Something for Everyone's Consideration

Connectivism:


A Learning Theory for the Digital Age


December 12, 2004
George Siemens


Update (April 5, 2005): I've added a website to explore this concept at www.connectivism.ca


Introduction


Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are the three broad learning theories most often utilized in the creation of instructional environments. These theories, however, were developed in a time when learning was not impacted through technology. Over the last twenty years, technology has reorganized how we live, how we communicate, and how we learn. Learning needs and theories that describe learning principles and processes, should be reflective of underlying social environments. Vaill emphasizes that “learning must be a way of being – an ongoing set of attitudes and actions by individuals and groups that they employ to try to keep abreast o the surprising, novel, messy, obtrusive, recurring events…” (1996, p.42).

Learners as little as forty years ago would complete the required schooling and enter a career that would often last a lifetime. Information development was slow. The life of knowledge was measured in decades. Today, these foundational principles have been altered. Knowledge is growing exponentially. In many fields the life of knowledge is now measured in months and years. Gonzalez (2004) describes the challenges of rapidly diminishing knowledge life:

“One of the most persuasive factors is the shrinking half-life of knowledge. The “half-life of knowledge” is the time span from when knowledge is gained to when it becomes obsolete. Half of what is known today was not known 10 years ago. The amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is doubling every 18 months according to the American Society of Training and Documentation (ASTD). To combat the shrinking half-life of knowledge, organizations have been forced to develop new methods of deploying instruction.”

Some significant trends in learning:

Many learners will move into a variety of different, possibly unrelated fields over the course of their lifetime. Informal learning is a significant aspect of our learning experience. Formal education no longer comprises the majority of our learning. Learning now occurs in a variety of ways – through communities of practice, personal networks, and through completion of work-related tasks.

Learning is a continual process, lasting for a lifetime. Learning and work related activities are no longer separate. In many situations, they are the same. Technology is altering (rewiring) our brains. The tools we use define and shape our thinking.
The organization and the individual are both learning organisms. Increased attention to knowledge management highlights the need for a theory that attempts to explain the link between individual and organizational learning.

Many of the processes previously handled by learning theories (especially in cognitive information processing) can now be off-loaded to, or supported by, technology.
Know-how and know-what is being supplemented with know-where (the understanding of where to find knowledge needed).

Background

Driscoll (2000) defines learning as “a persisting change in human performance or performance potential…[which] must come about as a result of the learner’s experience and interaction with the world” (p.11). This definition encompasses many of the attributes commonly associated with behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism – namely, learning as a lasting changed state (emotional, mental, physiological (i.e. skills)) brought about as a result of experiences and interactions with content or other people.

Driscoll (2000, p14-17) explores some of the complexities of defining learning. Debate centers on:

Valid sources of knowledge - Do we gain knowledge through experiences? Is it innate (present at birth)? Do we acquire it through thinking and reasoning?

Content of knowledge – Is knowledge actually knowable? Is it directly knowable through human experience?

The final consideration focuses on three epistemological traditions in relation to learning: Objectivism, Pragmatism, and Interpretivism

Objectivism (similar to behaviorism) states that reality is external and is objective, and knowledge is gained through experiences.

Pragmatism (similar to cognitivism) states that reality is interpreted, and knowledge is negotiated through experience and thinking.

Interpretivism (similar to constructivism) states that reality is internal, and knowledge is constructed.

All of these learning theories hold the notion that knowledge is an objective (or a state) that is attainable (if not already innate) through either reasoning or experiences. Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism (built on the epistemological traditions) attempt to address how it is that a person learns.

Behaviorism states that learning is largely unknowable, that is, we can’t possibly understand what goes on inside a person (the “black box theory”). Gredler (2001) expresses behaviorism as being comprised of several theories that make three assumptions about learning:

Observable behaviour is more important than understanding internal activities
Behaviour should be focused on simple elements: specific stimuli and responses
Learning is about behaviour change

Cognitivism often takes a computer information processing model. Learning is viewed as a process of inputs, managed in short term memory, and coded for long-term recall. Cindy Buell details this process: “In cognitive theories, knowledge is viewed as symbolic mental constructs in the learner's mind, and the learning process is the means by which these symbolic representations are committed to memory.”

Constructivism suggests that learners create knowledge as they attempt to understand their experiences (Driscoll, 2000, p. 376). Behaviorism and cognitivism view knowledge as external to the learner and the learning process as the act of internalizing knowledge. Constructivism assumes that learners are not empty vessels to be filled with knowledge. Instead, learners are actively attempting to create meaning. Learners often select and pursue their own learning. Constructivist principles acknowledge that real-life learning is messy and complex. Classrooms which emulate the “fuzziness” of this learning will be more effective in preparing learners for life-long learning.

Limitations of Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism

A central tenet of most learning theories is that learning occurs inside a person. Even social constructivist views, which hold that learning is a socially enacted process, promotes the principality of the individual (and her/his physical presence – i.e. brain-based) in learning. These theories do not address learning that occurs outside of people (i.e. learning that is stored and manipulated by technology). They also fail to describe how learning happens within organizations

Learning theories are concerned with the actual process of learning, not with the value of what is being learned. In a networked world, the very manner of information that we acquire is worth exploring. The need to evaluate the worthiness of learning something is a meta-skill that is applied before learning itself begins. When knowledge is subject to paucity, the process of assessing worthiness is assumed to be intrinsic to learning. When knowledge is abundant, the rapid evaluation of knowledge is important. Additional concerns arise from the rapid increase in information. In today’s environment, action is often needed without personal learning – that is, we need to act by drawing information outside of our primary knowledge. The ability to synthesize and recognize connections and patterns is a valuable skill.

Many important questions are raised when established learning theories are seen through technology. The natural attempt of theorists is to continue to revise and evolve theories as conditions change. At some point, however, the underlying conditions have altered so significantly, that further modification is no longer sensible. An entirely new approach is needed.

Some questions to explore in relation to learning theories and the impact of technology and new sciences (chaos and networks) on learning:

How are learning theories impacted when knowledge is no longer acquired in the linear manner?

What adjustments need to made with learning theories when technology performs many of the cognitive operations previously performed by learners (information storage and retrieval).
How can we continue to stay current in a rapidly evolving information ecology?

How do learning theories address moments where performance is needed in the absence of complete understanding?

What is the impact of networks and complexity theories on learning?

What is the impact of chaos as a complex pattern recognition process on learning?
With increased recognition of interconnections in differing fields of knowledge, how are systems and ecology theories perceived in light of learning tasks?

An Alternative Theory

Including technology and connection making as learning activities begins to move learning theories into a digital age. We can no longer personally experience and acquire learning that we need to act. We derive our competence from forming connections. Karen Stephenson states:

“Experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge. Since we cannot experience everything, other people’s experiences, and hence other people, become the surrogate for knowledge. ‘I store my knowledge in my friends’ is an axiom for collecting knowledge through collecting people (undated).”

Chaos is a new reality for knowledge workers. ScienceWeek (2004) quotes Nigel Calder's definition that chaos is “a cryptic form of order”. Chaos is the breakdown of predictability, evidenced in complicated arrangements that initially defy order. Unlike constructivism, which states that learners attempt to foster understanding by meaning making tasks, chaos states that the meaning exists – the learner's challenge is to recognize the patterns which appear to be hidden. Meaning-making and forming connections between specialized communities are important activities.

Chaos, as a science, recognizes the connection of everything to everything. Gleick (1987) states: “In weather, for example, this translates into what is only half-jokingly known as the Butterfly Effect – the notion that a butterfly stirring the air today in Peking can transform storm systems next month in New York” (p. 8). This analogy highlights a real challenge: “sensitive dependence on initial conditions” profoundly impacts what we learn and how we act based on our learning. Decision making is indicative of this. If the underlying conditions used to make decisions change, the decision itself is no longer as correct as it was at the time it was made. The ability to recognize and adjust to pattern shifts is a key learning task.

Luis Mateus Rocha (1998) defines self-organization as the “spontaneous formation of well organized structures, patterns, or behaviors, from random initial conditions.” (p.3). Learning, as a self-organizing process requires that the system (personal or organizational learning systems) “be informationally open, that is, for it to be able to classify its own interaction with an environment, it must be able to change its structure…” (p.4). Wiley and Edwards acknowledge the importance of self-organization as a learning process: “Jacobs argues that communities self-organize in a manner similar to social insects: instead of thousands of ants crossing each other’s pheromone trails and changing their behavior accordingly, thousands of humans pass each other on the sidewalk and change their behavior accordingly.”. Self-organization on a personal level is a micro-process of the larger self-organizing knowledge constructs created within corporate or institutional environments. The capacity to form connections between sources of information, and thereby create useful information patterns, is required to learn in our knowledge economy.

