From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Fri Jul 2 08:08:11 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:26 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Fwd: press release Message-ID: <7D2392A2-CC20-11D8-ACEE-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> TouchSmart Publishing and SOCHE Announce Strategic Alliance Friday, July 2, 9:22 am ET Cincinnati, OH--(PRWEB)?July 2, 2004--TouchSmart Publishing, LLC and the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) today announced a strategic alliance to investigate ways to reduce textbook costs in higher education. According to Jason Barkeloo, President of TouchSmart Publishing, ?textbook costs are rising fast. A recent Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) study indicates students are borrowing more money to meet this increasing demand.? Barkeloo added that ?our interactive wireless textbooks connecting to digital content we may help reduce the costs of textbooks to its consortium members. Sean Creighton, Executive Director of SOCHE, reinforced the alliance by adding that, ?SOCHE is pleased to work with such a forward-leaning organization as TouchSmart in reducing textbook costs for students in our region.? Barkeloo says that because ?students can press pictures and words on the paper that enables the connection, the back-end digital content is incredibly important.? The touch user interface (TUI) technology connects paper directly to digital content that can reside on optical media, the Internet, or hard-drives. As a result, the weight and number of printed pages in the book is reduced and the associated costs with it. Furthermore, SOCHE is concerned with increasing participation in higher education for those with access concerns and feels this technology could help disability services departments. According to Creighton, ?This TUI-based technology shows promise in increasing accessibility.? The SOCHE and TouchSmart alliance is a step in advocating for student success and in-line with the Governor?s Commission on Higher Education and the Economy report.? About TouchSmart Publishing, LLC. TouchSmart Publishing is a developmental-stage company with the exclusive license to develop and distribute touch-sensitive books to the K-12 math, science, and special education needs students. The Company's mission is to create and distribute exciting and easy-to-use interactive textbooks that connect to digital content by touching pages in a book. TouchSmart Publishing provides a bridge over the digital divide for more students, regardless of learning style, special needs or socioeconomic position, than are current connected. For more information, please visit the TouchSmart Publishing web site at http://www.touchsmart.net. About SOCHE Formed in 1967, the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) is a regional consortium of colleges, universities, and business advancing higher education through academic collaboration, corporate and community partnerships, and student success. SOCHE?s initiatives include cross-registration between member schools, a student research programs at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, degree finder for prospective students, cost savings programs, and continuous improvement conferences. For more information, visit www.soche.org. Contact: TouchSmart Publishing, LLC Jason Barkeloo, 513.225.8765 SOCHE Sean Creighton, 937.258.8890 Source: TouchSmart Publishing, LLC --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 4293 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040702/c5e6944c/attachment.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Tue Jul 6 11:19:49 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:26 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] piezoelectric switch? Message-ID: Jeff (or anybody), How does a piezoelectric switch work? jb --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Tue Jul 6 12:16:12 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:26 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Teachers concerned for science education Message-ID: Teachers concerned for science education By Ben Feller, AP Education Writer ?|? July 6, 2004 WASHINGTON -- Many educators and employers liken the state of science education to a chemistry project gone awry: A bad mix of factors has come together and it spells trouble. By law, making students better at reading and math is the nation's priority. When it comes to science, however, a quiet crisis is engulfing schools, say scientists, educators, business leaders and entrepreneurs. It begins when young students skip challenging science courses and later produces an understaffed or ill-trained corps of science instructors. The result is lagging U.S. performance in jobs, research and innovation. "The public is not hearing this," said Gerald Wheeler, a nuclear physicist and executive director of the National Science Teachers Association. "It's troubling that at one level, we understand that we live in a technological society, but it's not playing out that way. Science is on the back burner." Not everyone is pessimistic. The country remains a dominant force in the advancement of science. Also, some observers say the picture of an "emerging and critical" problem in the labor force, as it was put by the government advisory National Science Board, is overblown. But teachers in the field say they need help, mainly in professional training and enough class time to be creative. "Is the goal now a set of scores or is the goal a set of scientists?" said Janis Elliott, who teaches physics at a high school in Bellevue, Neb. "That's the difference and you don't achieve those goals in the same way." Teachers attending the National Education Association's annual meeting spoke about the state of science education in a group interview Saturday with The Associated Press. Elliott, who trains other teachers in science trends, says she often must seek her own training from outside sources. They include military weapons experts, a private engineering company and a cancer research institute. "In physics, with infrared imagery, I have to tell kids how to use it, how they're going to need to know it, what computer applications come with it, how they're going to use it in medicine and in looking for bomb shelter in war ... We don't get that training in college," Elliott said. Carol Bauer, an elementary school teacher in Yorktown, Va., says she sees inquisitive students who do not know what they are missing, either in school or in their own free time. "The kids today don't have a chance to discover," she said. "They don't even get to go check out their own neighborhood. We have to know what they're doing all the time. They just don't know what exploration is." Education Department leaders say science is not a second-class subject. They have led efforts aimed at improving teachers' skills and they are watching for results. By 2007, under the No Child Left Behind law, all schools must test students in science at least once in elementary, middle and high school. The science news of late has not been uplifting, from national test scores to teachers' confidence in their science skills and parents' satisfaction in course offerings. Business leaders say they have seen declining interest in science among students. "It's going to cause a steady weakening of U.S. leadership in technology and related fields," said Gary Bloom, chief executive of the Veritas software company and one of several technology executives to ask Congress to put greater focus on science in schools. "More and more creativity, new ideas, patents, engineering and businesses will begin to creep overseas." Daniel Greenberg, a guest scholar at The Brookings Institution who specializes in the politics of science, disputes any notion of an impending crisis. American scientific exploration will thrive "regardless of the worry-mongers who periodically sound false alarms," he wrote recently. But in today's schools, teachers see problems even in finding time to plan and set up a science lesson in class. Improving training is essential if those with science backgrounds are to stick with teaching over more lucrative jobs, said Sandy Sullivan, an elementary school teacher from Ashburn, Va. "That's important in any subject, but especially science," she said, "because it can be left behind." http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/07/06/ teachers_concerned_for_science_education/ --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 5348 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040706/a95662de/attachment.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Tue Jul 6 21:58:11 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:26 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] grants Message-ID: <19EC763C-CFB9-11D8-997A-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> http://www.ed.gov/programs/edresearch/index.html Education Reserach Grants, U.S. DOE Under this program title, the Institute of Education Sciences supports research to improve education at all levels. The intent of these grants is to provide national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of education from early childhood through postsecondary study. Current Applications Applications to the FY 2005 competitions must be submitted electronically to the following web site: http://ies.constellagroup.com. Information on the software to be used in submitting applications will be available at the same web site. Reading Comprehension and Reading Scale-up Research CFDA Number: 84.305G Applications Available ? July 9, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? October 28, 2004 Mathematics and Science Education Research CFDA Number: 84.305K Applications Available ? July 9, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? October 28, 2004 Secondary Analysis of National Assessment of Educational Progress Data CFDA Number: 84.902B Applications Available ? July 9, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? October 28, 2004 National Research and Development Centers CFDA Number: 84.305A Applications Available ? July 9, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? November 18, 2004 Post-doctoral Research Fellowship CFDA Number: 84.305B Applications Available ? July 9, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? November 18, 2004 Teacher Quality Research ? Reading CFDA Number: 84.305M Applications Available ? August 6, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? December 2, 2004 Teacher Quality Research ? Mathematics and Science CFDA Number: 84.305M Applications Available ? August 6, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? December 2, 2004 Research on Education Finance, Leadership and Management CFDA Number: 84.305E Applications Available ? August 6, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? December 16, 2004 Cognition and Student Learning Research CFDA Number: 84.305H Applications Available ? August 6, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? December 16, 2004 Field-Initiated Evaluations of Education Innovations CFDA Number: 84.305F Applications Available ? August 6, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? December 16, 2004 Funding Status Fiscal Year 2005 Reading Comprehension and Reading Scale-up Research Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $1,200,000Project Period: Up to 5 years Mathematics and Science Education Research Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $1,200,000Project Period: Up to 5 years Secondary Analysis of National Assessment of Educational Progress Data Estimated Range of Awards: $65,000 to $100,000Project Period: Up to 18 months National Research and Development Centers Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000 to $2,000,000Project Period: Up to 5 years Post-doctoral Research Fellowship Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000 fellowshipsProject Period: Up to 2 years Teacher Quality Research ? Reading Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $1,200,000Project Period: Up to 5 years Teacher Quality Research ? Mathematics and Science Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $1,200,000Project Period: Up to 5 years Research on Education Finance, Leadership and Management Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000 to $750,000Project Period: Up to 4 years Cognition and Student Learning Research Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $350,000Project Period: Up to 3 years Field-Initiated Evaluations of Educations Innovations Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $1,200,000Project Period: Up to 5 years --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 4313 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040706/23db2b78/attachment.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Tue Jul 6 22:59:02 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:26 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Draper made SlashDot Message-ID: <99A48B12-CFC1-11D8-997A-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> The Draper contest with the TouchSmart submission made SlashDot. http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/07/06/0024205 jb --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Wed Jul 7 00:39:44 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:26 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] TouchSmart website hit meter Message-ID: The website hit meter for TouchSmart just hit an all-time high for a single day - over 1300: http://kagamil.pair.com/tchsmart/WEBALIZER_REPORTS/www/usage_200407.html jb --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Wed Jul 7 11:22:53 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:26 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] New Press Release from TouchSmart Message-ID: <842DF111-D029-11D8-A9EC-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> Smartpaper Networks licenses Touchsmart Publishing to distribute next-generation textbooks using a unique ?Touch User Interface? Los Gatos, CA and Cincinnati, OH -- (PRWEB) ? July 9, 2004 - Smartpaper? Networks Corporation and Touchsmart Publishing LLC have completed an agreement that gives Touchsmart the exclusive right to distribute mathematics, science, and special education products based on Smartpaper intellectual property. Smartpaper Networks has developed a breakthrough digital media delivery platform that finally unites print and digital media. Smartpaper is the only technology that transforms ordinary paper into a wireless control device, bringing printed pages to life by activating the power of video, audio, and the Internet with the touch of a finger. Smartpaper technology enables a multimedia learning process across multiple media delivery devices by linking text and graphics with audio and video, via personal computers, televisions with DVDs, game consoles, and other access points to the Internet. Smartpaper technology facilitates the delivery of educational content in multiple modes, effective for students with diverse learning styles and special needs not addressed by traditional learning methodologies and materials. Touchsmart Publishing intends to create and distribute exciting and easy-to-use interactive textbooks that connect to digital content by touching pages of paper. Through the ?touch user interface (TUI),? they provide a bridge across the digital divide for more students. Touchsmart founder and CEO, Jason Barkeloo, notes, ?The TUI technology has the promise of reducing the cost of textbooks while increasing the amount of content and including multiple student learning styles and special needs. This technology enables a de-centralized publishing model that will greatly benefit school districts as it allows them to publish their own books.? Alan Chaplin, CEO of Smartpaper Networks, commented, ?Touchsmart Publishing has a unique vision for bringing enhanced learning tools to the educational market. We are pleased that they will be among the first adopters of our patented protected technology and excited by the reception they have received both from educators and from educational content providers.? About Smartpaper Networks Corporation: Smartpaper Networks Corporation has created a new electronic media platform that utilizes patented Smartpaper? technology to make ordinary paper books and other printed publications come to life with the touch of a finger. Smartpaper?s SmartCase?, the entry product for the company, will provide a place to bind conventional printed publications to enable the pages to become touch-sensitive. When the page is touched, the coordinates of the touch are wirelessly transmitted (via infrared) to a host device such as a DVD player, or video game platform that enables a PC monitor or TV to display the hyperlinked electronic media. For more information about Smartpaper Networks, please visit us at www.smartpaper.net. About TouchSmart Publishing, LLC: TouchSmart Publishing is developmental-stage company with the exclusive license to develop and distribute touch-sensitive books to the K-12 math, science, and special education needs students. The Company's mission is to create and distribute exciting and easy-to-use interactive textbooks that connect to digital content by touching pages in a book. TouchSmart Publishing provides a bridge over the digital divide for more students, regardless of learning style, special needs or socioeconomic position, than are current connected. For more information, please visit the TouchSmart Publishing web site at http://www.touchsmart.net. ?http://www.touchsmart.net/about/pressroom/Smartpaper.htm --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 5011 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040707/a1b6b45a/attachment.