Cyber Education: Achieving Obama’s Vision

• cyber education

This Op-Ed by NCSA Executive Director Michael Kaiser was originally published in Education Week – May 21, 2010
President Barack Obama has said that America faces “few more urgent challenges than preparing our children to compete in a global economy.” Being able to understand and make use of the world’s vast telecommunications infrastructure is certainly part of that preparation. So it was no surprise when the White House issued its Cyberspace Policy Review last May that the document contained a call for the nation to “initiate a K-12 cybersecurity education program for digital safety, ethics, and security; expand university curricula; and set the conditions to create a competent workforce for the digital age.”
This month marks the one-year anniversary of the president’s cyber education pronouncement. Given recent media attention on cyberbullying, inappropriate texting, and teenagers’ hacking into school computers to change grades, it would be reasonable to think that cybersecurity is a topic being widely discussed in schools. But that is not the case.
Today, fewer than 10 states have implemented a comprehensive cybersecurity curriculum in K-12 schools. A recent Zogby International study conducted for the National Cyber Security Alliance, and supported by Microsoft, further found that America’s young people are not receiving adequate instruction to use digital technology, and are ill-prepared to make decisions regarding online safety, security, and ethics.

Why Do Students Like Online Learning?

By Stephanie Coleman

Why do students flock to the online learning environment? With over 4 million students are enrolled in online schools and universities (and that number is growing 30% per year), there are many compelling arguments for attending a cyber classroom (Lewis, 2005).

Find the right school for you

Degree:

Subject:

Program:

1.	Students can "attend" a course at anytime, from anywhere. This means that parents can attend to their children, then sit down to class; working students can attend classes no matter what their work schedule might be, folks that travel for business or pleasure can attend class from anywhere in the world that has internet access.
2.	Online learning enables student-centered teaching approaches. Every student has their own way of learning that works best for them. Some learn visually others do better when they "learn by doing."

Internet in education

Education these days has been the top priority for any family or individual person, and no doubt amongst the latest technologies to promote and maintain the education standards the internet comes first. Rub your magic 8 gently

Internet is not only an access to websites, these days there is knowledge and information on every aspect of the educational world over the internet. The resources provided on various web pages are indeed very informative and useful for professionals and students related to every field of work. The only pre-requisite is the research over the internet for a specific educational topic, and then this information just needs to be filtered to gain the basic knowledge of what you are looking for. Therefore, these are true internet resources which deal with every individual's educational needs.

Internet has also provided the opportunity to study online. There are virtual universities set up, in which the students can take classes sitting on the computer seat opening the university's website video section according the topic, and then study at home.

The most amazing thing about internet education is that the international education is no more a chance for only the wealthy and high profile family students because now via internet no matter if one can afford to study in top most universities, people can easily benefit from the international quality education and gain a respectable university degree sitting at home through the online educational courses provided by the world universities.

Internet education thus also provides the individuals to balance their time according to their own needs, as there is no fixed time to attend the lectures. This also allows the poor class of people to work and study at the same time through internet education.

Fashion Designing

Career of Fashion Designing

 

Fashion design is the applied art, dedicated to the design of clothing and lifestyle accessories.Fashion provides the passion or personality for every men and women, it creates the perfect outlook of human beings by the medium of their dress. Every men/women loves to look fashionable. A few reasons why fashion is still relevant: It shows your thinking is modern and flexible (e.g. willing to accept and process new ideas).Fashion has escapist qualities to help you deal with the pressures of the world. Ultimately fashion generates to look more younger and enthusiastic approach. Now a days fashion is coming like wave of sea, therefore it generally creating more demand in the field of designing.

 

About Course

 

Fashion design has its own course to teach you that how your dress does should be design; designing has always its own feature to show some special attraction of any elements. In USA, fashion is the unique contradiction, so it has major demand to develop this industry, and for that the universities, colleges have taken steps to teach the students how to became a designer. Students interested in a career in fashion designing, need to enroll in professional courses to gain expertise in various areas of this industry such as garment manufacturing technology, textile science, apparel construction methods, fabric dyeing and printing, color mixing and computer-aided design. You can identify your area of interest and match it with your aptitude while choosing from the courses offered in various areas of Fashion Designing. These courses are available in areas such as accessory & jewelry design, modeling, garment designing, leather design, interior design, textile technology, textile design, footwear design & allied subjects. Students can have for this degree if he/she has completed their HSD level, The Fashion Designing course has been teach into three degree level i.e, Associates, Bachelors, and Master. So students can go for their study in online as well as campus

 

Job opportunities

 

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, about one quarter of fashion designers are self-employed. Fashion designers tend to be concentrated in regional fashion centers. The highest numbers of fashion designers were employed in New York and California. Fashion designers employed by manufacturing establishments, wholesalers, or design firms generally work regular hours in well-lighted and comfortable settings. Designers who freelance generally work on a contract, or by the job. Freelance designers tend to work longer hours and in smaller, more congested, environments, and are under pressure to please clients and to find new ones in order to maintain a steady income. Regardless of their work setting, all fashion designers occasionally work long hours to meet production deadlines or prepare for fashion shows.

 

Pay Scale

 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. fashion designers earned an average annual salary of $74,410 in 2009. The range for fashion designer salaries is quite wide, from $32,320 for the lowest 10 percent to $130,900 for the top 10 percent. With experience, and as you move into more senior positions, you can expect your pay to increase. So, the student who wants to choose their career as fashion designer he/she can fill the form on http://www.educationambassadors.com/findmyschool.aspxthen our advisor will call you.

Computer Applications In Education

Computer Applications In Education

A computer helps to manipulate data according to a list of instructions, called a program. It can save a lot of data and produce the same, instantly. It is also called a universal information-processing machine. It is a common operating system used in corporate businesses, educational organizations and many research programs. The computer technology has been used proficiently in various educational field. There are many professional courses that program their curriculum on computers. It enables the students and teachers to methodically study or conduct classes.

