Inside GIA Education

In this Bonus episode - Inside GIA Education . . .

Eureka - “I found it!" The original “Inside GIA Education” CD our team at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) produced for its Alumni celebration at the Tucson Gem Shows for 2006 (and it contains some fun gems). This MP3 file was the first episode of our podcast series, launched in 2006, and introduced our bi-monthly education updates. As the Director of Education Training, I had the privilege to visit Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, CA, and participate in the beta testing phase of iTunes U. This platform was instrumental in helping GIA take the first steps towards transitioning from print to digital delivery.

In 2007, Apple launched iTunes U, a dedicated area within the iTunes Store that offered free educational content from prestigious universities such as Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley, Duke University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Initially, GIA was the platform's only "trade school" hosted. The content included course lectures, language lessons, lab demonstrations, sports highlights, and campus tours in audio, video, or eBook format.

Many universities worldwide embraced this opportunity to share their content, and hundreds of thousands of courses were uploaded and downloaded by millions of users. One of the most popular courses was Stanford University's iPhone Application Programming course, which was downloaded one million times in under seven weeks in 2009.

In 2012, Apple introduced a separate iTunes U app with new features that enabled instructors to offer full courses to students, complete with homework assignments and quizzes. The app aimed to provide a new learning experience for students with iPhones, iPads, or iPod Touches, primarily in K-12.

For many years, iTunes U content was accessible on desktop computers through iTunes. However, in 2017, Apple removed the iTunes U section, making full courses available only through the iTunes U app on Apple mobile devices. At the same time, Apple moved standalone lectures and content in iTunes U that didn’t make up full courses, known as collections, to the Apple Podcasts app.

In June 2019, Apple announced that it would be discontinuing its iconic iTunes music platform and replacing it with separate music, podcasts, and video apps in response to changing user preferences.

I'm excited to share this exclusive podcast episode. Although the email addresses, phone numbers, and website links mentioned in the episode are no longer available, you can still listen to this audio episode and get the flavor of what our "on-demand radio" program, Inside GIA Education, was like. I hope you enjoy it!

I'm Patrick Ball; thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Comments

The Who Was - Series

In this episode, the Who Was? - Series . . . With over 250 titles, Penguin Random House Books Who Was? - Series tells the incredible stories of trailblazers, legends, innovators, and creators. Are you a bibliophile, an individual who loves and frequently reads books (a bookworm)? What is it that compels you to pick up a book? Is it the cover, is it the title, how about an interest in a specialized subject, or just - perhaps it's a whim? One of my ultimate goals with these podcasts is to reach a young audience. I've found that reading children's books is a gratifying and educational experience. Yes, even grown-ups can understand difficult concepts. To my surprise, both children and adults seem to appreciate the experience. With education such a hot topic in the news right now, we need to be reminded that whether it's going to school, visiting a museum, or online learning, the goal of education (both young and old) is to nurture an interest in learning. William Butler Ye

Big Apple, Big Charge

In this episode – Big Apple, Big Charge . . . Welcome back to On the Fly, your weekly dose of quirky observations and unexpected trends. Today, we're fresh off a trip to the Scaffolding/Plywood jungle, where we witnessed a phenomenon that will make you rethink your relationship with the humble wall socket. That's right, we're talking about New York City, and it's . . . wait for it — Free, ubiquitous electric outlets! New York constantly buzzes with traffic, jackhammers, honking horns, and helicopters. But what struck me most was the sheer volume of people glued to their devices while commuting and navigating the streets with hundreds of construction obstacles. It's like everyone's “plugged into” some invisible grid—phones, tablets, watches, headphones, earbuds, e-bikes—you name it. And that's where things get interesting. But, unlike our quiet suburban life, free outlets in NYC aren't exactly abundant. So, how do these New Yorkers keep their gadgets

What Time Is It

In this episode – What Time Is It . . . In the era before smartphones, let’s say we’re on a telephone call, and you ask me, “What time is it?” As a five-year-old, my reply is, "The big hand is on the two (2) and the little hand on the eight (8).” You would then say, "Alright, it's ten minutes after eight o’clock or eight-ten, right?" This is how we learned to tell time as children–remember? Well, what happened . . . During dinner last week in Westfield, NJ, a retired high school teacher told our group, “Did you know that children today cannot read the time on a traditional watch with an analog face?” “Why not?” we asked. “Because of smartphones and the proliferation of digital clocks.” “Wow! That’s hard to believe.” Welcome to this week's episode of "On the Fly." Today, we'll compare classic mechanical watches to modern quartz watches and explore an unexpected social shift. To begin with, let me take you back a few days. I’m a traditionalist and pre

It Runs on Steam

In this episode – It Runs on Steam . . . If you’ve seen Back to The Future III, you may remember Doc Brown's line, “It Runs on Steam !” Recently, I visited my good friend Billy in Westfield, New Jersey. Among his many other hobbies, Billy is a steam engine enthusiast. He proudly fired up his miniature steam engine and confidently explained its workings, which got me thinking . . . (Sound effect of Billy's steam engine whistle) Have you ever considered how environmentally friendly a steam engine powered by renewable energy could be? There would be no need for gasoline, batteries, diesel fuel, or Uranium-234. Imagine an engine powered by water—yes, water. I can hear the naysayers: "But . . .” Welcome back to On the Fly, where we dive into one of history's most fascinating inventions. Today, we're firing up a revolution – the Industrial Revolution, that is – with the mighty steam engine! For centuries, people relied on muscle, wind, and waterpower to get things do

On The Fly

Search This Blog