This post comes from Small Business Labs.

“2009 Top 10 Small Business Trends. It’s prediction season and we’ve prepared our annual top 10 small business trends list.  The economy is obviously the key issue facing small business in 2009.  With the global recession and economic turmoil as our back drop.” Click here to read their list.

This article comes from the L.A. Times.

“It is the privilege — or possibly the curse — of each new generation to be different from the last. But rarely has a generational divide been as noticeable as that between those in their early 20s and the baby boomers.

This, at any rate, is the proposition put forward by Don Tapscott, a management professor at the University of Toronto and author a decade ago of “Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation.” In his latest book, “Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation Is Changing Your World,” he argues that senior corporate managers must strive to understand what he calls the Net Generation — born between 1977 and 1997 — often described as Generation Y.

Too often, he says, the generation that grew up with the Internet is derided by employers as ill-informed, Web-addicted, unfocused, poorly read and narcissistic.

But in a long-running, $4-million research project involving thousands of interviews with 16- to 19-year-olds in 12 countries and comparative interview programs with earlier generations, Tapscott and his team reached a different view.” Click here to read the rest of this article.

This post comes from the San Francisco Chronicle.

“Nona Nangalama checked out a dozen books from the San Francisco Public Library this week, saying that in better economic times, she would have gone to Borders to shop for the items.

The San Francisco resident and unemployed mother of two is using public libraries even more in these tough times. She is checking out books instead of buying them, and using the Main Library’s job and career center to begin her search for employment.

“I live right near the Borders South of Market, so that would be easy for me to go there,” Nangalama said, holding 12 books on mastering algebra and geometry that she had checked out for her daughters. “You come here and get advice, guidance and books - all for free.”

As the economy slides into a recession and families are cutting back on expenses big and small, libraries in the Bay Area and beyond are experiencing a big increase in membership and circulation.” Click here to read the rest of this article.

This post comes from KWSO in Lawton Oklahoma.

“It is estimated that 80% of active internet users will live a virtual life within the next three years. Virtual worlds are not only for kids who play video games - the future is here. Our government and universities already are moving into these universes. Should you go virtual? What will it mean to you if you do?

If you have ever dreamed of working with a NASA scientist, flying through a hurricane, or getting a front row seat to a State Department event - now, you “virtually” can thanks to the creation of virtual worlds. “I think it’s important for government agencies to be appropriately engaged in this technology,” said Bill May with the US Department of State, Public Diplomacy IT Office.

Using websites such as Entropia Universe and Second Life, people create digital versions of themselves called avatars that can do just about anything a person can do in real life. The State Department is one of several federal agencies now conducting business or holding events on the cutting edge for all the world to see. “We’re really looking at engaging in mutual understanding, developing understanding between the American people and peoples of other countries,” said May.” Click here to read the rest of this article.

 This post comes from Campus Technology.

“Those educators among us who are familiar with constructivist and constructionist models of learning understand the impact that social learning theory has had on the field. Likewise those of us who are familiar with the application of new technology in learning understand that customization (or “the user”) is what drives every structure, every program, and every software function.

It seems, then, that as educators we have a struggle between emphasizing the social nature of learning while maximizing the benefits of each learner becoming more clearly identified in the process. New technology, of course, can help in both aspects, but it is the teaching method that is challenged. I hope that eventually teaching methods will have morphed into a flexible model of instructional design and delivery that I will call “Customized Learner Networks”: networks that are both socially constructed and individually driven.” Click here to read the rest of this article.

This article comes from The Wall Street Journal Online.

“Many colleges have tightened rules on credit-card marketing on campus in order to discourage students from racking up huge amounts of debt. Now another kind of card is being pushed on campus — with its own set of issues.

This fall, financial-services companies are focusing more of their campus marketing on “prepaid debit cards,” which work like standard debit cards except that they aren’t linked to a traditional checking account. Among the issuers aggressively marketing their cards this year: U.S. Bancorp and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

The cards typically carry hefty fees and offer fewer consumer protections than credit cards. Fees are often charged when the card is activated, when it is used at an ATM and even when there’s a lack of transaction activity.” Click here to read the rest of this article.

This article comes from The Journal.

“A new study concludes that real-time videoconferencing, streaming, and lecture capture solutions for distance education and e-learning markets is growing not to address the needs of remote students but to accommodate demand from campus-based users who want the ability to attend class whenever and however they wish.

Growth is also occurring due to the popularity of on-demand corporate training by adult learners honing skills due to the current job climate. Wainhouse Research predicts that the market for these technologies is expected to be robust through 2013.” Click here to read the rest of this article.

This post is from the Wired Campus Blog.

“The verdict on the future of the Internet is in (once again), and experts overwhelmingly agree that by 2020 much of the world’s population will connect to the Web using mobile devices, according to a new study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.” Click here to read the rest of this article.

This article comes from MSN EnCarta.

“For those who are invested in the stock market, 2008 was not a good year. During the last few months, many watched their portfolios melt faster than a snowflake in July.

The big question most people have these days is where to put their remaining money. Gold? Real estate? Under their mattresses?

Here’s my advice, in one word. No, not plastics — try education.

Instead of investing in failing companies that continue to give executives lavish bonuses, why not invest in yourself? In uncertain economic times, acquiring more marketable skills and a wider variety of career options makes sound financial sense.

It’s actually a popular move during recessionary times, experts say.” Click here to read the rest of this article.

 This posts comes from The Examiner.

“Despite the traditional holiday season slow down, job searches on one job search site: Simplyhired.com, grew 27% during a two week period in November. Search trends confirm a weakening economy, with New York taking the lead for greatest increase in searches (104%). Aside from math related jobs (such as research analysts and statisticians) that are common in the financial industry, significant increases were also seen in searches for entertainment jobs – suggesting a decline in those jobs as more people cut back on discretionary spending.

There are many job hunting sites on the web, with new ones seemingly springing up daily. SimplyHired, who released this survey, claim to be the largest job search engine. This may be true, but they certainly aren’t the most popular – that title stays with monster.com based on both Alexa and Google ranking. Other popular sites include realmatch.com, jobfox.com, indeed.com and hotjobs.yahoo.com.”

Click here to read the rest of this article.