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Wed Jul 7 13:26:53 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:26 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Teachers concerned about science education Message-ID: Skipped content of type multipart/alternative-------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 5178.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 75610 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040707/eff0ca20/5178.jpg -------------- next part -------------- Skipped content of type multipart/alternative From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Wed Jul 7 20:11:36 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:26 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Free Discovery.com VOD subscription Message-ID: <60A0A574-D073-11D8-A9EC-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> > Discovery.com has intitiated a unique program to help school leaders > and teachers to become aware of the power of the Internet to deliver > resources to the teachers and students to use in their teaching and > learning practices.? This initiative allows a district to apply for, > at no cost, a one-year VOD (video on demand) subscription from > unitedstreaming.com for one school building?to allow teachers to learn > and share?more about these digital resources.? This particular > resource has over 2,000 video's and 22,000 clips as well as clipart > repositories, perfect for student projects and teacher demonstration.? > The offer is only for districts/schools who are not current > subscribers. > ? > If you are not currently a unitedstreaming school, you can go to > http://vod.unitedstreaming.com.? Many of you have recieved letters or > e-mails that had a passcode for this offer.? If you don't have it, > there is a place to request one. > ? > If you are not sure it is value, Discovery.com has provided SIGTC > members with the following to signup for a free 14-day trial.? Please > use the passcode below if you are asking for a 14-day trial so > Discovery will know you are a member of our SIGTC community.? The code > below is NOT a valid VOD code, it is just for a short trial to get a > taste of this resource and whether you wish to investigate the VOD > offer further. > ? > 1. ?Go to http://www.unitedstreaming.com > 2. ?In the middle of the screen you will see a section for "Passcode". > ?Enter 2935-F416 in the two boxes. > 3. ?The system will prompt you to set up you own username & password. > ??? 3.a.? A confirming e-mail will be sent to activate your trial > account. > 4. ?Once you have successfully set up you username & password, you > access http://www.unitedstreaming.com. ?On the far left side is a > section for "username" & "password". ?Key in your personal data you've > just set up. > 5. ?You are now live on the site. > ? > From their web-site, the limitations are: > > Discovery Education, the leader in digital video and multimedia-based > learning, is proud to introduce the unitedstreaming VOD Pass ? a > comprehensive new program to bring standards-based digital > video-on-demand to every school district in the United States. Through > this promotion, one school building in each district not currently > subscribing to unitedstreaming will have access to this award winning > service from July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005. > > To find out if your district qualifies for this free trial offer, > visit http://vod.unitedstreaming.com and select a school. If you are > eligible, a Discovery Education implementation representative will > coordinate initial telephone and online training for the instructional > technology coordinators and teachers at the selected school. > Throughout the trial period, training is available to ensure that > teachers and students get the maximum benefits from the service. > > unitedstreaming is currently in use in over 26,000 schools across the > country, giving access to more than 2,200 videos and 22,000 video > clips correlated with your individual state?s standards. The service > also gives teachers access to a high-resolution image library, > interactive quiz center, black line masters and teachers? guides, and > a calendar of events that ties video and image content to important > dates in history. unitedstreaming has shown significant improvement in > student achievement in science, math, and history through two > independent scientific evaluations. > > Disclaimer > Free subscription is valid July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005 and is > only available to U.S. public school districts. May not be combined > with any other offer. The unitedstreaming VOD Pass is available only > to school districts that are not currently covered under a > unitedstreaming license at the district, regional or state level. Void > where prohibited. You will not be billed for this promotion. > http://vod.unitedstreaming.com/promoDetail.cfm > ? --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 5182 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040707/328200fa/attachment.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Thu Jul 8 07:03:02 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:27 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Low Cost Computers for Africa Message-ID: <61BAA9E6-D0CE-11D8-92CE-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> Low Cost Computers Hit Stumbling Block 07/07/2004 09:28 AM Lucas van Grinsven and Bernhard Warner A pilot project in Africa which aims to provide a single computer that can be used by four school students simultaneously has stumbled across one of the business world's basic facts of life. Why make a cheap machine when customers in the developed world will pay good money for a more expensive one? The question hangs over efforts being made by American computer-maker Hewlett Packard, which in the last two weeks introduced the Multi-user 441 desktop, a computer based on the open-source Linux operating system. HP reckons the unique design - in which four keyboards and monitors are connected to a single central processing unit - will save schools up to 60 percent of their ballooning computer costs. But there is a hitch. HP has only made enough machines to sell to cash-starved school districts in South Africa. As interest in the machine grows, the limited supply has turned a well-intentioned product into a source of confusion among educators and a point of debate among industry analysts, who question whether a major computer maker has an interest in bringing a low-cost alternative to a wider mass market. "Usually what happens is, if we come across a system that works and works well, we try to spread it out across our (schools) network," said Sara Kyofuna, a member of SchoolNetAfrica, a non-profit organisation aiming to bring computers to classrooms in Africa's poorest nations. "Why it would be made available for one market and not another, I really do not understand," she said. But, Will It Work In Angola? SchoolNetAfrica is a potential customer. It is interested in buying some of the terminals for schools in Angola, but now the outfit is unsure whether HP will supply them for schools there. HP said while a wider roll-out schedule for the product has not been finalised, it would like to bring the machine to new markets by year-end. But, the computer maker added, the product will be marketed solely to developing nations. In the meantime, HP said it is talking to Pan-African organisations such as SchoolNetAfrica to bring the 441 to markets outside South Africa. Impoverished school districts in Western Europe and North America though will have to wait. SchoolNetAfrica is facing a dilemma familiar to anybody with a stretched technology budget. For boot-strapping start-ups in Moscow and poor school districts in downtown Johannesburg alike, bargain hunting is essential to meet growing IT needs. A machine like the 441 may not suit everybody's computing needs, but HP has shown that the day for an economical PC has arrived and, quite possibly, unleashed a new era in computing. Kudos From The Sidelines HP rivals including International Business Machines Corp., applauded HP's move to bring a cheap Linux-based machine to market. "Linux has always been able to support multiple users, and Intel processors are also able to support multiple users. It's a good use of the technology," said Doug Nielson, e-server consultant at IBM in Europe. However, IBM could not say if it would follow suit. Analysts wonder whether the cost of altruism may be too high for major computer makers whose bottom line depends on selling PCs. It's a common dilemma for companies who seek to sell their products in emerging markets. "Large hardware vendors are likely to be reticent to introduce machines which might reduce their total sales," said Martin Hingley at market research group IDC. They may be missing out on a yet-untapped market for small offices and home users, however. "There is a massive opportunity for something similar to this for the home," Hingley added. Scary Linux While availability remains one issue, a move to a cheap Linux machine can still scare users. Ton Wagenaar, who manages the computer network at the Dalton secondary school in Voorburg, The Netherlands, likes the cost savings of Linux, but worries about his students' preferences. "The Linux desktop is quite different from what students are used to in (Microsoft's) Windows. For that reason, I can't see a quick changeover," he said. Moreover, users with elaborate computing needs would probably shy away from a multi-user machine like HP 441, said Nikos Drakos, an analyst with tech consultancy Gartner. "That's why South African schools make sense. But it would not work for the general knowledge worker who needs to run software programs written for Windows," he said. http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,3782-3495250,00.html --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 5650 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040708/a133df7d/attachment.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Thu Jul 8 15:23:30 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:27 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Report shows big drop in reading Message-ID: <4B747FBA-D114-11D8-92CE-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> Report shows big drop in reading Only 57 percent of Americans read a book in 2002 The Associated Press Updated: 12:33 a.m.?ET July?08, 2004 NEW YORK - The reading of books is on the decline in America, despite Harry Potter and the best efforts of Oprah Winfrey. A report released Thursday by the National Endowment for the Arts says the number of non-reading adults increased by more than 17 million between 1992 and 2002. Only 47 percent of American adults read ?literature? (poems, plays, narrative fiction) in 2002, a drop of 7 points from a decade earlier. Those reading any book at all in 2002 fell to 57 percent, down from 61 percent. NEA chairman Dana Gioia, himself a poet, called the findings shocking and a reason for grave concern. ?We have a lot of functionally literate people who are no longer engaged readers,? Gioia said in an interview with The Associated Press. ?This isn?t a case of ?Johnny Can?t Read,? but ?Johnny Won?t Read.?? The likely culprits, according to the report: television, movies and the Internet. ?I think what we?re seeing is an enormous cultural shift from print media to electronic media, and the unintended consequences of that shift,? Gioia said. The decline came despite the creation of Oprah?s book club in 1996 and the Harry Potter craze that began in the late 1990s among kids and adults alike. Reading fell even as Barnes & Noble boasted that its superstore empire was expanding the book market. In 1992, 72.6 million adults in the United States did not read a book. By 2002, that figure had increased to 89.9 million, the NEA said. ?Whenever I hear about something like this, I think of it as a call to arms,? said Mitchell Kaplan, president of the American Booksellers Association. ?As booksellers, we need to look into what kinds of partnerships we can get into to encourage literacy and the immediacy of the literary experience.? In May, the nonprofit Book Industry Study Group reported that the number of books purchased in the United States in 2003 fell by 23 million from the year before to 2.22 billion. The NEA study, titled ?Reading at Risk,? was based on a Census Bureau survey of more than 17,000 adults. The drop in reading was widespread: among men and women, young and old, black and white, college graduates and high school dropouts. The numbers were especially poor among adult men, of whom only 38 percent read literature, and Hispanics overall, for whom the percentage was 26.5. The decline was especially great among the youngest people surveyed, ages 18 to 24. Only 43 percent had read any literature in 2002, down from 53 percent in 1992. Gioia said the electronic media that are contributing to the problem do offer possible remedies. He praised Winfrey?s use of television to promote literacy and said he wished for a ?thousand variants? of the idea. ?There?s a communal aspect to reading that has collapsed and we need to find ways to restore it,? Gioia said. The title ?Reading at Risk? is modeled on ?A Nation at Risk,? a 1983 government study that warned of a ?rising tide of mediocrity in elementary and secondary schools? and led to numerous reforms. But Gioia avoided specific proposals in the NEA report. ?I don?t believe the NEA should tell the culture what to do,? he said. ?The reason we are bringing this study out is that we consider it a crisis situation that requires a national conversation.? http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5389382/ --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 4592 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040708/bbde5d2b/attachment.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Fri Jul 9 08:13:49 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:27 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Wikipedia Message-ID: <6F626E26-D1A1-11D8-9085-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> Wikipedia, a 3-year-old non-profit project to build an encyclopedia using WikiWiki software has surpassed 300K articles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Statistics --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Mon Jul 12 14:16:01 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:27 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] AEP Inducts Teachers to Hall of Fame Message-ID: <87C0F16A-D42F-11D8-85AD-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> > EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS INDUCT TEACHERS TO HALL OF FAME > "Sesame Street" Creator Among Hall of Fame Inductees > > Joan Ganz Cooney, whose vision led to the phenomenally successful > children's television program, "Sesame Street," and Joan Irwin, who > has guided a line of professional publications to international > praise, share a fundamental trait with Tom Snyder, who expanded his > knowledge of computer programs into an award-winning software company. > That trait? All three began as teachers. > > On December 2, 2004, these three teachers will share one more > achievement: Each will be inducted into the Association of Educational > Publishers Hall of Fame. Inductees are nominated by AEP members and > chosen by the Board of Directors on the basis of lifetime work and > contributions to the field of educational publishing. They are > presented to the Hall of Fame by a close friend or family member who > outlines their unique careers. > > The ninth annual AEP Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at > the prestigious Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York City, with > approximately 300 members and guests in attendance. > > In 1995, Joan Ganz Cooney was presented with this nation's highest > civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The award > underscored a lifetime of innovative educational programs for children > fostered by the woman who earned her B.A. in teaching and found a way > to teach millions of youngsters at a time. As president of Sesame > Workshop (formerly Children's Television Workshop), producers of the > seminal educational television program, "Sesame Street", Cooney taught > the world that television can be a major beneficial force in childrens > education. > > Still in production, "Sesame Street" today is seen by hundreds of > millions of children in nearly a hundred countries. The various > programs developed by Sesame Workshop have earned numerous Emmys. > > Cooney, herself, has earned a Daytime Emmy for Lifetime Achievement > and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1990. Her > induction into the AEP Hall of Fame is the latest in a list of honors > recognizing her contributions to the wider community. These include > presidential commissions on social issues and membership on numerous > boards, such