text:
UK ICT classes killing kids' interest in tech
The Royal Society is to investigate why British schools are failing to interest children in information technology - and why numbers taking classes are falling so fast. Since 2006 there has been a 33 per cent fall in pupils taking ICT GCSEs, and numbers taking A-levels in ICT have fallen by a third in six years. The number of …
It's a joke
I finished my A-levels 5 years ago and GCSE IT, A-Level IT and A-level Computer Science where all shit. You didn't learn much, if anything. Almost all of it I knew already or knew bits about. Some was utter wank and so out-dated it was ridiculous (We looked through an answer sheet for a past paper and instant messaging wasn't a valid answer in communicating in an office...even though IM has been around for many many years.) For Computer Science a-level I had two teachers and one of them had been in the industry for many years, however you could tell how he was tied down to this bull shit curriculum and it annoyed him. We ended up doing other stuff a lot of the time. For people that are interested in computers by a-level you could have a fun'ish course...but it's not. Its a joke
BCS, Microsoft, Google and several universities are also involved
What a shame.
Not to mention
If you're of an age where you're thinking of learning in preparation to enter the work-place (so we're talking A-Level - or equivalent - and up) you _might_ look at the saturated, over-worked, under-paid world of IT and think, nah, stuff it - I'll do plumbing instead.
If you want to get people interested in IT, you have to do something interesting with IT ... unfortunately, in the world of work, most people's exposure to IT is MS Office and that's about it - so that's what they teach. It's not until you've decided to invest your future in IT and taken it to further/higher education level that you can begin to specialise into something more interesting.
@A good start
> not simply show them how to use Microsoft Word
if only ... my son (14) uses Word as a typewriter - he appears to have been given no teaching on how to structure documents, use styles, paragraphs etc - instead its all about highlighting text, changing font size, bold, underline etc .... and if you need a picture stick it on the page and the use a few newlines to get past it for the next text ..... of course, once some other changes have been made the picture is on top of text and there a white space below etc etc etc.
One has to ask whether your son actually knows how to write grammatically correct and intelligible English, because unless he knows this, trying to teach him to use Word is pointless.
This would be the domain of the English classes, not ICT.
All those many years ago , I remember in English having to read, comprehend, and write relevant comments on a series of articles, which taught me how to use the language. Even though I was not very good at it, it laid the foundation for all of the wordy subjects (History, Geography) as well as a basis for reports on Science experiments.
I think that teaching basic computer use for everybody is a good thing, but there should be a differentiation between this, and teaching Computing as an engineering or technology discipline. This way you would be able to separate the mundane 'using a word processor, web browser and multimedia apps' from the interesting 'what is a CPU, how do programmes run and how do you write them and what is involved in networking'. If you did this, then I believe that the kids with a genuine interest could separate the boring and interesting stuff, hopefully keeping them engaged.
My youngest kids hate(d) the way that ICT is/was taught, but do actually have a genuine interest in how their computers connect together, and what the basic components are. indeed, when I built a system from scratch last Christmas, I had a willing audience for almost all of the work I did. Virtually nothing involved with putting the system together and installing the OS was familiar to them even though they both have studied or are studying ICT at GCSE level. And they are fascinated when I can write a quick program to do something specific, when they cannot see how a spreadsheet, almost the only data tool taught to them, could be applied to a problem.
I must agree that you should have properly trained teachers, at least for GCSE level and up, because having ICT as a second subject will never give the teacher enough background to do more that follow the pre-prepared courses from the syllabus.
I admit to being a little partisan about this, because 25 years ago I taught up to degree level at a UK Polytechnic for a while, and I could see the way that business computing was going at the time.
Yes at all of the above!
They've always been boring, but my teacher couldnt see more than 5 inches away bless him. So we got up to whatever you could get away with ie drawing boobies via coding a basic vector graphic etc on something that was not either an Apple or an acorn for that matter. We had "Virus" installed on the acorn or paint. This was 1991 however! If only we thought about crafting and copyrighting smileys and such like at that time, we'd be rich?
MS isnt just ICT, maybe they could include some network hacking/warez cracking, overclocking or photoshopping into the curriculum?
Make it fun.. "Today children we will be hacking into NASA via some 'tools' that I am going to demonstrate on the big screen and explain how they work step by step... blah blah blah"
Not British
If all you're talking about is O and A levels then you're talking about England and Wales.
Any statistics for Scotland ?
'O' levels.
If you're talking about 'O' levels, then you are talking 20+ years ago, as schools have been teaching GCSE's since then.
Nobody wants to teach it, except those who shouldn't be allowed to.
At my daughter's school - a Technology College, no less - they've come up with what they term a "novel and effective" solution to the lack of teachers capable of teaching the subject: online courses. They just stick 20 kids in a room with a bunch of computers, the teacher (usually a music or French teacher) writes a URL on the board and then they get on with it. I was actually considering going in to teaching (maths and IT) a couple of years ago, and the route I was planning on required that I spend at least 2 days in a school, so I sat in on a few lessons of each. I was horrified at how out-of-date and inadequate (and sometimes plain *wrong*) the courses were. Most of the material came from a basic maintenance course that I'd come across back in 1998, and it was just as wrong then as it is now. I spoke to the head about it, and his response was "It doesn't really matter, as long as we're teaching them something about IT."
A short while later (during one of the few lessons where the kids were actually being taught), I caught them advising kids to use a commercial logo generator site (which requires that you pay to download the images), take a screenshot and edit out the watermark. This was in the same lesson where they were telling them to fake their date of birth to get a hosting account. None of the staff could see a problem with these things until I threatened to take it to the school governors and the press.
Mystery Solved
I recently received a speculative email from a job pimp offering a vocational ICT trainer position at the dizzy salary of £15k - seriously. Would anyone who knew their arse from their elbow take a job at £15k!? This job wanted a couple of year's experience as well.
You just know that whoever they get is not going to have a clue how systems work. They're going to be people who read out verbatim from the curriculum. No better than someone in a call centre reading from a script. They'll also fall down equally as hard when the path deviates from the script.
You wouldn't pay a medical lecturer £15k because they could get vastly more in the "real word". The same holds true for competent IT workers. They'll get their living from the same place. Until pay in subjects reflects the salary that the teachers could get in the private sector putting their experise to use, this won't change. Ever. It sounds simplistic but it really is first and foremost an issue with money.
I am a money gubbing, job hopping developer. Wage inflation in my industry is still high and a chronic skills drought is in progress. This lack of respect from the public sector really gets up my nose. Hence the icon.
Because of the rubbish they teach
I work in schools, I'm a school IT manager and I've been in a different school every year since I left uni, on average. Common amongst them all is that none of them know how to teach IT. This stretches from primary (4-5 +) up to college-age (18) - SAT's, GCSE's, A-levels.
IT apparently includes:
-Formatting text in Word.
- Playing with LEGO MIndstorms and 2-3 line programs using them.
- Programming in LOGO (nothing wrong with that, but we're talking about Prep School 10-year-olds, maybe a handful of hours a year in ONE year, or state-school 15-year olds doing the same).