Most schools highlight the importance of computer education. They provide computer education to children, at a very young age. It helps them to learn and develop interest in the basics of computers. The main purpose is to make them comfortable using the system, as the future holds a bright promise for the technology. Many students become proficient and plan to pursue careers in the world of computers.

Computers are used in running school and college administrations, during the admission procedures, storing of official and student records. They are also used in syllabus planning and decision-making, controlling, assisting instructions and simulation. Computers are helpful in directing aptitude tests and achievement tests, at the time of entrance exams. There is computer software designed to process performances related to teachers and employees promotion avenues. They also process records of salaries, examinations, schemes of examination, printing of papers and question papers, evaluation of answer sheets, mark sheets and certificates.

Computers are used in colleges, by the professors, to conduct special classes and enable their students to adopt a methodical way of study. Students take more interest in the documented programs, designed on different topics. Internet has provided a favorable means of pursuing courses from renowned universities, across the world. These facilities become available at a click of the mouse.

Online Computer Education Training Programs

Online Computer Education Training Programs

Computers have become a major part of everyday life for most families, businesses, and government organizations. Students can study different facets of computers by completing a concentrated training program. Many online colleges and universities offer students the chance to enter computer education in a specific area of interest.

Education can be gained at all levels of education including certificate programs in a variety of areas. Some online colleges may only offer certain degree programs so students should research their options prior to enrollment. Students can expect to walk away with the knowledge to write, install, and program computers, which will open many career opportunities. Online education provides students with the option to gain specialized training in areas that include:

*Computer Information Science

The work completed online is centered on the ability to understand systems analysis. Undergraduate programs will lay the foundation necessary to work with the science of computers in regards to numerous technologically based areas. Database management, structured programming, and Linux OS are major areas of study. Students will learn how to organize and manage a computer's information and databases.

*Software Engineering

Computers would be little to no use without the programs and systems that allow users to perform multiple functions. Online education teaches students the basics of computer science and applies it to the creation and design of computer software. This can include computer games, operating applications, network distributions, and more. Advanced learning may have students learning how to evaluate a computer consumer's needs and develop software based on their findings.

*Computer Programming

The professionals in this category work to convert software design into computer language, which allows a computer to be used. Online courses center on the ability to use computer languages like C++, Python, and JavaScript to create a logical text a computer can read. Coding, debugging, and repairing are programming essentials that are explored inside an online environment.

*Computer Technology

Online programs in computer technology teach students the different components of a computer, which include hardware and software programs, and network systems. Students learn how to explain the workings of a computer while making fast and correct technical repairs. Network management, computer support, technical communication, and troubleshooting are some courses that make up the bulk of education. The outcome of a computer technology program is the ability to construct, install, and manage computers.

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Study Finds That Online Education Beats the Classroom..

A recent 93-page report on online education, conducted by SRI International for the Department of Education, has a starchy academic title, but a most intriguing conclusion: “On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”

Noah Berger for The New York Times Tyler Kennedy, 9, searches the Web at home in California.

The report examined the comparative research on online versus traditional classroom teaching from 1996 to 2008. Some of it was in K-12 settings, but most of the comparative studies were done in colleges and adult continuing-education programs of various kinds, from medical training to the military.
Over the 12-year span, the report found 99 studies in which there were quantitative comparisons of online and classroom performance for the same courses. The analysis for the Department of Education found that, on average, students doing some or all of the course online would rank in the 59th percentile in tested performance, compared with the average classroom student scoring in the 50th percentile. That is a modest but statistically meaningful difference.
“The study’s major significance lies in demonstrating that online learning today is not just better than nothing — it actually tends to be better than conventional instruction,” said Barbara Means, the study’s lead author and an educational psychologist at SRI International.
This hardly means that we’ll be saying good-bye to classrooms. But the report does suggest that online education could be set to expand sharply over the next few years, as evidence mounts of its value.
Until fairly recently, online education amounted to little more than electronic versions of the old-line correspondence courses. That has really changed with arrival of Web-based video, instant messaging and collaboration tools.
The real promise of online education, experts say, is providing learning experiences that are more tailored to individual students than is possible in classrooms. That enables more “learning by doing,” which many students find more engaging and useful.
“We are at an inflection point in online education,” said Philip R. Regier, the dean of Arizona State University’s Online and Extended Campus program.
The biggest near-term growth, Mr. Regier predicts, will be in continuing education programs. Today, Arizona State has 5,000 students in its continuing education programs, both through in-person classes and online. In three to five years, he estimates, that number could triple, with nearly all the growth coming online.
But Mr. Regier also thinks online education will continue to make further inroads in transforming college campuses as well. Universities — and many K-12 schools — now widely use online learning management systems, like Blackboard or the open-source Moodle. But that is mostly for posting assignments, reading lists, and class schedules and hosting some Web discussion boards.
Mr. Regier sees things evolving fairly rapidly, accelerated by the increasing use of social networking technology. More and more, students will help and teach each other, he said. For example, it will be assumed that college students know the basics of calculus, and the classroom time will focus on applying the math to real-world problems — perhaps in exploring the physics of climate change or modeling trends in stock prices, he said.
“The technology will be used to create learning communities among students in new ways,” Mr. Regier said. “People are correct when they say online education will take things out the classroom. But they are wrong, I think, when they assume it will make learning an independent, personal activity. Learning has to occur in a community.”

Pakistan's First Online Education Institute Launched ....