as the Council on Foreign Relations, the National > Institute of Social Sciences, the International Radio and TV Society > and the National Organization of Women. > > During the 13 years that Joan Irwin was Director of Publications for > the International Reading Association, she presided over a tremendous > growth of the companys journals, books, newspapers, electronic, and > online services. Today, the IRA's publications provide news, research > and support for 80,000 members worldwide in the teaching profession. > Irwin, a teacher of reading and literature at all school levels, > stamped her tenure as Director of Publications with an insider's > knowledge of the outside help that would most benefit a teacher. Under > her tutelage, IRA has garnered several awards for quality. > > Irwin recently brought her knowledge to the Association of Educational > Publishers where she has just completed a three-year term on the Board > of Directors. In that time, she worked to promote the Global Learning > Initiative, a far-reaching project AEP sponsors in association with > the renowned Bologna Childrens Book Fair. She is also a member of the > Advisory Board for Hampshire Educational Collaborative, which designs > online courses for teachers. > > She is currently the Vice President for Professional Development for > Peoples Publishing Group where she is developing a new series of > resources for K-8 professional development in reading instruction. The > venture will no doubt go well. As one of her IRA colleagues observed, > "Joan has left a legacy of success wherever she has served." > > The Wow! Factor apparently struck Tom Snyder nearly 25 years ago when > he first used a classroom computer to help him teach his elementary > and middle school students. Recognizing the teaching potential of the > nascent technology in the classroom, he began designing computer > programs to enhance the learning experience. By 1980 he had founded > Tom Snyder Productions and was deeply involved in using his teaching > skills to develop educational software products and services to > inspire students and teachers alike. His award-winning software > includes "Geography Search," "Fizz & Martinas Math Adventures," and > "Decisions, Decisions," which earned many awards including a Codie > Award for Excellence in Technology. > > Snyder branched into television products, co-creating and producing > the TV cartoon hit "Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist" and > "Squigglevision," a TV show based on his popular CD-ROM series > "Science Court" which taught science, math and language concepts using > humor and interactive experiments. Both "Dr. Katz" and > "Squigglevision" earned top television awards for Tom Snyder > Productions. In addition, Snyder took home a Childrens Special Emmy in > 1998 for the animation of the HBO childrens special, "The Tale of the > Watch". > > In 2001, Tom Snyder Productions was acquired by Scholastic, the global > childrens publishing and media company. Today, Tom Snyder Productions > is a leading developer and publisher of interactive educational > software for K-12 classrooms, producing such well-known products as > Timeliner 5.0 and Thinking Reader(tm). The company carries more than > 125 award-winning educational software titles, covering each > curriculum area, to help teachers integrate technology into their > classrooms. Snyder continues to employ his creativity as a consultant > to his former company, and by writing a musical and pursuing his > passion as an amateur rock musician and composer. > > About AEP > AEP, a national, nonprofit organization, represents, supports and > promotes the publishers of supplemental educational resources, key > tools for reading and learning at school and at home. Its membership > includes the giants of the supplemental education industry, and spans > the gamut from magazines to television channels, books to interactive > computer software and CDs. Please visit http://www.edpress.org for > more information. > > --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 7632 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040712/b1732edd/attachment.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Wed Jul 14 10:03:39 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:27 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] A Manifesto for Instructional Technology: Hyperpedagogy Message-ID: <9B2DDA04-D59E-11D8-9CB3-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> A Manifesto for Instructional Technology: Hyperpedagogy Jim?Dwight Virginia Tech Author Bio?|?E-mail Author Jim?Garrison Virginia Tech Author Bio?|?E-mail Author We believe hypertext and hypermedia solidify bold and original ideas having the power to open new realms of creative possibility. Unfortunately, we find the new tools encrusted within concepts borrowed from traditional curriculum theory and instructional design. Our goal in this paper is to liberate hypertext; doing so requires challenging Western metaphysics. We rely on the philosophy of John Dewey to disclose this metaphysics and propose an alternative. The paper reviews dominant models of curriculum, especially Ralph Tyler?s, revealing their concealed metaphysical assumptions. Our efforts are greatly aided by Herbert M. Kliebard?s critique of the Tyler rationale, exposing the fact that, in spite of its inflated claims, all there is to Tyler?s rationale is ??the philosophical screen.?? That is also all we think there is to all the dominant models of curriculum. We show that the philosophical screen is largely comprised of a concealed metaphysics before concluding by showing how hypertext and hypermedia, freed of dogmatic metaphysics, may yield what we call hyperpedagogy, based upon theories of emergent pedagogy and transactional metaphysics. Executive Summary Computers in the classroom offer exciting and promising educational potential and one of the most auspicious ideas circulating in the field is hypertext. Hypertext, and hypermedia, actualizes bold and original ideas having the power to open new realms of creative possibility. One of the boldest and most original of these ideas is poststructuralism. Poststructuralist thinking rejects the notions of a fixed and final telos, absolute origin, or ultimate fixed center (or foundation) to any process, including learning processes. Unfortunately, structuralist concepts borrowed from traditional curriculum theory squeeze the life out of hypertext. Our goal in this article is to reconceptualize how classroom computing can make appropriate use of the new tools of hypertext. Doing so requires us to challenge some of the most entrenched dogmas of Western thought. We have in mind the metaphysics that emerged in the writings of Plato and Aristotle ?2,500 years ago and have been promulgated ever since. This metaphysics assumes fixed and final essences that are the ultimate telos of all natural processes, including intelligent inquiry and learning. Structuralist metaphysics further assumes that ultimate ends and essences regulate the process so it achieves preordained objectives. Supposedly, acorns become oak trees because they have the latent potential to achieve their perfect essence. The same false assumption holds for children?s potential for becoming perfectly rational adults. Currently, educational objectives and standards determined in advance of the opportunity for learning provide the ultimate telos and the essence of proper learning. The aim of this article is to nudge those in the field of education who advocate the expanded use of computers in the classroom into a state of discontent and disequilibrium, so that we can chart new courses in the inchoate and evolving globalized digital culture. To do this in the deepest, most disturbing way possible, we must shed light on the cardinal principles of the structuralist metaphysics that has dominated 2,500 years of Western thought by deconstructing its liabilities. Dogmatic metaphysics went largely unchallenged until Darwin proposed the theory of evolution. The word ?species? is just the Latin for the ancient Greek word for essence (eidos); essences evolve though they have no fixed and final telos determined in advance?as should educational objectives. Our article is a manifesto; it calls for digital technology in education to embrace forms of pedagogy appropriate to hypertext. Hypertext builds upon poststructuralist theories respecting communication, authority, knowledge, and power as well as theories of critical pedagogy. Liberating hypertext to realize its possibilities for emergent learning requires many things. Here, we only strive to free it from the bounds of traditional metaphysics with its assumptions of fixedness and finality. That means freeing how we use computers in education following traditional theories of curriculum and instructional design, all of which have structuralist assumptions about objectives, standards, and the ultimate aims of education. If we are right, hypertext embodies ideas that point the way toward new educational vistas. We begin with a brief definition of hypertext. Next, we discuss Jay L. Lemke?s rejection of traditional educational systems as inadequate for releasing the potential of hypertext. We think Lemke constitutes a good beginning, but hypertext owes a great deal to poststructuralist semiotics, particularly the work of Barthes, Derrida, and Foucault. Therefore, any critique of traditional theories of curriculum and instructional design adequate to releasing the potential of hypertext must expose their structuralist assumptions. These assumptions include a commitment to ultimate foundations, supposedly eternal, fixed, and final essences, and the idea that any activity, including the activity of learning, has a perfect telos (e.g., the actualization of the child?s potential for rationality). We have two surprising allies in deconstructing the structuralist assumptions of conventional curriculum and instructional design. One is Herbert M. Kliebard?s (1970/1979) critique of the curriculum rationale of Ralph Tyler?s objectives based theory of curriculum that dominates educational thinking right up to today?s ?standards? movement. Toward the end of his critique, Kliebard turns to John Dewey for support. Dewey is our second surprising ally, especially because it is not difficult to show that his philosophy is poststructuralist (Garrison, 1999, 2001). Structuralism, including structuralist theories of curriculum and instructional design, receives its strongest support from a hidden source, the tradition of Western metaphysics. We show how Dewey?s philosophy of education, including his critique of traditional curriculum theory and instructional design, relies on his critique of Western metaphysics. Having come to grips with Dewey?s poststructuralism, we examine how poststructuralist thought informs hypertext theory. We will place special emphasis on George Landow?s vision of hypertext as a poststructuralist space; Dewey provides an appropriate pedagogy for such a space. Hypertext theories advocate enacting a more pluralistic computer pedagogy than that currently endorsed by proponents of traditional curriculum. Finally, poststructuralism provides a new, more active, critical, and creative reading of texts that deconstruct regimes of power in order to recognize how dominant metanarratives script authoritarian theories of learning. Our goal is to disrupt hierarchies of authority, power, and control in teaching and learning. We hope our article will help to clear the ground for building a poststructural pedagogy appropriate to the needs and possibilities of hypertext and hypermedia ?http://www.tcrecord.org/PrintContent.asp?ContentID=11140 --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 9126 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040714/9e61be8d/attachment.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Wed Jul 14 13:22:32 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:27 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] NCLB update Message-ID: <63C9CFA6-D5BA-11D8-B3A6-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> Study: States progressing with new school law Wednesday, July 14, 2004 Posted: 10:37 AM EDT (1437 GMT) WASHINGTON (AP) -- As report cards go, it is a spotty mix of promising and abysmal grades. But an independent review praises the states for progress given the scope of their assignment -- putting in place the most sweeping education law in decades. Most states have met or are at least on the way to meeting 75 percent of the major requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, according to the nonpartisan Education Commission of the States. That level of compliance has more than doubled over the last year. Every state and the District of Columbia, for example, have a policy to ensure that students with disabilities are included when their schools test reading, math and science. But not a single state is on pace to fulfill the law's requirement of having a measurable way to ensure a highly qualified teacher will be in every core academic class in 2005-06. Overall, the states are doing well in areas of testing students and measuring yearly progress, but they're struggling with requirements designed to improve the teaching corps. "The hardest work is yet to come," said Kathy Christie, vice president of the ECS Clearinghouse, the commission's research and information arm. "The toughest thing in all of this is going to be getting better at actually raising student achievement." The 2001 law requires expanded standardized testing, more information and choices for parents, and public reporting of progress for every demographic group so the scores of struggling students aren't masked by school averages. Schools that get federal poverty aid but don't make enough yearly progress get help but also face mounting sanctions. ECS, a Denver-based group that advises state leaders, graded states on 40 elements of the law, from how well parents get information to how well struggling schools get help. The determination of whether a state is on track varies by topic. Some changes under the law were supposed to have happened already, while some have deadlines in coming years. Among the findings: 98 percent of states are on track to define what a "persistently dangerous" school means, a designation that allows students in such schools to transfer. But many states are revamping their definitions after criticisms that their standards were far too low. 92 percent are on track to publicly report achievement data for all major groups of students, such as minority, poor, disabled and limited-English students. 65 percent are on track to set clear, substantial expectations for students so that all of them are at grade level in reading and math no later than 2013-14. 53 percent are on track to identify which schools are in need of improvement before the next school year begins so that parents have time to understand their options. 45 percent are on track to provide the promised "scientifically based" help to schools that have been targeted for improvement or more serious corrective action. 