- Going on Google Images and copy/pasting anything you like the look of into your document/slideshow.
- Knocking up a two-paragraph web-page in HTML (and using possibly the ugliest, improperly tagged, out-of-date, standards-incompliant HTML you've ever seen in your life).
- never ever once touching a REAL programming language (even BASIC would qualify - most use some proprietary "graphical" languages that's just a flow-chart in a GUI).
- never ever once being able to correctly label parts of a machine (base unit = hard drive is scarily common amongst educational posters, teachers, etc.)
- never ever once learning how a damn computer works ("It's all done with 1's and 0's... okay, next subject... batch processing...")
- teaches outdated junk like bank's "batch processing" overnight - give three reasons why. DULL, DULL, DULL, and the kids are led to believe that it's "advanced".
Modern curricula are basically what-the-secretary-thought-her-daughter-must-know. It's a list of things like "describe the function of anti-virus software", "describe which program would be more suited to writing a book".
By A-level, kids SHOULD be doing TCP/IP or some variant, binary arithmetic, coding in C/Java at least, building Arduino's and other embedded projects. I know I was when I was their age and that was with no formal education, and my degree is actually in Mathematics first. Instead, at age 18 they're still doing things like explaining dragging-dropping and telling people what WIMP stands for.
Educational IT courses are a complete, utter, 100% waste of time. I've yet to see a single IT teacher who I would confidently trust to update Flash on their laptop without breaking something. I've not met ANYONE teaching it that I would trust to open their computer and insert a PCI card, or to write a 2-line shell script. Hell, anything command-line scares the bejeezus out of the teachers I know.
Point, click, copy what I did, next subject. We're going to breed a generation of people dependent on machines who have NO idea how they work.
Boring subject
Great, so I've learnt where to find the mail merge in Word. Wonderful. Excuse me if I don't find that exciting.
I've just been and had a look on the BBC's "GCSE Bitesize" ICT revision notes. Oh. My. God. They're still teaching Logo. (Hey guys, the 1980s called - they wondered if you'd like a brick-size mobile phone and some legwarmers, to go with your line numbers.) And they're still teaching flowcharts, the second-worst design method ever. (The worst design method of course is Jackson Structured Programming, a scheme so ill-conceived and monumentally outdated that Jackson himself disowned it.)
Apart from that, the GCSE syllabus ain't bad. It's just dry as dust. You learn a little bit about how things work, which is great. But do you actually do anything? Seems unlikely.
Logo? [No line numbers here]
I used to teach Logo in the 1980's; actually as an introductory language for KS2 it's not bad at all - and it doesn't have line numbers! I'm still not sure what else would be better as a first language which gets you relatively exciting stuff quickly. Maybe PHP?
Actually teach IT
I have seen what pupils are now being taught in GCSE ICT lessons, and I know what I was taught 25 years ago at 'O' level standard, and frankly what they're teching now is more basic office skills than actual IT.
There is no information given about the hardware, how it works, it's history etc. There are simply no fundamentals. Furthermore there is no programming involved, and surely any course covering IT must include the skills required to analyze the problem, devise a solution then implement it? When I was 13 I spent every spare hour in front of my VIC 20 / CBM 64 both playing games and writing programs, I can't believe that same interest and inquisitiveness is not there today.
We also need to make these courses commercially relevant and respected, which means at 16 the skills they're taught need to mean enough to at least get them a foot in the door, and companies need to know that someone with this qualification is actually useful and worth employing. The current course is considered a joke and as useful as domestic science in a commercial IT environment. Teach these kids about networks, firewalls, backup procedures, virtualization etc. and they may actually be of some use when they leave school.
Finally, let's show these pupils the fundamental motive behind working in IT, it pays very well compared with most jobs today. You maybe called a geek, but you're a geek with a nice car, a decent home and hopefully a very good income. Appeal to their greed and desire to want to buy stuff, and you'll be surprised just how enthusiastic and interested they become. Emphasise that a higher income could lead to a better looking girlfriend, and you'll have to run extra classes ;)
"...you're a geek with a nice car, a decent home and hopefully a very good income...Emphasise that a higher income could lead to a better looking girlfriend..."
Sadly this is exactly what they do at schools, and it fills people with senses of entitlement beyond their abilities. Also, a job in IT doesn't necessarily mean you will be well paid. Lying to people isn't going to create a pool of good candidates. Teachers tell far too many lies to coerce people who don't want to learn into trying to learn (to keep them quiet). Remember the one about how awful it would be to end up 'working in a factory'? Classic.
> Emphasise that a higher income could lead to a better looking girlfriend, and you'll have to run
> extra classes ;)
My 2 cents worth
Mr Brush is spot on. The way Computer Studies is taught in schools is just boring. Aside from the poor use of technology, Kids as consumers get to play with cool gadgets whereas in school, computer studies generally starts with trying to explain 1. What is an input?, 2. What is an output? etc, and for homework, read chapter 4 from in this text book from the 80's. Good stuff to know I admit, but hardly exciting and something to get them hooked on.
However, just because all these kids are using gadgets as consumers and love playing computer games and social networking etc., I don't think it's as easy leap to say that it is simply the curriculum that is turning them off. I don't think we are missing out on thousands of budding IT engineers simply because of education. Many of them may just not be interested in how a computer works, and what's wrong with that? Most people working in business today use computers in a consumer fashion for their day job without any real understanding of how it works. Isn't that what the IT staff are for.
Professor Matthew Harrisons comment "Young people have huge appetites for the computing devices they use outside of school" is correct but most young people are too lazy and ignorant to actually want to learn how they work. How many actually read the manuals. I'll tell you – Those that have an interest in IT read the manual because they want to learn.
My personal favourite at the moment is that every proud parent you speak to will tell you how their little Bobby is just "so interested in computers", whereas in reality, Little Bobby has no interest in computers, plays computer games all day and just wants the latest gadgets to show off to his friends.
Now people will argue "Oh, but computers are part of everyday life and if you don't know how they work, you won't succeed". They've been saying that for a while now I think! Well, how many people drive cars? They're pretty central to our way of life but how many are actually interested in how a car works and want to be a mechanic? That's what Mechanics are for. Electricity, again pretty important, but who actually understands it.
There is undoubtedly an argument here in that the way IT is taught in schools is out of touch and the same is probably true about most subjects but I don't think it's fair to say that "we risk a future workforce that is totally unskilled and unsuited to tomorrow's job market" because of it. The sky is not falling in yet.
Not just ICT, technical and engineering skills too
Isn't all to do with cultivating an inquisitive mind and bugger-all to do specifically with ICT? When I was younger, there was this excellent program called "Tomorrow's World" and others that actually asked questions and demonstrated how things worked. It then degenerated into a superflous "Gadget Show" type program and I lost interest.
