Mid-Pacific ICT Center

HP launches Accredited Technical Associate Program in partnership with Certiport

2012-03-03T07:48:00.003-08:00

HP announced on February 20, 2012 the global launch of the HP Institute, an academic partnership program designed to address the worldwide IT skills gap. HP and Certiport propose to bring practical experience and job-ready skills into an academic setting, packaged in a way to help students around the world obtain the IT skills and expertise that will make them successful in the workplace.
The new HP Accredited Technical Associate (ATA) certifications announced will span four key areas: Connected Devices (PC, Printing); Networks; Servers and Storage; and Cloud Solutions.

Detail about their new program can be found at:
http://www.hp.com/certification/hp_institute_portfolio.html

'Twisted' waves could boost capacity of wi-fi and TV

2012-03-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

By Jason Palmer
Science and technology reporter, BBC News

"A striking demonstration of a means to boost the information-carrying capacity of radio waves has taken place across the lagoon in Venice, Italy.

"The technique exploits what is called the "orbital angular momentum" of the waves - imparting them with a "twist".

"Varying this twist permits many data streams to fit in the frequency spread currently used for just one.

"The approach, described in the New Journal of Physics, could be applied to radio, wi-fi, and television.

"The parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that are used for all three are split up in roughly the same way, with a spread of frequencies allotted to each channel. Each one contains a certain, limited amount of information-carrying capacity: its bandwidth.

"As telecommunications have proliferated through the years, the spectrum has become incredibly crowded, with little room left for new means of signal transmission, or for existing means to expand their bandwidths.

"But Bo Thide of Swedish Institute of Space Physics and a team of colleagues in Italy hope to change that by exploiting an entirely new physical mechanism to fit more capacity onto the same bandwidth..."

BBC

ISTE Computational Thinking Resources

2012-03-02T10:48:00.002-08:00

The International Society for Technology in Education has new web resources related to computational thinking.

"Advances in computing have expanded our capacity to solve problems at a scale never before imagined, using strategies that have not been available to us before. Students will need to learn and practice new skills—computational thinking (CT) skills—to take full advantage of these revolutionary changes brought about by rapid changes in technology. ISTE and the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) are collaborating on a project to prepare young learners to become computational thinkers who understand how today's digital tools can help solve tomorrow's problems. CT is vital to all students as we work to raise the level of achievement, prepare students for global competitiveness, and blend academics with real life."

Resources on the site include:

An operational definition of Computational Thinking
A Computational Thinking Toolkit
A Computational Thinking Discussion Forum

Check it out

Majority of CIOs Ill-Prepared for Mainframe Dev Shortage: Compuware Study

2012-03-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

"A new survey sponsored by Compuware shows that a majority of CIOs around the world are ill-prepared for the shortage of mainframe developers.

"Compuware has released a study that shows that many CIOS are ill prepared to address the mainframe developer shortage.

"On March 1, Compuware released the results of a second independent research study conducted by the Vanson Bourne research firm into mainframe use in the enterprise. Key findings reveal that a stagnant mainframe development environment impacts developer productivity and, in turn, reduces IT efficiency. Compuware has published a related white paper titled, "Mainframe Succession: Long Live the Mainframe," which details the findings from the study.

"In this international study of over 500 CIOs, more than half, or 56 percent, said that mainframe developers—continually challenged to do more with less in a rapidly evolving IT environment—are struggling to meet the changing needs of the business. At the same time, 69 percent of those surveyed said they believe that a lack of change in the mainframe environment is turning IT graduates off from mainframe development.

""Businesses are supporting new technologies like mobility and cloud computing at record pace, forcing mainframe teams to contend with the added workload of quickly and successfully integrating new applications with legacy mainframe applications," Kris Manery, senior vice president and general manager of the Mainframe Solutions business unit at Compuware, said in a statement. "This rise in mainframe development, coupled with a lack of new developers—a trend we call the 'New Normal of Mainframe'—puts teams at risk of becoming less effective in supporting the applications that are critical to today's world economy."

"Nearly half (46 percent) of the CIOs surveyed said they have no plans in place to address mainframe developer shortages. In addition, according to the survey, high acquisition costs (60 percent), complex integration (54 percent), and high training and implementation costs (45 percent) are preventing businesses from modernizing the mainframe environment.

""IT efficiency is about making better use of what you already have, so any moves to update the mainframe environment must happen with a minimalinvestment of time and cost," Manery said. Developers across the board, whether they are experienced or new to the mainframe, need choice and flexibility to use the tools and techniques that will empower them to improve productivity."

"The Compuware-sponsored survey consisted of 520 CIOs in large enterprise organizations with more than 1,000 employees. Specifically, the study included 100 CIOs, each in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the United States along with 30 CIOs, each in Italy, Benelux, Japan and Australia."

eWeek

10 Ways to Speed Up Your Internet Connection Without Spending a Dime

2012-03-01T20:56:00.002-08:00

"If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to boost your network speed, you’re in luck. We’ve got some proven methods for getting faster connections, at no cost. Check out these 10 ways to speed up your internet connection without spending a dime:

OpenDNS – Free software protection against malware, botnets, and web filtering, thus providing faster internet speeds and greater reliability.
AnalogX FastCache – Install a DNS server on your computer that caches queries that you make to websites, which will speed access to data at websites you visit regularly. Think of it as a sort of internet speed dial.
Defrag Your Hard Drive – De-fragmenting your drive essentially reallocates where your data is stored in such a way as to make access to it more streamlined and, therefore, faster.
Run a Virus Scan – If your computer speed has dropped off significantly, it may be the sign of a virus present. Use a quality anti-virus program to scan your computer files, and delete, clean or quarantine as necessary.
Switch from wireless to wired where possible. – A short-run ethernet cable will always be faster than a wireless connection. If you can position your computer close enough to the router for a wired connection, do so.
Check for wireless interference. – Your wireless router may be getting some interference if there is a cordless phone, or wireless camera nearby, as they may share frequency ranges.
Check for RF leakage on cable coaxial connectors. – If your cable network has slowed down noticeably, you may have too many splitters, or a faulty connection, causing RF leakage, either indoors or externally. Check with your provider for troubleshooting.
Upgrade router firmware. – Your router manufacturer has a website for each model, where you can access firmware updates as well as admin settings. Check for any available updates which could boost your speed.
Check Your Start Menu – Some programs and applications are set to launch as soon as your computer boots up. Not all of these programs are necessary, and some of them are probably apps or programs you’ve downloaded and may never really use. Do a CTL -ALT- DEL and select Start Task manager. Look for any programs that you can safely disable, to speed up your computer.
Optimize your Internet Options – Set your internet options (under “Tools” in your browser menu) to cache automatically, and save temporary internet files in order to alleviate your computer having to repeatedly load pages that you access frequently.

internetserviceproviders.org

Six Skills That Will Remain in Demand

2012-03-01T13:14:00.004-08:00

From the MIT Sloan Management Review eNewsletter March 1, 2012

"In the past few years, progress in information technology — in computer hardware, software and networks — has been so rapid and so surprising that many present-day organizations, institutions, policies and mind-sets are not keeping up. We used to be pretty confident that we knew the relative strengths and weaknesses of computers vis-à-vis humans. But computers have started making inroads in some unexpected areas — and this has significant implications for managers and organizations."

So write MIT Sloan professor Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, a principal research scientist at the MIT Center for Digital Business, in their article in the Winter 2012 issue of MIT Sloan Management Review, "Winning the Race with Ever-Smarter Machines."

While the article deals primarily with the implications of these rapid advances in information technology for organizations, Brynjolfsson and McAfee also touch on the very real implications for individuals — who may not be able, the authors point out, "to adapt as quickly as technology is advancing." What kinds of job skills are most resistant to automation? Here is a brief excerpt from Brynjolfsson and McAfee's article — highlighting six skills they expect to remain in demand in an age of ever-smarter computers:

Applied math and statistics. Some think that the era of 'big data' and powerful software means that fewer people have to master the gritty details of statistical analysis. This is deeply misguided. Knowing which analyses to conduct and how to interpret their results is more valuable than ever. We think Google chief economist Hal Varian was on to something when he said that 'the sexy job in the next 10 years will be statisticians.'

Negotiation and group dynamics. Management is one of the most durable professions, even as computers advance. It turns out that organizations need dedicated managers working with teams, advancing their agendas and working with their members.

Good writing. Computers can only generate the simplest, most formulaic prose. While few people write for a living, lots of us do at least some writing. Getting good at it is a way to stand out from the crowd — and from the machines.

Framing problems and solving open-ended problems. Computers don't know what's wrong or where the next opportunities are. Solving open-ended problems entails both perceiving the challenge and addressing it. It's a major feature of primary and secondary educational systems like Montessori, which might explain why Montessori graduates are so common among the elite of the tech industry — the masters of racing with machines.

Persuasion. Does anyone seriously think that a great salesperson will be unable to find work, even in a highly digitized economy?

Human interaction and nurturing. We are biologically wired to react to human attention and the human touch in a way that no machine can replicate. That means that jobs that involve human nurturing and interaction, such as child care and nursing, will continue to defy automation."

Not a bad list to keep in mind as you think about your own career — and, if you have children, about the career choices they may make, too. If you haven't yet read "Winning the Race with Ever-Smarter Machines," I encourage you to.