22 percent are on track to make new and current elementary, middle and secondary teachers of core subjects demonstrate that they are competent in their subjects. In perspective, Christie said, the effort by the states is encouraging. Not since the 1970s, when the government passed landmark acts to help disabled children and prevent sexual discrimination, have states gotten so active in response to a federal law, the report says. State progress is also clear in the way the debate is shifting, said Ray Simon, assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education. School leaders are focusing less on forms and funding and more on getting students up to grade level, he said. The report's recommendations include redefining how progress is measured so schools and districts can track the success of the same students over time, not just different students each year. ECS also calls for states to get rid of systems that allow veteran teachers to be deemed highly qualified under standards that aren't rigorous. http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/07/14/states.schools.ap/index.html --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 4896 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040714/42ec9a02/attachment.bin From ricklisi at fuse.net Mon Jul 19 18:13:31 2004 From: ricklisi at fuse.net (Richard Lisi) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:27 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] The piezo crystal question Message-ID: >>> You probably got an answer by now, but.... >>> >>> "Piezoelectric effect" is used in piezo switches. They are >>> designed with semiconductor crystal materials that have been >>> "doped" with impurities(gasses etc.) to respond under an applied >>> physical pressure. When not touched or unactivated they remain >>> neutral and may be nonconductive ( or... they could be "resistive" >>> as opposed to becoming superconductive depending on their "doping"). >>> >>> As pressure is applied to the body of the switch crystal, such as >>> when pressed, stretched,twisted or squeezed, a voltage or charge is >>> produced during this changing pressure being negative on one side >>> and positive on the other side of surface of the crystal ( no charge >>> is produced at rest position). >>> >>> If the opposite action occurs, that is, not pressing , but >>> expanding, the opposite charge can and will result thus reversing >>> the polarity of voltage charge as the action occurs. >>> >>> This ability to give a positive or negative charge by physical >>> pressure is adapted to transistors. Unijunction, bipolar, or field >>> effect gated transistors can be biased(set up electrically) to >>> independently turn them on or off. This allows for a positive ("hole >>> flow") or negative (electrons) current to pass through them in one >>> direction or another or to be blocked completely. >>> >>> There are many manufacturers of piezoelectric products besides >>> switches such as microphones and speakers. Microphones use the >>> changes in modulated voice or sound to produce voltages which may be >>> amplified. Piezo speakers use the reverse action to produce actual >>> physical action of shrinking or expanding the crystal material as >>> voltages vary and are applied to the crystal. Remember if you can >>> produce one form of energy using some methodology in a certain way, >>> then there will always be a way to produce the original form of >>> energy through some reciprocal process all ready in production or to >>> be yet discovered (Lisi Theory). As an example, light emitting >>> diodes ( LEDs) produce light from charging particles and >>> photovoltaic cells produce electrical charges from lighting >>> particals. Another example is the piezo crystal microphone which >>> produces sound as charges are applied and modulated (adding >>> information through variation) compared with the piezo speaker in >>> your watch which makes voice or sound as it is modulated using >>> electrical charges to shrink or expand a crystal attached to some >>> sounding device or membrane which is vibrated. >>> >>> I hope this helps. >>> >>> >>> >>> Rick Lisi >>> >>> On Jul 6, 2004, at 11:19 AM, Jason Barkeloo wrote: >>> >>>> Jeff (or anybody), >>>> >>>> How does a piezoelectric switch work? >>>> From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Tue Jul 20 13:57:15 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:27 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] digital divide and libraries Message-ID: <3BE3278C-DA76-11D8-8D9D-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> "The ideal of the Internet was to be free," said Jerry Nichols, director of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, the coordinating agency for Suffolk County's 56 public libraries. "The reality of it is that not everyone can afford a computer or Internet access." http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-div0704,0,7978873.story?coll=ny- business --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Fri Jul 23 10:52:56 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:27 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Microsoft and Urban League fight tech gap Message-ID: Skipped content of type multipart/alternative-------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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A device called "Play Attention" combined with a dedicated teacher at Brooks Global Studies, an extended-year magnet school, helped Ricky learn how to better control his actions and cope with the ups and downs of everyday life by teaching him to concentrate. An Asheville-based company offers "Play Attention" as an alternative to traditional attention deficit disorder treatments, by asking users to move images on a computer screen using only their minds. "What this does is make attention concrete," says Peter Freer, founder and CEO of Unique Logic and Technology. "It takes it out of the abstract realm. ... It's the first time in their life that they actually see an attentive state as it happens." Built on technology originally used by NASA and the U.S. Air Force, "Play Attention" taps into brain waves through a red bike-helmet lined with sensors. The sensors send information to a computer that in turn controls the outcome of scenarios on the computer screen. For example, Ricky plays a game where a whale swims in the ocean. The more Ricky focuses on the whale, the deeper he swims, and Ricky's score jumps. A high score can't get Ricky too excited because, without his full concentration on the whale -- which he nicknamed 'Shamu' -- the whale swims to the surface. Ricky's mother, Lana Stone, saw her son develop cause-and-effect thinking -- "an absolute miracle," she says -- within a couple of months after he began to use "Play Attention" in March 2003. Before using the program, Ricky wouldn't equate his actions with their consequences. Now he understands that if storms out of after-school care, his teacher will call his mother to pick him up. "Having any sort of reasoning skills or cause and effect thinking is the difference between kids like my son having any kind of a chance at a typical life or winding up in an institution," Stone says. The program is a learning tool that builds a person's understanding of what it really means to pay attention. In an attempt to practice something that most closely resembles the actual event, "Play Attention" allows users to develop skills needed to perform better in a classroom, work or general setting. But Freer, the creator, acknowledges that the device is not a miracle: "It takes hard work and consistency." For most cases Freer recommends that users get at least 40 hours of work with the program in order to see substantial results. The cost of the "Play Attention" system for in-home use is $1,795, which includes an initial 90-minute tutorial, unlimited access to staff and technical support as well as progress reports and reviews based on data sent into the company. As a full distance-learning program, use is moderated remotely by trained specialists to increase productivity and focus by giving feedback and analyzing results. For schools and learning centers, the price is $2,500, which includes everything for in-home use, but allows the program to be used for an unlimited number of people, versus just two for in-home use. "Play Attention" is being used in more than 300 school systems throughout the United States as well as learning centers and psychologists offices worldwide, including Beijing, Singapore and New Zealand. The company is also in discussions with an unidentified U.S. Olympic team to use the system to help the team benefit from increased and improved focus. Freer started testing the system in the Asheville school system in 1994. The program came about when Freer, who spent 14 years as a teacher in western North Carolina, experienced problems with a student who had problems paying attention. When he went to the administration, he was told to "dangle a carrot over his head," move the student's desk closer to his desk and shorten his assignments. Still feeling inadequate, not being taught how to cope with these issues and unable to accommodate the student's needs, Freer looked for a way to help train students -- children and adults -- to control their attention and filter out distractions. "They have no idea what we're asking them to do and where they need to be physiologically and mentally," Freer said. "They just don't know." For years, traditional treatment for ADD/ADHD and other learning disabilities has been medication such as Ritalin and Adderol. For those looking to supplement medication, Freer thinks "Play Attention" is the answer. "Medication does not teach skills; that's where we come in," Freer said. "There has to be some kind of supplement to that because you can't just hope by osmosis by taking a pill that these kids are going to perform better." Performance successes with students like Ricky has given teachers like Linda Creamer no choice but to take on a mission -- and more hours -- on top of her normal teaching day. Creamer recently opened a learning center in Greensboro to accommodate more students. "This is the best program I have found," Creamer said. "It's very positive for the children. ... They can set goals for themselves on behaviors. It just performs wonders." Both the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and East Virginia Medical School are studying "Play Attention", with results expected within the next year. Results of a satisfaction survey sent to psychologists, teachers and parents asking about the effectiveness of the program indicated that 85 percent of the students showed improvement. Kenneth Kaufman, director of Focus Through Fun and the Institute for Behavioral Health in Commack, N.Y., now has 30 patients using the program, which he started in January. Kaufman said the program gives options to patients looking to forgo traditional medicinal treatments for ADD/ADHD. One drawback, Kaufman said, is that since most patient sessions include only 30 to 45 minutes of real treatment, achieving results can take a year or more -- a long road for parents and students looking for faster results. Freer will hold free demonstrations of the system at upcoming events in Winston-Salem, Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta. http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/07/27/ device_helps_learning_disabled_focus/ --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 7196 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040728/62d33cf0/attachment.bin From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Fri Jul 30 11:06:38 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:27 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] ebooks article Message-ID: <0EA51B56-E23A-11D8-A0B8-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> Skipped content of type multipart/alternative-------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: fcreep_ebook.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 6321 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040730/9cf8f607/fcreep_ebook.jpg -------------- next part -------------- Skipped content of type multipart/alternative From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Fri Jul 30 12:46:45 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:27 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Microsoft and XP SP2 impact on schools? Message-ID: <0B19257C-E248-11D8-A0B8-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> WinXP SP2 raises compatibility fears From eSchool News staff and wire service reports July 30, 2004 When software giant Microsoft Corp. releases a major security overhaul of its oft-targeted Windows XP operating system (OS) next month, the company is likely to find a number of school customers resistant to change. Though the upgrade promises to make the embattled OS safer, school leaders worry the transition will create significant headaches for their busy IT staff, many of whom say the timing couldn't be worse. "The timing is horrific for schools," said Sandra Becker, director of technology for the 4,000-student Governor Mifflin School District in Shillington, Pa. "We usually use the summer to refresh and update all computers." Going into a new school year, Becker isn't exactly jumping at the chance to outfit the 800-plus computers in her district that are currently running XP with Microsoft's beefed-up Service Pack 2 (SP2), reportedly the biggest security upgrade ever for Windows. "Changing an operating system involves [investing a great deal of] time in testing," Becker said, "especially with Microsoft products." Safer XP or not, there's no telling how the upgrade might affect the myriad of learning resources and special-education applications configured to run on the older system, said Becker, adding that she wouldn't have sufficient time to address these and other compatibility issues until at least the winter break. As Microsoft toes the line between compatibility and safety, the impending overhaul has elicited grumbling from school and business customers alike, whose applications could require major changes--and glee from security experts who say any software product that doesn't work wasn't secure enough in the first place and needs to be fixed. "The applications that will break with SP2 were essentially doing things wrong from a security perspective," said John Pescatore, vice president of internet security at Gartner Research. SP2 comes in response to a series of attacks that have plagued Microsoft's products, taking advantage of vulnerabilities to spread viruses, steal personal information, and otherwise wreak havoc. Some companies rushing to make their applications compatible--or trying to negotiate last-minute Microsoft changes--complain that SP2 is creating headaches. "The changes Microsoft is proposing for SP2 will have serious negative consequences on the consumer experience of many applications and web sites," RealNetworks spokeswoman Erika Shaffer said. The Microsoft rival makes a digital music and video player and sells subscription download services. The new system bolsters security on Windows, its built-in Internet Explorer browser, and Outlook Express eMail. Among the changes: A Windows Firewall will be turned on automatically, helping to guard against attack. The browser has been fortified, and a new attachment manager will offer tougher policing against eMail-borne attacks. The changes in the way Windows polices itself--particularly the newly strengthened firewall--could cause troubles for applications that are used to working with Windows' old ways. Some say that's particularly true of applications that regularly interact online, such as gaming programs or music services. Security experts say it's tough to know how many companies might have to change their products to be compatible. Microsoft has delayed SP2's release, originally scheduled for June, amid efforts to improve compatibility. Microsoft group product manager Barry Goffe says the "vast majority of applications" should function properly when SP2 comes out. In the end, analysts believe most consumers will avoid major problems because most companies that have problems will fix them by the time SP2 is released. Gartner Research estimates that a mere 3 percent of applications that run on Windows won't work once SP2 is out. Perhaps the biggest change with SP2 will be a host of new alerts the user suddenly will get, offering more detailed information about what programs are trying to contact the computer and giving the user more chances to accept or decline. Macromedia Inc.'s Flash technology required only minor technical changes to make it compatible with SP2. But the company was more concerned about early language in these warnings that could make even legitimate interactions seem scary and unwise. David Mendels, Macromedia's senior vice president in charge of developer products, said Microsoft was very responsive to its concerns. Now, he said, the prompts are less dire and more specific. Microsoft's own products are not immune. Joe Wilcox, a senior Jupiter Research analyst who is testing an early version of SP2, recently was blocked from using Microsoft's Office Live Meeting conferencing product. Although he could have overridden that, Wilcox instead skipped the online option and called on a regular phone. To Gartner's Pescatore, such inconveniences are worth it. "From a security perspective, the problems we've been having--these worms and such--we can often blame on things that need to be fixed in Windows," Pescatore said. "So when Microsoft finally gets around to fixing them, it's going to take some pain to get past that point." But Marc Liebman, superintendent of the Marysville Joint Unified School District in California, doesn't quite see it that way. "My belief is that the real problem is not the fix, it is the fact that [Microsoft] designs software and brings it to market before these types of issues are identified and resolved," he said. "While new problems will always come up, if [Microsoft] has the quality engineers it professes, then these problems should be anticipated--and many are not." Liebman said his district, which uses XP on 20 percent of its machines, does not plan to not install the upgrade, at least for this school year. "We currently have effective hardware, firewalls, virus protection software, and numerous filtering systems in place to protect our system," he said. With those protections in place, Liebman said, the district has little need to make a switch, especially one that could prove to be a problem for administrative and instructional software. "We will let the field play out the problems and develop the necessary fixes before transferring over," he said. Microsoft says it will make SP2 available for download through its web-based Automatic Update applications. The company also plans to distribute the service pack on CD-ROM and is currently in talks with major retail outlets to increase distribution and visibility of the free product. http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=5199 --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 7493 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040730/05a2251b/attachment.bin From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Fri Jul 30 14:21:45 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Wed Aug 18 16:10:27 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] TouchSmart Publishing and The Primax Group Announce Strategic Partnership for Education Content Message-ID: <508D74D3-E255-11D8-A0B8-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> We are