I am sure the later Tomorrow's World and current "techie" programmes appeal to the masses wanting shiny new toys and boost viewing ratings (and profits for retailers but sadly not UK manufacturers). So why are we surprised that the current generation show no interest in anything technical, engineering included, when the current trend is to popularise "science" by demonstrating glamourous gadgets from an application point of view?
gold old fashioned curiosity
That's what kids need. I was a relentlessly curious child. I was never happy with the idea that the "stuff" that happened inside our electricals and mechanicals was totally irrelevant to me. I always thought that if I new what something was going to do when I pushed the button, that I would become better at using it. Or that I would instinctively know how to use it (and how not to use it). And I still think that's true to an extent.
In fact I actually "invented" a couple of things when I was about 10. At one point I thought to myself, what if I stick two CDs back to back and make a double sided CD? I did it and it didn't work - the combined package was too thick for my CD player. But what did I see years later? Double sided DVDs.
Even better, I had the idea that silicon could be layered to make more powerful chips, one slice of silicon above another, with contacts between them in necessary places. What does IBM do years later? The same thing. Of course what I didn't anticipate is the massive problem of cooling such a chip, and IBM used channels of water in the silicon I believe.
How would I ever have thought of that if I didn't know that processors use a single layer of silicon and that the transistor count is roughly corollary to processing power? How would I have thought up the double sided CD innovation if I wasn't aware of how a laser scans the disk? Obviously I couldn't have. That's why kids need to know how things work. At the very least, they should know what magnetic media is and why they can't put it too close to magnets.
I also notice that people are scared, terrified, of electricity. You tell anyone you're going to do any sort of wiring and they recoil in horror. Maybe if they knew how it worked they wouldn't be so paranoid. Yes it can kill you, in much the same way that crossing the road will kill you if you don't know what to look out for. Or taking drugs will kill you if you don't know the right dose.
It really does pay to know something about the world around you.
ICt ZzZZZZZZzzzZZ
Si 1 hit the nail on the head kids dont care about ICT they want to play games and go on facebook.
I am an ICT teacher and everybody does the same from 11-16 EXCEL, ACCESS WORD, PUBLISHER.
F**k that, me i teach em some graphic editing (PAINT.NET), MOVIE MAKER and SCRATCH. no wonder kids hate IT, I hate WORD,EXCEL, ACCESS, PUBLISHER. MS is shoved down their neck since primary school because it is what BUSINESS needs DRONES who can work the MS OFFICE SUITE.
As well with these new fangled pathways(year 9 options) they bring in, ICT isnt in the Pathway for the high ability kids, its lumped in with the low ability kids. It's a struggle trying to get the kids to undelrine and put their names on documents, XBOX/FACEBOOK has ruined a generation that see ICT as nothing more than entertainment. Bill for bovious reasons
If you're an ICT teacher...and you don't like the curriculum, I am guessing that will rub off on your students (especially if you are this negative about MS to them). I'd rather be an office drone than an unemployed person with four 'mash ups' on youTube. Like it or not ICT for me is a synonym for databases, documents, emails and spreadsheets. It has nothing to do with recording another crap flight simulator film and annoying me by posting it when I expected to see the real thing! [/rant].
By this method, I am guessing that science lessons would be all about making explosives and dropping cars from cranes instead of boring stuff about control groups, evidence and hypothesis.
I don't know why you are blaming XBox specifically, I blame the Nintendo DS.
Schools don't teach IT anymore
I went around many schools as part of my eldest son moving up from primary. I have been a professional programmer for 20 plus years and started way back in the days of the ZX81. I did O & A level computer science and it was great stuff. Learning about internals, doing assembler, Pascal etc. etc. but what I saw in ICT classes for kids these days shocked me. How can you call learning MS Office and publisher ICT? My son has now finished his first year and hates ICT. This from a kid who loves his technology.
My advice? Get back to teaching computers from the ground up, make little embedded devices, do some assembler etc. They will quickly get hooked. I see kids coming in to work these days who know nothing but Java and are powerpoint wizards. They have no ability to fix problems because they have no base knowledge. I would happily go into teaching if I thought I could put some of this rubbish right.
Lack of Focus
I took a look at the GCSE syllabus for one course at
If it's representative of all such qualifications it shows a lack of focus on what the qualification is intended to achieve. It looks like a fairly random collection of "things that have something to do with computers", some of them pretty irrelevant in the 21st century.
If the intention is to teach general IT skills that will be of use to anybody working in an office, and a lot of people working in a whole lot of other places, build a course that teaches that. That would be a really valuable course to a lot of people, arguably it should be in the core curriculum that every pupil learns.
If the intention is to teach kids to become programmers and to develop other skills that would be useful in an IT career, that needs to be taught as a completely separate subject. Such a course would (and should) have less mass appeal, but would be a lot more relevant than learning how to use Word.
all I ever did in my A Level IT class was piss about on an Archimedes A3000 and not take blind bit of notice of what my incompetent "teacher" was saying. i mainly played games or ran fractal generators, which i used to think were brilliant. whatever happened to fractal landscape generators anyway?
i digress...the teacher was useless and had a ginger beard, the subject mater we were supposed to be learning was mind numbingly boring and stuff we all knew anyway, and half the class never turned up in the first place.
i think it's pointless to try and teach kids IT until university level really. just stick to physics and maths etc at secondary school.
CTI not ICT
By the sounds of things, they should be calling it CTI (Corporate Tools Indoctrination).
Schools are supposed to churn out future employees who already know how to use the tools required by their future employers. It's not about understanding what's inside the box. Besides, taking the lid off to see what's inside is probably a violation of HSE guidelines.
Though, saying that, I know of one school that said "here's a pile of bits, see if you can put them together" - it generated some genuine enthusiasm.
My tuppence
Irrespective of the kit and courses, would you rather be playing with new technology, designing web sites, and coding applications or teaching kids to do the same (and then spending your evenings marking it)?
That said, if the local school offered a few hours a week I might be prepared to put some time in.
My own experiences
As a professional geek, it was inevitable when I was a kid that I'd end up working in IT.
Before the age of 10, I was coding in Pascal and had started to look at other OO languages. However I was lucky enough to have parents that while they were quite computer illiterate, saw that my interest in computing was more than a passing fad and tried very hard to keep up with modern technology. It was an expensive business as despite the fact my local schools did have some computing environments in the late 80's/early 90's, it was all BBC model B's and Masters, which while being great educational tools initially, were already long in the tooth and marching headlong into obscurity while Atari/Commodore and eventually IBM-compatible PCs were taking over the homes and offices across the country.
However there were several problems. IT had not really been accepted as a mainstream academic topic, and the only options I had was to attend the limited number of after-school activities or chat with friends who were in a similar position. There were many trips to the local library for books on varying subjects including the history of computing, programming etc. But there was virtually no support from the local educational facilities - it was all word processing, spreadsheets and other subjects that were not really of much interest to the stereotypical geek that I was, I had already been there, done that and was thoroughly bored.
The first real foray into IT was at 16, and a 2 year college course which gave a limited overview of the arenas available and introduced us to higher-level programming, networking and some project management skills. That had its limits, but at least did not have the blinkered view that the previous schools had, and they had a pretty impressive IT suite which catered for around 200 IT students - which was not bad in the mid-90's for 16-18 year olds.
