By Katherine Noyes, LinuxInsider
Back in the early days of Linux, distros were nice and small, admins knew what they were doing, and systems could run just fine with double-digit megabytes of RAM. That’s how some remember it, anyway. A recent post at TechRepublic from Jack Wallen has the FOSS community reminiscing fondly — and not so fondly — about Linux’s formative years.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/72034.html
Share on Facebookby Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times
A Harvard University professor whose artificial intelligence work has helped the advent of “thinking machines” has won what is regarded in computing circles as the equivalent of the Nobel prize for technology research. Leslie G. Valiant, who teaches computer science and applied mathematics at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, is the 2010 recipient of the A.M. Turing Award from the Assn. for Computing Machinery. His work has helped speed along machines such as Watson, the IBM computer that dominated two “Jeopardy” game show champions last month. The $250,000 prize is funded by Intel Corp. and Google Inc. It is named for British mathematician Alan M. Turing
Share on Facebookby Barbara Cagle, Literacy News
Now, having taught several groups of at-risk students with difficulties in reading and math, my challenge was compounded by a lack of availability of technology in my school. My classroom technology consisted of a television and a land line phone, and three 12 year old computers that had been upgraded to the point of collapse. How was I supposed to teach these plugged-in students? Here are three of the things I did that helped take my students from a sixth grade reading level to a ninth grade level in one school year.
Share on Facebookby George Lorenzo, the SOURCE
The SOURCE on Community College Issues, Trends & Strategies, is an online supply of information about two-year institutions in the U.S. ommunity colleges are important drivers of our economy through workforce development partnerships and the expansion of modern curriculums that have a clear focus on the jobs of the future. ear after year community colleges experience increased enrollments due mostly to their relatively low tuition rates and fees, open admission policies, and curriculums that, upon completion, propel students into decent-paying careers. In addition, community colleges help the communities they serve through partnerships with local businesses, by providing the best courses of study to enable students to transfer into 4-year programs, and by offering programs that ultimately give students the skills and aptitudes they need to enter into their occupation of choice.
http://www.edpath.com/thesource.html
Share on Facebookby Alex Wilhelm, the Next Web
Microsoft released its much awaited new browser, Internet Explorer 9. Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) is a radical shift for Microsoft, with a new focus on standards compliance and performance, two things that previous version of Internet Explorer have lacked. IE8, the predecessor to IE9, was a market disappointment because it failed to address those two key areas. Internet Explorer 9 is built to handle the developing web standard HTML5, something that has put it at odds with certain Microsoft in-house technologies, such as Silverlight. The browser’s year-long development cycle through preview, beta, RC, RTM, and now finally launch, has brought it industry plaudits.
Share on Facebookby Tanya Roscorla, Converge
After piloting a digital textbook rental program in fall 2010, the California State University system learned a few lessons about how the e-books worked for students. The pilot started as part of a broader initiative to make textbooks more affordable and give students more options. In about 30 course sections, 3,847 students participated at five campuses, including Dominguez Hills, Fullerton, Long Beach, San Bernardino and San Francisco. This spring, the pilot expanded to include Chico and Fresno.
http://www.convergemag.com/classtech/California-State-University-Shares-E-book-Pilot-Results.html
Share on FacebookBy: Clint Boulton
Microsoft’s Bing search engine grabbed 13.6 percent search share through February, up from 13.1 percent from January as the company continues to peck away at Google’s search kingdom. ComScore said Google dipped to 65.4 percent from 65.6 percent through January after closing the year at a high of 66.6 percent following a strong holiday season from its 1 billion-plus searchers.
Share on FacebookBy: Clint Boulton
Despite competition that exists just a click away, the bull’s-eye on Google’s back has grown as big as its 65 percent U.S. search market share in the eyes of the U.S. Senate. One day after the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights vowed to ensure fair competition in the Internet search market dominated by Google, Sen. Michael S. Lee, R-Utah, March 11 called for the subcommittee to conduct an oversight hearing on the search giant.
