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This guest post from Steve Gandy, CEO of MeetingZone, describes how businesses were hit by loss of working hours during the tube strikes due to lack of flexibility.
Anyone of London's 4 million commuters who struggled into work during the recent meltdown of the UK Underground system will understand only too well the chaos the tube strikes caused to travellers and other transport links. Our recent survey has revealed there's also been a huge cost to London businesses too.
Those London strikes were part of an ongoing dispute with the Unions (which represent Tube employees), over plans to introduce 24-hour tube services at weekends. The launch of the 24-hour tube service has now been pushed back due to this, but not before the entire London Underground network came to a standstill on 8-9 July and 5-6 August 2015.
The survey of 1000 London commuters, estimated that businesses lost a total of over 1.5 million working hours during the London tube strikes from employees being late into work. What's more, we calculated that London's commuters wasted an extra three million hours just getting to and from the office. These are staggering figures especially when you consider that much of it is really unnecessary. But this was made even worse by the fact the research also showed that only 9% of bosses let employees work from home during this time. 72% of employees feel bosses are still failing to offer flexible working options during travel disruptions.
Sure, not everyone can work from home or remotely, but most office based jobs don't actually require people to sit at their desk. Technology like Unified Communications (UC) means that users can fire up a presentation, edit it with a colleague over IM or jump on a video chat instead - so it seems daft to ask employees to face travel hell.
As I've mentioned before, part of the problem is cultural. Many managers and business owners aren't opening their eyes to how technology could change the way people work and drive efficiencies. They're happy to think 'if they can't see them working they can't be working', which is of course nonsense. You can just as easily sit at your desk and do nothing. Even where companies do have access to UC technology, you see a lot of them assume a couple of training sessions mean staff are confident enough to use it when an unplanned event occurs. They aren't. What's required is a culture of adoption driven by senior managers who embrace the technology and lead the way, not only offering continuous training but also through post roll-out support.
I feel sorry for all the commuters that had to set their alarms early. Forget the trains running on time - UK business should run on time too. The lost hours during the recent London tube strikes should be the turning point for companies to start thinking about flexible working options to reduce the amount time commuters waste.
This is a guest blog from Richard Pedley, software engineer, Delcam, part of Autodesk.
The CBI recently highlighted that the UK manufacturing industry is experiencing a crisis. In the UK we are lacking the vital skills to increase our productivity. In particular, the STEM skills gap has been an issue for many years and STEM teaching needs to be prioritised in the UK curriculum to encourage growth in this field.
One of the main issues we have found is a general lack of awareness surrounding the broad range of opportunities STEM skills can offer after education. Raising awareness about the jobs available from a young age will help children aspire to pursuing a career they might not have considered or heard of before.
There are a number of ways the manufacturing sector can get involved in helping to address the issue. At Delcam, we're looking to address this by engaging with the Bloodhound and STEM Ambassador programmes. The programmes work to promote the engineering profession with a focus on the country's young people by sending specially trained ambassadors to local schools. Delcam has been involved with the Bloodhound scheme for the past eighteen months and, at the start of July, three ambassadors visited Harborne Primary School to deliver a special school assembly for 270 students in Years 3 - 6, followed by an interactive Bloodhound activity session for Year 5 students.
The assembly focused on the history of engineering in the UK and also introduced speed as a scientific concept in a way that would be engaging and straightforward for children to understand. Speed, fast cars and specifically powering Bloodhound are topics that children can really get their teeth into. It can be easy to underestimate the student's level of understanding, but as with every school we've visited, the children were keen to get involved and shout suggestions for powering the car.
After the assembly, the Year 5 students were lucky enough to have their own Bloodhound breakout session which involved three classes, totalling 90 students each building their very own version of the Bloodhound car. We explained to the students the principle of harnessing force to drive a car forward. The children were then able to put this into practice by building a Bloodhound-branded cardboard car from scratch with a straw and balloon jet engine. The children were then able to race the cars to see which would go the fastest and furthest. The pupils were eager to modify the cars even further which has inspired the teachers to create follow up activity sessions for the Year 5s. Teachers and pupils alike thoroughly enjoyed the day and there are already plans in motion for a return visit to Harborne Primary School next year.
Initiatives like the STEM Ambassador programme are only the beginning and, at Delcam, we're also passionate about furthering the opportunities of older students with involvement in apprenticeships and graduate programmes. Specifically, we take in over 28 graduates and undergraduates a year to invest and build the UK talent pool. Schemes such as F1 in Schools are also hugely important in engaging the future workforce.
It is crucial that businesses and educators continue to work together to show students the wide range of STEM-careers that are available, both in manufacturing and in other areas, and ensure the tools and support are available to ignite the passion to create the STEM stars of the future. Getting fresh talent into the manufacturing sector will also support the future of manufacturing, ensuring we are able to incorporate new ways of doing things and tackle productivity issues with innovative solutions, rather than doing things the way we've always done them.
This is a guest blog by Claire Higgins, a student from Notre Dame High School in Scotland, who recently visited Silicon Valley after winning the Founders4Schools Appathon competition. Claire and her team mates thought of the winning app idea Smart Wardrobe.
Monday morning rolled around after much anticipation and excitement about the trip. The 4:30 morning wake up was a tiring but welcome experience as we were buzzing about going to California. We were all incredibly excited for the trip despite the fact that some of us had already been to the States- the west coast was unfamiliar ground to all of us. The fifteen hours' worth of traveling felt longer than we had expected, probably because we just wanted to get to San Francisco as soon as possible. When we eventually arrived and collected what luggage we had, we went to meet Iria from founders4school and the Cambridge University team; Ben, Joseph and Patrick. The Cambridge teams 4th member was still finishing is first set of exams and so was meeting us on the Wednesday night. We got to see different parts of San Francisco which was amazing as none of us had ever visited the city. We went shopping and walked down to Fisherman's Warf where we could see Alcatraz across the water. We were all exhausted and extremely jetlagged by the end of the day, and so we were relieved when we got back to our hotel rooms.
On Tuesday we attempted to wake up at 7:45. When we were ready, our driver Jason drove us to our first company, Square. We were very excited despite our tiredness. In Square, we had an amazing breakfast- which was also free! Our tour guide, Megan, was an employee who has been working at Square for just over a year. She and a current intern showed us around the amazing offices before taking us to a conference room to talk to another two square employees. They told us the story of how square started and how much more advanced the UK are in payment methods as in the US you still have to swipe your credit/debit card and sign the receipt. They spoke to us about their goals, which is to have everyone paying bills on their smartphones with their product.
Then, we went to the wonderful world of Facebook. First, we were taken onto campus by two engineers who showed us all the options we had for lunch, which (like Square) was unbelievably free! We sat down and spoke to them about what they do at Facebook and what it's like to work at such a big, well known company. We also went to the Facebook shop to buy some souvenirs. Then, we were shown around the campus by another Facebook employee who also told us what the main offices and teams were and what they do. We were particularly surprised about how the Employees didn't have any set working hours, as long as they were working on something and were making an impact, which we soon found out was the way most companies worked.
Our final tour of the day was tesla where we were told the history of the company, how the tesla car is made and even got a picture inside one! We were given a tour of the factory and were told what each machines job was. None of us had ever been to a car manufacturer's factory before and so found it incredibly interesting to see how the cars were built.
By the end of the day, we were all very tired, so after a quick mean at a close by pizzeria, were glad to go to bed.
On Wednesday, we had to wake up at 5:30 to go on the Stanford Dish trail. From 06:30 to 07:50 we walked the 4.6 mile trail before heading to LinkedIn.
Our tour guide, Aaron, who works in the marketing side of the company, took us to breakfast, where the food choices were endless. After breakfast, he gave us a tour of the offices and games room before taking us into a conference room to talk to current employees and interns. They spoke to us about what they like about the company, what their job is at the company and how their job makes an impact. We found this extremely helpful as it gave us a better idea of what careers we may or may not want to pursue when we're older.
After LinkedIn, we walked down the street to Google. At Google, we had lunch with 2 employees who told us all about their job and department at Google. We were also told about how voice recognition works and how they feel it's becoming a bigger part of today's society. We were shown around the visitors centre and told a bit more about Google (its history etc.) before going back to the hotel for a few hours free time.
On Wednesday night we all went bowling before meeting Evgeny, which was fun. Once he arrived we went to a BBQ type restaurant, before heading back to the hotel.
On Thursday, we went to Paypal and Edmodo. We were all tired and dreading the long flight home later that day.
At Paypal, we were shown around the campus by two employees. We also spoke to them in a large conference room about the advantages of working at Paypal, what each group of people do and their own personal life's history. It was interesting to learn how each team work differently from each other.
After Paypal we went to Edmodo where we had lunch. We were then brought into a conference room where we spoke about our idea before learning about Edmodo and what each person's role is in the company. The university team had to leave early as they were going on a road trip to LA to visit other places such as SpaceX, which they had organised themselves. When they left, we got a tour of the offices.
After Edmodo, we had to say goodbye to Iria as she was going back to San Francisco for a few days. We were driven back to the airport where we began to make our way back home.