Pakistan's First Online Education Institute Launched

Pakistan First Online Education Institute is a free education resource which teaches non conventional subjects to education seekers for free with help of volunteer teachers.
Idea is simple, if you are in academic or technical field, and want to teach a course of any kind (most likely to be related with your field), Pakistan First will help you create courses with enough resources. You will have the options of uploading your notes, videos; audios etc to help those who are want to study your course. Course can be as short as 1 day training up to 6 months’ certification.
On other side, if you want to learn anything, browse though the available courses and register yourself. Site is recently launched, thus no volunteers yet. But we hope they can bring something great online for free :)
‘Pakistan First Online Education’ is powered by Moodle.
Courses can be in any of the following areas, but are not limited to them:
http://www.pak1stanfirst.com/education/

• Leadership
• Business Communication
• Communication Skill
• Debating
• Essay and Article Writing
• Allama Iqbal Studies
• Quaid-e-Azam Studies
• History of Pakistan
• Website Development
• Computer Programing (C++, Java, PHP, etc..)
• Pakistani Constitution
• Pakistani Law and Legal System
• Pakistani Political System
• Human Rights Studies
• Small Business/Entrepreneurship
• Organizational Setup & Working

ONLINE EDUCATION ....

Can I Earn a GED or High School Diploma Online?

By Greg Beatty, PhD

Let me start with the simplest question first. Yes, you can get a diploma online.  To do so, you’d register with an online high school. There are a number of these, and the number is growing.
Read More

What Type of Career is an Associate Degree Good For?

By Greg Beatty, PhD

Good question. Broadly speaking, an associate degree is good for three kinds of careers. First, an associate degree is good for a number of careers that formerly required only certification.
Read More

Does My Undergrad Degree Limit My Graduate Options?

By Greg Beatty, PhD

It depends on three things. The first is simple: how closely related is your undergraduate degree to the graduate program that you’re considering?
Read More

Can Foreign Citizens Attend American Online Universities?

By Greg Beatty, PhD

There is no problem with foreign students taking online classes at American universities. It is not only allowed, it is encouraged.
Read More

What is Hybrid Education?

Hybrid education classes, also referred to as blended education classes, combine online class sessions with on-campus, face-to-face class time. For example, an instructor and his students might meet three times a week on campus, but much of the discussion and classwork would be completed at home online.
Read More

How are Undergrad and Masters Classes Different?

By Greg Beatty, PhD

That’s a good question, but a complicated one. It’s complicated because there is so much variation from school to school and program to program.
Read More

 

 

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American Educator
Professional journal of the American Federation of Teachers, published for classroom teachers and other education professionals from preschool through university.

American School & University
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American School Board Journal
Education magazine offering practical advice on a broad range of topics pertinent to school governance and management, policy making, student achievement, and the art of school leadership.

Black Collegian
In addition to career planning and job search information, there is commentary by leading African American writers, entertainment features and general information on college life.

Current Issues in Education
The mission of the journal is to advance scholarly thought by publishing articles promoting dialogue, research, practice, and policy as well as developing a community of scholarship.

Diverse
Covers national news affecting minorities and major issues in higher education. Includes news, analyses of trends, profiles, statistics and employment opportunities.

Education Next
Journal of opinion and research regarding education policy and school reform.

Education Review
Scholarly journal of reviews of new books in education.

Education Week
Covers local, state, and national news and issues from preschool through the 12th grade.

eSchool News
Monthly newspaper for K-12 decision-makers covering all aspects of school technology news.

Evidence-based Education
Magazine for K-12 educators from Johns Hopkins University. The focus is on practical, evidence-based advice for decision makers in education.

Language Magazine
Addresses key issues in bilingual teaching, language travel, teaching methodology, teacher education, heritage languages, and more.

Learners Online
Features online lessons and resources for teachers who use the Internet.

Media & Methods
Technology & education magazine used for purchasing decisions in K-12 schools.

Multi Cultural Review
Dedicated to a better understanding of ethnic, racial, and religious diversity. Written for teachers at all grade levels.

Peter Li Education Group
Publisher of Catechist, College Planning & Management, School Planning & Management, Today's Catholic Teacher, and Today's School education magazines.

Rethinking Schools
Advocates the reform of elementary and secondary education, with a strong emphasis on issues of equity and social justice.

School Leader
Magazine geared to the school board members and administrators. Highlights trends in public education, spotlights local boards of education and offers NJSBA service and program information.

Student Leader
Magazine for college student leaders. Featuring tips from experts and peers across the country, its articles advise students on how to manage organizations ethically and effectively.

SuperKids Educational Software Review
Provides educational resources for parents, teachers, and kids, including reviews of children's software, math worksheets, and vocabulary builder.

Teacher
News, commentary, features, interactive forums, and blogs spotlighting the K-12 teaching profession.

Teacher Librarian
Journal for school library professionals offering free access to selected past articles, reviews of books and software for resource centers.

Teachers College Record
Journal of research, analysis, and commentary in the field of education. Published since 1900 by Teachers College, Columbia University.

Teaching Pre K-8
Professional magazine for teachers in kindergarten through eighth grade. Features hundreds of resources including: ready-to-use activities, web links, book and product reviews, how-to articles, more.

Teaching Technology
Quarterly magazine featuring new audio visual technology for teaching.

Technological Horizons in Education
Journal for K-12 administrators and teachers who recommend, specify, or approve the purchase of technology for their districts, schools, and classrooms.

Technology & Learning
Magazine for educational professionals at the district level and K-12 grade level. Provides software and new product reviews, as well as important news on technology for teachers, media specialists and librarians.

Times Higher Education
Features higher education jobs, news and educational resources for college professionals and teachers worldwide.

Newspapers in Education

Published: May 01. 2012 4:00AM PST

Articles

Hold your paper

Central Oregon's favorite pet pal is . . . Flower

What is Newspapers in Education (NIE)?

It's a cooperative effort among newspapers, local businesses and schools working together to provide the most up-to-date textbook on the market today – the newspaper – as a tool of instruction to Central Oregon area classrooms. During the 2007-08 school year, nearly 200 Central Oregon teachers took advantage of the program – at all grade levels, at-risk youth programs, Boys and Girls Clubs, and adult basic education classes. You can help support NIE by donating your newspapers to the program when you go on vacation.

