Conference (Re)Call

Reports American Education Research Association (AERA) Special Interest Groups

This item picks up an Invitation to Join the American Education Research Association (AERA) Special Interest Groups on

• Advanced Technologies for Learning (SIG-ATL) and
• Education in Science and Technology (SIG-EST)

I haven't made any connection with either groups, so this is not a re-call so much as a promotion of sites which look as though they offer good information on technological applications and opportunities for challenging discussions.  Perhaps a member or two will take a look and let us all know what they find.  (That would make a welcome change from this column being dominated by my choices and opinions.)  Web Editor

New technologies are flooding into homes and classrooms. But most new technologies are simply perpetuating old ways of thinking and learning.  Even in discussions about the scientific and technological knowledge that students need to succeed in the 21st century, the common vision has students becoming not innovators or practitioners, but "users".

SIG-ATL and SIG-EST are dedicated to fundamentally transforming education. SIG-ATL focuses on the design and use of new technologies to empower learners, both in the classroom and out. SIG-EST is the only SIG devoted to educational reform in the sciences, engineering, and technology, and seeks reform via research, design, and practice.

If you share this vision, we hope you will join either or both SIGs.  (Most of our members belong to both SIGs). Our SIGs include leaders in
educational research worldwide, and have historically played a significant role in informing groups such as the National Science Foundation and the White House President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology.

These SIGs are an important resource to our community. One primary role of SIG-ATL and SIG-EST is to sponsor sessions at the annual AERA meeting. The more of you who join the SIGs, the more sessions we can sponsor. Membership also entitles you to submit items to our newsletter and publicize your projects on our web sites:

Advanced Technologies for Learning (SIG-ATL) - http://www.ls.sesp.nwu.edu/sig-atl/sig-atl.html

Education in Science and Technology (SIG-EST) - http://www.ls.sesp.nwu.edu/sig-est/sig-est.html

These websites are effective ways to communicate with others in our community. We also have good informal ties with other similar organizations ouside AERA, such as EARLI, NARST, AACE, and the like.

Please join or renew your membership. Dues are a token $5/year per SIG (or $20 per SIG for 5 years). Just fill out the form at http://www.ls.sesp.nwu.edu/sig-est/join.html then send your dues payment to:
Jeremy Roschelle, Secretary/Treasurer
SRI International
333 Ravenswood Ave.
Menlo Park CA 94025-3493
USA

Praxis Research Forum

This site is not so much about online education, with a focus on the graduate research study level, but a model of online education and support in practice. The Praxis Research Forum is moderated by WAOE member Idrenne Lim-Alparaque. The Forum's Message Board enables dialogue and conversations related to research, whether it be on your current work, methodology, innovative approaches, the research focus, questions on a topic, collaborative work, or maybe even frustations or better ways of doing research. You can browse as a guest or post messages freely.  Email addresses are not required, but are necessary if you opt to have responses sent  directly to you from the board.

Praxis Research Seminars, hotlinked from the home page, aim to deliver prompt practical help for graduate students currently working on your thesis or dissertations who are "experiencing problems, frustrations or seemingly endless difficulties.  Have you been working with transcripts that don't make sense, overwhelming data, readings, readings and more readings?  Still don't have a substantive research direction?  Are you an A.B.D., (All But the Dissertation), yet want nothing more but to get back on track and get it over with? " This section includes:

• Conversations with Dr Idrenne
• Research Email (requires a free email signup)
• Articles (a page with a hard-to-read colour scheme, plus useful links)
• Coffee Talk

Another feature of the site is its selective links to other highly pertinent online forums and resources.  These include:

• Action Research
• Electronic Media Design and Support
• Graduate  School Admissions (Useful for Faculty Advisors.)
• New York Times on the Web
• Teaching on the Internet
• And WAOE

Coming Events

Online Material Writers Workshop

Richard Slessor and Eva Easton will be hosting a material writer's workshop online on ELTASIA-L in August '99. Mr. Slessor is the manager of University and College Projects for Garnet Publishing in Reading UK. Ms. Easton is accomplished in online educational publishing. You can see her work at http://eleaston.com featuring extensive second language learning materials.  A pre-workshop paper with a focus on producing educational materials will be posted at http://eltasia.com by Mr. Slessor. If you wanted to write a textbook or get your educational materials published online, this is the workshop for you. There will be opportunities to have your own papers published in ELT ezines as you work up toward submitting your textbook idea to a publisher. The online workshop, the ezine publishing, and the list signup to participate are all free. More information and signup can be found at http://eltasia.com.

Thanks to Voting Member HC (Rick) Reynolds for this item.  Rick is the ELTASIA-L Moderator in Chiba, Japan.

About Conference (Re)Call

The success of Conference (Re)Call therefore depends very heavily on input from members. WAOE officers are already out there reporting on events theyâve attended and spotting others to come. Weâd like to see all other members doing likewise. You will see from the items in this issue that reports donât need to be lengthy or detailed, let alone polished. We think the segment will work best on the simple premise that whatever any one member found worthwhile in attending an online education event, or attractive about an event in the offing is likely to benefit and interest other members. So, letâs keep those reports and notices coming in to the WEB Editor.