However, I was able to drag myself along primarily due to my own personal interests in the subject, interests that have continued on as I get older. I ditched coding in favour of being more hands-on with the nuts and bolts of computing. I've been a sysadmin for a number of years, IT manager for a few as well and now am a contractor in the industry earning a decent buck with my Linux and open source skills, and am constantly progressing and training up in areas such as virtualisation, and large-scale web systems.
So while school may have failed me in some respects of my own educational requirements, my own fascination with the industry and perseverance to learning off my own back have paid off and hopefully will continue to.
On a side note, I'm sure those kids who picked on us 'nerds' are thoroughly enjoying their jobs flipping burgers now.
I, for one, have an abiding interest in women's bosoms.
That doesn't mean that I want, for one instant, to know exactly how they work. Far from it. I'm quite happy in my ignorance.
But then I have yet to encounter a situation when a pair of bosoms has been broken and I am required to fix them (although that has given me some interesting ideas) ...
Old Hat
I'd just left school when i got my first computer (a VIC 20)
I loved the vic because i could write code to make things move on the screen lol.
To me computers were magical things, things of the future.
But to the kids now, well they just think of them as we would think of lights, TV's, Radios, noting special.
I don't thing I'd have been that interested in a class on how to use a Radio
So I'd say the Wow factor that i had, has gone, thats the problem.
You forgot ECDL
Recently I were helping someone get the tests working (Java client running up MS Access, FFS). I went through some of the questions - ambiguous and some of the answers were (IMHO) wrong.
Daughter doesn't want to do ICT, even though she's very good at maths.
Son is doing it, but he got punished (as in work handed back with no mark) for handing in a document written using OO because the teacher was too idle to download the MS Word filter and load it.
Plus they create a "website" with buttons and drop downs, using a tool - so no understanding of HTML needed - may as well just write a (Word) document.
Handing in documents in OO?
Whilst I'm all for OO (and was incredibly happy when my former school actually installed it), to be fair, I'd blame your son for handing in OO documents. It's a rather simple (and polite) task to check if the person receiving the document can open OO ones.
Handing in documents in OO?
"It's a rather simple (and polite) task to check if the person receiving the document can open OO ones."
The thing is, every recipient on every platform can do just that, at zero cost.
Whereas sending someone MS Office implies that they must incur the large and recurring expense of MS Office and the large and recurring expense of MS Windows. DO you think that is polite?
Handing in documents in OO?
Your son didn't fail because the teacher was too lazy to download the filters, he failed because he was incapable of following the instructions provided. It will have explicitly stated what formats were acceptable.
While you my not agree with those formats, there will have been a number of alternatives if you are non-microsoft, such as rtf. And as OO can save as doc files, he really had no excuse.
Word processing...
...is to computing as cooking is to chemistry. They are both vital skills, but it is important not to confuse the two.
"Hard" subjects (mathematics, all sciences etc) have been in decline in Britain for years, while or competitor nations (India et al) invest heavily in such subjects. We are already paying for that failure with lower investment and a lack of innovation.
I did the GCSE back when a Master 128 was a shit-hot beast. We never did mail-merge or anything (I have no idea how to do it today, but I have a fair idea of how computers work and how to read the chuffin' manual!), we had to write our own applications in BBC BASIC (I did a very small amount of assembler). Then again, we weren't allowed calculators in maths classes either.
And we were told back than that the GCSEs were too easy!
I'm guessing I am a tad older...
...as my school didn't get a BBC-B until the year after I left.
The only reason I got into computers was my 1st job after leaving school in 1982 as a trainee computer operator. Before that I had never even seen a computer bigger than a TI Scientific calculator.
Although I don't quite believe these statistics; it is now possible to get the "equivalent of" 4 (maybe more) GCSEs in ICT. They are used by many schools to inflate the rankings as even those students who can hardly read and count on their fingers can pass some of them. With lots of help with course work and no requirement to understand the I the C or the T.
I have said for years that the ICT in schools should be renamed: "Basic Secretarial" studies - or just BS for short.
The problem is just about every politician and those in education, don't understand the first thing about computers, "so it must be hard and must be worthwhile teaching!". But what would you expect from a bunch of "can't do so teach" types that cannot even spell IT.
Posted AC, as I'm related to a teacher and don't want to risk causing them trouble.
Re: I'm guessing I am a tad older...
"The only reason I got into computers was my 1st job after leaving school in 1982 as a trainee computer operator. Before that I had never even seen a computer bigger than a TI Scientific calculator."
Before that I had never even seen a computer smaller than a house.
@ Laurence Blunt
>>> Posted AC, as I'm related to a teacher and don't want to risk causing them trouble.
Hope you're not married to one, or you're spending tonight in the spare room. LAURENCE! Lol.
Tee Hee!
Teach them something useful
Every time I talk with an IT / ICT teacher I _always_ say teach the kids to touch type. This is a skill which is quite easy to teach and will be useful through out their lives.
Schools shouldn't bother with teaching word processing or spreadsheets. What ever the school is teaching will be out of date by the time that the kids get into the work place (well those that decide to work that is.) But even dole scum can use touch typing to speed the filling of on line benefit forms.
In the UK the qwerty keyboard is the main interface with the computer, and no one is trying to teach the kids how to use it.
My daughter can type way faster than me...
She's fourteen, and on the last on-line test I saw her do, she managed 75 WPM / 100% accuracy. That's as fast than my Mum can do, and she was a "proper" typist / secretary / PA for forty odd years.
Most of my daughter's mates still use txt tlk on MSN or Facebook chat, but she rattles out proper sentences, with punctuation. It makes me proud, it really does.
It will take a bit more practise before she can beat the 160+ WPM Mum could take short-hand at though! That's just unnatural!
As an aside, daughter's school, (Maths and Computing College), have just bought a classroom full of Macbooks, and then put Boot Camp / XP on them. WTF!!! How much did that little exercise cost? And who sanctioned it? Why?
Ah, can you smell that?
That, my friends, is the smell of job security. Which is good, because any pension arrangements you might have thought you had will be worth shit all in twenty years unless you have been very clever indeed.
Nobody does "A-Level" Computing because it's not a proper subject. A friend of mine was laughed out of a University interview for Computer Science when he revealed that he had done Computing (after not realising that Computer Science requires maths, further maths and a science). Schools should clearly explain what A-Levels are suitable for studying Computer Science at University instead of pushing "Computing" which teaches you too little about actual Computer Science.
As for the "them kids under 20 know how to use them computers" conversation, I meet plenty of under twenties who don't know how to use a PC or write a report using a word processor. Those skills should be part of learning other subjects (such as English), rather than having their own elective unit.
With a few, very few, honourable exceptions, everyone in this industry that I have met with formal qualifiications in IT or, if they're old enough, CompSci, has been a waste of air, space, pay and rations. Thinking that they were tapping into the Industry Of The Age they struggled their way through the course and emerged, degree in hand, to be shocked by what they didn't know.