Are newspapers an effective tool in the classroom?

A recent study commissioned by the Newspaper Association of America shows that students who read newspapers in the classroom score at least 10% higher on reading tests than those who are not exposed to newspapers in school. Scores for minority students are as much as 29% higher when they use newspapers. The NIE program is used to teach social studies, language arts, math, science, history, and many other areas.

Why newspapers in the classroom?

As education budgets are cut, those cuts ultimately spill over into curriculum, forcing schools to use out-dated textbooks and other materials. Even new textbooks are already outdated. Newspapers, on the other hand, rewrite history every day, making them to most up-to-date textbooks on the market.

The Bulletin's commitment

Because we believe every child deserves to learn about the community and the world in which they live, and because we believe education is a community responsibility, The Bulletin currently funds 75% the cost of classroom newspapers, and 100% of the costs of special curriculum guides, educational supplements, teacher guides and teacher workshops. Business partners and vacationing subscribers fund the remaining 25%.

Knowledge is power

Classroom newspapers help:

• Provide teachers with tools they need to educate and motivate students.

• Enhance and reinforce their curriculum no matter the subject area.

• Students learn about the world as it is today.

• Encourage kids to think creatively and become more conscientious and active citizens, ready to play positive roles in their communities and our democracy.

What does cyberbullying look like?

• Cyberbullying can involve varying forms of technology: 
  • Mobile phone calls
  • Text messages
  • Picture/video clips
  • E-mail
  • Instant messaging
  • Chat rooms
  • Websites
  • Gaming
• In a recent study, cyberbullying most commonly involved phone calls, texts and instant messages¹
  
• The nature of electronic bullying or cyberbullying often includes:
  • Sending mean, vulgar, or threatening messages or images online or via text
  • Posting sensitive, private information or pictures about another person
  • Intentionally excluding someone from an online group
  • Pretending to be someone else in order to make that person look bad²
  • Spreading lies and rumors about victims
  • Tricking someone into revealing personal information
• The nature of gaming as a place where cyberbullying occurs, can happen through gaming websites or PC and console games with online components (e.g. Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3).
  • Cyberbullying in gaming is usually referred to as "griefing" and is fairly common among young gamers who use IM, chat, and voice chat features to tease and taunt other players.³

Cyber Education: Improving Education for Children Around the Globe

Online learning isn't just for working adults. In the Philippines, the Department of Education is encouraging critics to adopt an open mind towards cyber education in the public school classroom. Supporters of cyber education contend that it will save the government money, improve public school administration, and deliver quality education to children.

Cyber Education Goes Global

The Philippine project, officially named Cyber Ed, is set to be implemented in 2008. It follows in the footsteps of other countries that have already embraced cyber education, including the U.S., Canada, Chile, Mexico, El Salvador, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, Thailand, Indonesia, India, and China.

Project Cyber Ed

The cyber education project in the Philippines plans to connect the country's schools to a nationwide network. The network will provide schools with 12 video channels and wireless Internet connectivity. Children will have access to live broadcasts that feature lectures from master teachers. The country's 400,000 public school teachers will also use the system for improved teacher training.
Overall, the Department of Education expects cyber education to save billions for the government. Supporters are approaching the forthcoming project with optimism and strong hope for the nation's children.

Start Your Teaching Degree Today!

Interested in getting your teaching degree through cyber education? Western Governors University offers accredited, online teaching degrees with potential for licensure in most states. Fill out this information request form to take the first step towards enrolling.

Advantages of the Internet in Education

There are numerous advantages of the Internet in education like gaining information, news, historical data and communication. This article will give you more detailed information on the various pros or benefits of the Internet in education and learning. Read on...

The Internet is the largest set of computer networks that use the Internet Protocol. The invention and development of the Internet was the biggest discovery by mankind in the 20th century that lead to a revolution. Today, the Internet is used by more than 50% of the world population as its applications are found in nearly every fields of life: be it communication, knowledge, news, shopping, marketing, entertainment, education, etc. Here we will see more on the importance or advantages of the Internet in education. So how exactly does the Internet technology benefit students for education? Let us take a look at it in detail.

Use of Internet in Education

The fast and relatively low cost access is one of the major benefits of Internet to people and students all over the world as getting an Internet connection is easy. Communication and information are the two most important advantages of the Internet in education. Secondly, information can be updated or modified at any time and for any number of times, which helps in learning and better understanding. Let us take a look at the role of computers in education.

Easy Contact
As mentioned above, communication is one of the biggest advantages of the Internet in education. Students can contact other students or their teachers via the E-mail if they have queries about any information. Sharing of information, discussions on a particular subject, etc. can be easily carried out using the Internet. At the same time, teachers can also contact the parents and guardians easily using Internet.

School / College Projects
The Internet can be most useful for completing projects in schools and colleges. As the Internet is an ocean of information, covering nearly all subjects known to man, one can literally find information, research work, etc. required for one's projects. Going through the information on the Internet is definitely faster than reading an entire book on the subject. Homework is also made easier with the help of the Internet which is also one of the important uses of computers in education.

Encyclopedia
Sometimes, encyclopedia may not always be available to students and they may have difficulty in gaining access to the books in the library. In that case, the encyclopedia of different subjects available on the Internet can be helpful. This is more useful for students who belong to communities not having English as their mother tongue. Kids and younger children can also be benefited by the Internet by using the pictures, videos, etc. which is one of the major advantages, when comparing of textbooks versus computer teaching.

News
All the latest news are constantly updated on the Internet on different news sites which is one of the major advantages of the Internet in education. Students, learning politics, can have an access to all the current affairs through the Internet in the school campus, at home, or at any other place. Historical accounts like speeches, biographies, etc. are also easily available on the Internet in detailed and accurate versions. This is one of the biggest use of Internet in education.