— Martha E. Mangelsdorf, Editorial Director, MIT Sloan Management Review

CompTIA Launches New Advancing Women in IT Community

2012-03-01T13:03:00.005-08:00

Press Release
Member-driven forum from leading IT association tasked with advancing career opportunities for women
Downers Grove, Ill., February 29, 2012 – CompTIA, the non-profit trade association for the information technology (IT) industry, today announced the creation of a new member community aimed at expanding IT career opportunities for women.
The Advancing Women in IT Community is committed to empowering women with knowledge and skills necessary to help their pursuit of successful IT careers, as well as to inspire women to make the IT field their career choice. The group will serve as a vital information resource, providing mentorship and networking opportunities; developing member-driven initiatives and programs; and taking an active role in legislation involving women and careers.
“Women have realized many breakthroughs in the work place, but the truth is our progress has stalled in IT,” said Nancy Hammervik, senior vice president, industry relations, CompTIA.
She cited research by the National Center for Women & Information Technology, which showed female employment in the IT industry reached its high point in 1991, when women made up 36 percent of the industry’s workforce. Since then, the number of technology jobs held by women has been on the decline. Unconscious bias, gender pay gaps, feelings of isolation, lack of role models and mentors, poor supervisory relationships and competing life responsibilities are all major contributing factors to the decline.
“As someone who has spent nearly my entire career in high tech industry, I’m acutely aware of the gender gap,” Hammervik said. “CompTIA is committed to doing its part to raise awareness of the valuable role women can and do play in our industry and to affect change to bring more women into our ranks.”
The CompTIA Advancing Women in IT Community launches with members in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and South Africa. Members include women currently working in the IT industry, women seeking IT careers and men who support the mission of diversifying the IT workforce.
The community is led by chair Sandy Ashworth, global director of channel relations and warranty for Unisys Corporation, and vice chair Jean Mork Bredenson, president, SERVICE 800, Inc.
“Our goal is not only to provide ‘how to’ knowledge, but also be the conduit and people resource to give women the mentoring, networking and career path guidance needed to advance in or join in the IT industry,” said Ashworth. “The community will identify and accomplish initiatives that will draw young women, women returning to workforce, women changing careers and women veterans to our industry. We also want to include women in IT from other industries, such as healthcare, finance and education. As the song says, ‘There is nothing like being a woman.’ My version of that is, ‘There is nothing like being a woman in IT.’ “
The CompTIA Advancing Women in IT Community is organizing a webinar titled “Insights from a Leader and Her Path to Success”, featuring Marci Meaux, vice president, sales enablement project and ACT, Cisco Systems, Inc. Meaux will share her insights on the path to leadership, the benefits of an IT career, and recommendations for women in or entering the IT careers. The free webinar is scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET) March 14.
The next community meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. (ET) Feb. 29. The group is also scheduled to meet during CompTIA’s Annual Member Meeting April 10-12 in Chicago.
CompTIA communities are the foundation of the association’s initiatives, programs, education and research. These member-driven groups collaborate to advance specific technologies, vertical markets or business segments that are vital to the IT industry. Community members include IT professionals, vendors, distributors and thought leaders.
In addition to the new Advancing Women in IT group, CompTIA offers member communities in cloud computing, health IT, IT business growth professionals, IT security, IT services and support, managed services, managed print services, small business owners, UK channel and unified communications. Visit CompTIA Communities to learn more.
About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit www.comptia.org or follow CompTIA on Twitter at Http://www.Twitter.com/comptia.

###

Contact
Steven Ostrowski
Director, Corporate Communications
CompTIA
630-678-8468
sostrowski@comptia.org

CISOA/Secure IT 2012, March 18-20

2012-03-01T10:20:00.000-08:00



	TechEDge eNews Update \| CISOA Conference Focus \| http://ccctechedge.org Leading Technology In Education For California's Future This special edition of CCC TechEDge news focuses on the CISOA/SecureIT 2012 conference. This annual conference has a bounty of topics of interest to CCC technology leaders and staff. There is still time to register. CISOA/Secure IT 2012, March 18-20 Each year Chief Information Systems Officers from California Community Colleges throughout the state gather to exchange best practices, review what's new and hone their IT leadership tools. This year's CISOA/SecureIT conference has been subtitled “Managing the Future" and promises to be a valuable experience for those that manage technology for our students. Read more... Keynotes Focus On Academic Technology And IT Security Two speakers will carry on a tradition of excellence for keynote addresses at this year's CISOA Conference. The keynotes will focus on managing academic technology and IT security. The CCC system's technology Vice Chancellor will also speak about current issues facing IT leaders in the community colleges. Read more... Conference Tracks For College IT Leaders CISOA/SecureIT 2012 conference tracks will focus on practical, usable solutions for today's IT challenges. With six full tracks focused on IT management and security this conference has something for everyone. Read more... CCCCO Technology Awards At CISOA/SecureIT 2012 The CISOA/SecureIT conference offers an opportunity for the system to recognize its shining stars. The winners of the 2011 CCC Chancellor's Office Technology Awards will be honored during the conference's opening keynote addresses. The winners will also present a session during the conference, giving the lauded project leaders and team members a chance to share their great work. Read more...

Raspberry Pi computer: Can it get kids into code?

2012-03-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

By Julian Joyce
All Quoted Directly from BBC News

The hope of Britain's future computer science industry is gathered around a tiny device in a school classroom in Cambridgeshire.

The pupils of Chesterton Community College ICT class have been invited to road-test the long-awaited Raspberry Pi computer.

A projector throws the image of what the Pi is generating - a simple game of Snake (available on any Nokia phone near you) - onto a whiteboard.

The atmosphere is feverish as the 12 year olds compete for the keyboard.

Crucially, they are not just playing the game - they have created it by writing their own computer code.

For Eben Upton - the smiling man in the midst of the throng - it is a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to long years of thinking and planning.

"We have been working on the Pi for six years, but we have never tested it with children - the target market," he says.

"In the event, I couldn't have asked for better... they couldn't wait to try it out themselves."

Now his ambition - to provide every child in Britain with their own cheap, programmable, credit-card-sized computer - seems close to realisation.

But what's the fuss all about? After all, the Pi is not that revolutionary in design. It's small - a green circuit board about the size of a credit card.

It has a processor - similar to the one used in many smartphones, so not particularly fast by modern PC standards. It has a memory chip, an Ethernet port to connect to the internet and a couple of USB ports to plug a keyboard and mouse. And that's about all.

You need to supply the keyboard and mouse yourself, and the screen. However, the truly revolutionary thing is the price.

You are now able to order one for just £22 (excluding VAT) - although if the demand is as high as anticipated, it's more likely you'll be on the end of a (very long) waiting list.

Costs are kept down because, according to Mr Upton, there's a lot of goodwill toward the non-profit project. The software is (free) open-source, chip manufacturers have kept their prices low, and all members of the charitable Raspberry Pi Foundation have given their time (and in some cases substantial amounts of money) for free.

The vast majority of the profits will be ploughed back into more devices, improvements and incentives to get children programming.

For many children, £22 is affordable. Twelve-year-old Peter Boughton, who says he wants to write computer games when he grows up, says: "That's eight weeks pocket money for me," he calculates. "I'm definitely going to get one."

Price and scale

Other "bare-board PCs" were available before the Raspberry Pi.

The difference with the Pi is that today's licensing deal with two firms appears to have solved the problems of price and scale: realising the foundation's ambition of providing a unit for anyone who needs one.

The first thousands on release today were funded largely out of the pockets of Mr Upton and his five fellow foundation scientists.

Now they will receive royalties on every Pi sold, and will be able to focus on their main concern - improving what is widely seen as the woeful state of Britain's computer science curriculum.

That was underlined last summer by Google chairman Eric Schmidt, who said the UK - the country that invented the computer - was "throwing away its great computer heritage" by failing to teach programming in schools.

"I was flabbergasted to learn that today computer science isn't even taught as standard in UK schools," he said.

"Your IT curriculum focuses on teaching how to use software, but gives no insight into how it's made."

Mr Upton believes the Pi could provide part of the solution: "We just want to get kids programming. The goal here is to increase the number of children to apply to university to do computer science, and to increase the range of things they know how to do when they arrive."

At Chesterton Community College, Mr Schmidt's criticism might be seen as unfair, because ICT head Paul Williams is not a typical example of an information and communications technology teacher.

Unlike many of his colleagues in the field he knows how to code, and once did it for a living. He also runs a popular programming club after school.

But even he admits the current ICT school curriculum means most of his lesson time is spent in learning how to use software rather than teaching his pupils how to write the code that makes that software work.

He estimates just a tiny fraction of the students he teaches will go on to study computer science at a higher level.

His hunch is backed up by research carried out by the Royal Society, which last month pinpointed a 60% decline in the number of British students achieving an A-level in computing since 2003.

And the Pi itself is very much an academic project - most of its members are, or were, Cambridge University academics who noted a "marked reduction" in the number of students applying to read computer science from the mid-1990s.

But does it matter? The consensus is very much so, as Google's Mr Schmidt put it: "If the UK's creative businesses want to thrive in the digital future, you need people who understand all facets of it integrated from the very beginning."

Squashy rubber

Being a former programmer, Mr Williams has kept his first computer - a 30-year-old ZX Spectrum with squashy rubber keys - and brings it out to demonstrate.

"That's my childhood in a box," he says. "It cost my parents £200, I played the games, but then I wondered what would happen if I changed the program, and altered the game. That's how I started."

It's familiar territory to Mr Upton, who now combines his Raspberry Pi activities with his day job as UK technical director of the computing firm Broadcom.

He says: "We have a theory that back in the 1980s, the computers that people had in their homes were programmable.

"People would buy computers like the ZX or the BBC Micro to play games or do word processing - but then they would find themselves being beguiled into programming.

"That's gone away, because of games consoles and because desktop PCs hide that programmability behind quite a large layer of sophistication."

His theory is backed up by 12-year-old Emily Fulcher who uses her mum's laptop but wouldn't dream of opening it up, or using it to code, "in case I broke something".

For her and millions of other would-be young coders, modern computers are mysterious multi-functional devices, pre-loaded with expensive proprietary software and sometimes fraught with problems.