We all arrived back home on the Friday afternoon at around 2:30 UK time and we were extremely excited to tell our friends and family all about the incredible experience.
Going to California really gave me an idea about what I want to do when I'm older. I've always thought about doing engineering, and this has helped me narrow down what types I may want to do as a job when I leave school. I really loved going to all the companies as it's a once in a lifetime experience, and I know that I was really lucky to get the opportunity to go. It's also shown me how different businesses are in the UK, as in Silicon Valley it's all very casual and chill. When I was there I never felt unwelcome and everyone who we met made it easy to feel comfortable in such a big place. I really did love the trip and want to thank Appathon for giving us the opportunity to go.
Today, education and teaching methods are on a transformative path. Schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions are endeavouring to keep up with digital and technological advances and what their learners - largely digital natives - demand. A lot has changed since chalk and blackboard were the only means of communication. Today learners expect to work from PCs, laptops and tablets daily for their lessons and research as well as for homework. The challenge of creating and sustaining engaging learning material is faced by teachers every day; a task that is being made easier by using Interactive White Boards, up-to-date printing facilities and collaborative file sharing. Meanwhile in the background Managed Services can streamline administrative processes and reduce costs.
Interactive whiteboards combine advanced high definition displays with multi-touch screen technology and wireless connectivity to other devices. They help to create highly stimulating lessons and present engaging visual information that brings learning to life. The immersive learning experience is more collaborative and enables teachers to create and deliver compelling interactive material to enhance understanding of the topic, optimising engagement and stimulating their students. Making the whiteboards as intuitive to use as the blackboard allows teachers to focus on their teaching, not the technology.
With increased access to digital technologies, schools are also implementing Managed Print solutions for quicker, more convenient printing from PCs, interactive whiteboards, and mobile devices. Print demand in education remains strong - with classroom handouts, test papers, homework, essays, research... a Managed Print Service (MPS) can help both save paper for the school and offer secure and convenient Printing for students. The new digital age of education means that documents can be printed when and where they are needed but still give administrative staff clear visibility into printing usage and costs. Features such as scanning and storing can also reduce unnecessary printing.
Leeds West Academy (LWA), part of the White Rose Academy Trust, specialises in English and Performing Arts, and several LWA students have gone on to establish themselves as chart musicians or stars of the screen and stage. While preparing for its move to a new building, the Academy planned IT services requirements for its 1250 students, teachers and administrative staff, to enable them to connect instantly to the network and wirelessly access support services. LWA implemented Sharp multi-function printers, which provide a simple and secure way to print, copy, scan and share documents in colour and black and white. They are also equipped with a biometric fingerprint authentication system which quickly identifies and authenticates individual users and gives them access to their own secure print queue. IT Service Manager, Richard Shaw, said: "With students and staff able to log-on at any device within seconds to release print and scan documents, there are no delays."
Having logged on, students and staff can use the MFPs to scan learning materials and documents to email or save them to a USB drive, saving print costs and paper. The implementation of the MFPs has also reduced the administrative burden, for example, a simple one-touch interface supports scanning to SIMS (Schools Information Management System), enabling paper-based records to be captured and recorded digitally.
Schools like Leeds West Academy, investing in technologies to modernise processes and future-proof learning environments, are benefitting from reduced costs and administrative loads as well as more effective management of student records and governance. More importantly, students are enjoying a more engaging, interactive and collaborative learning environment where their familiar digital technologies are now at the heart of their educational experiences.
This is a guest blog by Mark Chambers, chief executive of Naace who warns that coding has been given too much emphasis in the new curriculum.There are currently many exciting projects around coding in schools, and it's been great watching children getting involved with computing both within the classroom and in extra-curricular groups. It's quite evident that a number of teachers and students in the classroom are motivated and enthused by the creation of gaming projects, application development and even the solving of coding conundrums for their own sake - just because we can.
However, the number of teachers and students engaged with computing is still small and significantly smaller than those who used to engage with digitally creative projects involving the broader ideas of 'Information Technology'. It is my argument that we have "thrown the baby out with the bath water".
The direction of thought that branded ICT as "bad" is well documented with anecdotal evidence such as, "my child was subject to endlessly tiresome Microsoft Office activities", dominating any discussion that politicians and industrialists had with the education community. The subsequent development of the Computing Curriculum was intended to specifically redress this situation with the strong feeling that by introducing more explicit Computer Science all would be well. This decision and political endorsement was followed by an injection of millions of pounds of public money to upskill our teachers in Computer Science.
Yet the reality is that there are huge gaps in the provision of sufficient high quality professional development that would improve the experience of young students. Indeed, if Information Technology was taught badly (the original argument for changing the curriculum), then nothing has been done to alter this fact apart from "moving the goal posts". There is no national commitment to improving the teaching of Information Technology or Digital Literacy and the private sector provision which used to exist is being destroyed in the face of publicly subsidised but narrowly focused Computer Science training.
Unsurprisingly, schools have picked up on the importance of Computer Science and are understandably leaping at the opportunity of having volunteers from the parental community or from industry delivering the subject. However, many are also demonstrating an attitude that suggests they feel this provision is enough and that consequently the timetabled Computing Curriculum can be made a lower priority. Two thirds of the Computing Curriculum is in danger of both poor teaching and perhaps even disappearing from our schools. This abdication from developing digital creativity is shocking and will significantly impact our competitiveness as a global economy, with UK plc rapidly falling behind in the creative industries.
My argument is not that Computer Science and specifically the glamorous "coding" is unimportant; but actually that there is far more that must be considered. There are a number of skills and competencies enshrined within the Computing Curriculum that are capable of providing young people with a varied, imaginative and creative learning experience, equipping them for higher education and employment in a much more balanced way than simply being able to repeat code.
What unites all three strands of the Computing Curriculum is a focus on "Making"; solving problems to a purpose and for an audience. For a couple of years, Naace has been developing the Third Millennium Learning Award and some associated tools to support schools in developing their pedagogical approaches when making effective use of technology. This project has shown us that when students are offered the opportunity to experience problem-solving using digital tools in an increasing complexity of circumstances, they can achieve amazing progress and outcomes.
There is a significant danger that too much of the touted practice in Computer Science is artificial, abstract and removed from the involvement of real problems and real people. Indeed, I recall with distinct clarity one strategic meeting on the development of the Computing Curriculum where the participants remembered with great fondness their days of copying code from books and magazines. For me this recollection was a personal nightmare; what I recalled was the opportunity to use building blocks, short cuts and libraries to design and make the solutions I was looking for. Why reinvent the wheel when what I need to know is how to select the right one and fit it correctly to the other components of the car to get it moving safely and effectively from A to B?
The problem with the previous approach to the Computing subject was as much the way it was taught as the skills pupils learned, which are now being neglected. These skills, such as e-safety, using search engines effectively and online communication, may lack coding's glamour but are an essential part of learning to use technology. Coding is important, but not everything under the sun is coding. It takes the development of a variety of digital skills and knowledge if we want students to use technology, understand how it works, solve problems effectively and communicate those solutions to clients. Students who can do this will be in high demand in employment and will drive the future success of our economy.
It is often in conversations with leaders in the IT industry that I hear references to past mentors and how someone else played a significant role in their success. The more successful people I meet, the more I hear individuals speaking of their mentors or those they are mentoring.
I am a huge believer in a strong mentorship program. To this day, I make sure that I am continuously mentoring as well as being mentored. Although I have experienced success in my career, I am humble enough to realize that luck and good circumstances can often play a bit of a role. Now, if I can identify where I need to get better, improve, and develop additional tools, I can benefit from being on both sides of a mentoring program.
The opportunity to share success stories, horror stories, and times where we've hit the proverbial brick wall can benefit everyone, especially the mentee. Mentorship programs require humility, an eagerness to learn, and an eagerness to grow. A successful mentorship program requires both parties to share openly, freely, and put knowledge/insight into practice.
There are four types of IT mentorship programs:
• Career Mentoring: Assists mentee's with the opportunity to work towards a predetermined career path. This type of mentoring is designed to allow individuals to work from point A to point B with the help of the mentor assisting with that development.
• Networking Mentoring: Enables individuals to meet others in the market place to allow for idea and name sharing. Often times this type of informal mentoring leaders to insight and knowledge transfer.
• Orientating Mentorships: This type of mentoring usually begins within the first few weeks that a new employee is at an organization. Orientating mentoring allows for newer employees to become acclimated into a new climate/culture/work environment much quicker.
• Untapped Potential Mentorship: My favorite type and often the most challenging.
Untapped potential mentoring takes place when an average or underperforming employee has a fantastic skill set or potential but has other components of their being preventing them from reaching their potential.
Without question, there are numerous types of mentorship programs, but nearly all try to accomplish the following:
-Foster personal & professional growth
-Create and/or develop a sense of career awareness
-Generate a thirst for knowledge
-Instill a desire to be great
In today's IT marketplace, mentoring programs are often put on the backburner due to a shortage of time and availability. However, mentorship programs should not be taken lightly. In fact, a study done by Sun Microsystems University Mentoring Program followed the career progress of mentees over a five year period and it showed that mentees were 20% more likely to get a raise sooner than other employees and were promoted five times more often than those who did not have a mentor.
