Tag: Education

Lecture Series Explores Coal History and Legacy

Since the recent chemical spill in Charleston, the issue of clean water in West Virginia is a topic that many Southern West Virginians are discussing.  The Coal Heritage Lecture Series, an annual program presented by Concord University’s Beckley Center and the Coal Heritage Highway Authority, kicks off the 2014 programs with a look at this critical issue. 

Each spring, the Coal Heritage Public Lecture Series explores the legacy of coal in West Virginia. The series is a part of an academic class offered at Concord University called, Coal Culture in West Virginia.

The first lecture explores Industry and the Environment and Responsible Development.  Eric Autenrith and members of the Plateau Action Network, are expected to discuss their take on how industries can create responsible economic development. Speakers are expected to address past situations in the state and examine how to maintain a sustainable environment.

Plateau Action Network, based in Fayetteville, is an advocate for clean water issues.

Lectures take place on the first Tuesday of February, March, April and May at the Erma Byrd Center. located in Raleigh County, in Room E 10 at 7:00 p.m. 

Students taking the course for credit hear lectures, watch films and participate in field trips that help them better understand the rich history of coal in the state, but all lectures are free and open to the public.

The lecture series will continue on March 4 with singer/songwriter Kate Long as she performs Songs of the Coalfields.  April 1, National Park Service Interpretive Ranger, Billy Strasser, will discuss the recent work the New River Gorge National River has completed in the town of Nuttallburg in the lecture Nuttalburg: Then and Now. 

The series will conclude on May 6 when Gordon Simmons, historian and Marshall University Instructor, will explore the culture of resistance in coal miners.  The Miner’s Freedom considers the history of coal miners and their ability to exert some control in the workforce, despite the autocracy of the coal camps.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting Announces PBS LearningMedia Innovators Program for State Educators

Contact Shawn Patterson (304) 556-4908West Virginia Public Broadcasting announces PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators Program for state educatorsProgram…

Contact Shawn Patterson (304) 556-4908

West Virginia Public Broadcasting announces PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators Program for state educators

Program rewards innovative K-12 educators advancing student achievement through digital media and technology with year-long professional development training

Download the Word document here.

Charleston, W.Va., December 11, 2012 – Today, West Virginia Public Broadcasting announced the 2014 PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators Program open to all K-12 educators in West Virginia. West Virginia Public Broadcasting is a PBS LearningMedia partner.

As classrooms continue to evolve to incorporate technology into learning, more teachers are embracing the power of digital media to enhance student engagement and achievement. PBS LearningMedia is searching for these tech-savvy K-12 educators. The top 100 applicants will be recognized as PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators and receive a full year of professional development focused on teaching in a digital classroom. The top 15 applicants from across the country will attend a two-day digital summit in Washington, D.C.

“West Virginia Public Broadcasting encourages educators who are transforming education by integrating digital media and technology into their classrooms to apply to become PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators,” said Scott Finn, executive director. “We know that digital media is a critical component for educators looking to take curriculum to the next level to help students achieve.”

Beginning today through February 14, 2014, West Virginia educators can apply for the PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators program by submitting a 60 to 120-second video and completing two essay questions that describe their leadership in digital learning. Download the online application here.

A distinguished panel of judges will select the 2014 PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators. West Virginia winners will be awarded year-long professional development opportunities that include virtual trainings, access to premium and exclusive resources, invitations to special events, membership into a robust professional learning community, and networking opportunities with innovative educators and thought leaders. In addition, winners will receive ongoing support from West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

The 2014 PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators will be announced in March. For more information on PBS LearningMedia for West Virginia schools, visit the West Virginia PBS LearningMedia site.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting tells West Virginia’s story through high-quality programming and services including West Virginia Public Radio, West Virginia PBS, Mountain Stage®, wvpublic.org and Ready To Learn®.

About PBS LearningMedia
As America’s largest classroom, teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS LearningMedia, a partnership of PBS and WGBH Educational Foundation, is a free media-on-demand service available to educators nationwide.  It brings together the best of public media and delivers research-based, classroom-ready rich media experiences that engage students in exploring curriculum concepts that align with National and Common Core State Standards. Drawing from critically acclaimed PBS programs such as NOVA, Frontline, American Experience, and PBS KIDS programs like Sid The Science Kid, as well as content from organizations including The National Archives Smithsonian, NPR and NASA, the free service offers teachers access to more than 35,000 videos, images and articles to enrich classroom instruction. Nationwide, more than 1.3 million teachers have registered access to PBS LearningMedia. In West Virginia, more than 2,500 teachers are using this valuable resource.

