This article comes from eSchoolNews.

Computer-science researchers at the University of Washington (UW) are tracking students and faculty in an experiment they hope will show the benefits and drawbacks of using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to bolster school safety and security initiatives.

RFID systems have begun cropping up in schools in the past few years—and  they’ve generated controversy over student privacy. The UW research is intended to give educators more information to help them make better decisions about when, how, and whether to use RFID technology in their schools.

Participants in the experiment carry RFID tags throughout the university’s six-story, 85,000-square-foot computer science building, constantly tracked by 150 antennas that record and store where and when people move from room to room. Gaetaneo Borriello, UW’s associate chair for research and a computer science professor who heads the RFID project, said 12 people have been tracked over the last six months, and he hopes to have between 100 and 150 subjects by next school year. Participants can have their information deleted any time they feel uncomfortable with what the RFID technology has recorded. Click here to read the rest of this article.

This post comes from the Hoover Institution.

STANFORD — Computer-based learning is on the cusp of transforming traditional public education, say Harvard Business School’s Clayton M. Christensen and his colleague Michael B. Horn in the summer 2008 issue of Education Next. Based on their analysis of data on enrollments, about half of all education courses will be delivered online in just over a decade’s time.

In 2007, roughly 1 million students were enrolled in online courses–an increase 22 times greater than in 2000 but still representing only about 1 percent of all education courses nationally. By using a substitution curve to mathematically predict the pace of adoption, however, Christensen and Horn suggest that in about six years 10 percent of all courses will be computer-based, and by 2019 about 50 percent of courses will be delivered online.

“After a long period of incubation, the world will be poised to begin adopting computer-based learning at a much more rapid pace,” explain Christensen and Horn.

Why the sudden change? Computer-based learning possesses technological and economic advantages–including customized learning and low-cost delivery–that will end-run the traditional public education model. Click here to read the rest of this article.

This article comes from Boston.com.

Forget about waking with the sun and dashing out the door to make it to class on time. The Internet is transforming college life. Instead of shuffling sleepy-eyed into a lecture hall, a growing number of students are attending class in cyberspace.

For some of the students in this area, “distance learning” - as online education is commonly called - is merely a convenient option. For others, it is a necessity.

“There was no way I could have been enrolled full-time if it were not for the online classes,” said April Amirault-Doherty, a single mother to a teenage daughter and 8-year-old triplets who managed to take classes at Northern Essex Community College while juggling family life with the demands of running a painting company.

“I was able to go to class in my pajamas at 3 a.m. if I had to, or sneak in a few minutes of schoolwork after I put the kids on the bus,” said the 36-year-old entrepreneur. “I didn’t have to spend 45 minutes commuting to classes, or tie up my whole day on campus. I was able to pursue my degree without taking time away from my other obligations.”

Such flexibility has fueled the growth in online education as more students choose to advance their studies by turning on a computer screen instead of tuning in to a classroom lecture. As commencement season shifts into high gear, area colleges are reporting that a record number of students are relying on online classes and “blended” courses that require limited face time to earn their degrees. Click here to read the rest of this article.

Gatlin Education Services is pleased to announce the development of a new Understanding Earned Value Management online training program.

This nationally recognized online course teaches students to more objectively measure project performance. Understanding Earned Value Management is critical to project success. In this interactive online training course, students will learn what is necessary to plan and manage their projects utilizing Earned Value concepts. The course is designed to walk students through the process using a case study from start to finish. This program is only offered in partnership with major accredited colleges and universities and will be available soon!

Visit http://www.gatlineducation.com/earned_value_management.html to learn more about this great new online program and to be notified when the course is released.

Gatlin Education Services is pleased to announce the immediate availability of a new online Medical Terminology Course. This nationally recognized Medical Terminology online course for healthcare professionals introduces elements of medical terminology, such as the etymology of words used to describe the human body. Students learn to apply proper terminology and spelling for major pathological conditions. This Medical Terminology program is only offered in partnership with major accredited colleges and universities.

Visit www.gatlineducation.com/medical_terminology_course.html to learn more about this great new online program.

This article comes from The Journal.

STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE NATION have voiced their opinions about the role technology has in their education, and according to the results of Speak Up 2007, they’re singing a different tune from that of their parents and teachers.

The Speak Up surveys are an initiative of Project Tomorrow, an educational nonprofit organization. Surveys are provided in English and Spanish for K-12 students, teachers, and parents, and this year, for the first time since the project was started in 2003, surveys were also given to principals, technology coordinators, district administrators, and school board members.

In line with past Speak Up surveys, the 2007 edition focused on teaching and learning with technology, 21st-century skills, and science instruction, and also touched on the influence of emerging education technology such as gaming, online learning, and mobile devices.

The survey findings point to what Project Tomorrow (formerly NetDay) calls “a growing digital disconnect” between students and adults, most evident in their conflicting thoughts on the quality of the education that kids are getting. Sixty-six percent of school administrators, 47 percent of teachers, and 43 percent of parents surveyed agreed that “local schools are doing a good job preparing students for jobs and careers of the future,” but 45 percent of middle and high school students said that tools meant to protect them, such as firewalls and filters, are inhibiting their learning. Click here to read the rest of this article.