Here are 4 ways mentors help mentees get ahead faster:
1. Talent Development: Everyone wants top talent. A mentoring program can allow an organization to use its top performers to help others grow into top performers.
2. Knowledge and Contacts: Mentoring programs often lead to introductions, networking events, and knowledge transfer. As top performers progress in their careers, it is often more about who you know than what you know, to help get to the top.
3. Wisdom/Insight: One of the most important aspects of a mentoring programming is preventing the mentee from making the same mistakes the mentor has made. If it took the mentor 10 mistakes before they earned their promotion, sharing that insight could lead the mentee down a much quicker path to reaching new heights.
4. Improved Performance: A good mentor will provide you with valuable feedback or make suggestions that will enable you to improve your skills or to experience personal growth, ultimately leading to your improved performance.
As an organization, if a mentoring programming can help our new hires, average, struggling, or even most successful employees continue to grow, it will in-turn, allow our business to grow and will continue to push that ceiling even higher. About 70% of Fortune 500 companies have mentoring programs because the results give them a competitive advantage. If an organization not only values the success of their business, but also the relationships and long term growth of their employees, the organisation will likely better retain top employees.
To conclude, mentorships can be invaluable. The wisdom, insight, or development that employees gain today, may lead to a career track that may have never been possible.
According to estimates, approximately 700 UK citizens, including many teenagers, have travelled overseas to join conflicts. They include three teenage girls from Bethnal Green in East London who were thought to have travelled to Syria.
The BBC reported that the families of the three 15 year-olds have appealed for them to return and said that there were no signs they were planning to go to Syria.
Prevent, the government's counter-terrorism strategy, was written in 2003 with prevention as a key priority. It focuses effort and resources on 'priority areas'. In these areas, those working with children typically have a general understanding of the threats posed by radicalisation.
However, the increasing use of online tactics and social media by extremists has changed how these ideas spread. These technologies don't recognise 'priority areas'; they extend across the entire country.
The threats we are seeing take many forms. There are the high-profile incidents of young people travelling to countries such as Syria and Iraq to fight, but there are less obvious and wide-ranging risks. The Internet, and in particular social media, is being used as a channel, to not only promote and engage, but also, as suggested by Robert Hannigan (Director of GCHQ), as a command structure.
In response, towards the end of 2014, the UK Safer Internet Centre issued a briefing to all local safeguarding children boards to highlight this issue.
Clearly, everyone has a responsibility to report a concern about a child but the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 obliges schools and other authorities to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. The guidance lists five key areas:
- Risk assessment: Schools must assess the risk of their children being drawn into terrorism, as well as their support for extremist ideas and terrorist ideology. They should have robust safeguarding policies to identify children at risk, and appropriate intervention and referral options. The policy should also cover the suitability of visiting speakers.
- Working in partnership: Schools in England are required to ensure that their safeguarding arrangements take into account policies and procedures of their local safeguarding children board.
- Staff training: Schools should ensure that their staff are equipped to identify children at risk of being drawn into terrorism, as well as challenge extremist ideas. They should know how to refer children and young people for further help. The Home Office's free training product about radicalisation awareness, Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent (WRAP), may be a suitable option.
- IT policies: Schools are expected to ensure that children are safe from online terrorist and extremist material in school, typically using filtering systems.
- Monitoring and enforcement: Ofsted inspectors will assess a school's approach to keeping children safe from the dangers of radicalisation and extremism and what is done when the school suspects that pupils are vulnerable to these threats. If a school is considered to be failing in this regard or if their staff or children's safety is threatened, maintained schools will be subject to intervention and academies or free schools may be subject to termination of funding. For independent schools in England or Wales, they must remedy any failing or be subject to regulatory action. Early years settings are also covered by this monitoring provision.
The power of the Internet and social media has highlighted a need for an open and ongoing dialogue in our communities - among children, young people, parents, carers, schools and wider - to ensure that young people have the skills to be critical thinkers online and are resilient to online extremism, whether from groups like Islamic State or from others.
To support schools with e-safety, South West Grid for Learning (SWGfL) has created 360 degree safe, a free online self-review tool and Boost, a comprehensive online safety toolkit.
This is a guest post by Ben Dowd, business director at O2 who shares why connectivity should lie at the heart of every startup operation.
While it is true that access to broadband and transport links are essential in enabling the growth of digital start-ups, it is even more important that businesses of all sizes understand the true benefits that connectivity can bring.
It's no secret that one of the major advantages UK small businesses have over larger enterprises is their agility and ability to respond quickly to ever changing landscapes. The rate at which the UK creates and adopts new technologies is increasing all the time and it is those businesses who are the quickest to react who will see the biggest benefits. Small businesses are able to simply avoid many of the challenges of scale that come with size, whether that's coordinating the work of hundreds of employees across multiple locations or sharing knowledge across disparate functional groups. As a result of this greater flexibility, small businesses are naturally better able to respond to new challenges and opportunities - but it is possible for businesses of all sizes to do this and the secret to success lies in better connectivity.
Many larger businesses have already realised this and are embedding digital at the heart of their strategies. O2 research commissioned recently, showed that digital interaction in businesses leads to increased job efficiency and business productivity.
In fact, a third (36%) of senior management and a quarter (24%) of employees in Britain's largest organisations believe using more business technology for customer and employee interaction will lead to greater business productivity and more than 70% of senior managers think the use of technology for customer interaction has already had a positive effect on their organisation.
I would urge start-ups to take heed of these statistics and ensure connectivity lies at the heart of their operation from the outset. I also have three key pieces of advice for start-ups wanting to make the most out of technology for their business.
Firstly, employees must be equipped to work anywhere. Research that we conducted with CEBR last year found that 80% of businesses report that staff do not have full access to the key business systems that would make their working lives easier and more efficient, including the technology to work away from the office. We can easily overcome this problem by something as simple as ensuring that every employee has a company laptop and mobile.
Secondly, business owners need to consider the benefits to their customer service of accessing the fast and reliable connectivity of 4G, which allows them to respond to orders and enquiries quickly and efficiently, from any location with any mobile device. The cost of connectivity equipment isn't prohibitive. Laptops, smartphones and 4G dongles are all easily available to businesses of any size.
Finally, businesses of all sizes spend too much time and money on travel that isn't always necessary. Whether it's between home and the office or between multiple locations around the UK, employers should make journeys more efficient. Our research shows that measures like investing in remote working technology, from webmail to 4G connectivity for laptops, could save employees 127 hours per year.
Every business must understand its own connectivity deficit and take measures to close it. Even small improvements, such as using smartphones, mobile apps, and cloud computing services, will help drive business productivity and restore the UK's competitiveness within Europe and beyond.
Codio has released an Ask the Expert's video which investigates the best ways of teaching computer science through coding in schools.
This is the third video in the Ask the Expert's series from Codio, with the episode focusing on the BCS Certificate in Computer Science Teaching.
The video gives advice to teachers who are
considering taking the computer science accreditation.
Throughout Sue Sentance, National Academic Coordinator at Computing at School (CAS) and Senior Lecturer in Computer Science Education at King's College London speaks to Codio about the structure of the certificate and the benefits for teachers.
BCS e-assessors Ghita Kouadri Mostefaoui and Fintan Culwin also provide their insight.
Phillip Snalune, co-founder of Codio, said, "Our collaboration with BCS underlines Codio's commitment to helping teachers reach the level of proficiency required to deliver excellence in the teaching of Computer Science.
"We hope that this video helps teachers understand what the certificate entails and how it could help them develop both their confidence and technical skills."
You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7-DaG19yC0
Simon Harrison, CIO, Kingston University
As a leading UK university, we want to make sure that our students get as much as possible from their time with us, whether that be in their recreational time or during their studies. We know what technology can give us the upper hand here because students have come to expect the same level of technology in their studies as they do in their personal lives. They have been using laptops, smartphones and tablets on a daily basis and have constant access to hundreds of applications, from social media and email to online banking and retail. Why should they not have the same supporting their education?
Matching millennial expectations
Month on month, we at Kingston are seeing more and more connected devices being used across the university, including a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) community of 20,000 students. Not only do they expect their tech to work when they come to university; they expect to use their own devices to do their academic work.
Research by one of our key partners and suppliers - cloud computing and virtualisation company VMware - showed just how high up technology is in a student's hierarchy of needs - it's second only to food and shelter. Half (46%) of the 1,000 students questioned stated that they considered the level of IT on offer when choosing their university. Yet more than a quarter (26%) said they didn't feel that the technology provisions at their university were consistent with the tuition fees they are paying. And of course with those fees being higher than ever, so are their expectations around technology. So, what can be done by IT departments to make sure they are meeting the needs of their students?