More information about PBS LearningMedia is available at www.pbslearningmedia.org or by following PBS LearningMedia on Twitter and Facebook.

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McDowell Men Have Shortest Life Expectancy, Women Second Shortest in U.S.

The life expectancy for American females is 81 years.

In West Virginia, Marshall County has the longest life expectancy for women, with 80 years, while those in McDowell deal with about 6 years shorter life span.

The life expectancy for American males is about 76 years.

For West Virginian men, the longest life expectancy is also 76 years in Monongalia County and once again, McDowell County men have the shortest life expectancy in the state at 66 years.

Those numbers also rank McDowell County on a national level … women have the second shortest life expectancy while McDowell men have the  shortest life expectancy than any other county in the entire country.

Congress Holds a Hearing on Life Expectancy

The report, ‘Left Behind: Widening Disparities for Males and Females in US county Life Expectancy,’ was released in July. Although the average life expectancy for the country increased, the study showed that there are pockets of communities across the country that are dying much younger.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont hosted a hearing to highlight the new report that says Americans living in some neighborhoods have lower life expectancies than people living in Ethiopia and Sudan.

Sabrina Shrader shared her story of growing in ‘holler’ in the small town called Twin Branch in McDowell County. She was invited to speak at a hearing with the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions after McDowell County was listed  to have the shortest life expectancy for men and second lowest for women in the country.

“I have had family members, friends and classmates all die young,” Shrader said. “This past year both of my stepsisters died.”

Sabrina Shrader grew up in McDowell County.

“It was kind of heartbreaking to hear that just because you are from a certain place you are likely to die young,” Shrader said after returning from the hearing.

Analysis: Behavior, Health Care, Education, Income All Play a Factor

McDowell County has suffered major job loss and mass exodus of people after many coal mines closed. In 1950 there were close to 100,000 people. The population has plunged to about 21,000 in 2012.

The median household income in McDowell County between 2007-2011 was about $22,000; far less than the national median of about $53,000 and even West Virginia’s median, $40,000.

Dr. David Kindig with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, has studied and mapped population health for decades. He joined Shrader to speak with federal lawmakers on this issue.

“Health is produced by many factors including medical care and health behaviors but equally importantly or more importantly issues like income education the structure of our neighborhoods as my colleagues have been showing,” Kindig said.

The common theme across the panel seemed to focus on education and income.

“The bottom line is that we will not improve our poor health performance unless we balance our financial and policy investments across this whole portfolio of factors.”
 

Entrepreneurs, Small Businesses Owners With Big Goals Wanted

Colleges and technical schools in southern West Virginia are teaming up to encourage entrepreneurs.

Concord University, Marshall University, the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing (RCBI), the Natural Capital Investment Fund and TechConnect West Virginia are collaborating to encourage tourism and advanced manufacturing across southern West Virginia.

Concord University and the Robert C. Byrd Institute are hosting a workshop to share business growth and opportunities in southern West Virginia.  The workshop will explain how the 3rd District Accelerator grant can help people who have businesses or business ideas reach their goals.

The 3rd District, or 3D, Accelerator provides integrated business support efforts and technical assistance, including grant writing workshops, training and more.

Small business owners, entrepreneurs and those interested in more information are encouraged to attend the workshop to learn how the 3rd District Accelerator grant can help them realize their small business goals.

It’s funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The workshop is scheduled for next Tuesday, Dec. 3 at the Mercer County Technical Education Center in Princeton from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

New and favorite episodes spread cheer with fun and educational holiday programs

Families can kick off the holiday season on West Virginia PBS with the return of the blockbuster hit The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas! on…

Families can kick off the holiday season on West Virginia PBS with the return of the blockbuster hit The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas! on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 3 p.m.

The entertainment continues with additional programming from favorite series across the schedule featuring the variety of holidays that families celebrate at this time of year, including an Elmo Christmas special from Sesame Street, new episodes from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and encore presentations from favorites such as Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas, and Arthur’s Perfect Christmas throughout December.

WV PBS will also feature holiday- and winter-themed games from The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! and other series starting in early December on pbskids.org.

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas! — This adventure finds the Cat in the Hat, Nick and Sally on a journey around the world to help a lost reindeer find his way home to Freezeyourknees Snowland in time for Christmas. On the way, the Thinga-ma-jigger breaks down, and they depend on a variety of animals – from African bush elephants to bottlenose dolphins to red crabs – and their remarkable abilities to help them make an amazing journey home.