Networks, Small Worlds, Weak Ties

A network can simply be defined as connections between entities. Computer networks, power grids, and social networks all function on the simple principle that people, groups, systems, nodes, entities can be connected to create an integrated whole. Alterations within the network have ripple effects on the whole.

Albert-László Barabási states that “nodes always compete for connections because links represent survival in an interconnected world” (2002, p.106). This competition is largely dulled within a personal learning network, but the placing of value on certain nodes over others is a reality. Nodes that successfully acquire greater profile will be more successful at acquiring additional connections. In a learning sense, the likelihood that a concept of learning will be linked depends on how well it is currently linked. Nodes (can be fields, ideas, communities) that specialize and gain recognition for their expertise have greater chances of recognition, thus resulting in cross-pollination of learning communities.

Weak ties are links or bridges that allow short connections between information. Our small world networks are generally populated with people whose interests and knowledge are similar to ours. Finding a new job, as an example, often occurs through weak ties. This principle has great merit in the notion of serendipity, innovation, and creativity. Connections between disparate ideas and fields can create new innovations.

Connectivism

Connectivism is the integration of principles explored by chaos, network, and complexity and self-organization theories. Learning is a process that occurs within nebulous environments of shifting core elements – not entirely under the control of the individual. Learning (defined as actionable knowledge) can reside outside of ourselves (within an organization or a database), is focused on connecting specialized information sets, and the connections that enable us to learn more are more important than our current state of knowing.

Connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired. The ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital. The ability to recognize when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday is also critical.

Principles of connectivism:

Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.
Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known.
Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.
Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.
Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.
Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.

Connectivism also addresses the challenges that many corporations face in knowledge management activities. Knowledge that resides in a database needs to be connected with the right people in the right context in order to be classified as learning. Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism do not attempt to address the challenges of organizational knowledge and transference.

Information flow within an organization is an important element in organizational effectiveness. In a knowledge economy, the flow of information is the equivalent of the oil pipe in an industrial economy. Creating, preserving, and utilizing information flow should be a key organizational activity. Knowledge flow can be likened to a river that meanders through the ecology of an organization. In certain areas, the river pools and in other areas it ebbs. The health of the learning ecology of the organization depends on effective nurturing of information flow.

Social network analysis is an additional element in understanding learning models in a digital era. Art Kleiner (2002) explores Karen Stephenson’s “quantum theory of trust” which “explains not just how to recognize the collective cognitive capability of an organization, but how to cultivate and increase it”. Within social networks, hubs are well-connected people who are able to foster and maintain knowledge flow. Their interdependence results in effective knowledge flow, enabling the personal understanding of the state of activities organizationally.

The starting point of connectivism is the individual. Personal knowledge is comprised of a network, which feeds into organizations and institutions, which in turn feed back into the network, and then continue to provide learning to individual. This cycle of knowledge development (personal to network to organization) allows learners to remain current in their field through the connections they have formed.

Landauer and Dumais (1997) explore the phenomenon that “people have much more knowledge than appears to be present in the information to which they have been exposed”. They provide a connectivist focus in stating “the simple notion that some domains of knowledge contain vast numbers of weak interrelations that, if properly exploited, can greatly amplify learning by a process of inference”. The value of pattern recognition and connecting our own “small worlds of knowledge” are apparent in the exponential impact provided to our personal learning.

John Seely Brown presents an interesting notion that the internet leverages the small efforts of many with the large efforts of few. The central premise is that connections created with unusual nodes supports and intensifies existing large effort activities.

Brown provides the example of a Maricopa County Community College system project that links senior citizens with elementary school students in a mentor program. The children “listen to these “grandparents” better than they do their own parents, the mentoring really helps the teachers…the small efforts of the many- the seniors – complement the large efforts of the few – the teachers.” (2002). This amplification of learning, knowledge and understanding through the extension of a personal network is the epitome of connectivism.

Implications

The notion of connectivism has implications in all aspects of life. This paper largely focuses on its impact on learning, but the following aspects are also impacted:

Management and leadership. The management and marshalling of resources to achieve desired outcomes is a significant challenge. Realizing that complete knowledge cannot exist in the mind of one person requires a different approach to creating an overview of the situation. Diverse teams of varying viewpoints are a critical structure for completely exploring ideas. Innovation is also an additional challenge. Most of the revolutionary ideas of today at one time existed as a fringe element. An organizations ability to foster, nurture, and synthesize the impacts of varying views of information is critical to knowledge economy survival. Speed of “idea to implementation” is also improved in a systems view of learning.

Media, news, information. This trend is well under way. Mainstream media organizations are being challenged by the open, real-time, two-way information flow of blogging.

Personal knowledge management in relation to organizational knowledge management

Design of learning environments

Conclusion:

The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe. Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today. A real challenge for any learning theory is to actuate known knowledge at the point of application. When knowledge, however, is needed, but not known, the ability to plug into sources to meet the requirements becomes a vital skill. As knowledge continues to grow and evolve, access to what is needed is more important than what the learner currently possesses.

Connectivism presents a model of learning that acknowledges the tectonic shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal, individualistic activity. How people work and function is altered when new tools are utilized. The field of education has been slow to recognize both the impact of new learning tools and the environmental changes in what it means to learn. Connectivism provides insight into learning skills and tasks needed for learners to flourish in a digital era.

References

Barabási, A. L., (2002) Linked: The New Science of Networks, Cambridge, MA, Perseus Publishing.

Buell, C. (undated). Cognitivism. Retrieved December 10, 2004 from http://web.cocc.edu/cbuell/theories/cognitivism.htm.

Brown, J. S., (2002). Growing Up Digital: How the Web Changes Work, Education, and the Ways People Learn. United States Distance Learning Association. Retrieved on December 10, 2004, from http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/FEB02_Issue/article01.html

Driscoll, M. (2000). Psychology of Learning for Instruction. Needham Heights, MA, Allyn & Bacon.

Gleick, J., (1987). Chaos: The Making of a New Science. New York, NY, Penguin Books.

Gonzalez, C., (2004). The Role of Blended Learning in the World of Technology. Retrieved December 10, 2004 from http://www.unt.edu/benchmarks/archives/2004/september04/eis.htm.

Gredler, M. E., (2005) Learning and Instruction: Theory into Practice – 5th Edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ, Pearson Education.

Kleiner, A. (2002). Karen Stephenson’s Quantum Theory of Trust. Retrieved December 10, 2004 from http://www.netform.com/html/s+b%20article.pdf.

Landauer, T. K., Dumais, S. T. (1997). A Solution to Plato’s Problem: The Latent Semantic Analysis Theory of Acquisition, Induction and Representation of Knowledge. Retrieved December 10, 2004 from http://lsa.colorado.edu/papers/plato/plato.annote.html.

Rocha, L. M. (1998). Selected Self-Organization and the Semiotics of Evolutionary Systems. Retrieved December 10, 2004 from http://informatics.indiana.edu/rocha/ises.html.

ScienceWeek (2004) Mathematics: Catastrophe Theory, Strange Attractors, Chaos. Retrieved December 10, 2004 from http://scienceweek.com/2003/sc031226-2.htm.

Stephenson, K., (Internal Communication, no. 36) What Knowledge Tears Apart, Networks Make Whole. Retrieved December 10, 2004 from http://www.netform.com/html/icf.pdf.

Vaill, P. B., (1996). Learning as a Way of Being. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Blass Inc.

Wiley, D. A and Edwards, E. K. (2002). Online self-organizing social systems: The decentralized future of online learning. Retrieved December 10, 2004 from http://wiley.ed.usu.edu/docs/ososs.pdf.



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Great Lakes Sea Cadets Program / Luke Clyburn is a Friend & Colleague

TEAMWORK ON THE LAKES: Sea Cadets helping research scientists

August 9, 2007

BY EMILIA ASKARI

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Some of 13-year-old Richard Cover's friends tease him about taking part in an after-school program called the Sea Cadets, taunting him by saying the name of the group sounds a bit wimpy.

But the teens might change their minds if they could see the Richmond boy in his uniform, checking the oil pressure and coolant level in the massive engine that powers the 80-foot former Navy training vessel as it churns across Lake Huron, 12 miles from shore.