Using technology to enhance learning
From our experience, technology is absolutely crucial for enhancing the learning experience, from infrastructure and networking, to the applications they make available and how they are accessed. It's also hugely important to be progressive and look forward, given that most of our revenues come from government funding or students. For us, that meant investing from the ground up by providing high-speed web and data access across the entire campus, and replacing our servers, storage and back-up hardware. Expanding on the existing infrastructure to create a 'university without walls', we then installed a virtual desktop solution with VMware. This means all students can work from anywhere on any device, with access to the applications they needed to study in a secure and efficiently managed environment. Given that we have around 600 teaching applications, which range from design and geoengineering through to statistical packages, access to these from any location is absolutely critical to support academic learning for our students.
Ultimately, universities need to realise how important technology is to students; 92% claim that having IT facilities can help them work in a more flexible way and enhance their studies. IT departments need to ensure students have a positive experience and that they can easily and reliably access the university systems and information to support their learning from any location and device - whether that is on campus or at home, in the UK or abroad. Supporting a generation of people who have grown up with the most advanced technologies at their fingertips is something we should all aspire to do.
This is a guest post from Ivan Horrocks, senior lecturer in technology management at The Open University
It's a fairly common situation in IT: You've spent the last ten years becoming an expert in your field, impressing everyone along the way, and now your boss tells you they want you to go down the management route.
To some this is welcome news. They've done their time doing the hands on work, and their reward is a move towards senior management. But to others, nothing is more depressing than abandoning working with the technology they know and love to sit in board meetings and negotiate deals.
Most people want to feel a sense of progression in their careers, but this doesn't have to mean changing tack into business management to get into senior management. Although relatively unrecognised, there is an important difference between mainstream business management and technology management. For those wanting to progress their careers whilst remaining in touch with the world of technology, a far more preferable route may well be the latter approach.
Ultimately technology management focuses on the relationship between the management of technology and innovation, and how these relate to other areas of management, including operations, finance, supply chain and logistics and strategy.
This means looking at how existing technologies can work together to enhance an organisation's processes and products or services. It requires a broad perspective on what's available and an understanding of what works best, when, where and why. Technology managers appreciate how technology can be integrated; how the skills they and their team have can be employed to improve business operation and deliver value, both internally and externally, and where and when they need to bring new skills in to do so.
Technology managers are also technology strategists: always looking at ways to foster technological innovation. But implementation and application are also key concerns. Giving the teams you work with the time and space to experiment with different technologies, explore how they might work best, and develop or customise these for the benefit of your organisation and its customers.
As a strategist you will also need to guide this experimentation, create room for it to fail, and find ways to spot and develop what works. And you will need to model the consequences of integrating technology - understanding the impact it will have on staff and customers and ensuring there is appropriate training and support to make the new ideas a success.
What does success look like?
It is now widely accepted that IT no longer just provides the infrastructure for people to do business. We hear ever more about how strategic use of IT has transformed organisations and peoples' lives in exciting ways.
Increased connectivity has created new delivery models - from on demand video to legal and financial services delivered online - disrupting long established industries.
Sensors in wearables are transforming industries like healthcare which can monitor for warning signs without having to keep people in hospital beds, saving money and freeing up time for other patients.
Harnessing data is allowing better targeting and streamlining. Transport - from vehicles, fleets, trains and planes - all collect huge amounts of data from sensors which they are now using to model ways to use fuel, reduce delays and predict problems.
These are all examples of the transformational uses of technology, particularly in business. They would all have been developed with the support of senior management and driven by the organisation's strategy, but requiring a detailed knowledge of technology development, selection, customisation and integration.
Becoming a technology manager
Technology has the capability to make a significant contribution to organisational performance, economic growth and social well-being. As a result, there is an increasing demand across public, and private sectors for people with both the operational and strategic capability to plan, develop and manage technology and technological innovation.
To pursue this route, you will need to build on your technical expertise by developing the knowledge and skills to make the right decisions about technology acquisition, exploitation, implementation and innovation. These may rarely be taught in undergraduate or vocational IT and computing courses but they build naturally on the education and experience of someone whose career has primarily focused on developing and delivering successful IT projects.
None of this means you shouldn't go the pure management route into senior management, if that's your preference. Technology specialists develop many core business skills and can make a huge contribution to a more general management role. It's just that they don't have to - now more than ever there is a demand for managers who have a deep knowledge and experience of technology. General management principles are necessary to progress, of course, but this can mean building on a specialism, not abandoning it.
Dr Ivan Horrocks is qualification director for technology management (TM) at The Open University. The TM programme is aimed at helping technology professionals and their organisations advance by using technology strategically to deliver innovation and drive the business forward.
This is a guest post from Evanna Kearins, director of analytics, TIBCO Analytics
Harvard Business Review called data science the "sexiest" job of the 21st century, yet a survey conducted by the CBI warned that 39 percent of companies cannot find staff with the required skills and knowledge in science, technology, engineering and maths.
With the number of GCSE students studying IT-related subjects increasing, it is surprising to hear that student numbers for A-levels in computing and ICT have decreased. But whilst ICT is a subject that is helping to develop the skills data explorers need, other core subjects like Maths, English, History, Science and Business studies are also indirectly all helping to develop the next wave of data scientists and data explorers. The following core subjects being taught in schools are indirectly teaching students they skills they need to help fill the current skills gap:
ICT - The next generation is growing increasingly comfortable in using an array of devices and platforms. With the Internet of Things connecting devices, the volumes of data available are growing exponentially. In teaching children how to use platforms and understanding the nuances of each, they are also teaching fundamental skills needed by any data explorer.
Maths is another subject that can help students begin their career as a data scientist or explorer. Pupils are taught how to read charts and are able to gain a better understanding of comparing different patterns. These skills are not only needed in the class room, but by data explorers to make valuable business decisions as they seek to understand the data flowing through the organisation.
English - Being able to crunch numbers is important for a data explorer, but so too is having the ability to communicate the true value of this to the other board members. Communication is key in all walks of life so being taught English helps to translate numbers and data into meaningful insights that can transform the business. This is also crucial to bridge the gap between the business and IT functions.
History - Having an understanding of the past and how this will impact the future is also an important aspect. Just as students must analyse events in History, so must data scientists and data explorers. After all, past data trends can help shape the future through predictive analysis.
Science - Just like in an experiment whereby you have a hypothesis, methodology and then actively test for results, Science can help to identify what is fact vs. what is fiction. It is important to not just base data analysis on predictions. Understanding the difference between what the data says and what it actually means is a bit like a science experiment in itself!
Business studies - Interpreting the data is vital for any data scientist. But what happens to the data once it has been analysed? Through exploring the data and understanding the different areas of the business, data explorers should be able to identify how data analytics can impact every part of the business.
We are all now an intricate part of a new ICT ecosystem, one built on big data, apps and industry innovation. This is something that the graduates of today know better than anybody else. Making sure young people have the right skills may well be only half the battle, but there is a greater opportunity than ever before to build upon student interest, encourage the training of a wider skillset and help to find the innovators of the future who will play a valuable role in bridging the data scientist skills gap.
This is a guest blog by Dr Arosha K. Bandara, senior lecturer in Computing at The Open University
A criticism often levelled at IT education is that by the time you come to apply the skills, they might be out of date. Why learn technology skills when that technology might not be in use in a couple of years?
IT does change fast, but the fundamentals of how we design and build systems change at a slower pace. As long as we learn about today's technology in the context of how it relates to the business world and how it is likely to evolve, then we will be in a much better position to respond intelligently to the changing world.
But this is often overlooked by both formal and in-house training programmes, which have favoured skills which address very specific challenges. In order to be adequately prepared to tackle tomorrow's technology challenges, we need to move from a mindset of knowing how to apply technology to well understood situations, to one of being able to think critically about problems, and identify solutions to unknown as well as familiar technology issues.
Think differently
To prepare IT professionals for the rapidly changing world of technology, we need to instil an approach based on critical thinking. I'll look at how we might do this, before putting this approach in context.
The organisation you work in is complex. It is shaped by the nature of individual thinking processes as well as existing technology and business pressures. Any changes will have causes and consequences that may have a much wider impact. Solving a problem will change things, which could lead to other problems.
Different people see different priorities. There is sometimes no obvious answer, or many different reasonable answers. But there are also wrong answers, which can be pursued, sometimes at great cost. These often result from a very narrow focus on the problem out of context.
Interconnections are too often ignored, a single cause may be presumed, or an individual quickly blamed. This is not exclusive to IT, we see this in wider society all the time - it's easier to blame crime on individual criminals than deal with the many complex societal factors that lead some to criminality. The other mistake is a focus on outcomes - ie how many criminals can we arrest rather than how many crimes can we prevent.
To avoid these mistakes, problems should be approached by thinking about the systems that affect the challenge or opportunity. This is more difficult than isolating and addressing a problem, but ultimately more likely to produce a better solution.
Thinking about systems
As well as looking at how technology works, it is necessary to think about how people will react to it. Is a great new technology too hard to learn? Will tough new security procedures incentivise people to circumvent them? We need to understand the systems in which new technology operates.
Cognitive mapping is a technique for understanding and shaping the mental models your stakeholders use to perceive, contextualise, simplify, and make sense of otherwise complex problems. Thinking through these will help ensure new technologies and programmes have the results they are supposed to.
