UTSA's La Clase Mágica after-school program introduces kids to technology

UTSA education majors use latest technology to teach students at Las Palmas Elementary

By Christi Fish
Associate Director of Media Relations

(Nov. 15, 2011) -- The Academy for Teacher Excellence in the UTSA College of Education and Human Development will celebrate Nov. 15 the successful third year of La Clase Mágica, its ongoing, bilingual afterschool technology program. The end-of-the-semester gathering of students, parents and undergraduate teacher candidates is 4-5 p.m. at Las Palmas Elementary in the Edgewood ISD.

From 4 to 4:30 p.m., short videos created by participants will be shown in the library. The videos highlight involvement in the program, the types of activities and lessons they’ve learned, and how the program has brought families closer together. From 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., students and families will meet in the cafeteria to have dinner, receive their certificates and participate in a raffle of an iPad and Flip camera.

La Clase Mágica exposes 23 low-income, Latina/Latino elementary-school students to the latest technological advancements through one-on-one collaborations with UTSA undergraduate teacher candidates who are preparing to be bilingual teachers.

Participants meet each week at Las Palmas Elementary under the guidance of a site coordinator and a UTSA professor. This semester, students explored and completed numerous digital task cards on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The 23 students’ technological access was broadened through the use of iPads, allowing the students to discover at an early age how to skillfully navigate touch-screen technology and smartphone apps.

The program includes a parental involvement component that provides parents with access to technology via monthly workshops. La Clase Mágica is modeled on a program developed in 1989 by Olga Vásquez at the University of California at San Diego.

Events

Oct. 25-Nov. 2, All Day

Día de los Muertos

UTSA invites you to participate in our community altar by RSVP to this event. You can also use this link to learn more about Día de Los Muertos:https://anendlessconnection.weebly.com/the-project.html.

Student Union Window Lounge, Main Campus

Wednesday, October 27, 10:00 a.m.

Health Fair

UTSA students, faculty, and staff are invited to the Health Fair on Wednesday. Health and wellbeing information booths and health screenings will be available.

HEB Student Union Paseo, Main Campus

Wednesday, October 27, 10:00 a.m.

Blood Drive

The South Texas Blood and Tissue Center will on campus Wednesday, October 27th from 10am - 3pm in the H-E-B Student Union Ballroom 1 for an additional day this month. Participants will receive a $10 gift card by email from hundreds of retailers and restaurants through your donor portal.

HEB Student Union Ballroom I, 1.104, Main Campus

Wednesday, October 27, 5:00 p.m.

OcTuba Fest Recital II

The second of two recitals featuring the tuba and euphonium students of Gary Poffenbarger and John Caputo. More details to come. The Fall 2021 concert schedule is subject to change. Please continue to monitor our website and social media for updates. This concert will be live-streamed via the UTSA Music Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/UTSAMusic

UTSA Recital Hall, Main Campus

Thursday, October 28, 12:00 p.m.

National Immigrants Day – I Stand with Immigrants

October 28th celebrates National Immigrants Day. On this day, we gather to explore the diverse heritage of our nation’s social fabric. We dedicate this day to understanding how our nation was founded and built by immigrants. Our goal is for the UTSA family to recognize and celebrate how all immigrants, regardless of their citizenship status, contribute to our community through their resiliency and ingenuity.

Multicultural Student Lounge, HSU 2.207, Main Campus

Thursday, October 28, 1:00 p.m.

COLFA Advanced Career Pathways Workshops

The COLFA Advanced Career Pathways Workshops are focused on connecting your education with your career aspirations and exploring your pathways to reach your goal.

Mesquite Room, Student Union, 2.01.24, Main Campus

Thursday, October 28, 3:00 p.m.

Dia De Los Muertos at UTSA Westside Community Center

The Westside Community Center will be creating an altar or "ofrenda" as many do within San Antonio and the Westside for "Dia de los Muertos." If you would like to participate, we invite you to send in a photo of a loved one that will be placed in this space. You are welcome to join us on October 28th at 3:00 pm to set up the space and come see us at the Westside Community Center.

UTSA Westside Community Center, 1310 Guadalupe St., San Antonio, TX 78207

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Spotlight

UTSA’s Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

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We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education.

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The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.