The ship, the Pride of Michigan, is where Richard and about 11 other metro Detroit youths are spending part of their summer learning seamanship and scuba diving through the Sea Cadets' Great Lakes division, based in the Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills.

They're joined by a handful of cadets from across the country for one of the premier maritime training programs in the world.

The Sea Cadets program is similar to junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, which operates military training programs at high schools across the country. But unlike Junior ROTC the focus isn't clearly military but rather to learn about history and boating.

While a few adults onboard provide suggestions and training as needed, the teens have their hands on the ship's wheel. They also take turns recording data in the ship's log and keeping watch throughout the night.

"A lot of kids my age can't do this," said Richard, who will be a ninth-grader at St. Peter's Lutheran School in Richmond this fall and is thinking of a career in the Navy.

Boot camp

After a two-week summer boot camp offered at various locations across the country, about 10,000 Sea Cadets -- 30% of who are girls -- can choose from an array of advanced training programs, such as those offered aboard the Pride of Michigan. The cost to students aboard the Pride of Michigan is about $150 a week; the remaining expenses picked up by grants from private foundations or the U.S. government.

Applicants can be as young as 11, but they must be 13 to go out on a boat. Passing grades in school are required, as is a willingness to follow orders.

For applicants to the diving programs aboard the Pride of Michigan, one of three cadet boats in the Great Lakes, a scientific inclination also is a plus. In addition to developing maritime skills, the cadets are helping research scientists from area universities and museums study the archaeology, ecology and geology of the Great Lakes.

"If we can give a kid confidence, self-esteem that's our goal," Michael Ford, executive director of the Sea Cadets, said last month. "If he goes into the services that's great, if not that's OK, too. A lot of kids come in looking for guidance, direction and a purpose. We offer that."

Pride and confidence

In the pilothouse of the ship last month, Luke Clyburn, a onetime banker and riverboat worker from White Lake Township who has run the Sea Cadets Great Lakes' division for 30 years, suggests that cadet Jessica Hadash, 16, of White Lake Township, take the helm.

"I don't think you could pry her fingers off that wheel," he says.

"No, sir!" said Jessica, who, like Richard, puts up with teasing from friends who don't understand her passion for the Sea Cadets.

"They see that you wear a uniform all day. They see marching and taking orders," said Jessica, who attends Ladywood High School in Livonia and hopes to be a Navy doctor. "I see the camaraderie, the teamwork."

Contact EMILIA ASKARI at easkari@freepress.com.

MORE PHOTOS:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=C4&Dato=20070809&Kategori=NEWS06&Lopenr=809001&Ref=PH&Profile=1001

For information

• For information about the Sea Cadets, go to www.seacadets.org. Click on Find a Local Unit and Michigan for a list of 21 units in the state.

• For a look at the range of advanced Sea Cadets programs offered, go to http://compass.seacadets.org.

• The next Pride of Michigan expedition is Friday through Aug. 17. All spots are filled. Applicants are being sought for the Cranbrook-based Sea Cadets unit and for advanced sessions aboard the Pride of Michigan.

• For information about the July expedition, including details of the scientific findings, go to www.cranbrook.edu and click on science institute.

Dollars for Bio Research & Development

MSU, UM, WSU rev up efforts to get biofuels to market

Posted on 8/8/2007 1:32:07 PM

Two teams of engineers from Michigan State University – chemical and mechanical – have been selected to negotiate for $4.7 million in grants to work with industry to create new fuels from renewable resources that are more complex and sophisticated than existing biofuels, as well as engines that can take full advantage of those next generation fuels.

Wayne State University also got $3.5 million under the program, and the University of Michigan $1.5 million.

The three Michigan institutions got five of the 11 projects and $9.7 million of the $21.5 million handed out by Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman Thursday.

Combined with industry investment, the 1 projects will total nearly $43 million to support improvement of engine and combustion systems for the next generation of efficient vehicles.

During negotiations, MSU will match the federal Department of Energy award with funds from other sources. MSU has been selected to negotiate for $2.4 million from the DOE to partner with Ford Motor Co. for a project to develop advanced, low-temperature combustion designs for diesel engines using biofuel blends optimized for engine performance. MSU is the only university to be selected as a lead in the project in this round of $21.5 million worth of award opportunities.

MSU engineers also are involved in another project with Visteon Corp. in Van Buren Township, which has been selected for negotiation of an award of $2.3 million to achieve gasoline-like fuel economy when using E-85 ethanol blends by minimizing thermal, dynamic, volumetric and other system efficiency losses. Other partners will be the DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory and Mahle Powertrain.

The University Research Corridor -- the partnership of MSU, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University -- also announced the MSU grants, as well as grants to UM and Wayne State.

The other projects involving URC universities were :

-- Wayne State will partner with Delphi Automotive Systems LLC in Troy, which has been selected for negotiation of an award of up to $2.2 million for a project to demonstrate a vehicle with an E-85 optimized engine, yielding up to 30 percent fuel efficiency improvement.

--Wayne State will also partner with Ford Motor Co. as well as ConceptsNREC and FEV Global, for negotiation of an award of up to $1.3 million for a project to use diesel-boosting technologies to improve efficiency and performance of advanced, low-temperature combustion engines.

--UM will partner with Robert Bosch LLC in Farmington Hills as well as Ricardo Inc., for a $1.5 million project to implement an integrated hardware-software system, yielding gasoline-like fuel economy when operating on E-85.

MSU officials say teaming up the chemical and mechanical sides of engineering can ward off some of the current problems with biofuels.

“We're using an integrated approach, which hasn't really been done before,” said Dennis Miller, MSU professor of chemical engineering and materials science, who is leading MSU’s partnership with Ford. “These new biofuels will be more sophisticated than ethanol and biodiesel. By designing the engines at the same time, we believe we can optimize efficiency, performance and environmental benefits. ”

The chemical engineering team is Miller; Kris Berglund, University Distinguished Professor of chemical engineering and forestry; Ramani Narayan, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering; and Carl Lira, associated professor of chemical engineering and materials science.

Together they'll work on refining fuels from renewable resources such as soybean and other plant oils and woody stems and stalks from trees and other plants. A significant part of the biofuel work builds on earlier biofuel and fermentation work by Miller, Lira, Berglund and Narayan.

Much of the new work will take place at the MSU Biorefinery Training Facility at the Michigan Brewing Co. in Webberville, a refinery for a variety of biofuels, biochemicals and other bioproducts.

As the chemical engineering team designs these fuels, mechanical engineers, along with Ford, will test the fuels and working to create engines that can maximize the fuel performance, said Harold Schock, professor of mechanical engineering.

Schock describes the biofuels as an automotive revolution and the engine modifications as evolution.

“A lot of the details of how engines perform can have a serious influence on the improvement in efficiency,” Schock said. “Designing the engines to accommodate new fuels and new fuel properties can make a tremendous impact. It can make a 20 to 50 percent difference in the way an engine operates.”

Schock leads the engineering team, joined by associate professor Farhad Jaber and assistant professor Tonghun Lee. Schock also is working on the Visteon project .

“If we're successful then many jobs will be created as the biofuel industry expands and new engine technologies are implemented,” Miller said. “Our approach should lead to much broader use of biofuels as we identify superior fuel blends, and as we begin to produce engines that are more compatible with the biofuels.”

All told, the DOE will award a total of up to $21.5 million for 11 cost-shared research and development projects that aim to improve the fuel efficiency of light-duty vehicle engines.

This announcement comes on the heels of MSU receiving a $50 million DOE grant to partner with the University of Wisconsin-Madison to establish the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center for basic science research aimed at solving some of the most complex problems in converting natural materials to energy.

More at www.doe.gov/news/5298.htm.

Michigan MY Michigan........?

Maine Joins Leading National Partnership on 21st Century Skills Education

July 30, 2007
Maine Department of Education

David Connerty-Marin, Director of Communications, Department of Education, 207-624-6880

PORTLAND — Maine is only the 6th state in the nation to join a national initiative to bring competitive 21st century teaching and learning skills to all schools, educators and students.

Maine Education Commissioner Susan A. Gendron announced Monday that Maine has joined the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a leading national advocacy organization. The Partnership brings together the business community, education leaders and policymakers to define a vision for education that ensures every child’s success as citizens and workers in the 21st century and to provide resources and networking to make that possible.