Children like Emily are terrified to use the family computer for anything other than its pre-ordained function as a costly consumer device.

A Raspberry Pi, on the other hand, is a different prospect: "It's so cheap and you wouldn't be worried about doing different things with it. And if you broke it you could buy another one," says Emily.

'Demotivating and dull'

The Pi launches at a propitious time for Britain's budding computer scientists. Last month, Education Secretary Michael Gove announced he was tearing up the current ICT curriculum, which he described as "demotivating and dull".

He will be replacing it with a flexible curriculum in computer science and programming, designed with the help of universities and industry.

Mr Gove even name-checked the Pi, predicting that the scheme would give children "the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of programming with their own credit card-sized, single-board computers".

Mr Williams cannot wait: "It (the Pi) is going to bring an affordable device to students, so they can look at developing something themselves. They will have a device they can hold and feel and look at.

"I can imagine them saying: Let's see we if can get it work. How does this work? How can I get it to do this? It's brilliant. It really gets them thinking how to do stuff for themselves."

But the Pi does have its doubters, like technology journalist Simon Rockman, who recently wrote: "Today's kids aren't interested (in coding). The world has moved on…what makes their applications work or what is inside the black box is as interesting as the washing machine or vacuum cleaner.

"I've long thought that there is a bubble of tech; people of my age are more techie than their children."

Coding incentives

Mr Upton remains unfazed. Now the Pi is launched, he and his colleagues are already looking at new ways to incentivise children into coding. There are plans to offer "very significant" prizes - perhaps totalling £1,000 or more - to children who impress the foundation with original programming.

And the foundation is already talking to exam boards and educational publishers about incorporating the Pi into lesson plans.

Mr Upton is convinced that the Pi will prove to be fun.

He says: "This is about getting kids to engage creatively with computers: doing interesting things. And to be fair that doesn't even have to be programming: it can be art, it can be design, using computers in a creative way.

"What we saw at the school was that as soon as the children were given access to something they could play with, they started playing with it without direction, without someone trying to lead them by the hand.

"Often what they tried would go wrong, but they learnt something from whatever mistake they made."

BBC

Free Black Hat Webcast: Showcase Showdown: Browser Security Edition

2012-02-29T13:28:00.000-08:00

Free Black Hat Webcast:
Showcase Showdown: Browser Security Edition
by Shawn Moyer and Ryan Smith, Accuvant LABS

Date: Thursday, March 15, 2012
Time: 1:00 pm ET/10:00 am PT
Duration: 60 minutes including Q&A

Register Now

Overview:

At no other point in the evolution of computing has user experience (as well as attack surface) been so defined by a single piece of software as it is today. Still, no authoritative picture of the true defensive capabilities of the three major web browsers has existed. This session will present the results of our research into six key areas of browser security, and release new, actionable metrics for browser security with a focus on real-world exploitability.

This talk introduces quantifiable, objective comparisons of every key facet of browser security, and we believe it will spark a more scientific debate on the topic. Rather than relying on conjecture and punditry, our results introduce sound, measurable criteria for browser defenses, and provide real metrics for how each browser meets those criteria.

Guest Presenters:

Shawn Moyer manages the Research Consulting Practice for Accuvant LABS, working with some of the most-renowned security researchers in the world to perform private on-spec vulnerability research, software audits, and reverse engineering for a global customer base ranging from utilities and financials to telecommunications and software firms.

Ryan Smith is the Chief Scientist of Accuvant LABS. While focusing primarily on vulnerability research and exploit development, Ryan's previous security consulting and engineering experience has included a variety of roles as both a consultant and technical lead at other major security companies, including Verisign's iDefense LABS, ISS X-Force, and Neohapsis.

Ryan has been featured in multiple publications including ComputerWorld, The Register, and DarkReading. Ryan has completed major research in vulnerability discovery, exploitation techniques, reverse-compilation and anti-anti-debugging. Ryan has given presentations at BlackHat conferences (including the most recent BlackHat USA event in 2010) and is a sought after speaker on complex security topics. In 2008, Smith received the “Pwnie” award for “Best Server Side Bug” for research involving default remote compromise vulnerability in Microsoft's IP stack, which affected Microsoft systems worldwide over IPv4 and IPv6. In 2009, Smith received the “Pwnie” award once again for “Best Client Side Bug” for his work with the Microsoft ActiveX video control within Internet Explorer.

Sponsor Presenter:

Karl Snider is currently the Market Segment Manager for Application Security and Compliance at IBM Security Systems. A software developer by training, Karl has participated extensively in all phases of the development life cycle, including development, design, architecture, system engineering, project management and product management.

Register now for the webcast.

Teaching BCTE Resources

2012-02-28T11:20:00.005-08:00

Request Catalog | Contact Us | Questions? | www.bepublishing.com

In this issue of Teaching BCTE, free resources include an activity from Games Keyboarding Teachers Play, a "banking terms" word search, a detailed "computer parts" poster, and an "employability skills" lesson plan. Enjoy the free resources from B.E. Publishing.

Features

DTP Students Go on a Concert Tour!

In this exciting simulation, your students get to take their desktop publishing skills on stage as they create and design a series of documents for their own concert tour band.

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Cyber Safety Poster Series Teach Students Online Safety

This brand new poster series teaches students the importance of cyber safety including Social Networking, Cyber Bullying, Identity Theft, Netiquette, and Computer Safety.
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Office 2010 Ribbons Made Easy

The new Ribbons-at-a-Glance posters make a great reference tool for any computer lab using MS Office 2010.

See More

Free Resources

Learn how to use fortune cookies to add fun practice to your keyboarding class.

Get Activity

This month's word search activity features banking terms as the theme.

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This month's poster illustrates the differentparts of a computer.

Get Poster

Read how using a mirror can make students really 'reflect' on their employability skills.

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Bay Area Video Coalition Spring 2012 Career Panel at City College of SF on March 7

2012-02-27T11:53:00.001-08:00

Report Calls for National Effort to Get Millions Of Young Americans onto a Realistic Path to Employability

2012-02-27T11:46:00.001-08:00

"Despite decades of efforts to reform education, and billions of dollars of expenditures, the harsh reality is that America is still failing to prepare millions of its young people to lead successful lives as adults. Evidence of this failure is everywhere: in the dropout epidemic that plagues our high schools and colleges; in the harsh fact that just 30 percent of our young adults earn a bachelor’s degree by age 27; and in teen and young adult employment rates not seen since the Great Depression.

"...the Pathways to Prosperity Project,... based at the Harvard Graduate School of Education,... examines the reasons for our failure to prepare so many young adults, and advances an exciting vision for how the United States might regain the leadership in educational attainment it held for over a century. Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century contends that our national strategy for education and youth development has been too narrowly focused on an academic, classroom-based approach. It is now clear that this strategy has produced only incremental gains in achievement and attainment, even as many other nations are leapfrogging the United States. In response, the report advocates development of a comprehensive pathways network to serve youth in high school and beyond.

"This pathways system would be based on three essential elements. The first is the development of a broader vision of school reform that embraces multiple pathways to help young people successfully navigate the journey from adolescence to adulthood. The report contends that at present, we place far too much emphasis on a single pathway to success: attending and graduating from a four-year college. Yet only 30 percent of young adults successfully complete this preferred pathway. Meanwhile, even in the second decade of the 21st century, most jobs do not require a bachelor’s. The report notes that while the United States is expected to create 47 million jobs in the 10-year period ending in 2018, only a third of these jobs will require a bachelor’s or higher degree. Almost as many jobs – some 30 percent – will only require an associate’s degree or a post-secondary occupational credential. Given these realities, the report argues we need to broaden the range of high-quality pathways that we offer young adults. This would include far more emphasis on career counseling and high-quality career education, as well as apprenticeship programs and community colleges as viable routes to well-paying jobs.

"Second, the report argues that we need to ask our nation’s employers to play a greatly expanded role in supporting the pathways system, and in providing more opportunities for young adults to participate in work-based learning and actual jobs related to their programs of study. Third, the report contends that we need to develop a new social compact between society and our young people. The compact’s central goal would be that by the time they reach their mid-20s, every young adult will be equipped with the education and experience he or she needs to lead a successful life as an adult. Achieving this goal would require far bigger contributions from the nation’s employers and governments.

"“We are the only developed nation that depends so exclusively on its higher education system as the sole institutional vehicle to help young people transition from secondary school to careers, and from adolescence to adulthood,” says Robert Schwartz, academic dean and professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, who heads the Pathways to Prosperity Project. As the first president of Achieve, Schwartz has been a key supporter of the need to raise expectations and academic standards for all young people. But in recent years, Schwartz has become increasingly concerned about the “college for all” movement, especially as that movement has led states to allow the admissions requirements of four-year colleges and universities to become the default curriculum for all high school students. “Unless we are willing to provide more flexibility and choice in the last two years of high school, and more opportunities for students to pursue program options that link work and learning, we will continue to lose far too many young people along the path to graduation,” he says.

"“People don’t realize how far behind other nations we have fallen. Some of the international comparisons in the report will truly shock people who assume that we lead the world in education and youth development,” adds Pathways co-chair Ronald Ferguson, a senior lecturer in education and public policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Kennedy School, and director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University. “Crafting a 21st century system that takes lessons from abroad but is tailored to the particulars of our own unique society will require our best effort. It can’t be a superficial process and still succeed on the scale that we need it to.”

"The report notes that even as many young adults are failing to earn a post-secondary degree, they have also been hit far harder than older adults by unemployment in the Great Recession. Indeed, the percentage of teens and young adults who have jobs is now at its lowest level since the end of World War II. This has dire implications, because employment in the teen and young adult years can have such a positive impact on future prospects for employment and earnings.