However good your plan is, you won't foresee everything, so it is also critical to continuously test and review, and feed that learning into your ever evolving plans. Throughout the life cycle of any project, topics such as stakeholders, finance, risk, people, project administration and quality must be constantly reviewed in the context of the project.
The world of the future will require more understanding of flexible management. We will have to place more emphasis on learning as we go and making sure that learning changes our practice and organisations. We need to get used to this.
Critical thinking in context
Two core skills of any modern IT professional are cyber security and software engineering. Both relate to complex real world challenges and can only be dealt with effectively if they think critically.
Firstly, cyber security. Any IT professional needs to fully explore the available security technologies and stay up to date with them. But they also need to think through the risks that may arise in all relevant aspects of an organisation's operations which may impact security, including human factors, web services and system upgrades.
You also need to be able to plan for when things do go wrong. Again, this needs an understanding of attackers' motivations and employee weaknesses, as well as of the technologies available to circumvent your defences, and a sense of how these could evolve. It also requires an understanding of the legal frameworks and technologies relevant to digital forensics, which are essential when responding to cyber security incidents. Only then can effective plans be made.
Teaching all this must be put in a real world context. In our own post-graduate courses, most students learn these techniques by crafting a fit-for-purpose Information Security Management System for the organisation where they work.
Secondly, software engineering. Contact between the business and the external world is often mediated by software, and the business has a responsibility to its wider community that may be served, or jeopardised, by this software.
Skilled software engineers can add a lot of value by creating or adapting software, from managing projects and sales, analysing performance and customer data, and automating tasks. All of these exist in a complex real world, where humans react to change in different ways. Any new system must understand how users or customers will respond to it.
The skill is not one of knowing how to do this, it is one of knowing how to model the relationships between the software, the organisation it serves, and its wider environment. This approach must be used in development, roll out, updates and maintenance - it is an evolving process.
Critical thinking doesn't mean ignoring technology, of course. The process can be evolved further by an understanding of different software engineering tools that can help them simulate, manage and monitor. Using these effectively is part of the skill of good IT planning.
A critical approach allows you to plan effectively
IT is critical to business and will become ever more so. It exists in an increasingly networked and interconnected world, where groups, teams, organisations and even nations will have to be smarter in their ways of working together.
IT professionals therefore need to be able to think in ways that reflect these challenges. IT education at all levels must teach how to take a critical approach which relates technical competencies to complex technological, human and business issues.
Dr Bandara teaches Postgraduate Computing courses at The Open University aimed at helping IT professionals advance by using technology strategically to drive the business forward.
Software consultancy Scott Logic has published a series of 'A Day in the Life' employee stories to give an insight into what it is like to work in technology.
Those interested in working at Scott Logic, or just interested in hearing about different IT roles, can learn about jobs such as graduate developer, developer, senior developer, lead developer, technical architect, head of development, test engineer and lead test engineer.
John Wright, recruitment manager at Scott Logic, said: "We've grown steadily over the past 10 years and as most companies often experience, the real people and their stories can be lost behind traditional corporate content used on company websites.
"The response we received from our staff was amazing and their stories clearly communicate what it's really like to work at Scott Logic."
Scott Logic has offices in Newcastle, Edinburgh, Bristol and London and plans to grow its workforce by 50% in 2015.
This is a guest blog from Martin Baker and Mike Glanville are former chief officers of Dorset Police, now directors of One Team Logic, providers of MyConcern safeguarding software for schools.
Question: Which Google search returns 366 million hits? Answer: 'Lessons Will
Be Learned'. OK, not all of these hits refer to safeguarding but you get the point; this hackneyed phrase has become the media statement of choice following every instance of incompetence, negligence, malfeasance or tragedy. But when the media interest wanes are those lessons really learned? And what does that mean in the context of safeguarding in schools[1]?
Firstly, some background. The 1973 public inquiry into the death of seven-year-old Maria Colwell laid the foundations for the UK's contemporary child protection procedures. Since that time a litany of tragic incidents has resultedin further fundamental
changes in legislation. These developments have been accompanied by a plethora of Government guidance and recommendations from innumerable Serious Case Reviews (SCRs)[2] following the death of or serious injury to a child. So, there is no shortage of 'lessons to be learned' in relation to safeguarding, and not least in education.
Yet the processes underpinning one of a school's most fundamental duties - to safeguard its pupils - continue to operate like a 1950s bureaucracy. In 2015 our 'digital natives' are being safeguarded by a regime steeped in paper, brown manila folders, four-ring binders and filing cabinets. In UK schools today you will find a huge range of information and technology to support almost every aspect of education - but not safeguarding. And this at a time when safeguarding has never been more complex, nor the legal duties on schools more stringent. The ever-present risk of abuse, neglect, the contemporary challenges of child mental health, e-safety, child sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation, extremism and radicalisation, the multiple issues from home and community that can affect child development and wellbeing - a whole world of risk passing through our school gates on a daily basis. And all predominantly managed on paper and email. Add to this the pressure on schools to pursue targets, the limited time available for training and the austerity-driven reductions in local authority (LA) support and it becomes clear that 'learning lessons' isn't straightforward.
So who is accountable? Ultimately, it is the responsibility of headteachers, governing bodies and academy sponsors to ensure that safeguarding practices in schools are effective. But how do they know? In the age of 'big data' it is startling that, because of the paper-driven nature of the safeguarding systems in schools, there is little-to-no data of any practical use to assist schools, their LAs or their Local Safeguarding Children's Boards to track threats and predict trends in order to protect children. (By law, schools must provide an annual safeguarding report to their governing bodies; this is often very short, containing only a handful of manually compiled statistics). 'After the fact', Ofsted inspects school safeguarding arrangements and allocates a grade - if your safeguarding is 'Inadequate' so is your school. But by then the damage could have been done.
During our policing careers we saw the tragic consequences for victims and families when safeguarding failed, and as school governors we have observed the endless paper trail that accompanies safeguarding in education. We have examined in detail every piece of legislation, policy and guidance and every relevant Case Review. This resulted in us designing an integrated approach to safeguarding that seeks to incorporate all of the 'lessons learned' in relation to: governance, leadership and management; preventing harm; recording concerns; case management; information sharing within schools and with other agencies; recruitment, vetting and training; allegations of abuse against staff; data protection and subject access; information security; records transfer between schools; the retention of records (25 years in respect of child protection - good luck with the paper!) and the vitally important issue of learning from the data.
Our schools are full of committed members of staff who succeed in safeguarding through their own skills and determination, despite the very poor systems and tools at their disposal. We are now able to provide not only the information but also the technology that they need and deserve in order to deliver on their safeguarding responsibilities. We've recently joined the E2BN ThinkIT framework, designed to make IT simple for schools, because we believe that schools should be able to access good support from trusted organisations, and that lessons should be learned!
[1] England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all have their own child protection legislation, albeit there are many similarities; this article focuses on the current arrangements in England.
[2] SCRs are held following the death of or serious injury to a child where abuse or neglect is thought to be involved; in 2014 in England alone there were 58 SCRs, the majority of which related to child deaths.
This is a guest blog from Stone Group and Advanced Security Consulting.
Stone Group's Simon Harbridge and security consultant Jay Abbott of Advanced Security Consulting recently got together to discuss the worrying issue of security in schools and how technology helps and hinders its progress. What they talked about may surprise you.
Simon Harbridge: Jay, you and I recently attended the same debate on digital safeguarding, and we found a lot of common ground. I was quite surprised that the conversation seems to be still revolving around simply educating kids about the dangers of online conversations. Were you?
Jay Abbott: I wasn't taken aback, but I was a little concerned by it, as were you I think! We were talking with highly influential people, from NASUWT, Childnet, ParentZone, as well as heads of school. I felt that there was a fixation on the damage that being online can cause, and the knock-on effects on teachers and pupils, rather than a need to solve the root issues.
Simon Harbridge: Agreed. There were several moments of clarity, one being a comment that kids don't respect or use the term 'e-safety', so we shouldn't either, and another being that kids don't distinguish between on and offline conversations or relationships - they are all part of their social mix. I can relate to that, because we're spending a lot of time with schools who want to foster an environment of location independent learning - bringing education to life with lessons outside the classroom that use elements such as Augmented Reality to bring things online into the offline world. BYOD and one to one device schemes are driven by this change. It's kind of exciting, seeing technology be such an integral part of day to day life in schools, especially as it's matching children's expectations about how life 'should' be.
Jay Abbott: Precisely, but from my experience, the focus needs to also be on the 'back office' parts of a school's technology, for the roots of digital safeguarding strategy to really take hold. No one to one device scheme, or digital policy is going to weather the demands on it, or the attacks on its security, without particular attention to the technology, and the people managing the devices.
Simon Harbridge: Of course. We're working with a lot of schools at the moment to replace their obsolete Windows Server 2003 technology. Much of that is driven by the unique security threats to education that continuing to use it beyond the end-of-life Microsoft has decreed. We think about one in five schools will be left vulnerable. What kind of problems do you think sticking with obsolete technology like Windows Server 2003 can lead to?