Online Learning
Another positive effects of Internet in education is the onset of distance education or online learning. With this facility, you can take up short term courses with the course material available online, learn and give exams. One of the benefits of online learning is that people from any part of the world can gain knowledge on different subjects, complete courses, etc. with the help of online learning.

With these points, we find that the importance of Internet in education cannot be denied and hence, every student should be given access to the Internet for deeper understanding and knowledge of a subject. However, lots and lots of information can be termed as both, advantages and disadvantages of the Internet as students can also have an access to unwanted or unethical information and sites. Therefore, it is only wise for parents to make students understand what is good and what not for them or keep a watch on their surfing.

These were some of the advantages of the Internet in education. Lastly, although the Internet cannot replace books or classroom education, it is one of the best substitute for those who wish to gain deeper knowledge on literally every subject. Good luck!

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HEADLINES

Another face of Internet Islam

by: From the Newspaper | Ayesha Shahid | 15 hours ago

From the hotness of the new mehram in a girl’s life to saying no to a potential date, online chat rooms and blogs deal with religion and twenty-first century issues in an appealing manner

What is the newly-wed woman of today to think about her new family – should she dread her in-laws or dream of eternal happiness with the husband? For Malo, an active blogger, the answer is heavily inspired by Islam as she writes in her post “The hot new Mehram”:

“Stop thinking of the in-laws as a re-run of ‘Something wicked this way comes’. Yes your husband is hot, and he’s your garment and all, and yes insha’Allah it will be love forever literally (with pious spouses being together in Jannah also) but he’s also someone’s son/brother and in all honesty he was their son/brother first. Really, why the insecurity?”

And there are many other such cheeky tidbits to be found on Malonama.com, a blog run by two bloggers based in Islamabad and Canada. Malonama is one of many Asian and Middle-Eastern blogs and websites that have popped up in the last few years and have given a new voice to what had forever been regaled as the territory of stringent ulema in local newspapers.

Proselytizing and advising on religious matters is no more about fiery sermons or even the dark sombre tones of the local aunty-brigade led dars (lectures) – these online ventures from the region show that the East has finally clambered on to the westernised rhetoric of Islam with all its wit and relaxed humour.

For the educated youth of the country who have adopted internet as an integral part of their life, these websites take orthodox Islam and present it in a contemporary and easily digestible manner.Western sites like yasminmogahed.com, suhaibwebb.com and muslimmatters.org can be frequently seen making rounds on Facebook profiles showing that they are fast entering the Pakistani consciousness.

Yasmin Mogahed, an Islamic scholar based in America, is oft-quoted for her articles on very personal topics like love, marriage and relationship with Allah while MuslimMatters.org provides Islam based views on everything from the Muslim ways to reject prom dates to Halal mortgages.

This is not the only face of internet Islam. A much older and longer existing face is of forums and websites being maintained by local madrassahs. A popular site with locals as well as Pakistani diaspora is that of Madrassa Jamia Binoria of Karachi, with people posing questions on marriage to end-of-life care. Women form a considerable chunk of this traffic as they
are bound at home and have freedom with the anonymity that comes with online chat rooms.

One visitor to such websites is Sidra Tariq, whose parents would not agree to any marriage proposal from outside the family. In late night hours and under stress, the easiest thing for her was to get on the internet and search what Islam suggests in such testing circumstances.

“When I feel helpless and do not know what to do or how to find a solution, I go search online. There are all these people who post similar questions on different forums and other sources of guidance and that helps,” she says.

Unlike her, Ayza Karim started going to specific chat rooms for discussions on religious issues and clear other people’s misconceptions about Islam after 9/11. But when confronted with questions from other faiths, she said she started watching online video lectures of Zakir Naik and Ahmad Deedat.

“When I started learning more about Islam, internet was my friend. I found any and all information I wanted about any issue on it. And really all sorts of information is out there, you just have to go on two or three different kinds of websites and you’ll realise which one is making the most sense,” she explained.

“But if someone quotes a Hadith or an Ayah, I always go back to the primary source at the end of the day because an unaccounted internet website cannot be trusted,” she added.

And then there are those blogs that discuss serious issues in Islam and get trolled. On Saudiwoman’s Weblog – a blog by a Saudi woman – a post on Misyar marriages (travel marriages, often the second for the man, where the wife is kept separate and gives up many of her basic rights) and their validity in Islam was bound to generate a heated discussion. However, in
the comments section, almost half the commenting men dropped their numbers or emails expressing their interest in getting a Misyar marriage – needless to say they were mostly from Pakistan.

For people like Ayza and Sidra – and the visitors of Saudiwoman’s Weblog – perhaps the new blogs that present a very soft, personalised image of Islam are still unknown. But for
others, they have managed to grab a substantial amount of interest.

Raina Ijaz, another urban 20-something who describes herself as moderately religious, says that she reads these softer blogs not because of Islam necessarily, but because they are
interesting:

“I don’t really read them to learn about Islam, it’s just interesting to see the Western world from their perspective,” said Raina who has spent her share of time surfing such blogs.

At randomnightsandinsights.tumblr.com, a frank post about the author’s struggles with prayer touched many hearts. The author writes: “First prayer used to be all about fulfilling one
of the pillars of Islam, but now it’s different. Now I want to talk to Allah, I want to thank Him for all the clothes I have, for all the beautiful people He blessed me with, for His love, for making me a Muslim.”

And in a frank comment, another blogger responds: “You’re so lucky to reach the stage of such a connection with your namaz. I wish I could have that too.”

And in this quite space, a camaraderie in Islam seems to have developed among people who will likely never meet.

All the names in this story have been changed to allow frank conversations on the issue.