“The skills students need to enter and advance in the work force today are far beyond what were needed even 20 years ago,” Gendron said. “High school graduates need a global awareness, work skills that include team-building, creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem-solving, self-motivation and self-direction skills, information, communications and technology literacy, as well as high levels of literacy and numeracy. If we think we can let some of our students graduate with less than that and still succeed then we are fooling ourselves.”

Gendron made the announcement at a press conference at the Portland Regency Hotel with Ken Kay, president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills; Kathy Hurley, of Pearson Education, a Partnership board member; and Philip Dionne, vice chair of the Maine State Board of Education.

Gov. John Baldacci, a strong supporter of workforce training and incorporating technology and other 21st century skills into Maine schools’ curriculum, praised Maine’s entry into the partnership.

“The work of the partnership is directly in line with everything we are working toward in the state of Maine, in particular ensuring that our students graduate ready for college and career, as well as citizenship,” Baldacci said. “From our WIRED grant to laptops in the classroom and the Governor’s Work Force Cabinet – all of it is aimed at graduating our students with more than just specific knowledge, but with the know-how to succeed whether they head off for college or go straight into a career.”

Gendron said Maine is already leading the way in incorporating 21st century skills into the curriculum. In June the Maine Legislature approved revised Maine Learning Results standards with guiding principles that reflect work force skills. The state’s Maine Learning Technology Initiative put the state at the vanguard of technology education, using laptops not only as tools for learning, but as a foundation for creating information and technology literacy.

She has also introduced high school reform legislation that would require more rigorous standards, eliminate tracking, and put in place higher expectations for all high schools and all students to ensure they are globally competitive upon graduation. She said joining the Partnership would enhance the state’s ability to network nationally with powerhouse technology and other companies, national educational and other organizations, and to collaborate with other states in implementing best teaching and professional development practices, cutting edge curriculum, and assessment tools.

Ken Kay, president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, commended Maine for prioritizing the 21st century learning outcomes its students need to become successful citizens and workers in our increasingly globally interconnected society.

"Maine understands that for its students to be successful 21st century citizens and workers, its education system must expand beyond core subject mastery,” Kay said. “Incorporating 21st century interdisciplinary themes and learning projects into core curriculum will engage students and help them acquire essential 21st century skills.”

The states that have already signed on are Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Partnership member companies and organizations include: Adobe Systems, Inc., American Association of School Librarians, Apple, AT&T, Blackboard, Inc., Cable in the Classroom, Cisco Systems, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Davis Publications, Dell, Inc., Discovery Education, EF Education, Education Networks of America, Education Testing Service, Ford Motor Company Fund, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Intel Foundation, JA Worldwide™, LeapFrog SchoolHouse, McGraw-Hill Education, Microsoft Corporation, National Education Association, Oracle Education Foundation, Pearson Education, PolyVision, SAP, SAS, Texas Instruments, THINKronize, Thomson Gale, and Verizon.

STEM the Congress.........

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Contents Copyright 2007 eSchool News. All rights reserved.

Congress schooled on STEM teaching crisis

Laura Devaney, Associate Editor
August 1, 2007

The lack of a systemic approach to recruiting, preparing, and retaining teachers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has contributed to a shortage of highly qualified instructors in these fields--and this shortage, in turn, threatens the nation's ability to compete in a global economy: So said speakers at a June 21 briefing on Capitol Hill.

Hosted by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and the U.S. Senate's STEM Education Caucus, the briefing sought to convince members of Congress of the need for national strategies and solutions to attract and retain teachers in the STEM disciplines--subjects that are vital, participants said, to preparing students to participate in an increasingly global society.

"It is well known that the country's ability to succeed in the global economy is lagging and that we are losing our unrivaled edge in mathematics, science, and innovation to competitor nations," said Sharon Robinson, AACTE's president and chief executive.

"The 16-percent annual turnover rates of both math and science teachers is the highest of all fields," Robinson said. "Shortages of [highly] qualified math and science teachers exist in most states and districts across the country. Thus, unprepared teachers are assigned to teach math or science out-of-field."

Shortages of well-trained math and science teachers create a domino effect of problems across the United States, said Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor at Stanford University's School of Education.

Because math and science often are not taught well, the nation's schools are producing math-phobic citizens who increasingly are unprepared to pursue higher-level math and science instruction in college, she said. As a result, there are far too few majors in those fields in college, which means schools are competing with the private sector for fewer college graduates with a math or science degree. And because teachers earn much less on average than programmers or engineers, graduates often opt for the higher-paying jobs.

"There isn't a shortage of teachers in this country; there's a shortage of people who are willing to work for too little salary and in poor working conditions," Darling-Hammond said.

"We must ask ourselves why we have these recurring problems, and why other nations with whom we compete do not," she added. "What do other nations do, and what would it take to create a foundation for excellence in mathematics, science, and technology education here?"

Darling-Hammond said high-achieving countries that rarely experience teacher shortages--such as Finland, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and Germany--have made substantial investments in teacher training and equitable teacher distribution in the last two decades.

That includes offering competitive and equitable salaries, high-quality teacher education that is generally at the government's expense, mentoring for all beginners in their first year of teaching, and ongoing professional learning embedded in 10 or more hours a week of planning and professional development time.

"By contrast, the United States lacks a systemic approach to recruiting, preparing, and retaining teachers," she said. "With very unequal spending and resources across districts, and with few governmental supports for recruitment, preparation, mentoring, or support, teachers in the U.S. enter with dramatically different levels of training and support. Those teaching in the most disadvantaged communities typically earn less, have poorer working conditions, and receive fewer supports."

Educators from Ohio and Nevada discussed ways that teachers can be well-trained to understand and teach STEM subjects in globally oriented and relevant ways.

Lisa Suarez-Caraballo, a middle school mathematics teacher at Luis Muñoz Marin School in Cleveland, said making sure all teachers have clinical experience before becoming licensed teachers and supporting induction programs and better school working conditions will help efforts to recruit and prepare STEM teachers.

Supporting teachers' development of content knowledge also is essential, she noted, making clear that it's not just a problem for K-12 school systems and colleges of education to solve.

"There is a misconception ... that schools of education teach the content knowledge required of candidates," Suarez-Caraballo said. "This is not the case. This means that educator preparation must be a university-wide responsibility if we expect to have candidates well-prepared in content knowledge and pedagogical skills."

College graduates in the STEM disciplines might not even consider teaching a possibility unless it is brought to their attention, said Valdine McLean, a science teacher at Pershing County High School in Nevada, who said she majored in biology in college and never thought of teaching until she took a career-placement exam that displayed "science teacher" at the top of the list.

"Make sure that whatever programs you authorize in legislation ensure that entry-level courses at higher-education institutions in the STEM fields provide exposure to the possibility of going into teaching," McLean urged lawmakers.

Like Suarez-Caraballo, McLean stressed teacher-induction programs as a key to retention.

"I cannot say enough the importance of not leaving new teachers alone to flounder in their first few years of teaching," she said. "Induction programs need to pair mentoring with advanced content and methods strategies. New teachers are trying to make the classroom work, and there are so many decisions and routines to get used to that advanced methods are often lost."

Robin Willner, vice president of IBM's global community initiatives, talked about IBM's Transition to Teaching initiative and how the program, which currently has 85 participants, supports STEM teachers and education.

Through the program, IBM employees receive reimbursement for tuition and a stipend as they pursue degrees or credentials to become certified K-12 teachers. "We know there is a huge gap between mastery of a subject and the ability to teach that subject to others, especially when the others are a group of sometimes wayward, sometimes bored, and sometimes poorly prepared teenagers," Willner said.

Also at the briefing, AACTE released "Preparing STEM Teachers: The Key to Global Competitiveness," a report highlighting more than 50 teacher-preparation programs across the country that are dedicated to increasing the number of effective STEM educators in K-12 schools.

The University of Southern California, for example, offers a 13-month master of arts in teaching program, with concentrations in teaching math and science. Students enrolled in the program attend math and science camps, where they work with K-12 teachers. Eighty-six percent of the program's graduates have been retained in teaching beyond three years.

STEM the Tide...........

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Wanted: More IT workers
Tech jobs on the rise; schools aim to fill demand

Laura Devaney, Associate Editor
August 1, 2007

Employers across the nation are finding it increasingly difficult to fill information technology (IT) positions, mainly because of a shortage of qualified entry-level and advanced employees, according to industry experts.

Contrary to what many people believe--that available IT jobs are on the decline--businesses throughout the United States say the IT sector offers more job opportunities than ever, and they're struggling to find employees to fill these many openings.