Apart from the few, very few, honourable exceptions, everyone in this industry that I have met who had brought something to the table has got there despite the lack of formal qualifications, simply through an all-consuming interest in what they were doing and the drive to know more and do more with it. You can't make a programmer, a truly great admin or a brilliant designer; the best that you can do is find them then let them loose. I can't speak for project managers or architects as they are actually engaged in IT, per se, but for those at the sharp end don't look for a piece of paper.
So, if the ICT teachers are weeding out more and more potential space-wasters then more power to their collective elbow. Keep up the good work. Keep them away from me, I've wasted enough time now and I've got work that needs to be done,
Well said that woman!
I was that unqualified, died in the wool, build your own computer with a command line, geek, given a chance by a small start up company. After five years there, and growing from 15 to 150 employees, they were taking on MCSE / CCNE/A types who couldn't tell a modem from a Paknet Pad. (Look them up !) Fucking morons every last one of them. Needless to say, I left.
They sent me on a couple of "MS approved" courses. What a joke! Two grand to tell me stuff that I either already knew, or could easily have worked out in five minutes with the judicious use of the F1 key. But at least I got a couple of nice A4 Microsoft Approved Training Certificates out of it... Only £1,000 a page!
Right. That's three replies on one thread. Time to chill out a bit... A beer will do nicely, thanks. And have one yourself Grace!
I'm like
just cos you gotta shit don't mean you want to work in sewage disposal. i fail to see why anyone thinks there should necessarily be any connection between using technology and understanding how it works.
Also education is not pre-employment training - it doesn''t have to be applicable to work, it educates
True, but from a won't- get- suckered POV,
it would behoove most yoofs to know enough about how their important gadgets (computers, cars) work and what the major/ important bits are so that, at minimum, they will have a vague idea whether the repair people are selling them a load of shite. I make no great claim to automotive mechanical greatness, but I took a basic engine mechanics and body work class in high school so I could have an idea of how my car worked and a vague idea of what might be causing problems so I could wipe some of the "gullible" stamp off my forehead before approaching a mechanic.
However, it sounds from this discussion like most ICT (sounds like "ick", dunnit?) classes are not even teaching that modest amount.
a title
It was over 15 years ago but my GCSE computing had basic programming and a lot of book learning (half the classes did not involve a computer).
There was a class next door who were basically secretaries though - perhaps some school don't offer the real computing GCSE any more, I'm sure it's out there.
As to learning skills relevant for jobs after school, I don't really think education is the best place to learn that, they should instill an ability to learn while giving you some certificate with a grade on it that gives employers some idea of your ability.
Anyone who thinks a computer science degree means you can walk into a job and ber useful has never interviewed for a graduate post, it just gives the employer and idea that you will be able to learn the skills you need once you start. I don't see that secondary school is any different.
They don't teach IT
They teach office administration skills, which today (if you want a career that involves office work), is almost as important as being able to write.
They need to have a grasp of how to use word processors and everyday office systems, but they should call it something else such as "Workplace Office Skills" and it should be mandatory like english or maths. And yes, it does sound boring, because it is.
I remember at school doing all the word processing and document formating and all the time I was thinking we would be doing the cool stuff later. We didn't.
When I did an ICT A-Level, the exam paper included the following question:
Explain how computers have helped in any 2 of the following areas: Home life, manufacturing, healthcare, finance, <some others>
Frankly, the ICT course had sweet F-A to do with using a computer - It was all the boring stuff associated with it (and no, the DPA 1998 ISN'T interesting enough to study for 2 weeks when you're 17)
A favourite saying by Shaw comes to mind...*
Applies aptly here...
But seriously...
No wonder it's a bloody mess... If you were good at "IT", would you choose to work for pittance? esp. doing affectively what is day care?
The government really needs to look at long and hard at education spending, and esp. teacher pay. But for those that brave the piss poor pay, and the crappy working conditions (let's face it, most schools are fairly dilapidated, resources are barely adequate and frankly the kids can't be disciplined and so likely to get away with whatever crap they want to), the paper work and bureaucracy is enough to drive anyone nuts (lesson plans and all that BS!) Folks just end up doing the bare minimum to meet the needs of the curriculum and that's it - heck they aren't paid to do more! With better pay, the education system is likely to attract better candidates, most likely the kids will end up with a better level of teaching etc.
But no, we're following the US model... We'll have a nation full of folks educated to level competent enough for shelf stacking.. just in time for there being a Tesco on every fucking road!
The other option, for those that can afford, is to go private - and frankly, as it stands, the only way to get a decent education in the UK! So much for bridging the class divide...
* for those who haven't read widely: "He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches...", I personally prefer...
"Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." Like most sayings, this is only half true. Those who can, teach; those who can't -- the bitter, the misguided, the failures from other fields -- find in the school system an excuse or a refuge.
--Bel Kaufman
Teaching IT in secondary schools
I like the notion of building a database-driven website as a good basis for IT in schools as it covers a fair number of the areas in IT. It may also prove a moderately useful skill or hobby to the students in years to come.
With this website, one could introduce the following topics in a practical way:
• systems architecture and planning
• the internet and how it works
• security
• servers and clients
• webservers and browsers
• ISPs and bandwidth
• HTML, CSS and client-side and server-side scripting
• designing websites and usability,
• databases and simple querying.
It might a year or two to build the thing but there is enough material there for exams as well as a good practical foundation for the working world. It's not proper Computer Science but it may give them a taste of/for it. Of course, the state exams would have to change...
Just my 2c
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Tools for Each Stage of Adoption
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The following case studies record the experiences of real practices that implemented an EHR. You may benefit initially from quickly reading through these reports to gain a better understanding of the challenges and benefits of an EHR.
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If your practice currently uses a transcription service, this tool will provide you a projection of potential savings from avoiding transcription through the use of an EHR.
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This free web-based resource for EHR system selection/implementation was developed by the American College of Physicians and Cientis Technologies.
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The Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) reviews and assesses EHR products for their functionality, security, and interoperability. A list of the CCHIT criteria is available on this site as well lists of products that have passed CCHIT evaluation criteria.
Implementation: Getting Your EHR Up & Running
Advance Planning & Workflow Analysis
This is a brief document outlining workflow considerations prior to implementation of the EHR.
ACP Internist Articles:
Investing in EHRs Pays Off in Paperless Perks
"Slow and Steady Best Approach to Going Paperless
The Files are Electronic, but the Staff is Only Human
Group Purchasing Puts EHRs in Small Offices
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Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ): National Resource Center for Health Information Technology
This site has a vast knowledge library, tools, and resources for your reference.
|The information, documents, opinions, and any references to brand or product names expressed on this website do not necessarily reflect the official position of the American College of Physicians ("ACP") and ACP makes no representations, warranties, or assurances as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided herein. The information contained on this website is not to be construed as legal or medical advice and is not to be substituted for individual research or to replace the need to consult with professionals. The information provided herein is offered as a service to members and other visitors for informational purposes only and any action or outcome from its use is the responsibility of such user.