Share on Facebookby Boris, The Next Web
We were given some review samples of a new technology called ‘paper’ earlier this week. Paper is a natural material that can be produced in bulk, relatively cheap, and some people think it will replace e-readers such as the iPad and Kindle…. Sure, it will sell to a selected group of early adopters who will talk enthusiastically about the smell of paper and the hefty feel. Our sources say that even Apple is rumored to be working on something called ‘iPaper’ that will be even better designed (and available in white!) which will clearly do well with Apple fans. Besides that we expect paper to be short-lived and we advise you to stick to e-readers until this technology becomes more advanced.
Share on FacebookBy Adam Curtis, Herald/Review
Local parents and educators are invited to learn about an online tutoring service that offers students one-on-one help during a training session at the Murr Community Center on Fort Huachuca. Online tutoring program available to local studentsThough the whole community is invited, military personnel and their families can use Tutor.com for free because the U.S. Army invested money to make it available to them, said Darrell Leigh, school liaison officer at Fort Huachuca. Many members of the military are taking classes while they are in the Army and can benefit from a broad spectrum of services ranging from help rewriting term papers to aid in understanding math problems.
http://www.svherald.com/content/news/2011/03/03/online-tutoring-program-available-local-students
Share on Facebookby Mary McConnell, Deseret News
Ten years ago many education reformers pinned their hopes on educational choice: harnessing the power of the market and competition to force improvement on schools. While the debate over vouchers and charter schools continues to rage, several of the leading choice advocates have shifted their strategy to focus on expanding online education. Choice advocates John Chubb (Edison Schools) and Terry Moe (Stanford University) argue in an article in reform journal Education Next, that “technology is destined to transform American education. . . Curricula, teaching methods, and schedules can all be customized to meet the learning styles and life situations of individual students; education can be freed from the geographic constraints of districts and brick-and-mortar buildings; coursework from the most remedial to the most advanced can be made available to everyone; students can have more interaction with teachers and one another; parents can readily be included in the education process; sophisticated data systems can measure and guide performance; and schools can be operated at lower cost with technology (which is relatively cheap) substituted for labor (which is relatively expensive). educationnext.org/files/ednext_20091_42.pdf
Share on FacebookBy By Ashley Grohoski, the Parthenon
Marshall University’s online courses are becoming more popular for students to obtain their degree. During the fall 2010 semester, 4,476 students enrolled in an MUOnline class, which increased from 4,095 students during the 2009-2010 semester, according to Marshall’s E-course enrollment data. During fall 2010, Marshall offered 104 online undergraduate sections. The enrollment totaled to 3,514 students. The graduate level had filled 65 sections with an overall of 885 for the online enrollment. With both undergraduate and graduate combined, this semester 5,184 students have enrolled in an online course, compared to the 4,544 students in the 2009-2010 semester.
Share on Facebookby the Science Blog
The 2011 Sleep in America® poll released today by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) finds pervasive use of communications technology in the hour before bed. It also finds that a significant number of Americans aren’t getting the sleep they say they need and are searching for ways to cope. Many Americans report dissatisfaction with their sleep during the week. The poll found that 43% of Americans between the ages of 13 and 64 say they rarely or never get a good night’s sleep on weeknights. “This poll explores the association between Americans’ use of communication technologies and sleep habits,” says David Cloud, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation. “While these technologies are commonplace, it is clear that we have a lot more to learn about the appropriate use and design of this technology to complement good sleep habits.” Communications technology use before sleep is pervasive.
http://scienceblog.com/43439/sleepy-connected-americans/
Share on FacebookBy TAYA FLORES, Journal Constitution Online
Kristen “Kat” Ziegler is a senior in honors physics and math at Purdue University. Her career goal is to become a professor of high-energy physics. Although Ziegler has never had a female professor teach one her physics classes, she was thoroughly inspired to see a room full of female physicists at a regional conference held at Purdue in January. “For one thing, seeing 100 female physicists in one room is pretty empowering,” she said. “Just having these women be there, being able to talk to us about family issues, the unique thing that happens with trying to balance children with post doc-ships and what not. It just gives you hope that you can do it too.”