pleased to announce our latest partnership to bridge the digital divide in education... TouchSmart Publishing and The Primax Group Announce Strategic Partnership for Education Content http://www.touchsmart.net/about/pressroom/TSP_Primax.htm --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Fri Jul 2 08:08:11 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Fwd: press release Message-ID: <7D2392A2-CC20-11D8-ACEE-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> TouchSmart Publishing and SOCHE Announce Strategic Alliance Friday, July 2, 9:22 am ET Cincinnati, OH--(PRWEB)?July 2, 2004--TouchSmart Publishing, LLC and the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) today announced a strategic alliance to investigate ways to reduce textbook costs in higher education. According to Jason Barkeloo, President of TouchSmart Publishing, ?textbook costs are rising fast. A recent Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) study indicates students are borrowing more money to meet this increasing demand.? Barkeloo added that ?our interactive wireless textbooks connecting to digital content we may help reduce the costs of textbooks to its consortium members. Sean Creighton, Executive Director of SOCHE, reinforced the alliance by adding that, ?SOCHE is pleased to work with such a forward-leaning organization as TouchSmart in reducing textbook costs for students in our region.? Barkeloo says that because ?students can press pictures and words on the paper that enables the connection, the back-end digital content is incredibly important.? The touch user interface (TUI) technology connects paper directly to digital content that can reside on optical media, the Internet, or hard-drives. As a result, the weight and number of printed pages in the book is reduced and the associated costs with it. Furthermore, SOCHE is concerned with increasing participation in higher education for those with access concerns and feels this technology could help disability services departments. According to Creighton, ?This TUI-based technology shows promise in increasing accessibility.? The SOCHE and TouchSmart alliance is a step in advocating for student success and in-line with the Governor?s Commission on Higher Education and the Economy report.? About TouchSmart Publishing, LLC. TouchSmart Publishing is a developmental-stage company with the exclusive license to develop and distribute touch-sensitive books to the K-12 math, science, and special education needs students. The Company's mission is to create and distribute exciting and easy-to-use interactive textbooks that connect to digital content by touching pages in a book. TouchSmart Publishing provides a bridge over the digital divide for more students, regardless of learning style, special needs or socioeconomic position, than are current connected. For more information, please visit the TouchSmart Publishing web site at http://www.touchsmart.net. About SOCHE Formed in 1967, the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) is a regional consortium of colleges, universities, and business advancing higher education through academic collaboration, corporate and community partnerships, and student success. SOCHE?s initiatives include cross-registration between member schools, a student research programs at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, degree finder for prospective students, cost savings programs, and continuous improvement conferences. For more information, visit www.soche.org. Contact: TouchSmart Publishing, LLC Jason Barkeloo, 513.225.8765 SOCHE Sean Creighton, 937.258.8890 Source: TouchSmart Publishing, LLC --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 4293 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040702/c5e6944c/attachment-0001.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Tue Jul 6 11:19:49 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] piezoelectric switch? Message-ID: Jeff (or anybody), How does a piezoelectric switch work? jb --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Tue Jul 6 12:16:12 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Teachers concerned for science education Message-ID: Teachers concerned for science education By Ben Feller, AP Education Writer ?|? July 6, 2004 WASHINGTON -- Many educators and employers liken the state of science education to a chemistry project gone awry: A bad mix of factors has come together and it spells trouble. By law, making students better at reading and math is the nation's priority. When it comes to science, however, a quiet crisis is engulfing schools, say scientists, educators, business leaders and entrepreneurs. It begins when young students skip challenging science courses and later produces an understaffed or ill-trained corps of science instructors. The result is lagging U.S. performance in jobs, research and innovation. "The public is not hearing this," said Gerald Wheeler, a nuclear physicist and executive director of the National Science Teachers Association. "It's troubling that at one level, we understand that we live in a technological society, but it's not playing out that way. Science is on the back burner." Not everyone is pessimistic. The country remains a dominant force in the advancement of science. Also, some observers say the picture of an "emerging and critical" problem in the labor force, as it was put by the government advisory National Science Board, is overblown. But teachers in the field say they need help, mainly in professional training and enough class time to be creative. "Is the goal now a set of scores or is the goal a set of scientists?" said Janis Elliott, who teaches physics at a high school in Bellevue, Neb. "That's the difference and you don't achieve those goals in the same way." Teachers attending the National Education Association's annual meeting spoke about the state of science education in a group interview Saturday with The Associated Press. Elliott, who trains other teachers in science trends, says she often must seek her own training from outside sources. They include military weapons experts, a private engineering company and a cancer research institute. "In physics, with infrared imagery, I have to tell kids how to use it, how they're going to need to know it, what computer applications come with it, how they're going to use it in medicine and in looking for bomb shelter in war ... We don't get that training in college," Elliott said. Carol Bauer, an elementary school teacher in Yorktown, Va., says she sees inquisitive students who do not know what they are missing, either in school or in their own free time. "The kids today don't have a chance to discover," she said. "They don't even get to go check out their own neighborhood. We have to know what they're doing all the time. They just don't know what exploration is." Education Department leaders say science is not a second-class subject. They have led efforts aimed at improving teachers' skills and they are watching for results. By 2007, under the No Child Left Behind law, all schools must test students in science at least once in elementary, middle and high school. The science news of late has not been uplifting, from national test scores to teachers' confidence in their science skills and parents' satisfaction in course offerings. Business leaders say they have seen declining interest in science among students. "It's going to cause a steady weakening of U.S. leadership in technology and related fields," said Gary Bloom, chief executive of the Veritas software company and one of several technology executives to ask Congress to put greater focus on science in schools. "More and more creativity, new ideas, patents, engineering and businesses will begin to creep overseas." Daniel Greenberg, a guest scholar at The Brookings Institution who specializes in the politics of science, disputes any notion of an impending crisis. American scientific exploration will thrive "regardless of the worry-mongers who periodically sound false alarms," he wrote recently. But in today's schools, teachers see problems even in finding time to plan and set up a science lesson in class. Improving training is essential if those with science backgrounds are to stick with teaching over more lucrative jobs, said Sandy Sullivan, an elementary school teacher from Ashburn, Va. "That's important in any subject, but especially science," she said, "because it can be left behind." http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/07/06/ teachers_concerned_for_science_education/ --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 5348 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040706/a95662de/attachment-0001.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Tue Jul 6 21:58:11 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] grants Message-ID: <19EC763C-CFB9-11D8-997A-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> http://www.ed.gov/programs/edresearch/index.html Education Reserach Grants, U.S. DOE Under this program title, the Institute of Education Sciences supports research to improve education at all levels. The intent of these grants is to provide national leadership in expanding fundamental knowledge and understanding of education from early childhood through postsecondary study. Current Applications Applications to the FY 2005 competitions must be submitted electronically to the following web site: http://ies.constellagroup.com. Information on the software to be used in submitting applications will be available at the same web site. Reading Comprehension and Reading Scale-up Research CFDA Number: 84.305G Applications Available ? July 9, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? October 28, 2004 Mathematics and Science Education Research CFDA Number: 84.305K Applications Available ? July 9, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? October 28, 2004 Secondary Analysis of National Assessment of Educational Progress Data CFDA Number: 84.902B Applications Available ? July 9, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? October 28, 2004 National Research and Development Centers CFDA Number: 84.305A Applications Available ? July 9, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? November 18, 2004 Post-doctoral Research Fellowship CFDA Number: 84.305B Applications Available ? July 9, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? November 18, 2004 Teacher Quality Research ? Reading CFDA Number: 84.305M Applications Available ? August 6, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? December 2, 2004 Teacher Quality Research ? Mathematics and Science CFDA Number: 84.305M Applications Available ? August 6, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? December 2, 2004 Research on Education Finance, Leadership and Management CFDA Number: 84.305E Applications Available ? August 6, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? December 16, 2004 Cognition and Student Learning Research CFDA Number: 84.305H Applications Available ? August 6, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? December 16, 2004 Field-Initiated Evaluations of Education Innovations CFDA Number: 84.305F Applications Available ? August 6, 2004 Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ? December 16, 2004 Funding Status Fiscal Year 2005 Reading Comprehension and Reading Scale-up Research Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $1,200,000Project Period: Up to 5 years Mathematics and Science Education Research Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $1,200,000Project Period: Up to 5 years Secondary Analysis of National Assessment of Educational Progress Data Estimated Range of Awards: $65,000 to $100,000Project Period: Up to 18 months National Research and Development Centers Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000 to $2,000,000Project Period: Up to 5 years Post-doctoral Research Fellowship Estimated Range of Awards: $50,000 fellowshipsProject Period: Up to 2 years Teacher Quality Research ? Reading Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $1,200,000Project Period: Up to 5 years Teacher Quality Research ? Mathematics and Science Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $1,200,000Project Period: Up to 5 years Research on Education Finance, Leadership and Management Estimated Range of Awards: $100,000 to $750,000Project Period: Up to 4 years Cognition and Student Learning Research Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $350,000Project Period: Up to 3 years Field-Initiated Evaluations of Educations Innovations Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000 to $1,200,000Project Period: Up to 5 years --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 4313 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040706/23db2b78/attachment-0001.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Tue Jul 6 22:59:02 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Draper made SlashDot Message-ID: <99A48B12-CFC1-11D8-997A-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> The Draper contest with the TouchSmart submission made SlashDot. http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/07/06/0024205 jb --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Wed Jul 7 00:39:44 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] TouchSmart website hit meter Message-ID: The website hit meter for TouchSmart just hit an all-time high for a single day - over 1300: http://kagamil.pair.com/tchsmart/WEBALIZER_REPORTS/www/usage_200407.html jb --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Wed Jul 7 11:22:53 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] New Press Release from TouchSmart Message-ID: <842DF111-D029-11D8-A9EC-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> Smartpaper Networks licenses Touchsmart Publishing to distribute next-generation textbooks using a unique ?Touch User Interface? Los Gatos, CA and Cincinnati, OH -- (PRWEB) ? July 9, 2004 - Smartpaper? Networks Corporation and Touchsmart Publishing LLC have completed an agreement that gives Touchsmart the exclusive right to distribute mathematics, science, and special education products based on Smartpaper intellectual property. Smartpaper Networks has developed a breakthrough digital media delivery platform that finally unites print and digital media. Smartpaper is the only technology that transforms ordinary paper into a wireless control device, bringing printed pages to life by activating the power of video, audio, and the Internet with the touch of a finger. Smartpaper technology enables a multimedia learning process across multiple media delivery devices by linking text and graphics with audio and video, via personal computers, televisions with DVDs, game consoles, and other access points to the Internet. Smartpaper technology facilitates the delivery of educational content in multiple modes, effective for students with diverse learning styles and special needs not addressed by traditional learning methodologies and materials. Touchsmart Publishing intends to create and distribute exciting and easy-to-use interactive textbooks that connect to digital content by touching pages of paper. Through the ?touch user interface (TUI),? they provide a bridge across the digital divide for more students. Touchsmart founder and CEO, Jason Barkeloo, notes, ?The TUI technology has the promise of reducing the cost of textbooks while increasing the amount of content and including multiple student learning styles and special needs. This technology enables a de-centralized publishing model that will greatly benefit school districts as it allows them to publish their own books.? Alan Chaplin, CEO of Smartpaper Networks, commented, ?Touchsmart Publishing has a unique vision for bringing enhanced learning tools to the educational market. We are pleased that they will be among the first adopters of our patented protected technology and excited by the reception they have received both from educators and from educational content providers.? About Smartpaper Networks Corporation: Smartpaper Networks Corporation has created a new electronic media platform that utilizes patented Smartpaper? technology to make ordinary paper books and other printed publications come to life with the touch of a finger. Smartpaper?s SmartCase?, the entry product for the company, will provide a place to bind conventional printed publications to enable the pages to become touch-sensitive. When the page is touched, the coordinates of the touch are wirelessly transmitted (via infrared) to a host device such as a DVD player, or video game platform that enables a PC monitor or TV to display the hyperlinked electronic media. For more information about Smartpaper Networks, please visit us at www.smartpaper.net. About TouchSmart Publishing, LLC: TouchSmart Publishing is developmental-stage company with the exclusive license to develop and distribute touch-sensitive books to the K-12 math, science, and special education needs students. The Company's mission is to create and distribute exciting and easy-to-use interactive textbooks that connect to digital content by touching pages in a book. TouchSmart Publishing provides a bridge over the digital divide for more students, regardless of learning style, special needs or socioeconomic position, than are current connected. For more information, please visit the TouchSmart Publishing web site at http://www.touchsmart.net. ?http://www.touchsmart.net/about/pressroom/Smartpaper.htm --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 5011 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040707/a1b6b45a/attachment-0001.