Industry insiders point to a few reasons for the shortage, including the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education law and lingering perceptions from the dot-com bust that occurred earlier this decade. Now, experts are trying to change these perceptions--and they're looking to schools for help.

Part of the reason many people think the IT field holds little promise is they don't understand things have changed since 2000 and 2001, when the IT field took a hit, said Gene Longo, senior manager of U.S. field operations for Cisco Systems' Networking Academy program.

"In 2000 and 2001, when the dot-com bust happened, and then [immediately after] September 11, we saw lots of layoffs in the IT and tech industries," Longo said, adding that many students and professionals shied away from the IT field when they saw jobs were scarce.

But that was then. Job opportunities in areas such as computer software engineering, computer support, and systems administration are expected to increase much faster than the average for all occupations, with computer software engineering projected to be one of the fastest-growing occupations through 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' "2006-07 Occupational Outlook Handbook."

According to the federal agency, computer systems analysts are expected to see a 31-percent increase in total employment from 2004 to 2014. Network systems and data communication analysts are expected to see a 55-percent increase in total employment during that time, and computer software engineers should see a 48-percent increase in employment.

Longo believes another reason for the lack of qualified IT employees in the United States can be traced to high school reform and NCLB, which puts the focus squarely on core skills such as reading, science, and math--and therefore might not give students the chance to explore IT courses or electives while in high school.

"States have to rethink how they measure success" if they are going solve the problem, he said.

Informing educators and students about opportunities in the IT field "can make a substantial difference in programs available to prepare IT workers and, ultimately, in the number of U.S. workers qualified to fill the positions," said Don Knezek, chief executive officer of the International Society for Technology in Education. Student clubs, internships, and other creative programs that expose students to IT careers also can help, he said.

These activities "allow students to explore IT roles in schools, and in work settings outside schools, in ways that stimulate interest in IT careers ... and allow them to consider an IT-related career they might otherwise never have considered."

One such activity is Microsoft's DigiGirlz technology day camp, which took place in June in cities from coast to coast. About 150 Microsoft employees pitched in to teach young women about their professions, company spokeswoman Katie Hasbargen said.

Teenagers from seven states, in grades eight through 10, attended sessions on computer hardware and software, programming and web site construction, resume building, leadership, and career opportunities.

The camp ended June 14, when girls had a chance to shadow Microsoft employees. The company gives each camper about $1,000 worth of software and products to continue practicing at home.

Longo said the Cisco Networking Academy is another such program that is helping to refill the pipeline of qualified IT employees.

Cisco launched the program in 1997, and it now counts approximately 400,000 graduates in the United States. Schools in all 50 states offer courses. The majority of these courses are taught at high schools and community colleges, and students can earn credits that transfer to four-year colleges. They also can take an exam to become a Cisco-certified network associate.

State programs might help, too, Longo says, as "government leaders are saying we need to regain our technical competitiveness."

In fact, many states are supporting initiatives to build up a pool of talented IT workers. Kentucky, for instance, has implemented a statewide initiative--called Prescription for Innovation--to deploy broadband connectivity to each of its 120 counties by the end of this year. Each county was charged with developing its own technology plan for the statewide initiative, which Longo believes has fueled more interest in technology and the opportunities it affords.

Kentucky, which has a shortage of skilled workers in IT fields, is "representative of what we are seeing in other states," Longo said. "Cisco's channel partners are saying they can't find enough people to hire. The companies, businesses, and IT users we're hearing from say there is not only a shortage of entry-level employees, but there's a much larger shortage at the advanced-capability level."

Another reason for this shortage, according to Longo: "When the industry took a dive, companies stopped providing funds for their employees to go back to school and earn more advanced degrees."

Still another problem that makes companies feel the IT crunch is that employers have raised the bar in terms of what they expect from their IT staff.

"In the past, IT has always been thought of as the shop in the basement, but the CEOs who are getting it understand that IT is becoming a core part [of business]," Longo said. "It's becoming more of a solution to business problems."

He added: "In the late 90s, anyone with an industry certification could get a high-paying job. Now, some level of postsecondary education is preferred."

To help meet these changing workplace needs, the Cisco Networking Academy has created new courses that focus on both entry-level and more advanced skills. These new courses fit in with the program's focus on giving students the skills they need to pursue IT careers in business-critical positions and industries ranging from technology and finance to medicine and entertainment.

Longo's final words to school policy makers? "All STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] skills are important," he says--but "don't forget about technology and engineering."

Creativity + Innovation + Technology = Success 101

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Innovation a key theme at NECC '07
New tech standards for students launched

Dennis Pierce Managing Editor
August 1, 2007

The need to produce a generation of students who are creative thinkers and innovators was a key theme at this year's National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) in Atlanta.

More than 18,500 educators and exhibitors gathered at the Georgia World Congress Center June 24 through 27 for the nation's premier educational technology conference, hosted by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

Conference-goers heard from keynote speaker Andrew Zolli, a futurist and author who urged those in attendance to cultivate students' creativity to maintain America's position as a global leader in innovation. Later in the conference, Zolli moderated a roundtable discussion on what it takes to unlock the creative potential in all of us.

In between, ISTE released an updated version of its National Educational Technology Standards for Students, a set of standards for defining what students should know and be able to do with technology at various grade levels. The revised standards include creativity and innovation at the top of the list of traits to be measured.

The innovation ‘imperative'

Zolli's opening keynote speech on June 24 had two parts. In the first half, he explained why it's "imperative" for educators to encourage students' innate creativity.

"You are shifting our whole civilization onto a new platform," he told attendees, using a metaphor the audience was familiar with to describe the changes in society brought on by advancements in technology. "We're watching an exponential curve ... an amazing set of shifts."

Two key ideas underlie these shifts, Zolli said: Everything that can be done by machine (eventually) will be, and many more things will be able to be done by machine than we now think.

"What happens when we're successful?" he asked attendees. In other words, what would the world look like if everything we needed were plentiful, fast, and cheap? "What is left to humanity is the essence of the creative spirit," he answered--and it's that creative spirit that educators must nurture in their students.

These capabilities are latent in all of us, Zolli said. He illustrated his point with an example from science. Scientists, he said, now have the ability to "shut off" various parts of the brain temporarily. In one research experiment, scientists turned off various inhibitors and had subjects draw a picture of a dog. In almost all cases, he noted, the subjects' drawings were much more rich in details than they were capable of before the experiment.

"We all have to find our own creative center," Zolli concluded. "The good news is, science tells us it's there."

In the second half of his speech, drawing on fields as diverse as demographics and psychology, Zolli outlined five key trends that are shaping education's future. And it's clear from these trends that creativity and innovation aren't necessary just for students: Educators, too, will need these traits to cultivate new approaches to teaching and learning.

The first of these trends is what Zolli called "demographic transformation." The world and U.S. populations are changing in ways that will have profound effects on education in this century, he noted.

For example, the world is becoming increasingly urban, and many of the largest cities in the world soon will be in East Asia. Women now make up 56 percent of undergraduates in the United States, and this figure is rising. The population in the Western part of the U.S. is rising at a much faster rate than in the East, and whites will be a minority in the United States by the middle of this century.

"The next generation is going to be more multiethnic and female than ever," Zolli said--and schools, too, will need to evolve to address these changes.

The second trend Zolli described is a shift in the way we think about our relationship with the natural world--or, as he put it, a growing awareness of "the need to navigate our moment in human civilization in relationship to our ecosystem." These social forces are going to meet new technological forces, he said--and as a result, "we're going to see hundreds of examples" of so-called "eco-innovation," or efforts to "rethink the world."

As examples of this phenomenon, Zolli cited a plant that scientists have engineered to turn red when its roots come into contact with the chemicals associated with landmines--and "ecotiles" that use the kinetic pressure of your stepping as you walk to power the lights around the town square.

"Someone you educate," he said, "... is going to win the Nobel Prize in this century for having solved a problem like this that also makes them a trillionaire." He added: "That's the opportunity in front of us."

The third trend, Zolli said, is a change in our perception of ideal "learning places."

"We are animals," he said, and as such, "we have preferred habitats." These are places that are rich in resources, multisensory and vibrant, adaptable and reusable, and mix public and private spaces. Zolli then showed a slide of a typical school building, with rows of bland lockers all looking the same.

"We send [students] to a place almost guaranteed to elicit psychosis to a social primate," he joked. His message: Educators must rethink their learning environments to elicit innovation from students.