"The report was developed over two years of effort that included both research and working closely with partners interested the pathways challenge. An unusually wide range of organizations were involved in the project, including major corporations, leaders from K-12 and higher education, the non-profit community, and government. The project has also been involved in “on the ground” work in several different regions where it has collaborated with people and organizations eager to develop solutions to the challenge. So far, the Project has worked with partners in Silicon Valley, Illinois and Boston, as well as with leaders interested in developing more effective pathways to careers in health care..."

Harvard Graduate School of Education

Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century

It Is Who You Meet... An Argument For Work Based Learning

2012-02-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

The research 'It's who you meet: why employer contacts at school make a difference to the employment prospects of young adults' by the charity the Education and Employers Taskforce is based on a survey undertaken pro-bono by YouGov which asked young adults aged 19-24 about their current employment status and to reflect on their experiences of the world of work whist they were at school. The findings were striking:

26.1% of young people who could recall no contact with employers whilst at school went on to become NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training). This reduced significantly to 4.3% for those who had taken part in four or more activities involving employers (career insights, mentoring, work tasters, work experience etc). Importantly, robust statistical analysis demonstrates that these outcomes are not linked to academic achievement.

STEMtech Conference CFP October 2012

2012-02-27T10:40:00.002-08:00

Westin Crown Center and the Sheraton Crown Center
Kansas City, Missouri

The League for Innovation is pleased to announce its Call for Proposals for the 2012 STEMtech conference, an international convening focused on increasing student success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The STEM-related tracks focus on improving STEM education and better aligning educational systems with each other and local workforce needs. The tech-related tracks focus on technology systems and applications and technology's role in the teaching and learning processes.

Faculty members, administrators, government officials, community and business/industry representatives, and others involved in STEM education and information technology at all levels are invited to share their research, best practices, and other ideas with their colleagues from around the world.

Proposals to present at the 2012 STEMtech conference are being accepted now through April 13, 2012, for the following conference tracks:

Health and Science
Energy, Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability
Mathematics, Engineering, and Architecture
Manufacturing, Industry, Agriculture, and Aerospace
Technology, Multimedia, and Telecommunications
Recruiting, Retaining, and Transitioning Students Into STEM Programs
The Integration of STEM and the Liberal Arts
Technology Systems and Applications
E-Learning Resources

Of particular interest are proposals about implementing STEM education in a manner that reflects the interdependence of STEM subjects, as well as proposals about partnerships involving school districts, community colleges, four-year institutions, and business and industry to provide a comprehensive community-based approach to STEM education.

The 2012 STEMtech conference is hosted by Johnson County Community College and Metropolitan Community College.

How to Make Time for Continuing Education and Career Development

2012-02-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

"Three working IT professionals explain how and why they make time to take classes, earn certifications and obtain advanced degrees. And they offer seven tips to help you take charge of your own professional development.

"Demanding full-time jobs, often coupled with hectic family responsibilities, prevent many IT professionals from pursuing the continuing education and professional development programs they need to remain relevant in the mercurial IT industry and competitive job market. But IT professionals who don't make time to take classes, study on their own, earn certifications or pursue advanced degrees risk becoming obsolete.

""If you want to advance in your career and do well professionally, education is second to none," says John Hally, a senior network/security engineer with EBSCO Publishing, a provider of research databases and ebooks for libraries, medical and government institutions. Hally, 42...

""It's an investment in yourself," adds Hally, who's worked for EBSCO for 19 years. "I'd rather invest in myself than drop that money into a mutual fund especially with the way the economy has been the last six years."

"Continuing education is such an important component of IT professionals' career plans because it exposes them to new ideas, new technologies, new processes and methodologies. And it does help them stand out to recruiters and employers.

""When a manager or recruiter is looking at your resume and they see you've taken classes, earned certifications and pursued advanced degrees, it shows them that you have dedicated time to advancing your career and knowledge," says Bonnie Diehl, the SANS Technology Institute's chief academic officer. "It shows a willingness to learn and improve, and it's a real positive thing to see."

"Here, Hally and other working IT professionals offer seven tips to help you fit continuing education into your busy work and family life."

[Community colleges are an excellent continuing education source for busy professionals! As many as half of students in some community college ICT related programs are working professionals]

CIO

Actually, Open Source Code Is Better: Report

2012-02-24T12:04:00.001-08:00

"Free and open source software such as Firefox, LibreOffice, and Linux is enjoying increasingly widespread adoption on business and home computers alike, but every once in a while a naysayer will still pipe up with one vague concern or another about open source quality, in particular.

"You get what you pay for," such detractors often like to say...

"In its 2011 Coverity Scan Open Source Integrity Report, which was released on Thursday, Coverity actually found that open source code has fewer defects per thousand lines of code than proprietary software code does."

PCWorld

Global Knowledge 15 Top Paying IT Certifications for 2012

2012-02-23T09:56:00.002-08:00

Global Knowledge, a leading for-profit ICT training organization, has released results from a survey of
15 Top Paying IT Certifications for 2012.

Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights

2012-02-23T09:31:00.006-08:00

"The White House on Thursday unveiled its proposed "Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights," a voluntary act that it called a "comprehensive blueprint" for future legislation...

"The Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights applies to personal data, which means any data, including aggregations of data, that is linkable to a specific individual. Personal data may include data that is linked to a specific computer or other device. The Administration supports Federal legislation that adopts the principles of the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights. Even without legislation, the Administration will convene multistakeholder processes that use these rights as a template for codes of conduct that are enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission. These elements -- the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, codes of conduct, and strong enforcement -- will increase interoperability between the U.S. consumer data privacy framework and those of our international partners.

"1. Individual Control: Consumers have a right to exercise control over what personal data companies collect from them and how they use it...

"2. Transparency: Consumers have a right to easily understandable and accessible information about privacy and security practices...

"3. Respect for Context: Consumers have a right to expect that companies will collect, use, and disclose personal data in ways that are consistent with the context in which consumers provide the data...

"4. Security: Consumers have a right to secure and responsible handling of personal data...

"5. Access and Accuracy: Consumers have a right to access and correct personal data in usable formats, in a manner that is appropriate to the sensitivity of the data and the risk of adverse consequences to consumers if the data is inaccurate...

"6. Focused Collection: Consumers have a right to reasonable limits on the personal data that companies collect and retain...

"7. Accountability: Consumers have a right to have personal data handled by companies with appropriate measures in place to assure they adhere to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights..."

For more detail, see CNNMoney

Online Teaching Conference 2012: Register Now

2012-02-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

"Join your community college colleagues in San Jose this June for a conference focused on online education, including delivery of online services such as student, faculty, library and technical support.

Registration is now open for the 2012 Online Teaching Conference (OTC).

"The OTC, now in its 11th year, focuses on community college faculty, staff and administrators engaged (or interested) in online education including delivery of online services. This year’s conference will be held June 13-15, 2012, at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, California. This year's theme is “The Many Faces of Online Teaching” with special emphasis on open content, textbooks and applications, as well as the many faces of individuals involved in online education.

The conference keynote addresses help to illustrate the theme:

Yong Zhao
Keynote, Thursday, June 14: "When Distance Is Dead: The Implications of Global and Open Education," Yong Zhao

Zhao is currently Presidential Chair and Associate Dean for Global Education, College of Education at the University of Oregon, where he also serves as the director of the Center for Advanced Technology in Education (CATE). He is a fellow of the International Academy for Education.

Amelito Enriquez
Keynote, Friday, June 15: "Confessions of a Reluctant Online Instructor," Amelito Enriquez

Enriquez is a Professor of Engineering and Mathematics at CaÃ±ada College, Redwood City, California.

Both in-person and/or online attendance are available. Early bird registration ends April 20th. Online attendance is free, however registration is still required. In-person attendee fees include breakfast and lunch.

$125 early bird (offer ends midnight, April 20, 2012)
$175 regular (April 21, 2011 - June 11, 2012)
$225 onsite...

For more information about the 2012 OTC, please visit the Online Teaching Conference 2012 website.

Explore ePortfolio Technologies For Free

2012-02-22T13:54:00.000-08:00

"An ongoing webinar series has spawned a rich, mulitmedia resource for educators looking to use electronic portfolios for teaching and learning, accreditation, and other student services. The series includes four more webinars through April.

""The Exploring ePortfolio Technologies Webinar Series, a collaborative resource project betweenePortfolio California, EPAC, and AAEEBL, returns this year with seven new electronic portfolio tools to explore. The webinar sessions, which are free to the public, began on January 18 and will run bi-weekly on Wednesdays through April 25.

The goal of this effort is to produce a rich, multimedia resource for educators who are seeking answers to questions about electronic portfolios for teaching and learning, as well as institutions looking to integrate an ePortfolio solution for accreditation and other student services.

http://eportfolioca.org

""The webinars are more than just a sales pitch by developers and service providers on how to use their tool", said Patty Donohue, Program Manager for ePortfolio California. "They are an opportunity to interact with the developers and learn about the philosophy and pedagogy behind their product and how it compares to similar tools offering the similar functionality. Plus, having Trent Batson, Executive Director of AAEEBL organization, interview these developers and keep them on their toes, creates a dynamic that cannot be found in a static set of white papers or a Flash tutorial.”

"The resource also includes technical information, pricing and licensing information, and details about the business operations of the development organization. There is also a handy, side-by-side comparison matrix that can be downloaded or revisited by educators at any time. This matrix will grow as more ePortfolio tools and vendors are added to the resource.

"“It may help educators to know that a particular tool is being used in 59 countries around the world, or another tool is a hosted, "software-as-a-solution", full-service package. These details cannot be found currently in any other resource," Donohue said.

