Teachers go back to school to learn computer coding
ABC 33/40 (Birmingham) – June 25
Computer science is one of the fastest growing industries in the nation. The same goes for here in Alabama. In fact, computer science and coding is being offered as a high school math credit, that goes toward graduation. …Focus at Four brought you this story in April. At the time, 10 high schools in Alabama offered two computer science courses. Next year, 25 additional schools will sign on. That means, more teachers are needed to instruct students in computer science. A new grant makes it possible to train 50 teachers from Alabama. And, hundreds more online. The idea is to prepare teachers on how to instruct a computer science course. Which in turn, gets students college and career ready. “We feel that students need to know in the modern economy and in the modern world need to know how to dissect the internet or understand how an app works, as they need to know how to dissect a frog,” says Dr. Jeff Gray, professor of computer science at the University of Alabama. Gray has been instrumental in developing computer coding as a high school course. “The demand has been high as far as job offers in computer science. So the economy and the demand from graduates in this area is what’s feeding some of this,” says Gray.
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – June 25
CBS 42 (Birmingham) – June 25
UA hosts Summer Enrichment Program
WVUA (Tuscaloosa) – June 25
School is out for the summer, but some students are still in session. WVUA’s Kristen Bolden takes us to a summer enrichment program at Matthews Elementary School. Students from all over Tuscaloosa County showed up to Matthews Elementary School over the last three weeks for a special purpose. “Last year we did Pinterest and Bonjour Paris, and the year before that we did science and space … yeah, space the final frontier.” Joy Hill and Charli Darby are in their third year as participants in UA’s Summer Enrichment Workshop. Program Director Jane Newman says the workshop is catered to students in gifted programs in the county and offers courses they would not get in their normal school year, including more science classes. “We have a rocketry class this year where the students are building rockets and meteorology class.” Darby and Hill are currently working in a business and entrepreneurship program.
Professors use technology to give medical care to rural areas
Auburn Plainsman – June 25
Smartphones, laptops, iPads and global positioning systems help people connect and simplify their lives, but even with these tools, people cannot always connect with the help they need. Medical help, in particular, can be hard to come by in rural areas where patients often have to drive long distances to receive medical attention. In Alabama there is only one hospital for every 557 square miles, and the lack of medical coverage has had a negative impact on the state’s overall health. Two professors, from Auburn University and the University of Alabama, have teamed up to find an answer to this problem. Rafay Ishfaq, assistant professor of supply chain management in the Harbert College of Business, and Alabama’s Uzma Raja are using their backgrounds in logistics and business analytics to find a unique alternative to traveling long distances for medical care. Ishfaq said the plan is to create a road map that will assist policy makers by identifying strategic locations in Alabama where telemedicine centers could be opened and operated.
Americans’ World Cup fever gives soccer a leg up in TV ratings game
Bradenton Herald (Fla.) – June 25
Move over, baseball and basketball. Soccer is ready to score as America’s next major TV sport. Ratings for some World Cup games in Brazil are already surpassing those for the NBA Finals and the World Series, driven by avid viewing among Latinos and young adults who spent countless Saturdays playing in youth soccer leagues. … The game’s low scores and relatively slow pace especially when compared with the NFL make soccer seem dull to most Americans … Soccer is also hard for U.S. networks to embrace because it features two 45-minute halves of uninterrupted, commercial-free play, according to Andrew Billings, a professor at the University of Alabama who specializes in sports media. What’s more, the U.S. has yet to produce a transcendent star on the order of Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo – the highest-paid player in soccer history – or Argentina’s Lionel Messi. “There’s no question that soccer is trending upward in the United States,” Billings said. But “there are many sports that are widely embraced when wrapped in the American flag, but then relegated to footnote status once that nationalized event is complete.”
The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.) – June 25
Nine Students Awarded Scholarships from USA Water Ski Foundation
MySanAntonio.com – June 25
The USA Water Ski Foundation (USA-WSF) is proud to announce the recipients of the 2014 Scholarship Awards. Each year scholarships are awarded by the USA-WSF to outstanding student athletes participating in towed water sports to help them achieve their educational goals while continuing to excel on the water. “The following nine individuals have demonstrated passion for athletics, dedication, character and leadership on the water and in the academic arena,” said USA-WSF Executive Director Tracy Mattes. “We are delighted to recognize the outstanding academic and athletic achievements of these nine athletes and to honor them with a scholarship to help them pursue their dreams.” … Paul O’Hara, a junior at the University of Alabama, will receive the inaugural George Blair Ambassador Scholarship in the amount of $2,200. O’Hara, who is majoring in Management Information Systems, is vice president of the University of Alabama water ski team and regional director of the National Collegiate Water Ski Association’s South Atlantic Conference. As an ambassador of the sport, O’Hara has coached eight junior development clinics over the past four summers for the American Water Ski Association’s Eastern Region.
Valley Stars: Danville teen wins Presidential Service Award
Contra Costa Times (Calif.) – June 25
Presidential Service Award Winner: Haley Short has earned the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for her 100 hours of work at the San Ramon Valley Historical Society and the Contra Costa Food Bank. She is a recent graduate of Monte Vista High School and will major in psychology at the University of Alabama in the fall. She is the daughter of Kim and Bill Short, of Danville.
LOCAL Q&A: Katie Plott
Tuscaloosa News – June 25
As a Tuscaloosa native, Katie Plott is a student who can call Tuscaloosa home all year long. Plott is very active at the University of Alabama as well as within the city. Plott finds that being from Tuscaloosa doesn’t mean one can’t have the true college experience, even if college is 10 minutes from home. Q: What do you do? A: I am a full-time student at the University of Alabama studying finance, economics and French. As my schedule is only open in the summers, I try to cram my interests into those those months. I’ve served as a camp counselor, an intern for a small business and a student, too. I recently returned from studying abroad in France, which is all I can talk about now! I plan to pursue a law degree after graduation and practice corporate law (I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t inspired by USA Network’s “Suits.”)