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text: On February 13, 1996, at 1410 central standard time a Piper PA- 28-161, piloted by a certified flight instructor, was substantially damaged when it landed short of runway 30 (3205'x 75' asphalt) at the Warren Airport, Warren, Minnesota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan. The certified flight instructor and two student pilots reported no injuries. The flight departed from Grand Forks, North Dakota, at 1300 cst.The instructor was contacted by the investigator in charge by telephone on February 21, 1996. The instructor said the student was having difficulty understanding how to use the rudder when making crosswind landings. The instructor said the focus on proper rudder usage probably diverted the students and her attention. The aircraft hit a snowbank approximately 40 yards short of the runway, coming to rest approximately 20 yards from the end of the runway. The pilot wrote on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2 that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft.The propeller, cowling, firewall, engine mount and right wing skin were bent. The nose gear and right main landing gear separated from the airframe.


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The largest city in the State of Michigan, Detroit is often referred to as "Motor City" or "Motown". Home to the Big Three automakers, Detroit is situated on the Great Lake Michigan and is about one mile from Canadian border in Windsor, Ontario.
Major corporations headquartered in Detroit include Hummer, Saturn, GMC, General Motors, GMAC, Faygo, DeLorean Motors, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and Avis Rent-a-Car. The nation's struggling economy has greatly affected Detroit due to the stressed auto industry, but the city is working to diversify its economic portfolio by adding industries in biotechnology and information technology, among many others. Its tourism lures are apparent, and visitors won't find a shortage of enriching things to do in the city.
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Famous Detroiters include actor Tim Allen, actresses Kristen Bell and Selma Blair, Aretha Franklin, Henry Ford, Sonny Bono, Casey Kasem and Charles Lindbergh, among many others.


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On the surface Gone Girl reads like a whodunit thriller, and it makes a great summer read--but it's also a literary novel in disguise with its imagery of a landscape of an economic wasteland, the characters' moral bankruptcy, and its themes of identity and marriage. It's been the book of the summer for me.
On their fifth anniversary, Nick Dunne comes home, and his wife Amy is gone. The initial crime scene: an open door, the ottoman turned over, broken glass, and the iron left on. Instead of beginning with "boy meets girl," the plot starts with "boy loses girl." Detectives arrive and the media circus begins.
Told in alternating he said/she said chapters, we learn the back story of Nick and Amy. Gilliam Flynn throws her readers red herrings with sneaky abandon. I found myself shifting loyalties back and forth from Team Amy to Team Nick and then being horrified and guiltily fascinated with both of them.
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Film >The Quiet
The Quiet
|Sony Pictures Classics
|Jamie Babbit
|Elisha Cuthbert, Edie Falco, Camilla Belle, Shawn Ashmore, Martin Donovan
|Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Teen Flick
|Our Rating:
I cant think of a human activity Id recommend less than watching this hackneyed, straining-to-be-lurid domestic drama, the umpteenth cynical attempt to bait todays supposedly alienated teen audience with an overt reiteration of the theme life sucks. (Those words are even uttered in the voice-over narration, lest anybody miss the subtle subtext.) An orphaned deaf mute (underage it girl Camilla Belle) gets sent to live with an obnoxious cheerleader (Elisha Cuthbert) and her family, all of whom happen to be hiding an unspeakable secret. Believe it or not, its a revelation more disturbing than the degree to which mama Edie Falcos short haircut makes her resemble Laugh-Ins Henry Gibson.
Director Jamie Babbit has essentially remade American Beauty Cuthberts cheerleaders outfit looks like a hand-me-down from Mena Suvari only shes omitted the jokes and placed the action on sets that seem left over from a Michael Mann movie of 20 years ago (lots of blue light streaming into underfurnished rooms that are otherwise darkened for no good reason). Instead of winning sympathy for any of its characters, the movie wallows in exploitation: You know the creative team spent hours getting the blood spattered on one teens cleavage to look just so. (R; opens Friday, Sept. 1, at Regal Winter Park Village Stadium 20, 407-628-0035)
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A while back I wrote about what I believed to be the Ten Biggest Fallacies in Sports. Leading that list is the steroid scandal tainted the integrity of baseball. One of my primary assertions is steroids were an easy scapegoat for a host of other factors which have changed the game. Allow me to reprise in the following excerpt:
Tainting the integrity of baseball under Bud Selig is like shooting out all your lightbulbs so the sun will go down. The sanctimonious hand-wringing on the part of baseball writers that is still happening over this is almost too much to bear. Where were all these scribing Dudley Do-Rights when Mark McGwire suddenly gained 50 pounds of muscle and transformed home plate at Busch Stadium into a bigger launching pad than Cape Kennedy? They were conveniently were sitting on their pencils because the offensive explosion that occurred in the national past time in the late 1990's and early 2000's was exactly what they wanted.
Flash the clock back to 1995 when baseball was trying to resurrect itself from the fiasco of the previous year's labor stoppage that killed a World Series. The writers were bemoaning the fact that baseball is boring, there isn't enough scoring, and the fans won't come back to the game after the strike. So, when the moon-shots started flying out of ballparks across the league, the writers could barely contain their overt giddyness. This led to fans flocking back to the ballparks, and Bud Selig couldn't have been happier.
The part nobody wants to admit is that the whole steroid issue began as attempt by writers to disgrace Barry Bonds. Writers have a problem with players who won't kiss their collective asses, and Bonds was notorious for treating scribes with utter contempt. When it became clear that Bonds would be the holder of the two sexiest records in all of sports (the single-season and the career home run marks), the press began its delving into Bonds' connection with BALCO. But much like Dr. Frankenstein, they created a monster they couldn't control. Next thing you know, we have Congressional hearings and the resultant "outrage" at the "cheaters."
Now for the fun part…baseball has a long and storied history of cheating. Since day one, players have been stealing signs, corking bats, scuffing or greasing balls, and generally doing anything else they could to win. Steroids are no different. It is far too easy to "blame" the aforementioned offensive explosion on the hypodermic needle, but doing so ignores some key facts.
- In the 90's, Major League Baseball expanded by four teams, meaning 50 pitchers who otherwise would have been in the minors now were plying their trade in "The Show."
- Several new stadia were constructed in the 90's, and the vast majority of them have outfield fences and small foul territory making them very "hitter-friendly."
- Of all the players caught using "performance-enhancing drugs," half were pitchers.
In other words, the increase in offense has several possible contributing factors. The emptiness of the steroid argument become clear when one stops to consider that from the list of players named in the Mitchell Report, there wasn't a case of a player who suddenly became a star due to his use of "performance-enhancing drugs." Players who were stars before the needle were stars after the needle, and "role players" remained just that.
Shakespeare penned the correct thought on this scandal 350 years before baseball even existed: Much ado about nothing.
Now, Ryan Hudson at SB Nation has penned a piece that echoes my sentiments. In his article, Hudson brings up the fact that there is not a proven link between steroid use and prolific home run hitting. Hudson also points out that very assertion is the central theme behind "Steroids, Other 'Drugs', and Baseball," an exhaustive study of the subject done by Eric Walker.