"The resource is housed on the ePortfolio California website and continues to grow with each new webinar session. Based on the response and attendance during last fall’s series (458 people attended the seven sessions and hits to the ePortfolio California resource page has tripled since the beginning of the series) the 2012 series is expected to see similar attendance.

"The 2012 schedule includes PebblePad, TaskStream, iCampus21, Symplicity, 3 Canoes, Chalk & Wire, and RCampus. Click here to pre-register for one or all of the upcoming sessions."

CCC TechEDge

WhyCTE.org and CTE Month

2012-02-22T13:19:00.002-08:00

As you may know, February is Career Technical Education (CTE) month. In honor of the great effort to promote CTE and to raise awareness of the benefits of CTE, the not-for-profit WebProfessionals.org is pleased to announce upgrades to the WhyCTE.org initiative and website.

With over 6,000 subscribers globally the WhyCTE.org website (see

http://whycte.org) is complete with CTE news, videos, interviews with stakeholders and more.

Please visit and show your support for CTE.

GRANT OPPORTUNITY! Engaging Hispanic/Latino(a) Youth mini-grant applications due 3/1

2012-02-22T10:58:00.006-08:00

The Computer Science Collaboration Project is pleased to announce the availability of mini-grants up to $5,000 for teachers, informal educators, school administrators, community leaders, industry representatives and higher education representatives who are interested in collaborating with one or more organization to complete projects to further computer science opportunities for Hispanic/Latino(a) youth. The Computer Science Collaborative Project is funded in part by the National Science Foundation’s Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) program. The project is focused on outreach to and collaboration with persons with disabilities and African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and women.

Applications are available online until March 1 on the Computer Science Collaboration Project’s Website . Recipients of the mini-grants will be announced by mid-April.
See requirements, rubric, resources, and application here:http://www.cscproject.org/index.php?q=node/152.

If you have any questions regarding the application process I will be attending the ITEST summit and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Jacob Martinez
CSCP Engaging Hispanic/Latino(a) Youth Collaboration Leadership Team Member
Project Director
Watsonville TEC (Tecnología-Educación-Comunidad)
The Center for Youth Success at ETR Associates
4 Carbonero Way
Scotts Valley, CA 95066

831-438-4060 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 831-438-4060 end_of_the_skype_highlighting x246
831-439-9651 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 831-439-9651 end_of_the_skype_highlighting fax
Facebook: Click here to join our group
www.etr.org

Originally sent to the Bay Area Community College Consortium List Serv on February 22, 2012

Free SQL Server Education Event

2012-02-22T10:44:00.004-08:00

Hello SQL Server Professional,

Our first Silicon Valley SQLSaturday is coming up soon.

SQLSaturdays are free one day educational events held all over the world, supported by The Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS).

You can choose from six tracks:

SQL Server 2012 Launch
DBA
Development
Business Intelligence
Cloud / Azure
Bonus Track

Our speakers are world class, including my co-host Ross Mistry of Microsoft, Denny Cherry, Grant Fritchey of Red Gate, Kevin Kline of Quest, Denise McInerney of Intuit, Rushabh Mehta and Peter Myers of SolidQ, Joy Mundy of Kimball Group, Wendy Pastrick, and Dean Richards of Confio.

If you haven't already, register for the event and let your friends and colleagues know about it too.
See you on March 3rd!

Mark Ginnebaugh
mark@designmind.com
SQL Server MVP and President, DesignMind

See our location

Check out the sessions

SQLSaturday Silicon Valley

CompTIA Training Courseware available for advanced security certification

2012-02-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

Courseware is now available for CompTIA's new mastery-level credential for advanced security skills.

The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner certification is designed for information assurance professionals in technical leadership roles in an IT enterprise environment.

The CASP certification is the first in a new series of master-level credentials that CompTIA is developing this year.

Training materials for CASP are available through the CompTIA Marketplace.

California Community Colleges Hit by February Surprise of Unexpected Additional $149 Million Budget Cut

2012-02-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

"Additional cut brings total 2011-12 reductions to $564 million; relief would maintain access

"Already reeling from $313 million in cuts in the 2011-12 enacted budget and $102 million in "triggered cuts" in January, California's 112 community colleges learned late Thursday that they will likely face an additional $149 million cut in the current fiscal year. The latest cuts amount to an additional reduction of $135 per student and threatens more class cuts.

"Before the latest cuts, community college were operating with $996 million (23%) is less funding since 2008-09, and have reduced enrollment by nearly 284,000 students at a time when demographically they should have significantly increased enrollment. Even with the reduced enrollment, funding per student has dropped by $554, or 9.3%.

""It is unconscionable that the state continues to foreclose on educational opportunity at this time of record demand and high unemployment," said Scott Lay, President and CEO of the Community College League of California. "These latest cuts threaten the elimination of even more classes and more faculty and staff layoffs."

"The surprise cut came when districts were provided the first state community college financial update of the year, which showed that revenue from state-determined student enrollment fees were $106 million below projections, and that property tax revenues included in the budget lagged state estimates. This resulted in insufficient resources for the state to meet its promised per-student funding and instead a determination that the funding should be deficited by 3.4%.

""We call on the Legislature to quickly pass legislation to address this unexpected cut," said Theresa Tena, the League’s Director of Fiscal Policy. "By fulfilling this funding commitment by June, we can ensure that students will have access to summer school classes in many parts of the state where access is threatened and avoid further layoffs."

""This latest development brings the one-year cut to California's three segments of public higher education to over $2.1 billion, and demonstrates why it is essential to support the governor's plan to ask taxpayers to support a balanced approach that gets our state's budget back on the right track," said Lay.

"The Community College League of California is a nonprofit association of California’s 72 community college districts, serving the districts in governmental relations, leadership development and district services."

[full release with district cut breakdown]

Truth About the March 8 Internet Doomsday

2012-02-21T08:47:00.000-08:00

"Heard the one about the FBI shutting down the Internet next month?

"...an untold number of people may lose their Internet connection in less than three weeks, if they do they only have nefarious web criminals to blame and certainly not the FBI.

"If people end up in the dark on March 8 it’s because they’re still infected with the malware the FBI started warning people about last November when it shut down a long-standing Estonian Web traffic hijacking operation that controlled people’s computers using a family of DNSChanger viruses. The malware works by replacing the DNS (Domain Name System) servers defined on a victim's computer with fraudulent servers operated by the criminals. As a result, visitors are unknowingly redirected to websites that distributed fraudulent software or displayed ads that put money into the bad guys’ pockets.

"To help protect victims, the FBI replaced the rogue servers with legitimate ones -- a measure the agency said would be in effect for 120 days. Had it not taken that step and simply shut down the bad servers back in November, infected computers would have been immediately blocked from Internet access....The malware also prevents security updates and disables installed security software.

"So the current problem isn’t that the FBI will be shutting down the Internet when the 120 days runs out on March 8, it’s that many people and organizations haven’t removed the malware from their computers. In fact, as many as half of Fortune 500 companies and government agencies are delinquent in updating, according to some reports.

"...The FBI ...does offer a resource paper [PDF] with guidance...

"As another alternative, you can use the free Avira DNS Repair Tool to figure out if a computer is using one of the temporary DNS servers. Unfortunately, the tool only works on Windows and doesn't actually remove the Trojan.

"Indeed, removing the malware is a challenge...

"To get help, network administrators can send a request to one of the members of the DCWG and home users can use the step-by-step instructions at the DCWG Web site to see if they’re infected with the DNSChanger malware...

PCWorld

NIST report: “Recommendations for Establishing an Identity Ecosystem Governance Structure”

2012-02-17T14:32:00.001-08:00

"The National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC), signed by the President in April 2011, states, “A secure cyberspace is critical to our prosperity.” This powerful declaration makes clear that securing cyberspace is absolutely essential to increasing the security and privacy of transactions conducted over the Internet. The Identity Ecosystem envisioned in the NSTIC is an online environment that will enable people to validate their identities securely, but with minimized disclosure of personal information when they are conducting transactions. The vibrant marketplace created by the Identity Ecosystem will provide individuals with choices among multiple accredited identity providers, both private and public, and choices among multiple credentials. The added convenience, security, and privacy provided within the Identity Ecosystem will allow additional services to be put online to drive greater economic growth."

NIST

Brit hacker in jail for 'extensive' Facebook breach

2012-02-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

"Invasion was the most serious case of its kind, say prosecutors

"A British student, who hacked into Facebook's internal network risking "disastrous" consequences for the website, was jailed for eight months on Friday in what prosecutors described as the most serious case of its kind they had seen...

"Glenn Mangham, 26, a software development student, admitted infiltrating Facebook from his bedroom at his parents' house in York in northern England last year, sparking fears at the U.S. company that it was dealing with major industrial espionage.

"Mangham said he had previously helped search engine Yahoo Inc improve its security and wanted to do the same for Facebook. However, prosecutors rejected his explanation...

MSNBC

MIT launches free online 'fully automated' course

2012-02-15T16:13:00.000-08:00

"Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the world's top-rated universities, has announced its first free course which can be studied and assessed completely online.

"An electronics course, beginning in March, will be the first prototype of an online project, known as MITx.

"The interactive course is designed to be fully automated, with successful students receiving a certificate.

"The US university says it wants MITx to "shatter barriers to education".

"This ground-breaking scheme represents a significant step forward in the use of technology to deliver higher education.

"Automated university

"There are already online degree courses, but the MIT proposal is unusual in that it is inviting students anywhere in the world, without charge or prior entrance requirements, to study for a certificate carrying the MIT brand.

"MIT, along with many other leading universities, makes its course material available online, but the MITx scheme takes this a step further by creating an accredited course specifically for online students.

"Study materials and the awarding of grades are all provided online.

"Before Christmas, the Boston-based university announced its intention to create MITx.

"On Monday it set out how this will be put into practice, with the creation of the course 6.002x: Circuits and Electronics, based on the campus-based course of the same name.