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Wed Jul 7 13:26:53 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Teachers concerned about science education Message-ID: Skipped content of type multipart/alternative-------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 5178.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 75610 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040707/eff0ca20/5178-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- Skipped content of type multipart/alternative From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Wed Jul 7 20:11:36 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Free Discovery.com VOD subscription Message-ID: <60A0A574-D073-11D8-A9EC-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> > Discovery.com has intitiated a unique program to help school leaders > and teachers to become aware of the power of the Internet to deliver > resources to the teachers and students to use in their teaching and > learning practices.? This initiative allows a district to apply for, > at no cost, a one-year VOD (video on demand) subscription from > unitedstreaming.com for one school building?to allow teachers to learn > and share?more about these digital resources.? This particular > resource has over 2,000 video's and 22,000 clips as well as clipart > repositories, perfect for student projects and teacher demonstration.? > The offer is only for districts/schools who are not current > subscribers. > ? > If you are not currently a unitedstreaming school, you can go to > http://vod.unitedstreaming.com.? Many of you have recieved letters or > e-mails that had a passcode for this offer.? If you don't have it, > there is a place to request one. > ? > If you are not sure it is value, Discovery.com has provided SIGTC > members with the following to signup for a free 14-day trial.? Please > use the passcode below if you are asking for a 14-day trial so > Discovery will know you are a member of our SIGTC community.? The code > below is NOT a valid VOD code, it is just for a short trial to get a > taste of this resource and whether you wish to investigate the VOD > offer further. > ? > 1. ?Go to http://www.unitedstreaming.com > 2. ?In the middle of the screen you will see a section for "Passcode". > ?Enter 2935-F416 in the two boxes. > 3. ?The system will prompt you to set up you own username & password. > ??? 3.a.? A confirming e-mail will be sent to activate your trial > account. > 4. ?Once you have successfully set up you username & password, you > access http://www.unitedstreaming.com. ?On the far left side is a > section for "username" & "password". ?Key in your personal data you've > just set up. > 5. ?You are now live on the site. > ? > From their web-site, the limitations are: > > Discovery Education, the leader in digital video and multimedia-based > learning, is proud to introduce the unitedstreaming VOD Pass ? a > comprehensive new program to bring standards-based digital > video-on-demand to every school district in the United States. Through > this promotion, one school building in each district not currently > subscribing to unitedstreaming will have access to this award winning > service from July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005. > > To find out if your district qualifies for this free trial offer, > visit http://vod.unitedstreaming.com and select a school. If you are > eligible, a Discovery Education implementation representative will > coordinate initial telephone and online training for the instructional > technology coordinators and teachers at the selected school. > Throughout the trial period, training is available to ensure that > teachers and students get the maximum benefits from the service. > > unitedstreaming is currently in use in over 26,000 schools across the > country, giving access to more than 2,200 videos and 22,000 video > clips correlated with your individual state?s standards. The service > also gives teachers access to a high-resolution image library, > interactive quiz center, black line masters and teachers? guides, and > a calendar of events that ties video and image content to important > dates in history. unitedstreaming has shown significant improvement in > student achievement in science, math, and history through two > independent scientific evaluations. > > Disclaimer > Free subscription is valid July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005 and is > only available to U.S. public school districts. May not be combined > with any other offer. The unitedstreaming VOD Pass is available only > to school districts that are not currently covered under a > unitedstreaming license at the district, regional or state level. Void > where prohibited. You will not be billed for this promotion. > http://vod.unitedstreaming.com/promoDetail.cfm > ? --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 5182 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040707/328200fa/attachment-0001.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Thu Jul 8 07:03:02 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Low Cost Computers for Africa Message-ID: <61BAA9E6-D0CE-11D8-92CE-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> Low Cost Computers Hit Stumbling Block 07/07/2004 09:28 AM Lucas van Grinsven and Bernhard Warner A pilot project in Africa which aims to provide a single computer that can be used by four school students simultaneously has stumbled across one of the business world's basic facts of life. Why make a cheap machine when customers in the developed world will pay good money for a more expensive one? The question hangs over efforts being made by American computer-maker Hewlett Packard, which in the last two weeks introduced the Multi-user 441 desktop, a computer based on the open-source Linux operating system. HP reckons the unique design - in which four keyboards and monitors are connected to a single central processing unit - will save schools up to 60 percent of their ballooning computer costs. But there is a hitch. HP has only made enough machines to sell to cash-starved school districts in South Africa. As interest in the machine grows, the limited supply has turned a well-intentioned product into a source of confusion among educators and a point of debate among industry analysts, who question whether a major computer maker has an interest in bringing a low-cost alternative to a wider mass market. "Usually what happens is, if we come across a system that works and works well, we try to spread it out across our (schools) network," said Sara Kyofuna, a member of SchoolNetAfrica, a non-profit organisation aiming to bring computers to classrooms in Africa's poorest nations. "Why it would be made available for one market and not another, I really do not understand," she said. But, Will It Work In Angola? SchoolNetAfrica is a potential customer. It is interested in buying some of the terminals for schools in Angola, but now the outfit is unsure whether HP will supply them for schools there. HP said while a wider roll-out schedule for the product has not been finalised, it would like to bring the machine to new markets by year-end. But, the computer maker added, the product will be marketed solely to developing nations. In the meantime, HP said it is talking to Pan-African organisations such as SchoolNetAfrica to bring the 441 to markets outside South Africa. Impoverished school districts in Western Europe and North America though will have to wait. SchoolNetAfrica is facing a dilemma familiar to anybody with a stretched technology budget. For boot-strapping start-ups in Moscow and poor school districts in downtown Johannesburg alike, bargain hunting is essential to meet growing IT needs. A machine like the 441 may not suit everybody's computing needs, but HP has shown that the day for an economical PC has arrived and, quite possibly, unleashed a new era in computing. Kudos From The Sidelines HP rivals including International Business Machines Corp., applauded HP's move to bring a cheap Linux-based machine to market. "Linux has always been able to support multiple users, and Intel processors are also able to support multiple users. It's a good use of the technology," said Doug Nielson, e-server consultant at IBM in Europe. However, IBM could not say if it would follow suit. Analysts wonder whether the cost of altruism may be too high for major computer makers whose bottom line depends on selling PCs. It's a common dilemma for companies who seek to sell their products in emerging markets. "Large hardware vendors are likely to be reticent to introduce machines which might reduce their total sales," said Martin Hingley at market research group IDC. They may be missing out on a yet-untapped market for small offices and home users, however. "There is a massive opportunity for something similar to this for the home," Hingley added. Scary Linux While availability remains one issue, a move to a cheap Linux machine can still scare users. Ton Wagenaar, who manages the computer network at the Dalton secondary school in Voorburg, The Netherlands, likes the cost savings of Linux, but worries about his students' preferences. "The Linux desktop is quite different from what students are used to in (Microsoft's) Windows. For that reason, I can't see a quick changeover," he said. Moreover, users with elaborate computing needs would probably shy away from a multi-user machine like HP 441, said Nikos Drakos, an analyst with tech consultancy Gartner. "That's why South African schools make sense. But it would not work for the general knowledge worker who needs to run software programs written for Windows," he said. http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,3782-3495250,00.html --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 5650 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040708/a133df7d/attachment-0001.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Thu Jul 8 15:23:30 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Report shows big drop in reading Message-ID: <4B747FBA-D114-11D8-92CE-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> Report shows big drop in reading Only 57 percent of Americans read a book in 2002 The Associated Press Updated: 12:33 a.m.?ET July?08, 2004 NEW YORK - The reading of books is on the decline in America, despite Harry Potter and the best efforts of Oprah Winfrey. A report released Thursday by the National Endowment for the Arts says the number of non-reading adults increased by more than 17 million between 1992 and 2002. Only 47 percent of American adults read ?literature? (poems, plays, narrative fiction) in 2002, a drop of 7 points from a decade earlier. Those reading any book at all in 2002 fell to 57 percent, down from 61 percent. NEA chairman Dana Gioia, himself a poet, called the findings shocking and a reason for grave concern. ?We have a lot of functionally literate people who are no longer engaged readers,? Gioia said in an interview with The Associated Press. ?This isn?t a case of ?Johnny Can?t Read,? but ?Johnny Won?t Read.?? The likely culprits, according to the report: television, movies and the Internet. ?I think what we?re seeing is an enormous cultural shift from print media to electronic media, and the unintended consequences of that shift,? Gioia said. The decline came despite the creation of Oprah?s book club in 1996 and the Harry Potter craze that began in the late 1990s among kids and adults alike. Reading fell even as Barnes & Noble boasted that its superstore empire was expanding the book market. In 1992, 72.6 million adults in the United States did not read a book. By 2002, that figure had increased to 89.9 million, the NEA said. ?Whenever I hear about something like this, I think of it as a call to arms,? said Mitchell Kaplan, president of the American Booksellers Association. ?As booksellers, we need to look into what kinds of partnerships we can get into to encourage literacy and the immediacy of the literary experience.? In May, the nonprofit Book Industry Study Group reported that the number of books purchased in the United States in 2003 fell by 23 million from the year before to 2.22 billion. The NEA study, titled ?Reading at Risk,? was based on a Census Bureau survey of more than 17,000 adults. The drop in reading was widespread: among men and women, young and old, black and white, college graduates and high school dropouts. The numbers were especially poor among adult men, of whom only 38 percent read literature, and Hispanics overall, for whom the percentage was 26.5. The decline was especially great among the youngest people surveyed, ages 18 to 24. Only 43 percent had read any literature in 2002, down from 53 percent in 1992. Gioia said the electronic media that are contributing to the problem do offer possible remedies. He praised Winfrey?s use of television to promote literacy and said he wished for a ?thousand variants? of the idea. ?There?s a communal aspect to reading that has collapsed and we need to find ways to restore it,? Gioia said. The title ?Reading at Risk? is modeled on ?A Nation at Risk,? a 1983 government study that warned of a ?rising tide of mediocrity in elementary and secondary schools? and led to numerous reforms. But Gioia avoided specific proposals in the NEA report. ?I don?t believe the NEA should tell the culture what to do,? he said. ?The reason we are bringing this study out is that we consider it a crisis situation that requires a national conversation.? http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5389382/ --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 4592 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040708/bbde5d2b/attachment-0001.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Fri Jul 9 08:13:49 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Wikipedia Message-ID: <6F626E26-D1A1-11D8-9085-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> Wikipedia, a 3-year-old non-profit project to build an encyclopedia using WikiWiki software has surpassed 300K articles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Statistics --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Mon Jul 12 14:16:01 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] AEP Inducts Teachers to Hall of Fame Message-ID: <87C0F16A-D42F-11D8-85AD-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> > EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHERS INDUCT TEACHERS TO HALL OF FAME > "Sesame Street" Creator Among Hall of Fame Inductees > > Joan Ganz Cooney, whose vision led to the phenomenally successful > children's television program, "Sesame Street," and Joan Irwin, who > has guided a line of professional publications to international > praise, share a fundamental trait with Tom Snyder, who expanded his > knowledge of computer programs into an award-winning software company. > That trait? All three began as teachers. > > On December 2, 2004, these three teachers will share one more > achievement: Each will be inducted into the Association of Educational > Publishers Hall of Fame. Inductees are nominated by AEP members and > chosen by the Board of Directors on the basis of lifetime work and > contributions to the field of educational publishing. They are > presented to the Hall of Fame by a close friend or family member who > outlines their unique careers. > > The ninth annual AEP Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at > the prestigious Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York City, with > approximately 300 members and guests in attendance. > > In 1995, Joan Ganz Cooney was presented with this nation's highest > civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The award > underscored a lifetime of innovative educational programs for children > fostered by the woman who earned her B.A. in teaching and found a way > to teach millions of youngsters at a time. As president of Sesame > Workshop (formerly Children's Television Workshop), producers of the > seminal educational television program, "Sesame Street", Cooney taught > the world that television can be a major beneficial force in childrens > education. > > Still in production, "Sesame Street" today is seen by hundreds of > millions of children in nearly a hundred countries. The various > programs developed by Sesame Workshop have earned numerous Emmys. > > Cooney, herself, has earned a Daytime Emmy for Lifetime Achievement > and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1990. Her > induction into the AEP Hall of Fame is the latest in a list of honors > recognizing her contributions to the wider community. These include > presidential commissions on social issues and membership on numerous > boards, such as the Council on Foreign Relations, the National > Institute of Social Sciences, the International Radio and TV Society > and the National Organization of Women. > > During the 13 years that Joan Irwin was Director of Publications for > the International Reading Association, she presided over a tremendous > growth of the companys journals, books, newspapers, electronic, and > online services. Today, the IRA's publications provide news, research > and support for 