Walker's work is full of empiric data that casts some serious doubts on the credibility of the claims made by the "steroids are to blame crowd." Hudson also quotes an piece written by Joe Posnanski that begs the question "What if we are wrong again about steroids?"
If you are somebody who feels strongly about this issue, I would as strongly suggest you read these works. This is another issue where we in this country let allowed an easy belief supplant a hard truth.


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Feb 20, 2013 10:12 AM by KATC
This is the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office arrest report for February 20, 2013
David Lee Brown, age 52, 512 North Lombard, Opelousas, LA, probation violation, bench warrant.
Ranvill Markeith Richard, age 25, 813 Halphen St., Opelousas, LA, bench warrant, warrant arrest.
William Allen Rutland, age 43, 110 Edward Dr., Port Barre, LA, operating a motor vehicle while under suspension, careless operation, failure to report accident, no seat belt, littering.
Neal J. Jones, age 49, 616 Genderme Rd., Carencro, La, here for court.
Ronnie A. Arnold, age 23, 1601 Florence Ave., Jackson, MS, bench warrant, arrested by Bounty Hunter.
St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office responded to over 67 complaints over the past 24 hours. On behalf of Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz, this is Captain Megan Vizena and this concludes our report.
31 minutes ago


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Ed Hume Seeds, Inc.
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Mar 1, 2011 5:24 PM by Jenise Fernandez
"I haven't been to the dentist since I was 18,"said musician James Hutchinson.
That was nearly 17 years ago. He's been playing music for 20 years and like most musicians, he is self-employed and has no dental insurance.
"It's usually about the money. We're not taken care of so you have to survive anyway you can,"said Hutchinson.
He is one of forty musicians taking care of their health. Many in their profession are either uninsured or under-insured. That's why Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation, MusiCares, and Smile Program are stepping in.
"I'm getting some fillings which I've never had before,"said Hutchinson.
"Dental work is hard to get and musicians here are cultural ambassadors. Now we can give something back to them," said Kathy Richard, Director of Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation.
All the dentists there did things like fillings, extractions, and cleanings. Any musician that needed a follow up was referred to an area dentist.
"It's great to give back to musicians who give their heart and soul to this community,"said Gregory Folse, D.D.S.
Music is a major part of our culture and lifestyle. It's Hutchinson's livelihood and he's grateful for any help he gets.
"I definitely recommend it," he said.
"As long as we have musicians that can't be seen and that are calling for us, we will have dental days,"said Richard.
19 hours ago


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this shade looks beautiful but is not sturdy. We barely lift it up or down as it is on the bathroom's window but still, less than 1 year later we have 2 holes. It scratches very easily ...
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Calendar of upcoming events, rallies and town hall meetings.
Information on the current legislation and legislative news.
Jeb Bush continued to spread the story of the "Florida miracle" in a press conference with Gov. Snyder after his presentation to a joint meeting of the Senate and House Education committees.
The new system addresses concerns that Education YES – the current accreditation system – doesn't adequately measure districts and there are no sanctions for schools not accredited.
Art Przybylowicz, MEA General Counsel, and Mary Aldecoa, Fowlerville teacher and EA president, testified before the Senate Education Committee on the four-bill tenure proposal passed by the House last week.
He pointed out that we can have tenure reform that is fair, less time consuming and expensive and still provide due process for the dismissal of ineffective teachers.
Przybylowicz spoke in opposition to House Bills 4625-4628 which amend tenure and dismantle collective bargaining calling them "poorly conceived, apparently hastily drafted, and based upon a faulty premise—the infallibility of building principals."
Find out how your state Representative voted on House Bills 4625, 4626, 4627 and 4628.
Today, in a joint meeting of the Senate and House Education committees, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush claimed great success for his education reform plan in Florida—taking it from 50 out of 50 states in terms of student achievement to a 21 percent improvement in student test scores.
The House Appropriations Committee heard testimony today on HB 4701 and 4702 which would gut the state employees retirement health system and shift the $14.5 unfunded liability of the plan onto the backs of employees.
MEA General Counsel Art Przybylowicz testifies before the Senate Education Committee on the four-bill tenure package.
Mary Aldecoa, Fowlerville teacher and EA president, provides the teacher perspective on tenure to the Senate Education Committee.
The Michigan Senate is the next stop for a four-bill package designed to unravel collective bargaining and tenure laws, legislation that would impact all public school employees.
Last week, the GOP-led state House passed House Bills 4625, 4626, 4627, and 4628 with bipartisan opposition after heavy lobbying from MEA members and staff. MEA will have an increased presence at the Capitol beginning Tuesday, with members and staff stepping up efforts to work with moderate senators willing to consider alternative ideas, including MEA-backed reforms to streamline the process of disciplining or discharging ineffective teachers with tenure.
The House Oversight, Reform, and Ethics Committee will continue its work this week on legislation dealing with public employee health care. The panel meets Tuesday to consider House Bills 4087 and 4572 and Senate Joint Resolution C.
Answers to common questions about House Bills 4625-4628, including: What is the current status of these bills? Could "good teachers" lose their jobs if these bills become law? Could I be fired for reasons that have nothing to do with job performance?
House Bill No. 4625, entitled
Snyder's School Cuts:
How much have the cuts cost your kids?
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MEA Voice Online or
Capitol Comments
View digital version of MEA Voice Magazine
Check the status of bills that MEA is currently tracking in the Legislature.


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[Trendzilla] Red-carpet looks on a blue-collar budget with this online sensation
[Trendzilla] Support this hilarious website in its fight against the humorless, unoriginal corporate giant
[Trendzilla] The fast-fashion giant is coming to a mall near you
We're big fans of Venus Infers here, so it's rather heartening to hear that this week they've made it to one of rock music's pinnacles. Namely, they had their music played on the back ground of one of the many spinoffs of MTV faux-reality sensation "The Hills."
"Anna Sui, is that you?"
Think of the tunic
Trendy disposable stuff


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An Official Newspaper of the
Internet Community
At the last meeting of the New Hyde Park/Garden City Park School Board the board finally approved, after a very long period of discussion between both the residents and board members, the After Care Program to be run by the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Roslyn for a six month trial period.
The New Hyde Park/Garden City Park School Board meeting was held up for more than an hour and when they finally came before the public it was obvious that the delay was the board's inability to unanimously select a president and vice president due to the absence of Board Trustee James Kane.
Merillon Athletic Association held its annual "Championship Saturday," the traditional end to the spring season, June 26 at Merillon Park.


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Monday mark's what retailers hope will be the biggest shopping day of the year…online!
It's Cyber Monday. It's a day when millions hit up their high-speed Internet access at work and start shopping.
This year there are special deals to kick it off!
Last year Cyber Monday was the second largest online shopping day of the year.
Most people waited until later in December to buy after they did a little comparison shopping.
This year retailers want to change that with some deals shoppers can't resist
This year three out of four shoppers plan to shop on-line too.