"This is not a "watered down" version of the campus course or "any less intense", says a university spokesman.

"The main difference is that the MITx version has been designed for online students, with a virtual laboratory, e-textbooks, online discussions and videos that are the equivalent of a lecture. It is expected to take 10 hours per week and will run until June.

"Anant Agarwal, director of MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, who will be one of the course teachers, says it has been "designed to try to keep it engaging".

""There are interactive exercises to see if they've understood," says Prof Agarwal.

"Although there are no formal entry requirements, he says students will need to have a knowledge of maths and science.

"'Honour code'

"In this prototype stage, the online assessment will depend on an "honour code" in which home students will commit to honest behaviour. But in future, the university says, there will be mechanisms for checking identity and verifying work..."

BBC

The Spray On Antenna?

2012-02-15T16:08:00.000-08:00

Lower Energy Consumption, Better Range

"Chamtech Enterprises is hoping to make signal issues a thing of the past with a new form of spray on antennathe company demonstrated this week at Google's Solve for X conference. Chamtech's co-founder Anthony Sutera explains the idea in a video, claiming that the technology -- discovered by accident -- will allow wireless signal transmission at greater distances with a fraction of the energy consumption. It also could eliminate the need for massive and ugly cell towers, given it can be applied to everyday objects like buildings, rocks, and trees (they claim to have sent a VHF signal up to 14 miles via a tree). At the very least, it could be a mean way to pick on any locals claiming to have wirelesselectrosensitivity."

DSLReports

Career Readiness Campaign

2012-02-15T15:54:00.000-08:00

Through his California Career Readiness Initiative, SSPI Tom Torlakson has directed the California Department of Education to proceed with 17 key objectives to support, sustain and strengthen Career and Technical Education (CTE) in the State. His Initiative builds upon goals outlined in "A Blueprint For Great Schools."

Objectives

1. Launch Career Readiness Initiative Campaign: On February 14, 2012, State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Tom Torlakson asked practitioners of Career and Technical Education (CTE) throughout California to join him in implementing the Initiative by promoting their local efforts, and advocating for program expansion, resources and support for CTE throughout the State.

2. Adopt and Promote New Statewide CTE Logo and Branding: As part of this campaign, the California Department of Education (CDE) has adopted and will promote new branding developed in partnership with the National Association of State Career Technical Education Directors Consortium: "CTE: Learning that Works for California."

3. Educate Stakeholders: Through this awareness campaign, SSPI Torlakson asks CTE practitioners and CDE staff to educate parents, students, teachers, business and civic leaders and educators on the benefits and successes of CTE programs, and to encourage them to support the further use and development of these various pathways to career readiness.

4. Promote and Increase Use of CTE Programs as a Viable Pathway to Career Readiness: Through his campaign, SSPI Torlakson has asked staff and CTE practitioners to promote and expand use of the State’s 34,000 CTE courses so students have access to career pathways in high tech, computer science, health sciences, construction, the arts, agriculture and other various industries. In addition, CDE will focus on promoting and expanding use of the 11,000 CTE courses that meet the a-g criteria needed for students to enter our state colleges and Universities.

5. Increase CTE Enrollment: CDE staff will develop strategies with educational partners to increase the number of students taking CTE courses in the State to help ensure more students are career ready. Currently, 1 million students are enrolled in such programs statewide.

6. Support and Expand Career Technical Student Organizations: SSPI Torlakson will work with legislative leaders and stakeholders to preserve funding and to expand these organizations to provide students with increased leadership development, and industry-based competitions to demonstrate their career readiness.

7. Increase Use of the University of California Curriculum Integration Institute: CDE will utilize the Senate Bill 70 funding to expand the successful institute process to develop CTE courses that also meet rigorous a-g criteria in designated academic content areas.

8. Implement Linked Learning Pilot Program: CDE will plan and initiate a Linked Learning pilot program to implement the provisions of the newly enacted Assembly Bill 790. The pilots will be designed as district led school re-design initiatives that integrate career-themed pathways into the organization and instructional practices of participating high schools.

9. Revise and disseminate CTE Standards aligned with the Common Core: CDE will work with stakeholders in developing the revised standards and present them to the State Board of Education for adoption. In addition, a series of presentations and professional development opportunities will be conducted to assist schools in incorporating the standards into the curriculum.

10. Promote and Increase Use of Career Exploration: The California Career Resource Network will launch a new career and college Web portal for middle and high school students in the spring to help them explore and plan for post-high school options. CDE staff will promote and increase the use of other career exploration and planning tools within California schools.

11. Encourage Concurrent Enrollment: In collaboration with the higher education segments, CDE will identify successful concurrent enrollment practices among districts and colleges and share these approaches statewide.

12. Increase Industry Certification Programs and Work-Based Learning: CDE will develop strategies to expand industry certification programs and work-based learning opportunities.

13. Advocate for Continued State and Federal Funding for CTE Programs: SSPI Torlakson will work with legislative leaders to continue state funding for California Partnership Academies and other CTE programs through SB 70, and protect federal Perkins funding.

14. Support Local Regional Occupational Centers and Programs (ROCPs): CDE staff will promote successful program practices, and collaborate on strategies to increase their role in improving all CTE programs within their service areas. ROCPs provide the majority of CTE courses in the state and are a major resource to school districts and California business and industry partners in building the career preparedness of students.

15. Advocate for Inclusion of CTE in Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA): SSPI Torlakson will work with federal agencies and policy makers to include career academies and career pathway approaches into the reauthorization of ESEA.

16. Promote and Expand Articulation Agreements: CDE staff will highlight the more than 1,400 articulation agreements that exist between our high schools and surrounding middle schools and colleges, and work to expand them into other areas of the state that may benefit from such partnerships.

17. Increase Use of Social Media and the Internet to Promote Career Readiness: CDE staff has created new Facebook and Twitter accounts devoted specifically to communicate with CTE practitioners on campaign and program developments, to solicit feedback, and to promote use of CTE in the State’s schools. To follow us on the Web:

CaliforniaCTE on Twitter (Outside Source) | California-CTE on Facebook (Outside Source)

http://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/cr/index.asp

California Career Readiness Initiative

2012-02-15T15:50:00.000-08:00

State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Tom Torlakson Tuesday asked practitioners of Career Technical Education (CTE) throughout California to join him in implementing the California Career Readiness Initiative by promoting their local efforts, and advocating for program expansion, resources and support for CTE throughout the State. SSPI Torlakson unveiled the Initiative at the Educating for Careers Conference in Sacramento.

Details of the Initiative, featuring 17 key objectives to support, sustain, and strengthen Career Technical Education in the State, can be located at the following link: http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr12/yr12rel15.asp

Also, please sign up to follow us on our Facebook and Twitter accounts, and our new campaign Website, to keep apprised of Initiative and CTE program news. We look forward to working with you on this exciting campaign!

Callifornia Career Readiness Initiative Website:

http://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/cr/index.asp

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/CaliforniaCTE

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/California-CTE/350885248257044

DICE report: Industry Certifications matter in ICT hiring

2012-02-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

According to a recent survey conducted by DICE: "Forty percent of tech consultants said obtaining a certification helped them land a new gig, which is about 10 percentage points higher than their colleagues working in traditional roles.

The top ten most notable certifications according to their online survey of more than 28,000 tech. consultants administered last Fall were in order:

A+
PMP (Project Management Professional)
CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate)
Security+
MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer)
Network+
MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional)
CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)
ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)
MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional)

The 10 Most Innovative Colleges in the Country

2012-02-15T07:44:00.000-08:00

Like any good business, a college must innovate to survive. With rising tuition fees and more competitors entering the market, institutions of higher learning are constantly trying to stay on the cutting edge of education so that they can continue to attract students. These 10 colleges and universities stand out for the trails they continue to blaze in academia.

The University Model: BYU-Idaho

Since 2000, BYU-Idaho has instituted a number of innovations that could save higher education as we know it. The school year is year-round, which allows it to serve 50% more students while saving 20% of costs per student. That operating cost per student has only risen 3% since 2000, compared to 34% for Texas universities. BYU-Idaho also prioritizes student development over faculty and research through a quality-of-learning assessment method it calls the "Learning Model." Couple all that with online education with $65 classes, and this is one school changing the name of the college game.
Engineering: Olin College

The idea behind Olin’s founding was to create a school where students didn’t just learn engineering theory, they learned by doing in the field. President Richard Miller defines the school’s style as "student-centered" and "design-centered." Because of this philosophy, Olin is on the forefront of engineering topics like robotics. Students build things like robotic tractors and learn from faculty who are un-tenured, all at a low tuition cost. Enrollment is small enough that every student receives a scholarship, an innovative feature in its own right.
Robotics: Carnegie Mellon University

CMU regularly makes headlines for its innovations, like becoming the first campus with a wired computer network in the 1980s. In recent times, President Obama has stopped by to tout the school’s robotics program, which is working on advances in areas like military equipment and sewer systems. The school’s innovation lab is well-known as a leader in aerospace and aviation technology, and it works closely with NASA. Carnegie Mellon is also one of a handful of schools allowing students to not only create classes, but teach them.
Aeronautics: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT has had a long and full history of innovation in a number of fields, and it continues to discover fresh ways of doing things. The school continues to innovate research in the field of aeronautics, allowing students to use wind tunnels, design rover robots, and even collaborate with students at Georgia Tech on a Mars satellite. On a different front, MIT is pioneering social media technology on campus with its iSpots program, which can track students anywhere on campus and provide helpful data to administrators about wi-fi usage patterns, heavy traffic physical locations, and more.
Admissions: Milwaukee School of Engineering

The college admissions process is a painful experience for many hopeful students, filled with strict guidelines and often unhelpful officials. But the Milwaukee School of Engineering may have developed the solution. Their Bridge program is an original approach to the process of applying to college. Following the model of social media, the program serves as a way for applicants to create a profile and connect with admissions counselors, other applicants, and students to share advice and information. In the past, this function has been served by third-party websites; but the benefit of MSE’s program is the school can maintain the accuracy of the information on a medium (the internet) where inaccuracy abounds.