Jay Abbott: Well, in the context of a school, where an "us vs them" culture exists between the general user base and supporting infrastructure, maintaining strong internal defences is essential. The ability to attack and exploit known vulnerabilities has literally become child's play and can even be executed from mobile phones and tablets. Due to a combination of free access to the required tools, simple user interfaces, readily available information and video learning on how to use the tools and a general teenage desire to "mess around", any unpatched and out of date systems accessible from networks that students are attached to is a recipe for disaster.
Simon Harbridge: Yes. I wonder if enough schools consider that these sorts of attacks can come from within? There's a lot of focus still on the safeguarding issues sites such as ratemyteacher put into play, but more needs to be understood about the basics, such as the fact that without support on obsolete products, you are also without security, so the bottom line is, everybody in the school, and that school's data is vulnerable, regardless of the policies, internet management software or pupil education schemes you have in place.
Jay Abbott: Ofsted focuses on digital safeguarding and the penalties for failure to make sure the standards are heavy, and lots of schools understand that. But more needs to be done to promote understanding that technology's role in your Ofsted rating doesn't begin and end with the device in the child's hand. I would urge Ofsted themselves to speak more about this and offer clearer guidance.
Simon Harbridge: We met with David Brown, the ICT lead at Ofsted and had a very interesting conversation about data protection and the lack of awareness in schools of its importance. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) can, and will turn its attention to education soon - the NHS has recently been audited and the public sector must be held accountable for the information it safeguards. Schools should be thinking about the safety and security of their pupil and teacher data as a matter of course, before any increased scrutiny begins.
Jay Abbott: Yes, and again, data compliance and security is a 'back office' issue. Education really needs to continue to get its entire house in order, not just the front line of technology.


text:
Revitalizing Growth and Development Must Be a World-Wide Co-Operative Effort, UNCTAD Reports
Revitalizing growth and development must be a world-wide co-operative effort, UNCTAD reports
WITH that observation,Kenneth K. Dadzie, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), begins his overview of the Trade and Development Report, 1986 (Sales No. E.86.II.D.5), which focuses on the dynamics of the deflationary process described by Mr. Dadzie as "the single most pervasive threat to world prosperity' and its consequences for development.
The six-chapter, 172-page reportdeals with the 1980s depression and the setback to economic and social development; the macroeconomic setting: interaction of policies in major developed market economies; transmission of growth and the stability of the world economy; deflation, debt and trade; the world economy in 1985 and prospects for the near future; and debt, growth and development.
The report reviews the main characteristicsof the acute economic crisis now facing most of the world, outlining the evolution of problems and policies in the developed market-economy countries that have played a major role in shaping the current external environment for development.
The 1980s, the report states, havebeen marked by the widespread collapse of the development process, characterized by financial disorder and extended periods of negative or negligible growth in most developing countries. Declines in growth of gross national product (GNP) have been widely accompanied by reductions in investment likely to inflict serious damage on longer-term development prospects. Reduced output has been accompanied by widespread falls in living standards (most dramatic in a number of African countries), including rising unemployment rates.
There has also been a drastic slowdownin the pace of economic growth in major developed market-economy countries, the report says. After the deep recession of 1980-1982, economic activity recovered somewhat, due largely to the stimulus of recovery in the United States, but overall performance has remained extremely poor, with the GNP growth rate of seven major Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries averaging about 2.2 per cent per year between 1980 and 1985, compared with 5.7 per cent in the 1960s and 3.5 per cent in the 1970s. Moreover, expansion has concentrated primarily in Japan and the United States, while growth in major European countries barely exceeded 1 per cent.
Commodities down
A major feature of the economicrecession of the first half of the 1980s was the sharp downswing in commodities prices, the report states. Deterioration in terms of trade of commodity-exporting developing countries was a major cause of their severe balance-of-payments difficulties.
From 1981 to 1984, the cumulativeloss for developing countries in foreign exchange earnings from primary commodities exports reached $38 billion. Oil prices--long insulated by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries system from cyclical variations in demand--also suffered from the world economic slowdown in the 1980s. In 1985, the system of price formation collapsed, and oil prices plunged from $28 a barrel to $12 a barrel in April 1986.
Deflationary pressures and othermonetary and financial disturbances over the first half of the 1980s significantly impaired the capacity of the international financial and trading systems to contribute to growth and development, and have fuelled protectionist pressures, the report asserts. A balanced expansion of the world economy would appear to be essential for reducing protectionist pressures and encouraging trading countries to fulfill their commitments to the multilateral trading system, it states.
Less favourable trade
As in earlier years, the report says,the evolution of major developed market economies continues to be the most important single factor shaping the external environment for development. …

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Inception (Christopher Nolan, Leonardo DiCaprio) Grading & Discussion
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July 20 2010, 10:31 PM
Vice Admiral
Location: Sac, Ca
Re: Inception (Christopher Nolan, Leonardo DiCaprio) Grading & Discuss
stj wrote:
The top will fall. The precession (the way the axis of spin itself revolves) means it will fall. I don't know whether people don't understand the physics or just didn't see it, but the top is beginning to fall. It is not necessary to see it actually hit the table to know this.
Well sure, being that it's not a CG effect, it will obviously show physical signs of
falling over like any real spinning top would.
But the question is whether that was the intention by Nolan, or whether we're supposed to suspend disbelief (like in any scifi movie using practical effects) and accept that it actually DOES go on spinning forever.
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The most recent Maryland snow event began this morning just before 8 am. It was several hours late, but just in time for the twins and I to watch it develop over breakfast. Since then, the snow has been falling ceaselessly. At least 4 inches of snow have accumulated at SnowPanic HQ in Bowie, MD as of 4:30pm. It's a dense powdering of tiny flakes -- perfect for skiing, or snow angels.
This late-March snow is likely to be the last of the season in the Mid-Atlantic. At least, so many are hoping. But snow is so rare that we here at SP HQ focus on thoroughly enjoying it. Since moving here in 1995, I've noticed many more snow emergencies in the last 5 years than in the first 10 I lived here. Since 2010, when SnowPanic was created, we've had snow every winter. Instead of bemoaning it, we bought kids' size snow bibs, sleds, and helmets.
Global cooling? The experts say not, but Mother Earth is long overdue for an Ice Age. Although SnowPanic's official position is that 97 out of 100 climate scientists can't be wrong on the facts of global warming, this increasing frequency and snowfall must make one wonder if 230+ years of polluting the earth (counting from the invention of the coal-burning steam engine) isn't provoking a wintry response from the misunderstood biosphere. No matter what humans can do, Earth can go one better, usually.
And looking at the tiny flakes falling thick as fog outside--coating every fence line, each suburban roof, the remaining brown leaves--I think the frozen scene is better: the clean air is just in time for kite season; the hydrated earth will burst forth in petal-drenched spring, just in time for the Equinox.
For now, it's indoor activities, coloring pages, baking cookies, board games, hot chocolate, crafts, warm winter naps, and the promise of sledding tomorrow.
-- Christina
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
More Maryland Snow
Ok the last time I made fun of Maryland for delaying schools more snow fell and it was actually dangerous but this time the closing seems a little bit excessive.
Posted by Jon Grantham at 8:20 AM
Location: Bowie, Bowie
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
#closeFCPS takes over the world
Numerous media outlets are noting that the hashtag #closeFCPS is trending worldwide on Twitter. "CloseFCPS" means, of course, "Close Fairfax County Public Schools," because the suburban Virginia schools system made people go to school today. Well, it sounds like almost nobody showed up, so I guess they aren't making anybody do anything. So they're upset about potential unexcused absences? I'm so confused.
To be fair, I drove in PG County (where the schools are closed), and I'm glad I don't have kids on school buses today.
To be fair, I drove in PG County (where the schools are closed), and I'm glad I don't have kids on school buses today.
|Maryland, not Virginia, actually
Posted by Jon Grantham at 11:33 AM
Labels: virginia
Don't Ever Change, Maryland
cancel school!
Posted by Jon Grantham at 8:49 AM
Labels: maryland
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Weather Report at SNPC HQ
We are happy to report a real snow at HQ in Bowie MD. It began just before 1pm EST, and it's really coming down, too.
Friday, February 14, 2014
The snow will find a way to kill you
"Howard County officials said Thursday that three county men died after suffering heart attacks while outside their homes during the snowstorm, and that two were shoveling snow when they collapsed."Horrible, right? Well, what can we do?
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman urged county residents to be careful.That seems like useful advice, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman. It almost makes me forgive you for the parking ticket we received in Ellicott City after all the "Thanks to Ken Ulman, parking meters are not running" signs. So, if neighbors help neighbors, nobody needs to die, right?
"This is deep, heavy snow, and I implore everyone to take it easy," he said. "Please don't over-exert yourself. Clear a little at a time. Or ask a neighbor to help. We need to pitch in as a community during times like these. If you know of a neighbor who could use assistance, please offer to do a little shoveling.
BREAKING: Family of Fairfax County man says he collapsed and died while helping a neighbor clear his driveway of snow Thursday.Sigh. I would suggest you stay inside and give up on shoveling snow, but you know I'd just end up posting an article about someone dying from slipping on an unshoveled sidewalk.
