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@kentwired KentWired.com WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016
Bringing special education to the mobile world
Deidre Pulley / The Kent Stater Kent State lifespan development and educational sciences professor Richard Ferdig and his team developed several apps to help special education children. Monday, Sept. 19, 2016.
New program aims to improve learning experience through interactive platforms Gabrielle Harrison Technology Reporter A member of Kent State’s faculty has launched a project that developed a website with hundreds of educational mobile apps. Called SpedApps, the app was launched by Richard Ferdig, a Kent State lifespan development and educational sciences professor, this past spring. The project is meant to deepen the understanding of the current role of mobile education through apps, specifically for special education. There is a website for the SpedApps program consisting of 530 apps that a teacher or parent can find. The search field for apps can be narrowed by the needs of the student in a variety of ways, such as subject and disability needs, and refined to reading, math, social-emotional and other needs a student may have. The website is also focused on the content of every app rather than an app that’s designed for specific disability. “With students with disabilities, you want to focus on a specific skill rather than a disability,” said Pena Bedesem, a creator of SpedApps as well as a lifespan development and educational sciences associate professor. A perk of this website is that it allows for the users to review the apps, and even if an app were to have a lower rating than others, it will not be removed from the site. “What works for one student might not work for others,” Ferdig said. “Also, keeping the lower-rated apps on the sites will allow a parent or teacher to see what apps aren’t good. If someone were to search for an app and we didn’t have it on our site because of the lower rating, they might assume that it’s just such a great app without having seen a review of it.” Mobile education is defined as learning across multiple platforms, such as phone apps and websites rather than just a classroom setting. It also entails interactive context that can give live feedback and help. “I’m a huge proponent of mobile education,” Bedesem said. “It uses technology people already have, whereas special education apps used to be costly and (weren’t) available for home use. Now, students can use the same technology at home and at school.”
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Source: APof Tribune News Service Graphic by staff Graphic: Staff, Tribune News Service
NYC studio fashion students safe after city explosions Dominique Pishotti Fashion Reporter
An explosion in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood Saturday hit close to home for some Kent State students studying at the Fashion School's NYC Studio. No students were harmed, but the explosion happened just a few miles from where many of the NYC Studio's students are housed. "The NYC Studio, staff and students are all well," said Anna Mates, marketing associate at the NYC Studio, in an email. “We continue to focus on the safety and security of our students during this time." Soon after news of the explosion arose, members of Fashion School, NYC Studio, College of the Arts and University Communications made emergency communications. "We focused on reaching out to our students in NYC and (asked) them to check in with us," Mates said. Mates said 10 of the 51 current NYC Studio students currently reside in Chelsea this semester. The rest live in other neighborhoods. "All classes and activities are taking place as scheduled," Mates said. "We are encouraging students to stay in touch with their families." dpishotti@kent.edu
Photo courtesy of Joshua Kogan
Emily Wilbur Religion Reporter Joshua Kogan, a junior integrative studies major at Kent State, was one of 18 students worldwide to have been chosen to participate in the intermediate level Steiner Summer Yiddish Program at the Yiddish Book Center. Chaya Kessler, director of the Jewish Studies program, said Kogan was the first student from Kent State to be accepted into the program. The Steiner Summer Yiddish Program took place during June and July. Kogan found out he was accepted into the program last April. The Yiddish Book Center is an organization that works "to tell the whole Jewish story by rescuing, translating and (distributing) Yiddish books" and providing educational programs that allow students to understand modern Jewish identity, according to their website. Kogan said the seven-week program, which took place in Massachusetts, gave him the opportunity to engage in the Yid-
dish language and culture in Central and Eastern European Jewish history. A regular day at Steiner would consist of learning grammar, Yiddish culture and Yiddish literature, Kogan said. After class he would then attend a daily seminar. In addition, members of the program were taken to New York City, where they toured Yiddishspeaking neighborhoods and attended cultural events. There are two levels of the program; beginner and intermediate. Kogan applied directly to the intermediate level after learning the basics of Yiddish back in Mexico City, where he is originally from. In order for Kogan to have been accepted into the intermediate level, he had to show his knowledge of the Yiddish language and culture by writing an essay in Yiddish, including having a Yiddish background. Kogan said the Jewish Studies Department at Kent State helped him greatly with recommendation letters and the application process while he was also busy preparing his essay last December. From this experience, Kogan said he has
built lifelong relationships with people having similar interests as him. “The best part was being around 17 other people that are exactly the same as me. All 18 of us have the same interest, which is Yiddish,” Kogan said. “I still keep in touch with all of them and continue to learn more.” Sophia Witt, a senior communication studies major, said she took Introduction to Jewish Studies and Jewish Waves of Integration into America with Kogan. “He is very humble and will never admit he’s a great student,” Witt said. “He helped me so much with learning, he was one of the best in our class.” Kogan said he encourages other students to experience what he has. “If you are very, very passionate about Yiddish and Yiddish culture, apply and go,” he said. Applications can be found on the Yiddish Book Center website and at the Jewish Studies Department. ewilbur@kent.edu