Cyber Education: Achieving Obama’s Vision

• cyber education

This Op-Ed by NCSA Executive Director Michael Kaiser was originally published in Education Week – May 21, 2010

President Barack Obama has said that America faces “few more urgent challenges than preparing our children to compete in a global economy.” Being able to understand and make use of the world’s vast telecommunications infrastructure is certainly part of that preparation. So it was no surprise when the White House issued its Cyberspace Policy Review last May that the document contained a call for the nation to “initiate a K-12 cybersecurity education program for digital safety, ethics, and security; expand university curricula; and set the conditions to create a competent workforce for the digital age.”

This month marks the one-year anniversary of the president’s cyber education pronouncement. Given recent media attention on cyberbullying, inappropriate texting, and teenagers’ hacking into school computers to change grades, it would be reasonable to think that cybersecurity is a topic being widely discussed in schools. But that is not the case.

Today, fewer than 10 states have implemented a comprehensive cybersecurity curriculum in K-12 schools. A recent Zogby International study conducted for the National Cyber Security Alliance, and supported by Microsoft, further found that America’s young people are not receiving adequate instruction to use digital technology, and are ill-prepared to make decisions regarding online safety, security, and ethics.

The NCSA-Microsoft K-12 study, which surveyed more than 1,000 teachers, 400 school administrators, and 200 technology coordinators, found that cyber education and related professional development for teachers fell short across the United States. A third of teachers had not taught any topics related to cyber ethics and more than 40 percent had not taught cybersecurity and cybersafety in the past year.

Perhaps the lack of classroom instruction is not surprising, given how few teachers have received professional development in this area, and how few K-12 curricula mandate lessons related to cyber ethics, cybersafety, and cybersecurity. The study also found that three-quarters of teachers had spent little if any time taking relevant training classes or workshops. Further, more than half of all teachers reported that their districts do not require cyber education to be included in the curriculum.

But there is hope on the horizon for the White House’s vision for cyber education. The vast majority of teachers, administrators, and technology coordinators—on average, more than 97 percent—agreed that cyber ethics, cybersafety, and cybersecurity should be part of the required K-12 curriculum, according to our survey.
Young people today are part of the first generation to grow up entirely in the digital age. As adults, they will live, work, and play in a globally connected world. For some, their digital footprints emerged before birth, when their parents shared a sonogram photo with friends via the Web. Many will create and post a YouTube video before they can ride a bike. For these young people, the idea of instant and far-reaching communication is a natural extension of their everyday lives, not a revolutionary phenomenon.

Already, as a Kaiser Family Foundation survey released in January shows, kids are spending 7 ½ hours a day consuming “entertainment media,” with a large part of that spent online or on mobile phones. Perhaps most unsettling, only about three in 10 young people between the ages of 8 and 18 reported that their families had rules on the amount of time they could spend on computers (36 percent), video games (30 percent), and television-viewing (28 percent).

Yes, progress through technology is nothing short of remarkable; for young people, it can enable new, positive levels of social interaction and broaden the way they learn. But we must ensure that they have the foundational skills needed to thrive safely and securely in a digital economy. And those skills, taught through lessons on cyber ethics, cybersafety, and cybersecurity, must be part of K-12 curricula in all 50 states.

One year after President Obama’s Cyberspace Policy Review, it’s time for us to reach consensus on what young people need to learn and then move forward. We must recognize that cyber education is a shared responsibility. Government and the private sector, teachers and parents, school administrators and technology coordinators, and students themselves—we all must work together and make it a national commitment to educate all Americans to be safe and secure online.

DISTANCE EDUCATION..

Distance education of one sort or another has been around for a long time. Correspondence courses helped people learn trades on their own free time, while radio or taped television courses educated students in remote areas. Now, with the rapid expansion and evolution of the Internet, online education has become a reality. What began as a convenient means of offering internal training to employees via corporate intranets has now spread to the general public over the worldwide web.

Online-only colleges and career schools have flourished, and traditional ground-based universities are moving courses and degree programs onto the Internet. It’s now possible to earn a degree from an accredited college without ever setting foot on campus, and more people enroll every year.

Evidence of Growth

The Sloan Consortium, a non-profit foundation, conducts yearly surveys investigating online education. Their most recent report captured the online learning landscape as it stood in 2007-2008, revealing that

• 20% of all US college students were studying online at least part-time in 2007;
• 3.9 million students were taking at least one online course during Fall 2007, a growth rate of 12% on the previous year;
• This growth rate is much faster than the overall higher education growth rate of 1.2%.

Higher Education: Meeting The Need For A Skilled Workforce

Higher education in general has grown greatly. Census data shows that in 1980, only 32% of US adults under 25 had earned a degree or completed any college coursework. By 2000, this number had jumped to 52%. Prosperity has played a role in this growth: as median incomes have risen over the past several decades, more people have been able to afford to send their children to college. Political support for putting people into college education, via Federal funding such as Pell Grants and loans, has also helped increase access to higher education.

However, the main driver behind the increase in higher education is the huge change in the overall economy of the US over the last fifty years. Changes in technology and globalization of the economy means the once-large manufacturing base of the United States has dwindled. Those jobs accounted for 40% of workers in 1950, but by 2000 had shrunk to include only 18% of the workforce. Most workers are now employed by the service sector, where more specialized skills are often a necessary requirement for finding a job. As a result, some post-secondary education is now seen as critical for workplace viability by a majority of the population.

Online Education: Meeting The Needs of the Skilled Workforce

And a majority of the population is now online: in 1997, less than 20% of US households had Internet access. By 2007, that percentage had grown to 61.7%. Internet access took only 7 years to reach 25% of US households, compared with 35 years for the television and 46 for household electricity. As with music, television, and newspapers, higher education needs to move to where the people are if it wants to expand its user base. Also, traditional campuses are having trouble maintaining facilities that meet the growing college population’s needs. While the cost savings of running an online degree program aren’t tremendous (or at least aren’t a driving concern for university officials), it’s generally easier for colleges to move programs online than it is for them to build extensions to their campuses.