This post comes from The Chronicle’s Wired Campus. ”

School Administrator Files Lawsuit Over Facebook Profile

A high-school dean of students and a Roman Catholic archdiocese are suing Facebook over a fake profile created with the dean’s name. They are trying to get Facebook to identify the creators of the phony page, the Indianapolis Star reports.

Facebook took down the profile in April but has declined to name its creators. Impersonating someone or using a false name is banned in Facebook’s terms of use.

This is not the first Facebook impersonation case, and some have noticed a rise in the number of Facebook users who are using aliases—either original or borrowed—on their profiles. Know of any cases of hijacked profiles on your campus?” Click here to comment on the original post. —Catherine Rampell

This post is from The Olympian Online.

Called WiMax, it’s the heart of a huge telecommunications industry effort to supplant Wi-Fi, the service that most users rely on for wireless Internet connections at broadband speeds.

If it succeeds, WiMax technology could be as big a change as the mobile phone revolution. An independent technology consulting firm, Boston-based Yankee Group, estimates that 58 million people worldwide will use WiMax by 2012.

Sprint, which invested $5 billion to become the first company to deliver it in the United States, plans to offer WiMax-embedded electronic devices such as laptop computers and digital cameras by 2009 and 2010, said Barry West, the company’s chief technology officer.

Unlike Wi-Fi, which relies on free radio frequencies that suffer from interference, WiMax uses a licensed channel of radio spectrum. It provides clearer, stronger and more secure Internet access. The stronger signal travels farther than Wi-Fi, enabling consumers to get beyond the limits of Wi-Fi “hotspots.”

Instead, they can surf the Web in cars, parks and rural communities unreached by Wi-Fi. Sprint’s system also offers Internet access that’s five times faster than most current devices, according to the company.

The greater speed and stronger signal could enable WiMax-equipped cell phone users at work to operate a washer-dryer or record a TV show at home, said Paul Kirby, a technology writer for TR Daily, a communications industry newsletter. Click here to read the rest of this article.

This post is from Career Builder. Though it’s difficult to predict exactly how the year will pan out, weak job growth, a slowing economy and troubled housing markets all point to signs of an economic recession. The good news for job seekers is that employers are still hiring and certain industries will survive (even thrive) during hard times.

 Thirty-two percent of employers plan to add full-time, permanent employees in 2008, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey. Most employers are cautious, but expect a slower, yet steady hiring environment.

 ”Many job seekers make the mistake of attempting a career change during downturns,” says John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global outplacement consultancy. “This can be a career-crippling move. It is much better to focus on transferring your current occupation’s skills to industries that remain healthy.”

 While some industries, including retail, manufacturing, finance and technology, are vulnerable during recessions, Challenger says there are always industries that seem “recession-resistant,” based on different trends at the time of the slowdown.

“Do not make the mistake of thinking that only those with industry-specific skills will be in demand. Hospitals not only need nurses and physical therapists, they need administrators and information technology workers,” Challenger says.  “Firms specializing in information security need accountants and marketing professionals in addition to computer programmers. There should be a wide variety of opportunities in the industries that remain strong through the slowdown.”

Are you working in a recession-proof business? Here is a list of industries expected to offer the best opportunities for job seekers during the predicted slump, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Click here to read the list of industries and the rest of this article.

FORT WORTH, Texas – As more and more industries are going high-tech, drafters with a working knowledge of AutoCAD have a clear advantage in the job field. Even the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that AutoCAD-trained professionals will have better prospects in securing a job and can earn more than $74,000 per year.

To provide the necessary skills and increase earning potential, Gatlin Education Services will offer a 150-hour online program starting in August 2008. The new AutoCAD 2009 course will be offered through Gatlin’s partnerships with more than 700 colleges and universities worldwide.

Taking a step-by-step approach to learning, AutoCAD 2009 will teach students the skills needed to create and edit simple drawings and gradually introduce more advanced AutoCAD skills. Upon completion of the course, students will have learned to work with 2D drawing and editing tools, objects on layers, text and basic dimensions. Course lessons instruct students on how to use efficiency tools, complex objects, advanced plotting and external reference/image files as well as how to enhance productivity with simple customizations. Enrolled students will receive the required textbook and a 13-month student license for AutoCAD 2009.

“AutoCAD is an essential tool in many industries, including mechanical and civil engineering, architecture, facilities planning and management,” said Stephen Gatlin, founder and CEO of Fort Worth-based Gatlin Education Services. “Employers seek workers skilled in AutoCAD more than any other CAD system.”

In an effort to boost summer enrollments, Gatlin will be offering a pre-registration discount of $200 for all students who register through July 31st for the new course. To pre-enroll, visit Gatlin’s AutoCAD 2009 course information page. If you represent an education institution and are interested in partnering with Gatlin to offer AutoCAD 2009, please fill out the form at, Partner with Gatlin Education Services and a GES representative will contact you.

Established in 1989 by Stephen Gatlin, Gatlin Education Services is the world’s largest provider of Web-based, instructor-supported online career training courses and programs to community colleges and universities. Gatlin’s courses are open enrollment, allowing interested students to start their desired career training immediately. Gatlin’s online career training courses are designed to provide the skills necessary to acquire professional caliber positions for many in-demand occupations.