Mighty Math by Edmark teaches geometry concepts using math and and problem solving-solving skills. Students explore attributes of shapes and solids, constructions and transformations, 2D and 3D coordinates, and the relationships between length, perimeter, area, and volume. Teaching Pro: Middle and Highschool Math by Mathsoft has comprehensive coverage to insure students learn math concepts and understand how math is utilized in the real world. The program includes focus in Basic Math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Algebra II, Geometry, and Trigonometry. It meets mandated curriculum standards in all states!

There are many math focused games readily available online. Suduko revolves around attempting to fill in a grid so that each line contains the numbers one through nine only once. This games is a widely known addictive brain teaser. It is a great game for sharpening math skills and is available for free on numerous websites and downloadable for your cell phone! Timez Attack is real video game created by the same engineers who have worked on Play Station games. The object of the game is to your way through the dungeon maze and foil those who would get in your way. You will develop your math skills while defeating a host of challenging obstacles and characters. The base version of this game is free at big online. The full length version is also available.

Nintendo offers a game called Math Play for the DS. This game encourages the player to create equations in four different game modules by arranging numbered cards. There are a variety of difficulty levels. There is also competitive multiplayer action and addictive puzzle play.

Donkey Kong Jr. Math has received mixed reviews. By mixed I mean not so great. It is one of the only math specific games however, that my search turned up for GameCube or Wii. When dealing with the game consoles, such as PS2, Gamecube or Wii I would choose puzzle games which are more abundant and tend to require math skill.

Working with numbers keeps many of our skills sharp including problem solving and improves general clarity of thought. Video and computer games [http://www.thesoftwarespot.com/default.asp?S=500&A=F&SearchText=&CategoryID=1695863&NID=6372614] are rich with numbers whether they are geared to be a math games or not. Research has brought a few games that focus on math to the surface so they might catch your eye more easily in the future!

By: Allison Merlino

Source: http://educaperu.com/?p=42