When to watch The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas! on WV PBS:

  • Nov. 27 at 8:30 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.
  • Nov. 28 at 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
  • Nov. 29 at 2:00 p.m.
  • Nov. 30 at 7:00 a.m.
  • Dec. 1 at 7:30 a.m.
  • Dec. 13 at 8:00 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 24 at 3:30 p.m.

Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas – Curious George and The Man with the Yellow Hat are having a wonderful time getting ready for Christmas. There’s only one dilemma – neither of them can figure out what to give the other for a present! In the end, both gift-giving predicaments are simply and beautifully resolved, revealing the true spirit of the holiday season.

Watch Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas on WV PBS on these days:

  • Dec. 9 at 8:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m.
  • Dec. 14 at 7:00 a.m.
  • Dec. 25 at 8:00 a.m. & 4:00 p.m.

Caillou’s Christmas – Caillou goes out caroling for the very first time with Mommy, Daddy, Rosie, Grandpa and Grandma. He finds out caroling is lots of fun – you get to stay up late and surprise your friends with carols, and you even get treats! At Playschool, Caillou and his classmates learn about the many ways of celebrating the holiday season. The children bring various seasonal objects for show and tell – Caillou brings his Christmas stocking to show. And finally it’s Christmas Eve and Caillou is planning to stay up all night to see Santa, but when the time comes he finds this to be a lot harder than he thought it would be. Just as he’s dozing off he faintly hears Santa calling out “Merry Christmas!” And in the morning his stocking is full of treats!

Watch Caillou’s Christmas on Dec. 23 and 25 at 1:30 p.m. on WV PBS

Arthur’s Perfect Christmas – Everyone’s favorite aardvark gives kids a new spin on seasonal traditions in his first one-hour primetime special, showing children many ways to celebrate “the holidays.” Plans are underway in Elwood City for the best holidays ever as Arthur, D.W., their family and friends make preparations for perfect gifts, perfect parties and perfect family traditions for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and even “Baxter Day” (Buster and his mom’s special celebration). The only problem is, just like real life, perfection is hard to attain and things start to fall apart.

Arthur’s Perfect Christmas can be seen on WV PBS on these days:

  • Dec. 10 at 7:00 a.m. & 4:30 p.m.
  • Dec. 25 at 7:00 a.m.

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood — Two new episodes: “A Snowy Day” and “Snowflake Day”

“A Snowy Day” — It’s snowing in the Neighborhood! Miss Elaina is coming over to Daniel’s house to play in the snow. When it’s time to go outside, Mom Tiger helps Daniel change out of his pajamas into clothes that will keep him warm and he learns how important it is to choose the proper clothes.

Watch “A Snowy Day” on WV PBS on Dec. 2 & 10 at 11 a.m. and Dec. 24 at 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.

“Snowflake Day” – Daniel has a special role in the Snowflake Day show.

Watch this episode on Nov. 27 & 28, and Dec. 11 at 11 a.m.; Dec. 25 at 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Elmo’s Christmas Countdown – There’s a miracle on Sesame Street in this special holiday tale. Elmo, Abby Cadabby and their new friend Stiller the Elf (voice of Ben Stiller) are going to count down to Christmas with the Christmas Counter-Downer. But all the counting boxes have gone missing and Christmas may never come again! Can Elmo, Abby and Stiller the Elf save Christmas? With the help of very special guests Sheryl Crow, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Ty Pennington, Steve Schirripa, Tony Sirico and Kevin James (as Santa Claus), Elmo and friends learn to believe in Christmas miracles.

Watch Elmo’s Christmas Countdown on WV PBS Nov. 27, Dec. 11 and Dec. 25 at 11 a.m.

Industry Says Students Need Soft Skills to Succeed

More than 42,000 West Virginians are employed by the manufacturing industry and state lawmakers were told that number is expected to grow in the coming years, but industry leaders say the state needs to focus on educating those workers now.

President of the West Virginia Manufacturer’s Association Karen Price said the problem with the state’s manufacturing industry is not a job shortage, but a labor shortage.

Price said Armstrong, a flooring company located in Randolph County, was recently looking to expand and add more than 150 jobs, but couldn’t find the workforce to fill the positions.

She told lawmakers during an education committee meeting instead, the company is pulling the expansion.

 “The average wage in the manufacturing industry is about $45,000 a year,” Price said Tuesday, “and in the chemical industry it’s about $75,000 a year so those are pretty good paying jobs.”

Price said lawmakers need to focus on integrating soft skills like work ethic and communication into the education system and to start introducing kids to the field in middle school to promote the industry.
 

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