Environmental Friendliness: College of the Atlantic

Maintaining a green campus is still a new area for college administrators to focus on, so much of what is being done is innovative. And College of the Atlantic is as green as they come. Consistently rated among the greenest colleges in the country, this school in Maine is in its fifth year of being carbon-neutral. A wind turbine serves the organic farm; every volt of electricity comes from hydropower. This spirit of environmental stewardship obviously influences the students, who spend their time creating new ways to recycle, and designing renewable power systems for use in under-developed countries.
Online Education: National University

NU is an innovator in an increasingly-crowded field of online educators. Taking course flexibility to another level, National’s enrollment is year-round because the courses are one-per-month, meaning you can start when you want and focus the study time you have on one class. The school continues to add online information centers to give students from a wider geographic range a campus to go to. The classes can be interactive, real-time, and cooperative with other students. Low tuition fees and skilled financial advisors are two innovations brick-and-mortar schools would be wise to emulate.
Technology: Seton Hill

Many colleges are experimenting with mobile technology in classrooms, but Seton Hill is jumping in with both feet. Begun in 2010, the school’s Griffin Technology Advantage involved giving every student and faculty member an iPad: "An iPad for Everyone." The idea was to turn every classroom into a potential computer lab, allowing students 24/7 access to "a world of learning." The school had begun training faculty to incorporate new tech in 2008, and two years later the Center for Innovative Teaching opened at the school to keep faculty and students abreast of the latest uses of mobile computing, and to house the InQuiryZone, Seton Hill’s extra-smart classroom.
Business: Harvard University

The words "Harvard" and "business" go together like Orville and Wilbur. The famous institution plans to stay at the top of college innovation with Hi, the Harvard Innovation lab, a place for students and people all over the world to collaborate on ideas and continue its 375-year tradition of entrepreneurship and creativity. The lab has already partnered with innovators like Peter Boyce, a Harvard student and creator of Hack Harvard and Harvard College Venture Partners. Boyce’s idea is to connect entrepreneurial students with alumni "who are building cool stuff" and provide them the tools they need to create successful products and companies.
Community Awareness: Wagner College

Many educators are starting to appreciate the need for student activism in their respective communities. To this end they are creating service learning programs, where students use classroom knowledge to benefit their neighbors. Wagner College is a leader of this movement. The focus here is on "connected learning," and students must take three learning community courses with associated weekly community volunteer work. By graduation students will have completed hundreds of hours of community service. Students are encouraged to take an Alternative Spring Break of serving instead of partying. Wagner’s approach to learning-by-doing is a truly innovative way to produce well-rounded graduates.

Originally posted at OnlineUniversities.com

Free Green IT Workshop 4/26 at Mission College

2012-02-14T10:48:00.000-08:00

Two percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are currently attributed to IT operations. That does not include power drains from consumer electronics in homes. "Green IT" efforts to reduce those emissions are increasingly important strategically to all kinds of organizations and efforts.

Additionally, ICT is a key strategic element of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in most industries. "Smart Grid" are efforts to integrate sensors, controls and information systems into electricity distribution systems to make them more efficient and reduce associated greenhouse gases. "Smart Buildings" are efforts to integrate sensors, controls and information systems into building management systems to make them more efficient and reduce associated greenhouse gas emissions. "Smart Transportation" are efforts to integrate sensors, controls and information systems into traffic management and control systems to make them more efficient and reduce associated greenhouse gas emissions...

Green ICT is a set of values, goals and efforts to use ICT to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, and Green ICT is increasingly a part of the mindset and jobs of many ICT workers.

Following is information on a free Green IT workshop at Mission College in Santa Clara, CA on April 26th, 2012, from 6 to 9pm.

West Valley College Center for Advanced Transportation Technology & Energy

Wireless Power Transmission on ATETV

2012-02-14T09:29:00.000-08:00

Imagine life without cables, plugs, cords, chargers or batteries? In this day and age of all things mobile, is it possible? We need those tools to power the devices we use daily. Or do we? What if all of our mobile devices could be powered wirelessly? This week on ATETV, we visit WiTricity; a company that is pushing the boundaries of wireless electricity and maybe on the verge of truly changing our world. According to their Web site, www.witricity.com, WiTricity Technology transfers electric energy over distance without wires using a process called resonant magnetic coupling. Want to know more? Tune in today!

ATETV

California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott Praises President Obama’s Call to Provide the Nation’s Community Colleges with $8 billion

2012-02-14T09:25:00.001-08:00

Funding plan will help community colleges and businesses expand partnerships to train two million workers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott today issued a statement on President Obama’s proposed 2012-13 national budget that recommends focusing $8 billion on a three-year program that will expand partnerships between community colleges and the business community in order to train and employ two million workers in technical and skilled manufacturing jobs:
“President Obama continues to see the value of community colleges as the cornerstone in creating a strong and educated workforce to fuel our nation’s economic recovery and train and place millions of workers in middle-skills jobs. An $8 billion investment represents the president’s strong confidence in the ability of our nation’s community colleges to train a workforce that can compete in both the local and global marketplace.

“California’s community colleges will absolutely play an important role in President Obama’s initiative. Our system educates 2.6 million students annually which means twenty-five percent of the nation’s community college students are enrolled in a California community college. This proposal, if enacted, will help grow and strengthen statewide and local business partnerships. We are well positioned to be a key player in working with the federal government to stimulate our nation’s economic recovery by preparing a skilled workforce that meets the needs of a changing job market. I’m pleased that President Obama understands that committing funds to our community colleges is an investment and not a cost.

“I encourage members of Congress to support the president’s community college job training initiative as it will not only prepare students for jobs but ultimately help get millions of Americans back to work.”

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation. It is composed of 72 districts and 112 colleges serving 2.6 million students per year. Community colleges supply workforce training, basic skills courses in English and math, and prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities. The Chancellor’s Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.

6 key skills new IT grads are lacking

2012-02-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

"New tech graduates are smart, their IT managers say, but they still need coaching in these key areas...

1. Knowledge of Business Basics

2. Experience With Systems Integration

3. Emerging Technologies Expertise

4. The Tech Basics

5. Familiarity With Legacy Systems

6. The Ability to Work on a Team

Learn more at Computerworld

How Much Are Your Social Media Skills Worth?

2012-02-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

"Employment agency OnWardSearch is kicking off Social Media Week by releasing an infographic that gives a snapshot of the state of salaries in the field.

"The Salary Guide, which gives the top 20 markets as well as salary ranges for top job titles in each metro area, is coupled with a post on career advice from leading marketers. Not surprisingly, the left coast remains one of the better places to head to if you want to make a living blogging, tweeting or managing brands on social networks, but don't rule out the northeast - particularly New York (which tops the list) and Boston (which checks in at number five)."

Continue reading the original post by Dave Copeland for more info about social media job titles and salary ranges.

Employment Rate For Young Adults Lowest In 60 Years, Study Says

2012-02-13T12:39:00.000-08:00

"...Just 54 percent of Americans ages 18 to 24 currently have jobs, according to a study released Thursday by the Pew Research Center. That's the lowest employment rate for this age group since the government began keeping track in 1948. And it's a sharp drop from the 62 percent who had jobs in 2007 -- suggesting the recession is crippling career prospects for a broad swath of young people who were still in high school or college when the downturn began...

"The Pew study arrives just days after the Labor Department's monthly jobs report, which showed the national unemployment rate trending down for a fifth straight month -- a change that many took as a sign that the economy is finally beginning to right itself. Yet joblessness is still high, and financial security remains out of reach for millions more people than just a few years ago.

"Young adults were largely spared the collapse in wealth that many older Americans went through when the housing market imploded. Still, in some ways they have it the worst of any demographic. Besides the historically low employment rate for people in their late-teens and early-20s -- which is, incidentally, about 15 percentage points below the general employment rate for working-age adults, according to Pew -- the recession has eroded young workers' paychecks to a far greater degree than any other age group.

"Among adults ages 18 to 34, more than a third say they have gone back to school in the face of a tough labor market, the Pew study notes. Nearly a quarter have taken an unpaid job or moved back in with parents. One in five have put off having a child or getting married due to economic concerns...

"...a wealth of research suggests that young people who enter the job market during a recession face years of wages that are lower than people who got there slightly sooner and had a chance to establish themselves. People who graduated and kicked off their job search in 2009 or 2010 are likely to experience pay 10 to 15 percent lower than their peers', for as much as a decade after leaving school.

"If all of this seems like grim news for young people, they can at least take comfort knowing that older generations seem to recognize their struggles.

"The Pew study found that among the general population, 41 percent of people think young adults have it tougher than anyone in the current job market, and a growing number of parents say they believe children should aim for economic independence by age 25, rather than a younger age.

"Part of that cross-generational commiseration may come from the fact that huge segments of the national population are struggling financially right now. Shierholz told The Huffington Post that the obstacles faced by young job-seekers reflect the muted health of the overall economy.

""Things were not so great even before the recession hit," she said, citing the growth of the wage gap and the decline of labor unions -- trends that predate the current slump by several decades -- as factors keeping the lower and middle classes from achieving greater economic buoyancy. "If you want to move the dial on what's going on with young workers' unemployment, you need to help the labor market more broadly.""