Posted by Jon Grantham at 2:13 PM
Bowie Snow Tops 1 foot.
Over the last 36 hours, Snowpanic's Bowie outpost has received over a foot of snow. The Weather Channel estimates we've accumulated 13.4 inches Thursday alone.
More snow is expected Friday night.
It's amazing the variety of snowfall accumulations in the area. Check out local Weather Stations at Weather Underground. Simply input your ZIP code and scroll down to "Weather Stations" to find details from an armchair weatherman near you.
More snow is expected Friday night.
It's amazing the variety of snowfall accumulations in the area. Check out local Weather Stations at Weather Underground. Simply input your ZIP code and scroll down to "Weather Stations" to find details from an armchair weatherman near you.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Did we get enough snow to close school? A visual cheat sheet.
first posted on Reddit, shows how much snow it takes to cancel snow in various parts of the country. I am proud to live in the 1"-3" band.
Posted by Jon Grantham at 11:52 AM
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Georgia Tech EMERGENCY
Posted by Jon Grantham at 4:58 PM
Snow Hits North Carolina
Buncombe County roads, a photo by NCDOTcommunications on Flickr.
Oh, the horror.
Posted by Jon Grantham at 2:32 PM
Snow Panic Hits the South
a tweet from an Alabama meteorologist who had to abandon his car after what looks like an inch of snow.
Here is a map of what a similar amount of snow did to the roads in Atlanta, courtesy of the Weather Channel's Tom Niziol.
Here is a map of what a similar amount of snow did to the roads in Atlanta, courtesy of the Weather Channel's Tom Niziol.
Posted by Jon Grantham at 2:14 PM
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text:
The Motor City Metal Jackets and Springfield Junior Blues appeared to be running on empty until the Metal Jackets hit the gas pedal in the third period of their North American Hockey League game Sunday afternoon at Nelson Center.
The Motor City Metal Jackets and Springfield Junior Blues appeared to be running on empty until the Metal Jackets hit the gas pedal in the third period of their North American Hockey League game Sunday afternoon at Nelson Center.
Motor City (30-20-1) scored three goals in the final period, including an empty netter, and beat the Blues 4-2, eliminating them from contention for the final playoff spot in the North Division.
"We were lazy; we didn't work hard or chip pucks," said Blues coach Joe Dibble, whose team took two of three games in the weekend series with Motor City. "It's tough playing three games in a row, but we didn't come out to play."
Will Badner started the scoring for Motor City with a power-play goal against Blues goalie Andrew Martin that tied the score at 2 at 4 minutes 22 seconds of the third. Billy Balent and Andrew Graves assisted on the goal that followed a tripping penalty against Stewart Bell.
Graves scored the go-ahead goal on assists from John Scorcia and Anthony Coles with a shot from the slot past Martin at 6:48 of the period. Coles added an empty-net goal to close out the scoring with 46 seconds left to play.
"I thought we played very well for three periods," Motor City coach David Cole said. "That's our style of hockey. Playing three games in three days is tough, very tough, but it didn't affect the way we played."
Kevin Walters, who was moved from defense to forward for the game, scored his first goal of the season to give the Blues a 1-0 lead heading to the locker room at the end of the first period.
Walters trailed Garrett Williams, who carried the puck into the slot, and sent the rebound of a Williams' shot past Motor City goalie Joey Ballmer into the net at 13:33 of the first.
"Springfield has improved; they worked very hard and are a very competitive team," Cole said. "They are better than their record (25-24-3) indicates."
Motor City's Jon Wilson and Clay Blankenship traded punches just after the puck was dropped to start the game and were penalized 5 minutes for fighting. The Metal Jackets outshot the Blues 19-11 in the first period and 65-54 in the game, but Martin stopped 61 shots on goal.
"The only reason it was 4-2 with an open-net goal was because of Marty," Dibble said. "He didn't get any help and if I was him I'd be irate at the guys in front of me."
The Metal Jackets evened the score at 1 on Johnathan Smith's goal at 5:32 of the second period. Smith fired a shot from the high slot into the net for the score. Wes Elrod and Cody Wydo assisted on the play.
Page 2 of 2 - "We will battle every day even though we are out of the playoffs," Dibble said. "Our goal is to win our next six games. With what's coming back, it will be a preview of how we should start next season."
Don Trello can be reached at 788-1550.
Motor City 0 1 3 - 4
Junior Blues 1 0 1 - 2
First period: 1. Jr. Blues, Walters 1 (G. Williams) 13:33.
Second period: . 2. Motor City, Smith 11 (Elrod, Wydo) 5:32; 3. Graves 22 (Sorcia, Coles) 6:48
Third period: 4. Motor City, Badner 11 (pp) (Balent, Graves) 4:22; 5. Jr. Blues, Nauman 19 (Fallon) 13:05; 6. Motor City, Coles 12 (en) (Sorcia) 19:14.
Shots on goal: Motor City 19-25-21-65; Jr. Blues 11-17-26-54. Goalies: Motor City, Ballmer 8-6-1 (54 shots, 52 saves) ); Jr. Blues, Martin 18-16-3 (64 shots, 61 saves). Penalties: Motor City 4 (11 minutes); Jr. Blues 7 (17 minutes). Power play opportunities: Motor City 1-6; Jr. Blues 0-3. Referee: Andrew Thackaberry. Linesmen: Jason Schulz, Steven Walsh, . Attendance: 826.
Junior Blues facts
Motor City Metal Jackets 4, Springfield Junior Blues 2
Motor City 30-20-1; Blues 25-24-3
BLUES SCRATCHES: Forwards Ross Andersen (shoulder injury) and Chris Sitler (first game of two-game suspension); defenseman Shayne McLaughlin (first game of two-game suspension).
THREE STARS: No. 1 — Forward Andrew Graves (Motor City) scored the winning goal and had one assist; No. 2 — Goalie Joe Ballmer (Motor City) had 52 saves; No. 3 — Goalie Andrew Martin (Blues) stopped 61 shots.
WHAT'S NEXT: Port Huron and the Blues begin a three-game series next Friday at Nelson Center.
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I am a ICT professional, CIO, multimedia artist, music producer, poet, performer, entrepreneur, engineer, mountaineer, and a responsible vegetarian global citizen Henri Yoki. My childhood and earlier experiences in life occured in Finland, in North Europe. Later on and until today I found more inspiring substance from UK, Thailand, Portugal, Australia, and Detroit, USA. Now as well as past 10 years in general I have been more or less all around the World. I have found my creative passion in arts, and keep following my destiny step by step as each day passes in the present moment.
These webpages host a current snapshot of my work.
Check out my "Create and Sell Your Art in Internet" in Slideshare!
Note! "My Name is Sapporo" short film has completed production!


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Book your room at Americas Best Value Inn-Garland/Dallas
Get an overview of this hotelMotel in Garland with 24-hour front desk
Collect 200 points
Simply enter your Nectar card number when prompted. Your points will be credited 30 days after you return from your trip.*Offers may apply
Situated in Garland, this motel is 1.1 mi (1.7 km) from Mesquite Golf Club and within 6 mi (10 km) of Town East Mall and Amberton University. Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden and Patty Granville Arts Center are also within 9 mi (15 km).
Property Features
Along with laundry facilities, this motel has a 24-hour front desk and express check-out. Additionally, tour/ticket assistance, a garden, and barbecue grills are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 80 rooms provide conveniences like refrigerators and microwaves, plus balconies and TVs with satellite channels. Guests will also find WiFi, free local calls, and hair dryers.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Americas Best Value Inn-Garland/Dallas features tour/ticket assistance, barbecue grills, and a garden. This Garland motel also offers laundry facilities and express check-out. The property has a 24-hour front desk.
- 24-hour front desk
- Total number of rooms - 80
- Number of floors - 2
- Barbecue grill(s)
- Express check-out
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Laundry facilities
- Garden
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Laundry facilities
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
Available in all rooms: Wireless internet access ( 1 USD per day )
Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- Balcony
- Access via exterior corridors
- Phone
- Free local calls
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board
- Television
- Desk
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Satellite TV service
- WiFi (surcharge)
- Cribs/infant beds (surcharge)
Nearby Things to Do
- Golfing nearby
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 21
Check-out time is 11 AM
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Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.


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L-O-V-EItem #: HL.07010616
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Composed by Bert Kaempfert, Milt Gabler. Arranged by Roger Holmes.
Easy Jazz Ensemble Series. Band Level: 2. With BOOK W/CD. 9x12 inches. Published by Hal Leonard. (HL.07010616)
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Found in: Swing Band Sheet Music
Written in a traditional Basie-style swing, Roger has done a nice job of turning this familiar standard into a solid swinging chart for young players. Includes brief solos for piano and tenor sax and plenty of tutti ensemble scoring.
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Get started accessorizing your YOLO Board for your next adventure! Choose from a variety waterproof bags cases, straps, rack pads, SUP Board bags, SUP paddle bags, underwater SUP lighting, and other accessories. Check out one of our staff's favorite accessories, the paddle buddy! You'll be able to sit up, relax, and not worry where the paddles gone!