The fourth trend is the need to cope with choice and complexity. In our "surplus society," Zolli said, we're now awash in choices. A key skill for educators to impart to their students will be the ability to manage these choices.

The final trend is the redefining of what "literacy" means. In our post-Sputnik model of intelligence, Zolli said, you're smart if you either know more facts than the average person, or you know unique facts that most others don't know. But as technology evolves and puts knowledge literally at the fingertips of students, that definition must change.

"Today, when students take the [SAT], they can take a programmable calculator into the test with them--and that's a bridge to a day when that device contains access to all the world's present information," he said. "The question is, what are we testing when we enable people to come in with the cloud of human knowledge behind them?"

It is inevitable that students will bring those tools with them to future tests, he said, and when they do, "we will have changed the nature of what we test to something a lot more like our ability to find, build, and use complex information tools in real time."

[Editor's note: For video highlights of Zolli's speech, as well as other aspects of NECC 2007, go to: http://www.eschoolnews.com/cic.]

New ed-tech standards

On day two of the conference, ISTE formally unveiled a new version of its National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS*S), the culmination of a yearlong process to revise this rubric for what kids should know and be able to do with technology.

Launched at last year's NECC, the NETS*S Refresh Project convened students and stakeholders in town-hall style meetings around the country during the past year, inviting their feedback. The project reportedly included participation from representatives in 50 states and 22 countries, including China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia.

ISTE first issued its NETS for students in 1998, and this framework has since found its way into the standards of as many as 48 U.S. states. Now, nearly 10 years later--and having also issued NETS for teachers and administrators--ISTE has revised its NETS to keep pace with the changing demands of a new global, information-based economy, the group says.

Toward that end, creativity and innovation head the list of characteristics the new standards seek to measure.

According to ISTE's chief executive, Don Knezek, the original NETS*S focused primarily on technology tools, "because that was okay at that time, but that's not true now. ... [We need to focus on] what students need to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly digital age."

Knezek has described the changes as a shift away from a focus on "competency with [technology] tools" and toward a focus on the "skills required in a digital world to produce and innovate" using technology.

The differences can be gleaned by looking at the categories that define each set of standards.

In the original standards, the skills necessary to define technology proficiency were outlined across six categories: basic operations and concepts; social, ethical, and human issues of technology use; productivity tools; communication tools; research tools; and problem-solving and decision-making tools.

The revised draft standards also are organized into six categories: (1) creativity and innovation; (2) communication and collaboration; (3) research and information retrieval; (4) critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making; (5) digital citizenship; and (6) technology operations and concepts.

"The first set of standards was about learning to use technology. This set is about using technology to learn," said David Barr, a retired educator and a member of ISTE's accreditation and standards committee.

Breaking the rules

Continuing the theme of creativity and innovation at this year's NECC, Zolli moderated a June 26 roundtable discussion on how educators can encourage the development of these characteristics within their students.

The discussion involved four experts with different perspectives on creativity: Mary Cullinane, a Microsoft employee and technology architect of the company's School of the Future project in Philadelphia; Michael McCauley, creative director for a Chicago-based communications agency; Francesc Pedro, senior analyst for the Paris-based Center for Educational Research and Innovation, a division of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development; and Elizabeth Streb, a nationally renowned choreographer.

The conversation centered on the question: What kind of environment best stimulates creativity?

The School of the Future project (see http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6579) was about "fundamentally questioning the norm," Cullinane said. She added: "One of the things we wanted to focus on was creating a place where failure was an option--where kids weren't afraid to fail." That's hard to do in an era of increased school accountability, she acknowledged. In terms of its physical space, the school's designers sought to create "gathering places" where kids could come together and collaborate on projects.

Streb described a place she created in New York City, called Slam, where dancers, acrobats, and students come together to explore movement and flight. She portrayed it as resembling a large "garage," where it's OK to break things and get dirty. "We also allow complete sovereignty," she added, noting there is a "thin line between when play stops and class begins."

Streb also had a few words of advice for those in the audience: Ask seemingly unanswerable questions, and break the rules. "Discovery is going in with a clean question and then ignoring everything you thought you knew," said Streb, who has revolutionized modern dance by challenging many widely held assumptions about this art form.

Zolli noted that the panelists seemed to be talking about taking risks and empowering individuals (that is, students). So, he asked, how do educators deal with the structural impediments to these notions that typically exist in today's schools?

Cullinane acknowledged this can be difficult. She said Philadelphia's School of the Future was designed to exist within the traditional constraints common to school systems, such as budget limitations--yet its goal was specifically to loosen the structural barriers that often impede progress.

"Imagine if we were all swimming downstream--imagine how fast we could go," she said. "Yet, in schools, we're often swimming upstream" against a current of policies and procedures.

Zolli then asked what it is about the culture at Microsoft that encourages innovation. Cullinane responded that it's a place where individuals are self-critical and constantly questioning: How can I get better? This behavior is modeled every day, she said. Also, employees are given time to just think.

"You didn't have to justify that you were doing something," said Cullinane, a former teacher before joining Microsoft. "Thinking was doing something--and that, for me, was a fundamental change, coming from a school environment."

Cullinane ended the discussion by urging educators to remember the word "motive," asking: What motivates students? What do they value? What is their environment? What are their challenges?

"If we can't answer these questions, we're not going to be able to create the kinds of environments like the School of the Future," she concluded.

In a case reportedly involving the brother of Rep. William J. Jefferson, D-La., who was indicted recently on federal bribery charges, a former president of the New Orleans Public Schools board has admitted accepting $140,000 in bribes to help JRL Enterprises, a producer of educational software, obtain a lucrative New Orleans school contract.

The former board official, Ellenese Brooks-Simms, 67, pleaded guilty in a U.S. District Court in New Orleans to charges of conspiracy to commit bribery. Her lawyer told reporters outside the courthouse on June 20 that Brooks-Simms "fully acknowledges and regrets being involved in this." The charges against Brooks-Simms did not identify a business consultant who was said to have paid her to win school board contracts for the company.

JRL, which was founded in New Orleans and moved to Jackson, Miss., after Hurricane Katrina, was not accused of wrongdoing in the case. But JRL's "I CAN Learn" software has been involved in controversy in the past over its efficacy and the circumstances surrounding its contracts with the school district of Fort Worth, Texas (see Officials freeze ‘I CAN Learn': http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/ showStory.cfm?ArticleID=5679).

In the New Orleans case, JRL's founder, John Lee, acknowledged that he hired Rep. Jefferson's brother, Mose Jefferson, to "facilitate introductions to the decision makers" in Orleans Parish. But according to the city's newspaper, the Times-Picayune, Lee said he never authorized bribes.

Brooks-Simms was accused of accepting bribes on three occasions for "promoting and approving" school board contracts that "illegally benefited" a person known to federal prosecutors but not named in court papers. A news release from U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said the person in question received more than $900,000 in commissions for software contracts with the New Orleans school board.

Brooks-Simms served on the Orleans Parish School Board from 2000 to 2004. She is the latest person to plead guilty in a wide-ranging probe that began in 2003 and has resulted so far in 23 guilty pleas, Letten said. A string of plea deals has revealed kickback schemes involving construction and insurance activities, as well as school payroll thefts.

New Hampshire officials release new high school model

The New Hampshire Department of Education has released a document intended to develop "a new high school delivery model," in which learning is tailored around students' interests and teachers mentor instead of instruct.

"This is the next step in moving forward with school redesign," said Fred Bramante, a member of the state Board of Education. "If we do this right, why would any kid drop out of high school?"

The vision document, "Moving from High Schools to Learning Communities," is closely tied to the state's minimum standards for school approval. Those standards were revised in 2005 to allow schools more flexibility.

Among the changes were a provision that would allow high schools to maintain a school year of 990 hours instead of 180 days and a mandate that by the 2008-09 school year, students must have the option to earn credits by demonstrating mastery of a subject instead of taking a course in that subject.

Six "guiding principles" for redesigning high schools are outlined in the new vision document:

· Students should feel a personal connection to their high school experience. School guidance programs are important, as are internships and lessons customized to each student's learning style.

· All students should be held to high academic and personal standards.

· Students must believe that what they learn is relevant to their lives; students should be able to personalize their learning.

· Teachers should be facilitators, mentors, and coaches.

· Each student's learning should be monitored and documented.

· Data about that learning should be used to tweak the system to make it better. State education officials say some schools already emphasize personalized learning.