Share on Facebookby Frank Juliano, Connecticut Post
Buying iPads for autistic students may draw taxpayers’ ire in this tough budget season, but some educators say it is a cheaper and more effective way to help them. An iPad costs about $600 and the “apps,” or programs to load on it, another $100 to $200, said Mike Cummings, the acting superintendent in Milford. Milford recently purchased three iPads and provided them to families of autistic students to use at home. The district owns the electronic devices, which must be returned. “It clearly is the wave of the future, in terms of its educational usefulness,” said Cummings.
http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/EDUCATION-MATTERS-Schools-using-iPads-to-help-1045131.php
Share on FacebookBy Jenna Johnson, Washington Post
A Virginia Tech software engineering class in 2009 was discussing world problems and how computer science might offer solutions when a student piped up with a personal gripe. “You know what I hate?” the student said, according to assistant professor Eli Tilevich, who was teaching the class. “I never know when the bus is coming.” As Virginia Tech and other universities train a new generation of computer scientists, professors are asking students to create programs that address real-life problems, often through handy, smartphone-ready apps. It’s a break from traditional coursework such as sorting lists of numbers or re-creating programs that already exist.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/06/AR2011030603757.html
Share on FacebookBy ELAINE SILVESTRINI, The Tampa Tribune
Supporters say expanding the Virtual School prepares children for college and work, eases teacher shortages in critical areas and helps kids learn at their pace. It’s been 14 years since Florida started teaching children online, and the state now is a national leader with the largest virtual K-12 school in the country. And that might just be for starters. Lawmakers are considering requiring every student in public school to take at least one online course before graduating, a move that would dramatically expand virtual education in Florida.
Share on Facebookby the Sun-Advertiser
The Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC) and the Virtual College of Texas announce the launch of Dual Credit Texas – www.dualcredittexas.org. This Website is the latest collaborative endeavor of the member colleges of TACC. Dual Credit Texas offers a simple online location for high school students and educators seeking information about dual credit opportunities at community colleges in Texas. It contains lists of all Academic and Career/Technical course offerings at community colleges across the state. Also, the Website provides links to local community colleges’ dual credit Webpages, which can be accessed by the name of public school districts a student attends. “Community colleges in Texas are the first choice for over 100,000 high school students seeking dual credit opportunities and for the first time these students can now access a single Website to link to local colleges around the state,” said Dr. Cheryl Sparks, chair of the TACC E-Learning Committee and president of Howard College.
http://www.alvinsun.net/articles/2011/03/06/news/doc4d7470edb7015808474919.txt
Share on Facebookby Kereen Tatham-Maye, Suite101
The widespread use of new technologies in any organization constitutes adjustment, which inevitably requires some cultural change within the staff. Hence, effective planning and management of technology-based teaching and learning will challenge many deeply held beliefs of an institution. As such, a strategic plan and strong school leadership is critical for its successful implementation.
Share on FacebookBY David Zax, Fast Company
Avatars, they’re just like us! Or should be for maximum effectiveness, according to recent studies. Right or wrong, race, gender, and attractiveness matter in virtual incarnations. But virtual assistants are actually important. As online learning becomes more prevalent, “helpers” in the form of avatars play a key role in instruction. A new study, forthcoming in Computers in Human Behavior, starts there and goes beyond the mere relevance of digital buddies to reveal a few things about personality, gender, and race in the virtual realm. As it turns out, people prefer avatars that are similar to them.
http://www.fastcompany.com/1734686/the-new-digital-tribalism
Share on Facebookby Marc Parry, Chronicle of Higher Ed
In dispute are decades-old foreign works that slipped into the public domain in the United States while still copyrighted abroad. Congress in 1994 adopted a bill to place those works back under the shield of copyright protection, in an effort to align U.S. policy with an international copyright treaty called the Berne Convention. The aim of that convention was to ensure that works copyrighted in one country get comparable protection elsewhere, “since there is no such thing as international copyright,” according to SCOTUSblog, which tracks the Supreme Court. But the Internet Archive argues that the American law poses “a significant threat to the ability of libraries and archives to promote access to knowledge,” according to a brief filed on its behalf by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group that advocates for civil liberties online.
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