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adv. in an official manner
noun. adeptness, effectiveness
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The Friday Kemptress: Marilyn Monroe
- Kempt Staff
It's Presidents' Day weekend and there's only one way to properly wish America's commander-in-chief a happy birthday: a healthy eyeful of one Miss Marilyn Monroe...»
It's Presidents' Day weekend and there's only one way to properly wish America's commander-in-chief a happy birthday: a healthy eyeful of one Miss Marilyn Monroe...»
For centuries, mankind has relied on sweaters for winter layering and autumn-night warmth. But beyond that, they've been something of an afterthought. Until today.
Because today we're celebrating the venerable garment in all of its forms by counting down the 70 greatest moments in sweaterdom—from lumpy cardigans to clingy cashmere hugging the shapely, we've found them all. And we've assembled them in full splendor.
Without further ado, the 70 greatest sweaters in the world.»
You're probably familiar with the Impossible Cool—a site dedicated to black-and-white photos starring everyone from Alain Delon to Kurt Vonnegut looking, well, impossibly cool. And you might even be familiar with the ongoing collaboration with Sonic Editions—who are in the business of archival-quality prints of iconic photos of mostly rock stars.
For their latest limited-run batch, they've come up with a new twist: color. It's a revolutionary idea, we know. Almost blasphemous if you're a longtime Impossible Cool fan, but something you'll quickly get over once you see how ravishing Marilyn Monroe's bright red dress looks or the way David Bowie's strawberry blond coif adds intrigue to the mostly gray palette of a 1976 photo. It's a whole new world of impossibilities in coolness.
We've got the rest of the Impossible Cool x Sonic Editions collection, in the full color spectrum, after the jump.»
If you haven't already, it's time to get started on some epic gluttony, football watching and an appropriate amount of familial rabble rousing. Let's also take a brief moment to recognize how awesome this photo of Marilyn Monroe is. (Sexy Pilgrims do exist!) Gentlemen, start your carving knives.
We'll leave you with a few more black-and-whites of sexy Pilgrims after the jump, and see you tomorrow—if the tryptophan has worn off by then...»
A Dangerous Method: Michelle Williams gets the profile treatment from GQ, coming off every bit as stable as Marilyn Monroe. [GQ]
Suit Up: In praise of the personal uniform, whether it's Steve Jobs or Thom Browne. [Valet]
Clint Eastwood Is a Badass: The story of a 21-year-old Clint Eastwood, a plane crash at sea and a two-mile swim in very cold water. [The Scuttlefish]
The Faces of Market Week: Ryan Plett offers black-and-white snaps of the Ovadia twins and Matt from Sid Mashburn, among others. [TravelWell]
It's always nice to see a rising star on the make—especially when he knows his way around a velvet blazer.
The gentleman in question is Eddie Redmayne, spotted at the world premiere of My Week with Marilyn in which he seduces no less than Marilyn Monroe.
The jacket is from Alexander McQueen, impressive enough in its own right, but we're particularly taken with that tie, which Mr. Redmayne is wearing tucked into his beltline as if he just stepped off the streets of Milan.
Not too shabby.
Part One -- Death of The Original Playboy: Gunter Sachs, Porfirio Rubirosa Part Two -- Style & Grace: Gianni Agnelli, "Baby" Pignatari, Alessandro "Dado" Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri. Part Three – The Americans: Howard Hughes, John. F. Kennedy Part Four -- Easy on the Curve: Alfonso de Protago and Prince Aly Khan
Part Five: The Party's Over
As we conclude our series on The 12 Original Playboys of the Jetset Sixties, we'd be remiss if we didn't acknowledge that much of our intrigue on the subject stemmed from Graydon Carter's timely, eloquent memorial of Gunter Sachs in the July 2011 edition of Vanity Fair. "For it's a subtle craft," writes Carter, "the art of the playboy – the creation of a life of tasteful public and private pleasure – and it's one that is completely lost on the rich of today."
We also owe Taki Theodoracopulos (a renowned Playboy in his own right) a well-made cocktail for gracing us with his kaleidoscopic obituary of Sachs and recollection of a typical day spent with Porfirio Rubirosa…
The thrilling conclusion…»
Part One -- Death of The Original Playboy: Gunter Sachs, Porfirio Rubirosa Part Two-- Style & Grace: Gianni Agnelli, "Baby" Pignatari, Alessandro "Dado" Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri.
Part Three: The Americans
"Haven't you ever worked?" Prince Dado Ruspoli was once asked. "No," he responded, "I've never had time." The 12 Original Playboys gallivanted within the eye of a perfect pleasure storm. They wanted for nothing because they could have seemingly anything – or anyone – thanks to a never-ending stream of old, old money.
And yet plenty of men have mighty bank accounts. These twelve seemed to have much more, like the ability to speak a dozen languages, the bravado to race Ferraris with every intention of one day wrapping one around an apple tree, and the possession of manhood that led to twelve-inch pepper grinders being named for them in Parisian restaurants.
With that in mind, it's not surprising that only two Americans made this list.
And neither of them are named Hugh…»
And the Suiting Is Easy: Three handsome summer suits, courtesy of Deets. Nothing mind-blowing here, but very sharp all around. [Details]
The Chairman Speaks: A dug-up doc on Frank Sinatra from 1965, making a strong claim on the next 32 minutes of your life. [Brain Pickings]
Sewn Up: The Blackbird guide to sewing the buttons back onto your shirt after you've ripped it open in a fit of passion. [Valet]
A Gentleman's Guide to Intimidation: A supercut of the 100 greatest film threats of all time. We advise that you not mess with the bull. [Pajiba]
The Last of the Bombshells: A few more Marilyn snaps surface. We're game, as always. [Refinery29]
On Ice: Daniel Craig is now available in popsicle form. No, we don't know why either. [Vulture]
The Barbarian: WSJ's brand new culture blog weighs in on O'Brien's brand new Tonight Show. It's the dawn of two new eras. [Speakeasy]
Tears of a Clown: Ol' Blue Eyes apparently fancied himself quite the painter. The rest of the world…not so much. [Luxist]


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I am in town for a course and my classmates and I wanted to make something special for the program coordinators to present during our last night here. One of my ideas was to make a quick, very simple quilt where we each write a comment on the fabric piece. I leave on Wednesday and have very little time between my schedule during the day. Is there anyone in town who might be able to meet with me for an hour in the evenings to lend me use of your sewing machine, rotary cutter, and cutting mat? We'd work in a public area at the hotel for security reasons. Thanks!
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Explore the Kama SutraComment on this story
"Kama Sutra – Sex & Da Charou" is a one man adult comedy show that tackles issues of sex and sexuality within the Indian community. Using a combination of slide shows, interesting "props", quick wit and toilet humour, the enigmatic and charismatic Karou Charou (the star of the show), takes the audience on a journey of discovery, challenging tradition, debunking myths and educating his audience whilst all the while thoroughly entertaining them.
The Tonight, in collaboration Emperor's Palace are giving away five double tickets to the Kama Sutra - Sex & Da Charou. To stand a chance to win a pair please answer this simple question. Who is the main act in the Kama Sutra - Sex & Da Charou show? Send all your responses, with the subject line "Kama Sutra" to [email protected] by close of business on Thursday January 30th.
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Texas Tech Red Raiders
Photos: Texas Tech positional preview – breaking down each position of the Red Raiders football team
Photo: Stephen Spillman/AP
2012 outlook: Stephens' rehab is reportedly going very well as Washington's. Williams led the running back corps this spring and was joined by junior college transfer SaDale Foster who was recruited as a kick returner but really surprised the coaching staff this spring. If Stephens and Washington are healthy they'll probably be the first and second on the depth chart, respectively, but both backs have never redshirted before and that's an option if they're not healthy enough early into the 2012 season. Assuming everything goes according to plan, the running game should be a major strength and allow Texas Tech to have a more balanced offensive attack.
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December 3, 2014
Prestone Products Corp. announced it has heavy-duty test kits, test strips and a refractometer for antifreeze/coolant analysis, offering convenience in checking the status of protective fluids.
October 3, 2014
Prestone's Command Heavy Duty Nitrite Free Extended Life Organic Acid Technology Antifreeze/Coolant offers protection for aluminum and all other engine metals against pitting and corrosion.
January 16, 2014
The wrath of winter's impact on heavy-duty diesel engines across North America has been thoroughly tested so far this year. For many of those stranded during the winter cold snap, it was decisions made about what to do (or what not to do) with their antifreeze/coolant systems that may have sealed their fate.
August 13, 2013
Alliance Truck Parts added Nitrite-free Organic Additive Technology and Nitrited Organic Additive Technology extended life coolant/antifreeze products to its coolant line.
March 26, 2013
Peak Commercial & Industrial, an Old World Industries company, is unvailing new test strips for its Final Charge heavy-duty extended-life coolant/antifreeze.
January 22, 2013
LAS VEGAS -- Prestone unveiled a new line of heavy-duty antifreeze coolants and diesel exhaust fluid Tuesday during Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week, branded Prestone Command
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