For example, Merrimack Valley High School offers online courses and internships, and its staff members are developing a charter school that would assess students based on their demonstrated abilities. The CSI Charter School would "profile" students and then adapt the curriculum to fit their needs.

Merrimack Valley Principal Mike Jette said he hopes to pilot the concept of awarding credit for "real-world learning," as outlined in the revised minimum standards, at the charter school next year and then bring it to the high school in 2008-09.

South Dakota joins effort to teach 21st-century skills

South Dakota has joined a national effort that seeks to teach students the skills required to succeed in a rapidly changing world, Gov. Mike Rounds said on June 19.

South Dakota is the fifth state to join the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, an organization that includes major corporations and education groups. The other four states are Massachusetts, North Carolina, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The group's members include Apple, Cisco Systems, Ford Motor Co., Microsoft Corp., Texas Instruments, and Verizon.

"We have a powerful vision for the 21st century. We feel we need to infuse different skills into the core subjects," said Kathy Hurley, a representative of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.

Students must graduate with skills that allow them to think critically, solve problems, communicate, be leaders, and use computers and other technology, Rounds said. Such skills are needed, he added, so South Dakota businesses can hire highly qualified workers to compete in the global economy.

"If we start now teaching these critical skills, we have a better chance of being economically successful within our state," Rounds said.

An advisory council of South Dakota business and education leaders will make recommendations on what skills should be taught to students at all education levels. The panel met on June 19 for the first time.

State Education Secretary Rick Melmer said the new effort could require some additional training to help teachers emphasize the targeted skills, which would be integrated into existing courses.

Rounds said the new skills program will be tied to his existing 2010 Education initiative that already has set goals for improving education in South Dakota.

By this fall, 25 percent of South Dakota's high school students will have laptop computers they can take home with them after school, Rounds said. Other programs let students take courses over the internet or television if their high schools do not offer those subjects, he said.

Seattle offers iPods as incentives for test-prep classes

Seattle high-school students who failed reading or math on the 10th-grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) are being given the chance to earn an iPod Shuffle from Apple Inc., the Seattle Times reports. The catch? They must spend five weeks in one of two WASL-prep summer programs.

The city hopes the programs, a joint project with Seattle Public Schools and Seattle Community Colleges, will help students pass the state exam--and city officials are offering the iPods, which retail at $79, as an incentive to get students in the door.

"For the subset of students who have lost motivation ... this is worth a try," Holly Miller, director of the city's Office for Education, told the Times.

A tutoring company helping with the programs came up with the idea of the iPod incentive, Miller said, saying it has worked well in other cities.

An anonymous donor is paying for the iPods for all students who complete the math-tutoring program. The city said it would buy iPods for students in the reading program.

Sea Grant-Funded Researchers Explore Offshore Wind Energy Prospects Substantial wind resource exists off Mid-Atlantic coast

Delaware Sea Grant researchers are investigating whether offshore wind turbines could play a major role in meeting the Mid-Atlantic region’s energy needs. Photo by Jonathan Lilley By Ron Ohrel, Delaware Sea Grant Note: This article contains excerpts from two articles previously posted on the University of Delaware’s UDaily web site: www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2007/jan/wind011607.html and www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2007/feb/wind020107.html. Delaware’s electric power generators are currently powered entirely by fossil fuels, which emit carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas widely recognized as contributing to global warming—into the atmosphere. Environmental and other considerations have led some scientists and policymakers to explore alternatives to fossil fuels. One of those options is offshore wind power. Researchers at the University of Delaware and Stanford University recently learned that the wind resource off the Mid-Atlantic coast could meet the energy needs of the adjacent nine coastal states from Massachusetts to North Carolina, plus the District of Columbia—with enough left over to support a 50 percent increase in future energy demand. More than 90 percent of the 949 Delaware residents responding to the survey supported an offshore wind option even if wind power were to add between $1 and $30 per month to their electric bills. In a 2006 survey of more than 900 Delaware residents, University of Delaware marine policy scientists Jeremy Firestone (seated) and Willett Kempton (left) and doctoral student Andrew Krueger found strong public support for offshore wind power as a future energy source for the state. Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson Using that information, University of Delaware researchers Willett Kempton, Jeremy Firestone, and Richard Garvine are determining the potential for establishing wind power facilities off the Delaware coast. The scientists are working to identify potential sites for offshore facilities, the laws and policies to best regulate possible development, possible economic and environmental impacts, and opinions of coastal residents regarding offshore wind power. Surveying Delaware residents, Firestone and Kempton found strong support for offshore wind power as a future source of energy. When asked to select from a variety of sources to help the state increase its energy supply, more than 90 percent of the 949 Delaware residents responding to the survey supported an offshore wind option—in which whirling wind turbines as tall as 40-story buildings would be erected off the coast to generate electricity—even if wind power were to add between $1 and $30 per month to their electric bills. Fewer than 10 percent voted for an expansion of coal or natural gas power at current prices. “Based on our results, Delaware could become the Denmark of the United States when it comes to relying on offshore wind power as a major energy source,” Firestone said. “Delawareans are amazingly supportive of it.” Firestone further noted that this study debunks the myth that coastal residents will not support in-view developments. In a project funded by the Delaware Sea Grant College program, the scientists and their graduate students surveyed more than 700 out-of-state visitors to Delaware's beaches in July 2007 to explore how an offshore wind farm would affect tourism. Analysis of that survey data is ongoing. Delaware Sea Grant researchers are surveying beach visitors this summer to assess the potential impacts that an offshore wind farm could have on tourism. The Delaware state legislature has indicated interest in securing nonpolluting sources of electricity and in May 2007, four Delaware agencies ordered Delmarva Power & Light to negotiate to buy power from a proposed offshore wind farm, which could be the first in the United States. Contingent on the success of those negotiations, nine Delaware municipalities have agreed to purchase power for 20 years from the offshore wind farm. This is the first such agreement in the United States. If negotiations are successful, this single offshore wind farm would provide 17 percent of the electricity for the entire state, while tapping only 3 percent of the state’s potential offshore wind resource. The bid price for wind-generated electricity was less than that of a coal gasification plant of the same electrical capacity. “I think interest in wind power and other renewable energy sources is now growing not only in Delaware, but nationally due to the rising cost and long-term supply issues associated with traditional energy sources, as well as other concerns such as global warming,” Kempton said. Kempton and Firestone are part of a research group at the University of Delaware College of Marine and Earth Studies that is exploring the science, resource and policy implications of offshore wind power. The group offers a graduate course on offshore wind power, including science, engineering and policy. Kempton said University of Delaware students are interested in the topic, and he has seen increased enrollment across campus in the course. “We now have a number of graduate students who have completed their studies or are presently working toward a degree in this area,” he said. Related links: Delaware Sea Grant University of Delaware Wind Power Group

Interviewed Today: by Donald Carli , Senior Research Fellow

World Future Energy Summit
http://www.wfes08.com/

MASDAR
http://www.masdaruae.com/

Governor Job-Training Program touts Renewable Energy!

Gov. Jennifer Granholm Wednesday launched a "No Worker Left Behind" job training program.

The goal: to train 100,000 Michigan residents for high-demand careers.

By redirecting federal funds currently used for job training, NWLB will provide up to two years of free tuition at any Michigan community college, university, or other approved training program for qualifying participants. Participants must earn a certification or degree needed in a high-demand occupation or gain the entrepreneurial skills needed to start their own businesses.

Partners in the No Worker Left Behind initiative include Michigan’s 28 community colleges, the Michigan Community Colleges Association, the Michigan Works Association and 25 Michigan Works agencies, the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth, four-year colleges and universities, and licensed proprietary schools.

“By 2012, Michigan will have a shortage of 334,000 skilled workers,” said Keith W. Cooley, director of the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth, the state department that is charged with overseeing the NWLB initiative. “We know that 70 percent of the fastest growing jobs by 2010 will require a post-secondary degree.”

Training in-high demand occupations vary from region to region and include advanced manufacturing, health care, biotechnology, and renewable energy, as well as other growing sectors.

Eligible participants include any person who is currently unemployed, who has received a notice or termination or layoff from employment, or whose family income is $40,000 or less. Participants must be at least 18 years old, must not have graduated from high school within the last two years, and must not be full-time college students. They have three years to sign up for the program.

For more information, call Michigan Works at 1-800-285-WORKS (9675) or go to the NWLB website at www.michigan.gov/nwlb.

The 6th Mind: "Priming the Pump" with Truth, Trust, Deeds!

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July 31, 2007

Who’s Minding the Mind?