The sagging economy has also been good for online education. The Sloan Consortium’s findings revealed that many institutions expect more working adults to turn to continuing education to build new skills or enhance existing ones to better their chances in the job marketplace, and also to avoid paying higher fuel costs as commuter students.





This is probably a safe bet: nearly 90 million

This is probably a safe bet: nearly 90 million adults participate in some form of continuing education every year even during good times, according to Census data. The convenience of being able to complete a degree without giving up employment makes online education attractive to working adults. As those adults strive to continue earning, they’ll want to continue learning.

Colorado Technical University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association (30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, Illinois 60602-2504) www.ncahlc.org.

CTU does not guarantee employment, salary, or performance of graduates.

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Education World ® Early Childhood Community

This community has been created to celebrate and support the creativity and dedication of all those who participate in the education of young children. Teachers, parents, aides, and administrators are encouraged to explore these resources and share your ideas for working with young children. We will be updating these pages regularly in the months ahead.

Have you seen our regular Early Childhood features? Early Childhood Activity Bank New for the 2009-2010 school year, find 400+ activities perfect for the early childhood setting. These activities have been culled from previous issues of our Early Childhood Newsletter. Search by month for timely activities, or search the Activity Bank by subject. Poems for Early Childhood Sue LaBella, Education World's early childhood editor, has written fun rhymes to fit many themes. Scan her list of poems by month. Don't miss her "Poems for Anytime" too. Early Childhood Teaching Themes Our early childhood editor, Sue LaBella, offers hundreds of activities on dozens of classroom teaching themes. Check out our archive today. Since the archive is updated infrequently, we suggest you signup to receive our Early Childhood Newsletter [see sidebar]. That way, you will receive Sue's fresh ideas as they are published. Castaldo's Corner: Early Childhood Activities Educator Nancy Castaldo shares timely activities throughout the school year for engaging young children in discovery and learning. Each link will take you to a hands-on activity and ideas for extending that activity. Early Childhood Newsletter Visit our archive of past issues of the Education World Early Childhood Newsletter. This is a partial archive. Access to current issues is free. Simply follow this link to sign up. FROM OUR ARTICLE ARCHIVE Three Big Ideas for Addressing Preschool Language and Literacy Learning Focusing on oral language, reading aloud, and language play, instead of on structured sit-down lessons, flashcard drills, and worksheets, keeps young children on the right track to literacy. Rounding Up Pre-K Kids, Parents Inviting parents and pre-kindergartners to meet teachers and see their schools six months before school opens can noticeably reduce first-day jitters -- for everyone. Called kindergarten round-ups, these events also let teachers meet their incoming charges. Jumpstart Charges Kids Up for Learning! After Aaron Lieberman spent a summer break as a camp counselor, he returned to his studies at Yale University with a desire to provide individual attention for at-risk preschool students. With the help of others, he founded Jumpstart, an organization that matches college students and youngsters in one-to-one sessions that help the kids charge up for learning. The Jumpstart mission is "to engage young people in service to work toward the day every child in America enters school prepared to succeed." Since its inception, Jumpstart has served more than 8,000 children.

K-12 COPYRIGHT LAWS: PRIMER FOR TEACHERS

COPYRIGHT LAWS DO'S AND DON'TS
WHAT IS LEGAL IN THE SCHOOL CLASSROOM

You Have Permission to CITE - the Educational CyberPlayGround, Inc. as your source.  ( ISTC 301/501 Resources ) 

Definition of Copyright:
"The legal right granted to an author, a composer, a playwright, a publisher, or a distributor to exclusive publication, production, sale, or distribution of a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic work.

UNDERSTAND THE BIG PICTURE

TEACHER & ADMINISTRATOR RESOURCES FOR COPYRIGHT LAWS

CopyRight For Beginners Book Starts on Page1

---

• COPYLEFT - COPYRIGHT
  GET INDEPTH INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC - READ AND UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES INVOLVED.
• Classroom Copyright Chart PDF
• Educational CyberPlayGround Permission Request Form
• Educational CyberPlayGround's CopyRight
• PLAGIARISM DETECTION: Catching Digital Cheaters
  "An idea can transform the world & rewrite all the rules. Which is why I have to steal it" ~ anon

Music used
in the K12 classroom

For a project of any kind music needs to be evaluated  - because the music might be copyrighted, the words might be copyrighted, and the performance might be copyrighted.
For a song that is 300 years old the music would have passed into the public domain out of any date of copyright, the words would also (including the words if it had), but the performance would still fall under copyright laws. Therefore, the multimedia guidelines for fair use suggest a limit of no more than 30 seconds or 10% of the piece, whichever is less and only for very limited use (for a student, within the confines of the classroom or to retain as part of a portfolio; for a teacher, limited to two working copies for two years. Thus, with the limitations, you couldn't use 30 seconds of anything you happen to own or find and use this music in a project that's placed on lots of computers in your school, and you can't use it indefinitely (unless you get permission). To get around this, think about play the piece youself which would allow unlimited rights to use because the music is out of copyright and the performance would be your own.
Music that Can be Used in Education Without Permission or License and played in the class room if it is:

1. an original composition and you are the composer or have the composer's permission
2. you have the permission of the publishers
3. the music is used in distance education and you comply with all the requirements of the TEACH Act

OR in the PUBLIC DOMAIN

1. IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
   1. works published before January 1, 1923.
   2. works published between 1923 and 1978 that did not contain a valid copyright notice.
   3. works published between 1923 and 1978 for which the copyright was not renewed.
   4. works authored by employees of the federal government.
   5. works that the copyright owner has freely granted to the public domain.
   6. no works published after January 1, 1978, will pass into the public domain until at least 2048. Even anonymous works are copyright protected until 95 years after publication.