Huffington Post

America's Next Top Engineer: She Needs Your Role Models

2012-02-13T09:17:00.000-08:00

"Imagine the world in 2030, more resource-constrained than ever—but then suddenly benefitting from a breakthrough approach to harnessing wind energy. What if the person capable of hatching that innovation is, today, a middle-school girl in a village in Ecuador? Will it happen? Or think closer to home: If the cure for cystic fibrosis is just waiting in the mind of a girl in your community, will it ever see the light of day?

"If we could only put the same level of resources into inspiring girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) that we do into discovering America's Next Top Model, the chance wouldn't seem so remote. At the very least, the proportion of STEM professionals who are female—currently, in engineering, a paltry 11 percent—would grow.

"It's no secret that we need more women in STEM. Our economy's major employers compete for the female graduates we do produce. So what's holding back the supply?

"Some people look at the gender composition of graduating classes and conclude that girls just aren't as interested as boys are in engineering. If girls don't want to be computer scientists when they grow up, some ask, isn't that their choice? But I have the proof that they do, under the right circumstances. When the bell rings at the end of the day at schools in Oakland, CA I see a wave of girls heading for after-school programs, eager to stick around and do science.

"Meet the girls participating in Techbridge. They tinker and use tools, and take apart things like lawnmower engines and hairdryers to learn how they work. They build their own green houses and learn about renewable energy. They make solar night lights, and in doing so learn to solder. And while it isn't their intention when they start, they also make mistakes—and learn to appreciate how mistakes are part of the process. They develop the confidence to persevere. As they team up for design challenges, they especially like to learn in the company of other girls.

"Techbridge is a nonprofit organization based in Oakland, CA, whose mission is to promote girls' interest and skills in science, technology, and engineering. We do this through the programs we run, and by developing resources for others—teachers, role models, families, and partners like the Girl Scouts. We know the first step is engagement, letting girls have fun with the projects we introduce. Research shows that an early interest in science or engineering is a better indicator of the likelihood of pursuing a career in these fields than grades. But we can't stop there. For a girl to translate an early interest into a passion for becoming a mechanical engineer or biotech entrepreneur, she also needs early exposure to women who hold such careers. We need to provide girls with role models.

"Techbridge can't do that alone—role models are busy working in places that have recognized and snapped up their talent. We can do it, however, with partners from industry. When major employers not only provide funding for our after-school programs but also support employee outreach, girls gain access to role models like Chevron geologists, Google programmers, and Intel engineers—all of whom have visited our after-school programs and led activities that offer a glimpse into their careers.

"Role models make the difference by connecting with our girls on a personal level and sharing their passion and the personal stories of how they came to be the professionals they are. They help dispel stereotypes about engineering and who can be a computer scientist. Their enthusiasm conveys that these careers are personally and professionally rewarding. The work they describe shows that as a scientist or engineer you can make the world a better place—an aspiration for many girls.

"We have to go out of our way to provide such models because too few girls have made their way into technical fields in the past. We can't count on a girl's having a STEM role model already in the women she knows well—her mother, relatives, and neighbors. When a girl meets a woman succeeding in STEM, it expands the range of careers she considers as she imagines her own future.

"We know it works. Last year's evaluation of Techbridge's impact showed increases in participating girls' skills and confidence. Now, 90 percent of them believe engineering is a good career for women, and 89 percent think teamwork is good for solving problems. And guess how many are more interested than they had been in working in science, technology, and engineering? No fewer than 83 percent.

"Results like this are what keep us working energetically to build corporate partnerships—even when we experience the occasional dispiriting setback. We've seen, for example, a corporate field trip that we had perfected over the years suspended as priorities there changed. In a downturn-related layoff, our liaison to another company lost her job. Some of the best role models we've attracted, and many we've invested to develop (because role modeling is a skill built by training, too) find it difficult in this tough economy to leave their workplaces and volunteer in afternoon programs.

"The companies most likely to stay the course are those who value the payback in the long term. They know that the middle schoolers who come to their site are the next generation of workers, and that among them may be the one whose idea will revolutionize their business.

"If your organization is an employer of science, engineering, and technology talent, please do what you can to reach out and inspire a girl. Do it by supporting programs like Techbridge that offer STEM programming in and out of school. But also do it by encouraging the women on your staff to be role models—to visit a classroom or host a field trip. Show that you value outreach by providing support and training for it, and even better, by mentoring a girl yourself. Not only will you discover how much students learn from role models and field trips, you'll discover how your organization benefits in return. We hear from role models how much their outreach deepens their sense of connection to their job, their staff, and their field. Corporate recruiters tell us that top talent is more attracted to organizations that believe in workers getting involved and giving back to their community.

"Returns like this are hard to quantify, but we never hear from corporate partners that they aren't worth the investment. Girls who go through Techbridge programs have a habit of returning years later and telling us how a role model they met in middle school, or a field trip in high school, turned them on to engineering. When they faced a roadblock—a challenging class, a less than supportive study group —they remembered what a role model taught them. And they didn't give up."

By Linda Kekelis

Posted on the HBR Blog Network February 8, 2012

10 Reasons Internet Access is a Basic Human Right

2012-02-09T19:51:00.000-08:00

"Because its development began in our lifetimes, many of us who still recall life pre-internet find it difficult to grasp the idea of it rising to the level of a basic human right. After all, we survived just fine before we ever got wired, right?

"Well, that’s just it. Back then there wasn’t a web that interconnected every aspect of our lives, so of course we didn’t need it in order to function. But now? There are some compelling reasons why internet access does fit that description. Here are 10 reasons that internet access is a basic human right:

Communications Medium – From the standpoint that it provides each person a global voice with which to be heard, it is a basic human right.
Accessing Information – There is no other means whereby an individual may access so much information, much of it essential to existing within a society.
Connection to the World – The internet provides a bridge between nations, where freedom can be promoted, and by which those who are denied such freedoms can get their stories heard, and spread across the globe. Witness the case of the Egyptians’ revolt against Mubarak.
It’s the Modern-Day Town Hall – For its ability to inform, lobby, share, mobilize and to warn others of injustices in the world, the internet is a basic human right.
Commerce – Eventually there will be little or no reason for the ‘e’ appendage, as e-commerce will become the primary venue for many consumers. Therefore, internet access is going to be necessary to obtain goods.
Government Information – For most citizens of countries with internet access, obtaining government data or documents, if possible at all, is done so online. Freedom of information is the right of every citizen, and the web is where we find it.
Isolation – We have seen what can happen in a country where denial of internet access was imposed. Cut off from the rest of the world, the result was an inability for the global community to communicate with victims of repression, and other human rights violations.
The Medium is the Message – Those things which have traditionally been regarded as human rights – freedom of speech, freedom of opinion and expression – are so closely linked to and, in many ways, dependent upon internet access to be fully realized, that one must consider it to be in and of itself another basic human right.
Interactive Information – The uniqueness of the internet, in that it allows users to instantly and interactively share information, rather than just passively receiving it, means that people can communicate and respond to ideas and issues instantaneously and inexpensively, across borders.
Protection of Rights – Unless internet access is acknowledged by governing bodies to be a basic human right, there is no guarantee that access to such a vital link to each other and to information will be kept open to all."

MyISPFINDER

The Role of Community College Education in the Employment of Information Technology Workers in Washington State

2012-02-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

"CCRC has completed a three-year study on the role of associate degrees in preparing graduates for information technology (IT) jobs in the Seattle and Detroit labor markets. Interviews with a range of employers in each labor market revealed that hiring managers expected associate degree holders to possess many positive qualities that they sought in IT technicians, particularly technical skills, thinking skills, communication skills, and a strong work ethic. However, they also expected that associate degree holders would be less skilled than bachelor’s degree holders. This expectation was particularly common among Seattle hiring managers, highlighting the importance of the local labor market in understanding employer perceptions of associate degrees. A paper on these findings will soon be available.

"An analysis of students’ employment outcomes in Washington State (see CCRC Working Paper 23) revealed that medium-sized employers, temporary placement firms, and educational organizations employed community college IT graduates more frequently than workers overall. Community college students who earned both an associate degree and a certificate in IT had the most positive employment outcomes (bold added), followed by those with an associate degree only and those with an IT certificate only. Those who earned no credential but completed concentrated coursework in IT had the weakest employment outcomes. These findings suggest that employers prefer students with more credentials, and they highlight the importance of helping students to complete full programs of study.

"This research was conducted in partnership with the National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies at Bellevue Community College (Washington State) and Macomb Community College (Michigan). The project was funded by the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education program."

Community College Research Center

Don’t Miss this Free Opportunity for You and Your Students at RSA Conference 2012

2012-02-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

We have an amazing new program for you and your students to participate in at RSA® Conference 2012 in San Francisco, THE leading information security conference -- with over 18,000 attendees and more than 300 exhibiting companies.

As part of an inaugural online Conference event, leading experts from the information security industry will present their insights and ideas live from our newly built Moscone Center studio and we’d like to invite you to be part of the studio audience.

Your participation provides you access to the latest industry insights from over 40 security experts on key topics such as mobile malware, security in the cloud, advanced persistent threats, and forensics.

Session titles include:

“Garage Sale Forensics: Data Discovery Through Discarded Devices”
“Cyber War: You’re Doing It Wrong!”
“Friending Your Life Away: How Social Networks Cause Long Term Damage to Individuals and Organizations”
“NSA’s Secure Mobile Strategy”

As a benefit and thanks for your participation, RSA Conference 2012 will provide you a free expo show pass so you can explore the rest of the Conference, while also networking with the security professionals and companies that are transforming the information security industry.

Seats are limited and time is running out so don’t miss out on this opportunity! For information on how you can sign up, please have class professors contact Becky Kavanagh by email or 408-326-4548.

Further information about RSA Conference 2012 can be found at www.rsaconference.com (please note specific details on this program are not online yet).