By BENEDICT CAREY

In a recent experiment, psychologists at Yale altered people’s judgments of a stranger by handing them a cup of coffee.

The study participants, college students, had no idea that their social instincts were being deliberately manipulated. On the way to the laboratory, they had bumped into a laboratory assistant, who was holding textbooks, a clipboard, papers and a cup of hot or iced coffee — and asked for a hand with the cup.

That was all it took: The students who held a cup of iced coffee rated a hypothetical person they later read about as being much colder, less social and more selfish than did their fellow students, who had momentarily held a cup of hot java.

Findings like this one, as improbable as they seem, have poured forth in psychological research over the last few years. New studies have found that people tidy up more thoroughly when there’s a faint tang of cleaning liquid in the air; they become more competitive if there’s a briefcase in sight, or more cooperative if they glimpse words like “dependable” and “support” — all without being aware of the change, or what prompted it.

Psychologists say that “priming” people in this way is not some form of hypnotism, or even subliminal seduction; rather, it’s a demonstration of how everyday sights, smells and sounds can selectively activate goals or motives that people already have.

More fundamentally, the new studies reveal a subconscious brain that is far more active, purposeful and independent than previously known. Goals, whether to eat, mate or devour an iced latte, are like neural software programs that can only be run one at a time, and the unconscious is perfectly capable of running the program it chooses.

The give and take between these unconscious choices and our rational, conscious aims can help explain some of the more mystifying realities of behavior, like how we can be generous one moment and petty the next, or act rudely at a dinner party when convinced we are emanating charm.

“When it comes to our behavior from moment to moment, the big question is, ‘What to do next?’ ” said John A. Bargh, a professor of psychology at Yale and a co-author, with Lawrence Williams, of the coffee study, which was presented at a recent psychology conference. “Well, we’re finding that we have these unconscious behavioral guidance systems that are continually furnishing suggestions through the day about what to do next, and the brain is considering and often acting on those, all before conscious awareness.”

Dr. Bargh added: “Sometimes those goals are in line with our conscious intentions and purposes, and sometimes they’re not.”

Priming the Unconscious

The idea of subliminal influence has a mixed reputation among scientists because of a history of advertising hype and apparent fraud. In 1957, an ad man named James Vicary claimed to have increased sales of Coca-Cola and popcorn at a movie theater in Fort Lee, N.J., by secretly flashing the words “Eat popcorn” and “Drink Coke” during the film, too quickly to be consciously noticed. But advertisers and regulators doubted his story from the beginning, and in a 1962 interview, Mr. Vicary acknowledged that he had trumped up the findings to gain attention for his business.

Later studies of products promising subliminal improvement, for things like memory and self-esteem, found no effect.

Some scientists also caution against overstating the implications of the latest research on priming unconscious goals. The new research “doesn’t prove that consciousness never does anything,” wrote Roy Baumeister, a professor of psychology at Florida State University, in an e-mail message. “It’s rather like showing you can hot-wire a car to start the ignition without keys. That’s important and potentially useful information, but it doesn’t prove that keys don’t exist or that keys are useless.”

Yet he and most in the field now agree that the evidence for psychological hot-wiring has become overwhelming. In one 2004 experiment, psychologists led by Aaron Kay, then at Stanford University and now at the University of Waterloo, had students take part in a one-on-one investment game with another, unseen player.

Half the students played while sitting at a large table, at the other end of which was a briefcase and a black leather portfolio. These students were far stingier with their money than the others, who played in an identical room, but with a backpack on the table instead.

The mere presence of the briefcase, noticed but not consciously registered, generated business-related associations and expectations, the authors argue, leading the brain to run the most appropriate goal program: compete. The students had no sense of whether they had acted selfishly or generously.

In another experiment, published in 2005, Dutch psychologists had undergraduates sit in a cubicle and fill out a questionnaire. Hidden in the room was a bucket of water with a splash of citrus-scented cleaning fluid, giving off a faint odor. After completing the questionnaire, the young men and women had a snack, a crumbly biscuit provided by laboratory staff members.

The researchers covertly filmed the snack time and found that these students cleared away crumbs three times more often than a comparison group, who had taken the same questionnaire in a room with no cleaning scent. “That is a very big effect, and they really had no idea they were doing it,” said Henk Aarts, a psychologist at Utrecht University and the senior author of the study.

The Same Brain Circuits

The real-world evidence for these unconscious effects is clear to anyone who has ever run out to the car to avoid the rain and ended up driving too fast, or rushed off to pick up dry cleaning and returned with wine and cigarettes — but no pressed slacks.

The brain appears to use the very same neural circuits to execute an unconscious act as it does a conscious one. In a study that appeared in the journal Science in May, a team of English and French neuroscientists performed brain imaging on 18 men and women who were playing a computer game for money. The players held a handgrip and were told that the tighter they squeezed when an image of money flashed on the screen, the more of the loot they could keep.

As expected, the players squeezed harder when the image of a British pound flashed by than when the image of a penny did — regardless of whether they consciously perceived the pictures, many of which flew by subliminally. But the circuits activated in their brains were similar as well: an area called the ventral pallidum was particularly active whenever the participants responded.

“This area is located in what used to be called the reptilian brain, well below the conscious areas of the brain,” said the study’s senior author, Chris Frith, a professor in neuropsychology at University College London who wrote the book “Making Up The Mind: How the Brain Creates our Mental World.”

The results suggest a “bottom-up” decision-making process, in which the ventral pallidum is part of a circuit that first weighs the reward and decides, then interacts with the higher-level, conscious regions later, if at all, Dr. Frith said.

Scientists have spent years trying to pinpoint the exact neural regions that support conscious awareness, so far in vain. But there’s little doubt it involves the prefrontal cortex, the thin outer layer of brain tissue behind the forehead, and experiments like this one show that it can be one of the last neural areas to know when a decision is made.

This bottom-up order makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. The subcortical areas of the brain evolved first and would have had to help individuals fight, flee and scavenge well before conscious, distinctly human layers were added later in evolutionary history. In this sense, Dr. Bargh argues, unconscious goals can be seen as open-ended, adaptive agents acting on behalf of the broad, genetically encoded aims — automatic survival systems.

In several studies, researchers have also shown that, once covertly activated, an unconscious goal persists with the same determination that is evident in our conscious pursuits. Study participants primed to be cooperative are assiduous in their teamwork, for instance, helping others and sharing resources in games that last 20 minutes or longer. Ditto for those set up to be aggressive.

This may help explain how someone can show up at a party in good spirits and then for some unknown reason — the host’s loafers? the family portrait on the wall? some political comment? — turn a little sour, without realizing the change until later, when a friend remarks on it. “I was rude? Really? When?”

Mark Schaller, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, has done research showing that when self-protective instincts are primed — simply by turning down the lights in a room, for instance — white people who are normally tolerant become unconsciously more likely to detect hostility in the faces of black men with neutral expressions.

“Sometimes nonconscious effects can be bigger in sheer magnitude than conscious ones,” Dr. Schaller said, “because we can’t moderate stuff we don’t have conscious access to, and the goal stays active.”

Until it is satisfied, that is, when the program is subsequently suppressed, research suggests. In one 2006 study, for instance, researchers had Northwestern University undergraduates recall an unethical deed from their past, like betraying a friend, or a virtuous one, like returning lost property. Afterward, the students had their choice of a gift, an antiseptic wipe or a pencil; and those who had recalled bad behavior were twice as likely as the others to take the wipe. They had been primed to psychologically “cleanse” their consciences.

Once their hands were wiped, the students became less likely to agree to volunteer their time to help with a graduate school project. Their hands were clean: the unconscious goal had been satisfied and now was being suppressed, the findings suggest.

What You Don’t Know

Using subtle cues for self-improvement is something like trying to tickle yourself, Dr. Bargh said: priming doesn’t work if you’re aware of it. Manipulating others, while possible, is dicey. “We know that as soon as people feel they’re being manipulated, they do the opposite; it backfires,” he said.

And researchers do not yet know how or when, exactly, unconscious drives may suddenly become conscious; or under which circumstances people are able to override hidden urges by force of will. Millions have quit smoking, for instance, and uncounted numbers have resisted darker urges to misbehave that they don’t even fully understand.

Yet the new research on priming makes it clear that we are not alone in our own consciousness. We have company, an invisible partner who has strong reactions about the world that don’t always agree with our own, but whose instincts, these studies clearly show, are at least as likely to be helpful, and attentive to others, as they are to be disruptive.