FAIR USE

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The Internet’s Significant Impact on Education

As more and more students gained access to the internet in the 1990’s, they soon saw it as a tool for the advancement of learning. Textbooks in some schools were out of date, computer-based courses were often called monotonous, whereas research on the internet moved quickly, was up to date, and included a wide variety of international sources. Students were among the first to realize the impact of the internet on their education—barriers to learning had been removed. Computer-literate teachers, researchers, and scholars saw the opportunity at the same time. Online education was born.
We, the developers of this website, were surprised to learn at a parent-teacher conference that our son, high school class of 2000, would be the one of the first to graduate whose work showed a greater reliance on information gained from the internet than on his textbooks. Fortunately, his progressive teachers and principal saw learning online as an advantage and encouraged his study habits as long as he achieved the course goals.
With nearly 888,631,131 users on the internet in 2005, 13.9% of the world’s population (http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm), reliance on this tool has increased exponentially. Social barriers are disappearing as students interact worldwide. As technology improves, the technological revolution has a quicker and deeper impact on more and more lives.
Educators, particularly those in for-profit colleges such as University of Phoenix, saw the opportunity early on and built an online course and online degree structure. The more traditional colleges were not far behind as they soon discovered they were losing student enrollments to for-profit schools and had to adapt, to change their paradigm—to move into online education.
There are several key advantages to using the internet for education:

• Flexibility and variety in mode and appearance
• Ease and low cost of access for learners worldwide
• Ease of putting student information online
• Ease of updating course information.

Flexibility and Variety
The flexibility of the internet is perhaps the greatest advantage for online education. At first, some college courses attempted to replicate the traditional college experience: lectures were videotapes so that students off campus could watch them. But, as Bernadette Howlett of ISU so deftly pointed out, it was already apparent that lectures were not the most successful way to impart information to students. Trying to “…replicate classroom teaching in the online environment…” would cause educators to “fail to take advantage of the capabilities of the medium. Some situations may call for video, but not simply to replace the face-to-face lecture.”
With the ease of creating websites, including interactive activities, chatrooms, and blogs, online education students and their professors can interact in ways that are familiar to them. For those new to the internet, the online course activities are assimilated easily due to reliance on user-friendly approaches. Even those new to the internet will learn to use it as they progress in their online coursework, finding themselves more and more comfortable as time goes on.
At least one MBA course has been created in which a corporate environment is simulated so effectively that students gain real practice accessing typical documents, attending simulated meetings, creating “real-world” assignments, and essentially gaining on-the-job experience as they learn online.
Ease and Low Cost of Access
Perhaps one of the greatest impacts of the internet on education is the removal of barriers to gaining knowledge. It is no longer imperative that a student move or even travel in order to take a class or earn a degree from the right college. Working professionals who had to travel to and from classes after work now use those travel hours as study hours. For those with disabilities, online study is an even greater equalizer.
With enrollment in an online course and the motivation and responsibility required, a student in a rural area can stay at home and learn online, for example, programming or database administrator skills. Live in rural Idaho and want to study Italian or Principles of International Business? Doable. Retired and want to learn oil painting from your living room? You have only to find the right online art course for you. Don’t have the funds to attend an ivy-league school? Take an online course for a fraction of the cost.
Working professionals, by far the majority of enrollees in online course enrollment, continue to work full time, raise families, and take necessary courses and, if desired, earn the degrees or credentials they need for advancement and/or salary increases at work. Both they and their employers benefit from this win/win approach: business meetings are attended, business trips are taken, and coursework is completed—at the student’s convenience, albeit at 11:00 PM or 5:00 AM in pajamas and slippers. The employer retains the employee’s contribution to the organization and benefits from the gain in information and skill. The employee retains his or her job, learns what is needed for advancement, and enjoys family life while being at home.
One area that still requires attention is high-speed access in some rural areas. While most enrollees have such access, many rural areas are still on dialup and students find that some interactive courses that utilize videoconferencing are not possible for them.
Ease and Low Cost of Putting Information Line
Online course technology is constantly improving. Colleges that utilize available, tested technologies from proven vendors find it much easier to move into the online arena quickly than do those who try to invent a new approach.
Online classes now revolve around the faculty and students ease of using chat, email, and interactive meetings to gain and share information. Shy students who might not speak up in class find it easy to key in their ideas during their online class. And the records are retained so those who could not attend are able access the information at a time convenient for them. Students for whom English is a second language (ESL) have multiple chances to review the information and ensure they understood it so they can keep up with their online class.
Ease of Updating Information
Unlike revising a textbook, online course changes can be easily made or new material added to existing online courses. Online class enrollees may receive instantly the results of their exams instead of having to wait for days to know how they did. Student papers can be offered online for review by peers. A new source of information, perhaps a research paper or an editorial, is easily added to the online syllabus.
Conclusion
The growth of the internet has changed significantly the way we learn. Online education has made it possible for most of us to learn online, to become masters of subject areas, to develop business skills, even to learn meditation from anywhere, any time. Online education has a flexibility that enables those enrolled to learn and earn, never missing a meeting, a class, or time with families. Working professionals are motivated to learn and to earn online degrees essential for on-the-job advancement, particularly single mothers with children who might have found it impossible to move ahead two decades ago. Gone is the stress that attending night school used to create.
And online learning is still in its infancy! Leaders in the field are now looking at how education could use the mobile platforms—mobile phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), tablets, MP3 players, handhelds, laptops, among other possibilities, according to Ellen D. Wagner and Robby Robson in “Education Unplugged: Mobile Learning Comes of Age”.

Page 2: Who is the Right Student for Online Education?
Page 3: How Does a Student Select an Online School?
Page 4: Typical Goals of Online Students  
Page 5: Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Learning: Is It the Right Choice for You?