80,000 members worldwide in the teaching profession. > Irwin, a teacher of reading and literature at all school levels, > stamped her tenure as Director of Publications with an insider's > knowledge of the outside help that would most benefit a teacher. Under > her tutelage, IRA has garnered several awards for quality. > > Irwin recently brought her knowledge to the Association of Educational > Publishers where she has just completed a three-year term on the Board > of Directors. In that time, she worked to promote the Global Learning > Initiative, a far-reaching project AEP sponsors in association with > the renowned Bologna Childrens Book Fair. She is also a member of the > Advisory Board for Hampshire Educational Collaborative, which designs > online courses for teachers. > > She is currently the Vice President for Professional Development for > Peoples Publishing Group where she is developing a new series of > resources for K-8 professional development in reading instruction. The > venture will no doubt go well. As one of her IRA colleagues observed, > "Joan has left a legacy of success wherever she has served." > > The Wow! Factor apparently struck Tom Snyder nearly 25 years ago when > he first used a classroom computer to help him teach his elementary > and middle school students. Recognizing the teaching potential of the > nascent technology in the classroom, he began designing computer > programs to enhance the learning experience. By 1980 he had founded > Tom Snyder Productions and was deeply involved in using his teaching > skills to develop educational software products and services to > inspire students and teachers alike. His award-winning software > includes "Geography Search," "Fizz & Martinas Math Adventures," and > "Decisions, Decisions," which earned many awards including a Codie > Award for Excellence in Technology. > > Snyder branched into television products, co-creating and producing > the TV cartoon hit "Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist" and > "Squigglevision," a TV show based on his popular CD-ROM series > "Science Court" which taught science, math and language concepts using > humor and interactive experiments. Both "Dr. Katz" and > "Squigglevision" earned top television awards for Tom Snyder > Productions. In addition, Snyder took home a Childrens Special Emmy in > 1998 for the animation of the HBO childrens special, "The Tale of the > Watch". > > In 2001, Tom Snyder Productions was acquired by Scholastic, the global > childrens publishing and media company. Today, Tom Snyder Productions > is a leading developer and publisher of interactive educational > software for K-12 classrooms, producing such well-known products as > Timeliner 5.0 and Thinking Reader(tm). The company carries more than > 125 award-winning educational software titles, covering each > curriculum area, to help teachers integrate technology into their > classrooms. Snyder continues to employ his creativity as a consultant > to his former company, and by writing a musical and pursuing his > passion as an amateur rock musician and composer. > > About AEP > AEP, a national, nonprofit organization, represents, supports and > promotes the publishers of supplemental educational resources, key > tools for reading and learning at school and at home. Its membership > includes the giants of the supplemental education industry, and spans > the gamut from magazines to television channels, books to interactive > computer software and CDs. Please visit http://www.edpress.org for > more information. > > --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 7632 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040712/b1732edd/attachment-0001.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Wed Jul 14 10:03:39 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] A Manifesto for Instructional Technology: Hyperpedagogy Message-ID: <9B2DDA04-D59E-11D8-9CB3-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> A Manifesto for Instructional Technology: Hyperpedagogy Jim?Dwight Virginia Tech Author Bio?|?E-mail Author Jim?Garrison Virginia Tech Author Bio?|?E-mail Author We believe hypertext and hypermedia solidify bold and original ideas having the power to open new realms of creative possibility. Unfortunately, we find the new tools encrusted within concepts borrowed from traditional curriculum theory and instructional design. Our goal in this paper is to liberate hypertext; doing so requires challenging Western metaphysics. We rely on the philosophy of John Dewey to disclose this metaphysics and propose an alternative. The paper reviews dominant models of curriculum, especially Ralph Tyler?s, revealing their concealed metaphysical assumptions. Our efforts are greatly aided by Herbert M. Kliebard?s critique of the Tyler rationale, exposing the fact that, in spite of its inflated claims, all there is to Tyler?s rationale is ??the philosophical screen.?? That is also all we think there is to all the dominant models of curriculum. We show that the philosophical screen is largely comprised of a concealed metaphysics before concluding by showing how hypertext and hypermedia, freed of dogmatic metaphysics, may yield what we call hyperpedagogy, based upon theories of emergent pedagogy and transactional metaphysics. Executive Summary Computers in the classroom offer exciting and promising educational potential and one of the most auspicious ideas circulating in the field is hypertext. Hypertext, and hypermedia, actualizes bold and original ideas having the power to open new realms of creative possibility. One of the boldest and most original of these ideas is poststructuralism. Poststructuralist thinking rejects the notions of a fixed and final telos, absolute origin, or ultimate fixed center (or foundation) to any process, including learning processes. Unfortunately, structuralist concepts borrowed from traditional curriculum theory squeeze the life out of hypertext. Our goal in this article is to reconceptualize how classroom computing can make appropriate use of the new tools of hypertext. Doing so requires us to challenge some of the most entrenched dogmas of Western thought. We have in mind the metaphysics that emerged in the writings of Plato and Aristotle ?2,500 years ago and have been promulgated ever since. This metaphysics assumes fixed and final essences that are the ultimate telos of all natural processes, including intelligent inquiry and learning. Structuralist metaphysics further assumes that ultimate ends and essences regulate the process so it achieves preordained objectives. Supposedly, acorns become oak trees because they have the latent potential to achieve their perfect essence. The same false assumption holds for children?s potential for becoming perfectly rational adults. Currently, educational objectives and standards determined in advance of the opportunity for learning provide the ultimate telos and the essence of proper learning. The aim of this article is to nudge those in the field of education who advocate the expanded use of computers in the classroom into a state of discontent and disequilibrium, so that we can chart new courses in the inchoate and evolving globalized digital culture. To do this in the deepest, most disturbing way possible, we must shed light on the cardinal principles of the structuralist metaphysics that has dominated 2,500 years of Western thought by deconstructing its liabilities. Dogmatic metaphysics went largely unchallenged until Darwin proposed the theory of evolution. The word ?species? is just the Latin for the ancient Greek word for essence (eidos); essences evolve though they have no fixed and final telos determined in advance?as should educational objectives. Our article is a manifesto; it calls for digital technology in education to embrace forms of pedagogy appropriate to hypertext. Hypertext builds upon poststructuralist theories respecting communication, authority, knowledge, and power as well as theories of critical pedagogy. Liberating hypertext to realize its possibilities for emergent learning requires many things. Here, we only strive to free it from the bounds of traditional metaphysics with its assumptions of fixedness and finality. That means freeing how we use computers in education following traditional theories of curriculum and instructional design, all of which have structuralist assumptions about objectives, standards, and the ultimate aims of education. If we are right, hypertext embodies ideas that point the way toward new educational vistas. We begin with a brief definition of hypertext. Next, we discuss Jay L. Lemke?s rejection of traditional educational systems as inadequate for releasing the potential of hypertext. We think Lemke constitutes a good beginning, but hypertext owes a great deal to poststructuralist semiotics, particularly the work of Barthes, Derrida, and Foucault. Therefore, any critique of traditional theories of curriculum and instructional design adequate to releasing the potential of hypertext must expose their structuralist assumptions. These assumptions include a commitment to ultimate foundations, supposedly eternal, fixed, and final essences, and the idea that any activity, including the activity of learning, has a perfect telos (e.g., the actualization of the child?s potential for rationality). We have two surprising allies in deconstructing the structuralist assumptions of conventional curriculum and instructional design. One is Herbert M. Kliebard?s (1970/1979) critique of the curriculum rationale of Ralph Tyler?s objectives based theory of curriculum that dominates educational thinking right up to today?s ?standards? movement. Toward the end of his critique, Kliebard turns to John Dewey for support. Dewey is our second surprising ally, especially because it is not difficult to show that his philosophy is poststructuralist (Garrison, 1999, 2001). Structuralism, including structuralist theories of curriculum and instructional design, receives its strongest support from a hidden source, the tradition of Western metaphysics. We show how Dewey?s philosophy of education, including his critique of traditional curriculum theory and instructional design, relies on his critique of Western metaphysics. Having come to grips with Dewey?s poststructuralism, we examine how poststructuralist thought informs hypertext theory. We will place special emphasis on George Landow?s vision of hypertext as a poststructuralist space; Dewey provides an appropriate pedagogy for such a space. Hypertext theories advocate enacting a more pluralistic computer pedagogy than that currently endorsed by proponents of traditional curriculum. Finally, poststructuralism provides a new, more active, critical, and creative reading of texts that deconstruct regimes of power in order to recognize how dominant metanarratives script authoritarian theories of learning. Our goal is to disrupt hierarchies of authority, power, and control in teaching and learning. We hope our article will help to clear the ground for building a poststructural pedagogy appropriate to the needs and possibilities of hypertext and hypermedia ?http://www.tcrecord.org/PrintContent.asp?ContentID=11140 --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 9126 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040714/9e61be8d/attachment-0001.bin From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Wed Jul 14 13:22:32 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] NCLB update Message-ID: <63C9CFA6-D5BA-11D8-B3A6-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> Study: States progressing with new school law Wednesday, July 14, 2004 Posted: 10:37 AM EDT (1437 GMT) WASHINGTON (AP) -- As report cards go, it is a spotty mix of promising and abysmal grades. But an independent review praises the states for progress given the scope of their assignment -- putting in place the most sweeping education law in decades. Most states have met or are at least on the way to meeting 75 percent of the major requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, according to the nonpartisan Education Commission of the States. That level of compliance has more than doubled over the last year. Every state and the District of Columbia, for example, have a policy to ensure that students with disabilities are included when their schools test reading, math and science. But not a single state is on pace to fulfill the law's requirement of having a measurable way to ensure a highly qualified teacher will be in every core academic class in 2005-06. Overall, the states are doing well in areas of testing students and measuring yearly progress, but they're struggling with requirements designed to improve the teaching corps. "The hardest work is yet to come," said Kathy Christie, vice president of the ECS Clearinghouse, the commission's research and information arm. "The toughest thing in all of this is going to be getting better at actually raising student achievement." The 2001 law requires expanded standardized testing, more information and choices for parents, and public reporting of progress for every demographic group so the scores of struggling students aren't masked by school averages. Schools that get federal poverty aid but don't make enough yearly progress get help but also face mounting sanctions. ECS, a Denver-based group that advises state leaders, graded states on 40 elements of the law, from how well parents get information to how well struggling schools get help. The determination of whether a state is on track varies by topic. Some changes under the law were supposed to have happened already, while some have deadlines in coming years. Among the findings: 98 percent of states are on track to define what a "persistently dangerous" school means, a designation that allows students in such schools to transfer. But many states are revamping their definitions after criticisms that their standards were far too low. 92 percent are on track to publicly report achievement data for all major groups of students, such as minority, poor, disabled and limited-English students. 65 percent are on track to set clear, substantial expectations for students so that all of them are at grade level in reading and math no later than 2013-14. 53 percent are on track to identify which schools are in need of improvement before the next school year begins so that parents have time to understand their options. 45 percent are on track to provide the promised "scientifically based" help to schools that have been targeted for improvement or more serious corrective action. 22 percent are on track to make new and current elementary, middle and secondary teachers of core subjects demonstrate that they are competent in their subjects. In perspective, Christie said, the effort by the states is encouraging. Not since the 1970s, when the government passed landmark acts to help disabled children and prevent sexual discrimination, have states gotten so active in response to a federal law, the report says. State progress is also clear in the way the debate is shifting, said Ray Simon, assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education. School leaders are focusing less on forms and funding and more on getting students up to grade level, he said. The report's recommendations include redefining how progress is measured so schools and districts can track the success of the same students over time, not just different students each year. ECS also calls for states to get rid of systems that allow veteran teachers to be deemed highly qualified under standards that aren't rigorous. http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/07/14/states.schools.ap/index.html --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net tele 513.225.8765 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 4896 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040714/42ec9a02/attachment-0001.bin From ricklisi at fuse.net Mon Jul 19 18:13:31 2004 From: ricklisi at fuse.net (Richard Lisi) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] The piezo crystal question Message-ID: >>> You probably got an answer by now, but.... >>> >>> "Piezoelectric effect" is used in piezo switches. They are >>> designed with semiconductor crystal materials that have been >>> "doped" with impurities(gasses etc.) to respond under an applied >>> physical pressure. When not touched or unactivated they remain >>> neutral and may be nonconductive ( or... they could be "resistive" >>> as opposed to becoming superconductive depending on their "doping"). >>> >>> As pressure is applied to the body of the switch crystal, such as >>> when pressed, stretched,twisted or squeezed, a voltage or charge is >>> produced during this changing pressure being negative on one side >>> and positive on the other side of surface of the crystal ( no charge >>> is produced at rest position). >>> >>> If the opposite action occurs, that is, not pressing , but >>> expanding, the opposite charge can and will result thus reversing >>> the polarity of voltage charge as the action occurs. >>> >>> This ability to give a positive or negative charge by physical >>> pressure is adapted to transistors. Unijunction, bipolar, or field >>> effect gated transistors can be biased(set up electrically) to >>> independently turn them on or off. This allows for a positive ("hole >>> flow") or negative (electrons) current to pass through them in