HETS: 2012 Best Practices Showcase

Last February 16 and 17, the Hispanic Educational Technology Services (HETS) Consortium celebrated its 2012 Best Practices Showcase: Celebrating Innovation in Access, Retention, Assessment, and STEM Education to Promote Hispanic Student Success in Higher Education.The Conference took place at the Law School of the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in San Juan. In my case I attended on February 16th and it was my first time at a HETS Showcase. More than 25 higher education member institutions from Puerto Rico, United States and Latin-America shared their innovative initiatives and best practices in the integration of technology and education, in the areas of Access, Retention, Assessment, and STEM education.


HETS BPS brochure

The event opened with an expert panel discussion, including Dr. José Jaime Rivera, President of the University of the Sacred Heart, who shared their position on Hispanic student’s access to education, retention and assessment.

From left to right: Mr. Manuel Fernos, Esq., President, IUPR, Ms. Luz Nereida Vélez, Master of Ceremony, Dr. Ivonne Chirino, Walden University, Mr. Reggie Smith III, USDLA and Dr. José J. Rivera, President USC.

The Second HETS Best Practices Showcase was focused on four main tracks: access, retention, assessment,and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education for Hispanics. In which faculty members, instructional designers, student support administrators and staff, distance learning personnel and other academic leaders showcased, and shared their best practices in the use of technology to promote and facilitate Higher Education among Hispanics, support higher education effectiveness, promote student success, increase retention levels among Hispanics, and assess learning and overall education effectiveness.

Dr. Gloria López Colón, Director of our Project made a presentation in the track of: retention, This track was intended to showcase innovative practices that strategically use technology to support, drive, and optimize retention of Hispanic students. This was one of the Best Practices in Retention that demonstrated how our approach has had a significant impact on the success in supporting and increasing Hispanic student retention. She was accompanied by Melissa Rodríguez, Life Coach of the proposal.

I attended to the following presentations:

• “Tech Talks” and “Commons Worlds” Enriching Faculty Professional Development Through Technology: by Gina Rae Foster, Ph.D., Director, Lehman Teaching & Learning Commons, Lehman College- CUNY and Dr. Eva Fernández, Director, Center for Teaching and Learning, Queens College- CUNY and Associate Professor, Linguistics & Communication Disorders.The Directors of the teaching and learning centers at Lehman College and Queens College of the City University of New York are engaged in a cross-college collaboration in faculty professional development with technology that brings faculty within and across campuses together with best pedagogical practices in technology. This collaboration, which includes presentations, discussions, workshops, and social media, supports faculty in gaining technological expertise and in sharing this expertise with their students. 
• Student-Centered Strategies for using Technology and Media in the Classroom. A look at how technology and media can enhance learner motivation and critical thinking skills in courses across the disciplines. This interactive session presented an overview of instructional technology tools for presentation, interaction, and assessment in order to engage students from diverse backgrounds. Presenters shareed student-centered strategies for enhancing communication and collaboration among Hispanic students. By Dr. Meg Tarafdar, Associate Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and Ms. Jillian Abbott, Adjunct Lecturer, English Department Queensborough Community College-CUNY.
•  Electronic Portfolio: Challenges and Opportunities for Authentic Student Assessment.The UPR-RP College of Education electronic portfolio was conceptualized using the Principles for the assessment of the future teacher to guide the assessment of student performances. Students collect, select and reflect about significant learning using evidence that demonstrate their achievement toward the guiding principles. The assessment promoted by the e-portfolio is a continuous process that involves students’ self-improvement. By Brenda Ann Camara Walker, Ed.D., Assistant Professor and Computer Assisted Academic Writing and Intermediate English Course Coordinator and Vanessa Irizarry Muñoz, Ph.D.,Full Professor and General Studies Faculty Assessment Project Coordinator,University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus.

It was a great time and a great opportunity for me...and I leave you something else...enjoy!

Assessment from HETS

Web 2.0 Tools from HETS

See you soon!!!