one >>> direction or another or to be blocked completely. >>> >>> There are many manufacturers of piezoelectric products besides >>> switches such as microphones and speakers. Microphones use the >>> changes in modulated voice or sound to produce voltages which may be >>> amplified. Piezo speakers use the reverse action to produce actual >>> physical action of shrinking or expanding the crystal material as >>> voltages vary and are applied to the crystal. Remember if you can >>> produce one form of energy using some methodology in a certain way, >>> then there will always be a way to produce the original form of >>> energy through some reciprocal process all ready in production or to >>> be yet discovered (Lisi Theory). As an example, light emitting >>> diodes ( LEDs) produce light from charging particles and >>> photovoltaic cells produce electrical charges from lighting >>> particals. Another example is the piezo crystal microphone which >>> produces sound as charges are applied and modulated (adding >>> information through variation) compared with the piezo speaker in >>> your watch which makes voice or sound as it is modulated using >>> electrical charges to shrink or expand a crystal attached to some >>> sounding device or membrane which is vibrated. >>> >>> I hope this helps. >>> >>> >>> >>> Rick Lisi >>> >>> On Jul 6, 2004, at 11:19 AM, Jason Barkeloo wrote: >>> >>>> Jeff (or anybody), >>>> >>>> How does a piezoelectric switch work? >>>> From jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net Tue Jul 20 13:57:15 2004 From: jbarkeloo at touchsmart.net (Jason Barkeloo) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] digital divide and libraries Message-ID: <3BE3278C-DA76-11D8-8D9D-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> "The ideal of the Internet was to be free," said Jerry Nichols, director of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, the coordinating agency for Suffolk County's 56 public libraries. "The reality of it is that not everyone can afford a computer or Internet access." http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-div0704,0,7978873.story?coll=ny- business --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Fri Jul 23 10:52:56 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Microsoft and Urban League fight tech gap Message-ID: Skipped content of type multipart/alternative-------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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A device called "Play Attention" combined with a dedicated teacher at Brooks Global Studies, an extended-year magnet school, helped Ricky learn how to better control his actions and cope with the ups and downs of everyday life by teaching him to concentrate. An Asheville-based company offers "Play Attention" as an alternative to traditional attention deficit disorder treatments, by asking users to move images on a computer screen using only their minds. "What this does is make attention concrete," says Peter Freer, founder and CEO of Unique Logic and Technology. "It takes it out of the abstract realm. ... It's the first time in their life that they actually see an attentive state as it happens." Built on technology originally used by NASA and the U.S. Air Force, "Play Attention" taps into brain waves through a red bike-helmet lined with sensors. The sensors send information to a computer that in turn controls the outcome of scenarios on the computer screen. For example, Ricky plays a game where a whale swims in the ocean. The more Ricky focuses on the whale, the deeper he swims, and Ricky's score jumps. A high score can't get Ricky too excited because, without his full concentration on the whale -- which he nicknamed 'Shamu' -- the whale swims to the surface. Ricky's mother, Lana Stone, saw her son develop cause-and-effect thinking -- "an absolute miracle," she says -- within a couple of months after he began to use "Play Attention" in March 2003. Before using the program, Ricky wouldn't equate his actions with their consequences. Now he understands that if storms out of after-school care, his teacher will call his mother to pick him up. "Having any sort of reasoning skills or cause and effect thinking is the difference between kids like my son having any kind of a chance at a typical life or winding up in an institution," Stone says. The program is a learning tool that builds a person's understanding of what it really means to pay attention. In an attempt to practice something that most closely resembles the actual event, "Play Attention" allows users to develop skills needed to perform better in a classroom, work or general setting. But Freer, the creator, acknowledges that the device is not a miracle: "It takes hard work and consistency." For most cases Freer recommends that users get at least 40 hours of work with the program in order to see substantial results. The cost of the "Play Attention" system for in-home use is $1,795, which includes an initial 90-minute tutorial, unlimited access to staff and technical support as well as progress reports and reviews based on data sent into the company. As a full distance-learning program, use is moderated remotely by trained specialists to increase productivity and focus by giving feedback and analyzing results. For schools and learning centers, the price is $2,500, which includes everything for in-home use, but allows the program to be used for an unlimited number of people, versus just two for in-home use. "Play Attention" is being used in more than 300 school systems throughout the United States as well as learning centers and psychologists offices worldwide, including Beijing, Singapore and New Zealand. The company is also in discussions with an unidentified U.S. Olympic team to use the system to help the team benefit from increased and improved focus. Freer started testing the system in the Asheville school system in 1994. The program came about when Freer, who spent 14 years as a teacher in western North Carolina, experienced problems with a student who had problems paying attention. When he went to the administration, he was told to "dangle a carrot over his head," move the student's desk closer to his desk and shorten his assignments. Still feeling inadequate, not being taught how to cope with these issues and unable to accommodate the student's needs, Freer looked for a way to help train students -- children and adults -- to control their attention and filter out distractions. "They have no idea what we're asking them to do and where they need to be physiologically and mentally," Freer said. "They just don't know." For years, traditional treatment for ADD/ADHD and other learning disabilities has been medication such as Ritalin and Adderol. For those looking to supplement medication, Freer thinks "Play Attention" is the answer. "Medication does not teach skills; that's where we come in," Freer said. "There has to be some kind of supplement to that because you can't just hope by osmosis by taking a pill that these kids are going to perform better." Performance successes with students like Ricky has given teachers like Linda Creamer no choice but to take on a mission -- and more hours -- on top of her normal teaching day. Creamer recently opened a learning center in Greensboro to accommodate more students. "This is the best program I have found," Creamer said. "It's very positive for the children. ... They can set goals for themselves on behaviors. It just performs wonders." Both the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and East Virginia Medical School are studying "Play Attention", with results expected within the next year. Results of a satisfaction survey sent to psychologists, teachers and parents asking about the effectiveness of the program indicated that 85 percent of the students showed improvement. Kenneth Kaufman, director of Focus Through Fun and the Institute for Behavioral Health in Commack, N.Y., now has 30 patients using the program, which he started in January. Kaufman said the program gives options to patients looking to forgo traditional medicinal treatments for ADD/ADHD. One drawback, Kaufman said, is that since most patient sessions include only 30 to 45 minutes of real treatment, achieving results can take a year or more -- a long road for parents and students looking for faster results. Freer will hold free demonstrations of the system at upcoming events in Winston-Salem, Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta. http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/07/27/ device_helps_learning_disabled_focus/ --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 7196 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040728/62d33cf0/attachment-0001.bin From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Fri Jul 30 11:06:38 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] ebooks article Message-ID: <0EA51B56-E23A-11D8-A0B8-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> Skipped content of type multipart/alternative-------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: fcreep_ebook.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 6321 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040730/9cf8f607/fcreep_ebook-0001.jpg -------------- next part -------------- Skipped content of type multipart/alternative From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Fri Jul 30 12:46:45 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] Microsoft and XP SP2 impact on schools? Message-ID: <0B19257C-E248-11D8-A0B8-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> WinXP SP2 raises compatibility fears From eSchool News staff and wire service reports July 30, 2004 When software giant Microsoft Corp. releases a major security overhaul of its oft-targeted Windows XP operating system (OS) next month, the company is likely to find a number of school customers resistant to change. Though the upgrade promises to make the embattled OS safer, school leaders worry the transition will create significant headaches for their busy IT staff, many of whom say the timing couldn't be worse. "The timing is horrific for schools," said Sandra Becker, director of technology for the 4,000-student Governor Mifflin School District in Shillington, Pa. "We usually use the summer to refresh and update all computers." Going into a new school year, Becker isn't exactly jumping at the chance to outfit the 800-plus computers in her district that are currently running XP with Microsoft's beefed-up Service Pack 2 (SP2), reportedly the biggest security upgrade ever for Windows. "Changing an operating system involves [investing a great deal of] time in testing," Becker said, "especially with Microsoft products." Safer XP or not, there's no telling how the upgrade might affect the myriad of learning resources and special-education applications configured to run on the older system, said Becker, adding that she wouldn't have sufficient time to address these and other compatibility issues until at least the winter break. As Microsoft toes the line between compatibility and safety, the impending overhaul has elicited grumbling from school and business customers alike, whose applications could require major changes--and glee from security experts who say any software product that doesn't work wasn't secure enough in the first place and needs to be fixed. "The applications that will break with SP2 were essentially doing things wrong from a security perspective," said John Pescatore, vice president of internet security at Gartner Research. SP2 comes in response to a series of attacks that have plagued Microsoft's products, taking advantage of vulnerabilities to spread viruses, steal personal information, and otherwise wreak havoc. Some companies rushing to make their applications compatible--or trying to negotiate last-minute Microsoft changes--complain that SP2 is creating headaches. "The changes Microsoft is proposing for SP2 will have serious negative consequences on the consumer experience of many applications and web sites," RealNetworks spokeswoman Erika Shaffer said. The Microsoft rival makes a digital music and video player and sells subscription download services. The new system bolsters security on Windows, its built-in Internet Explorer browser, and Outlook Express eMail. Among the changes: A Windows Firewall will be turned on automatically, helping to guard against attack. The browser has been fortified, and a new attachment manager will offer tougher policing against eMail-borne attacks. The changes in the way Windows polices itself--particularly the newly strengthened firewall--could cause troubles for applications that are used to working with Windows' old ways. Some say that's particularly true of applications that regularly interact online, such as gaming programs or music services. Security experts say it's tough to know how many companies might have to change their products to be compatible. Microsoft has delayed SP2's release, originally scheduled for June, amid efforts to improve compatibility. Microsoft group product manager Barry Goffe says the "vast majority of applications" should function properly when SP2 comes out. In the end, analysts believe most consumers will avoid major problems because most companies that have problems will fix them by the time SP2 is released. Gartner Research estimates that a mere 3 percent of applications that run on Windows won't work once SP2 is out. Perhaps the biggest change with SP2 will be a host of new alerts the user suddenly will get, offering more detailed information about what programs are trying to contact the computer and giving the user more chances to accept or decline. Macromedia Inc.'s Flash technology required only minor technical changes to make it compatible with SP2. But the company was more concerned about early language in these warnings that could make even legitimate interactions seem scary and unwise. David Mendels, Macromedia's senior vice president in charge of developer products, said Microsoft was very responsive to its concerns. Now, he said, the prompts are less dire and more specific. Microsoft's own products are not immune. Joe Wilcox, a senior Jupiter Research analyst who is testing an early version of SP2, recently was blocked from using Microsoft's Office Live Meeting conferencing product. Although he could have overridden that, Wilcox instead skipped the online option and called on a regular phone. To Gartner's Pescatore, such inconveniences are worth it. "From a security perspective, the problems we've been having--these worms and such--we can often blame on things that need to be fixed in Windows," Pescatore said. "So when Microsoft finally gets around to fixing them, it's going to take some pain to get past that point." But Marc Liebman, superintendent of the Marysville Joint Unified School District in California, doesn't quite see it that way. "My belief is that the real problem is not the fix, it is the fact that [Microsoft] designs software and brings it to market before these types of issues are identified and resolved," he said. "While new problems will always come up, if [Microsoft] has the quality engineers it professes, then these problems should be anticipated--and many are not." Liebman said his district, which uses XP on 20 percent of its machines, does not plan to not install the upgrade, at least for this school year. "We currently have effective hardware, firewalls, virus protection software, and numerous filtering systems in place to protect our system," he said. With those protections in place, Liebman said, the district has little need to make a switch, especially one that could prove to be a problem for administrative and instructional software. "We will let the field play out the problems and develop the necessary fixes before transferring over," he said. Microsoft says it will make SP2 available for download through its web-based Automatic Update applications. The company also plans to distribute the service pack on CD-ROM and is currently in talks with major retail outlets to increase distribution and visibility of the free product. http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=5199 --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 7493 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/bridging_the_divide/attachments/20040730/05a2251b/attachment-0001.bin From bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net Fri Jul 30 14:21:45 2004 From: bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net (bridging_the_divide@touchsmart.net) Date: Sat Nov 20 05:29:18 2004 Subject: [Bridging_the_digital_divide] TouchSmart Publishing and The Primax Group Announce Strategic Partnership for Education Content Message-ID: <508D74D3-E255-11D8-A0B8-000A95A5E63A@touchsmart.net> We are pleased to announce our latest partnership to bridge the digital divide in education... TouchSmart Publishing and The Primax Group Announce Strategic Partnership for Education Content http://www.touchsmart.net/about/pressroom/TSP_Primax.htm --- Jason Barkeloo President TouchSmart Publishing http://www.touchsmart.net t: 513.225.8765 f: 206.666.4856 This electronic mail (email) communication, and any files transmitted with it, are confidential, and intended solely for the indicated recipient(s). Any review, use, or distribution by anyone other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and delete all copies immediately.