"Convenience more than anything, more variety, sometimes when its crazy busy especially this time of year," said two shoppers at Petco in Mishawaka.
Besides convenience, Consumers say online shopping is an easy way to comparison shop and are deals on-line that can't be found in the stores.
"Generally we don't price match the prices online so sometimes that's kind of a drive for them to go there and also Petco offers about two or three months out of the year free shipping," says Petco associate Jessica Whitaker.
In fact studies show about 80 percent of the websites offer free shipping with a minimum purchase.
But stores that also have websites are selling the idea that you will find something in the store that you can't find on-line.
"Yeah you get a good deal here and you get personal attention we can walk you around and show you everything that is selling really well," says Border's manager Heather Planert.
Either way retailers will be happy to take your business whether it's on line or in the store.
Find Online Shopping Tips at the Following Websites:


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Food and Beverage
Stop being fickle and grab this offer today! The Fickle Pickle is located in historical Roswell and their tasty grub will quickly make it a family favorite
With today's offer you'll more than double your money toward lunch or dinner at the Fickle Pickle. Bite into one of their delicious sandwiches like their Brie BLT or Fried Green Tomato speciality sandwich or fill up on their Asian Salmon Salad. And, of course, you don't want to miss out on their pickles! Your meal won't be complete without trying their famous Cajun Fried Pickles with Creole Remoulade sauce.
10% of proceeds go to RNE - Roswell North Elementary.
What came first, pickles or people being fickle? Well, for chef/proprietor Andy Badgett it was kind of a tie. In 2003, Andy was in a fickle state of mind and closed his ultra fine dining restaurant "Asher" and turned it into The Fickle Pickle, a southern café and deli. The Fickle Pickle is located in a cozy 1890′s Victorian house in the heart of Historic Roswell, Georgia. The Fickle Pickle is open for lunch and dinner serving "dill-licious" gourmet sandwiches, salads and burgers. Of course, The Fickle Pickle loves pickles so much that all of their pickles – dill, bread & butter and Cajun – are made from scratch.


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The lure of a new challenge catapulted Shontayne Hape into rugby union in the 2008-09 season on a three-year contract with Bath that pointed towards his first two England caps against Australia in June 2010 at the end of his second full season.
He had already scored a try for the England XV against the Barbarians at Twickenham the previous month and signed for London Irish last February on a two-year contract starting in 2011-12. Before playing for his new club, Shontayne marked his RWC debut with two tries in the second pool match against Georgia in Dunedin. They were his maiden scores at that level.
His switch to the union game had followed a rugby league career that embraced New Zealand Warriors, Bradford Bulls, from 2003-07, and 14 caps for the Kiwis.
In his debut season for the Bulls, he scored 15 tries and missed only one of 35 matches. He qualified for England on residence in December 2009, having created a formidable partnership at Bradford with Lesley Vainikolo, now of Gloucester Rugby, a pairing that became one of the most lethal in Super League history.
They scored 227 tries between them in five seasons. Auckland-born Shontayne appeared in three Grand Finals, winning two of them and achieving the double with a Challenge Cup success in 2003, alongside two World Cup Championship victories.
He plundered 85 tries in 136 matches overall for the Bulls. Educated in the West Auckland suburb of Massey, Shontayne played rugby league with Te Atatu Roosters where his father coached. When winning his first England caps, he had made 46 appearances for Bath, including 29 in 2009-10, and scored five tries.
A quick reader of match situations, he has an intuitive knowledge of whether to go inside or out wide and whether to take the ball in, draw his man and set up his support runners.
Add his physical presence and pace and a powerful aura emerges as he illustrated when being the Investec Man of the Match in the Samoa game at Twickenham in November 2010. Shontayne has undergone three knee reconstructions, two involving his right one along the way to the accolade of England selection.
10 points - 2T
2010 A(1,2), NZ, A, Sam, SA 2011 W, It, F, S, I, W World Cup - G
Last updated: September 19, 2011
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Mary Ann Raimond of Boynton Beach tried white vinegar. Barbara Robbins of Delray Beach tried calamine lotion and a prescription of Seldane. Nanette Brew of Boca Raton said a Boston doctor recommended Sarna lotion and Benadryl pills.
They all wanted to stop the itch.
More than 30 home remedies and physicians` prescriptions were tried by victims of sea lice who responded to a survey by the Palm Beach County Public Health Unit or a telephone poll of Sun-Sentinel readers.


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Now showing items 238-257 of 275
K. E. Petersen, I. D. Walker and J. R. Cavallaro, "Safety of Robotic Systems - Guest Editorial," Reliability Engineering and System Safety, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 223-224, 1996.
Y. Sun, J. R. Cavallaro and T. Ly,"Scalable and Low Power LDPC Decoder Design Using High Level Algorithmic Synthesis," in IEEE International System-on-Chip (SOC) Conference, 2009, pp. 267-270.
Y. Guo and J. R. Cavallaro,"Scalable Architecture of MIMO Multi-carrier CDMA System on Programmable Logic," in 41st Asilomar Conference on Signals, Systems and Computers, 2007, pp. 1976-1980.
M. Karkooti, "Semi-Parallel Architectures For Real-time LDPC Coding," Masters Thesis, 2004.
S. Bhashyam, "Signal and Information Processing for Wireless Communication Systems," Ph.D. Thesis, 2001.
N. D. Hemkumar and J. R. Cavallaro,"Simulation of Systolic Arrays On The Connection Machine,", pp. 151-160.
Z. Zhang, V. J. Ribeiro, S. Moon and C. Diot,"Small-time scaling behaviors of Internet backbone traffic: An empirical study," in IEEE INFOCOM,
P. Radosavljevic and J. R. Cavallaro,"Soft Sphere Detection with Bounded Search for High-Throughput MIMO Receivers," in 40th Asilomar Conference on Signals, Systems and Computers, 2006, pp. 1175-1179.
V. Sundaramurthy, "A Software Simulation Testbed for CDMA Wireless Communication Systems," Masters Thesis, 1999.
R. Gaikwad and R. G. Baraniuk,"Spectral Optimization for Communication in the Presence of Crosstalk," in Conference on Information Sciences and Systems,
Structured Iterative and Circulant MIMO Chip Equalizer Architectures with FFT-acceleration for CDMA SystemsY. Guo, D. McCain and J. R. Cavallaro, "Structured Iterative and Circulant MIMO Chip Equalizer Architectures with FFT-acceleration for CDMA Systems," IEEE Transaction on Vehicular Technology, 2005.
Y. Guo, J. Zhang, D. McCain and J. R. Cavallaro, "Structured Parallel Architecture for Displacement MIMO Kalman Equalizer in CDMA Systems," IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems - II: Express Briefs, vol. 54, no. 2, pp. 122-126, 2007.
M. Erdelyi, Z. Bor, G. Szabo, J. R. Cavallaro, M. C. Smayling, F. K. Tittel and W. L. Wilson,"Sub-quarter micron contact hole fabrication using annular illumination," in SPIE Conference on Optical Microlithography IX, 1996, pp. 88-93.
M. Kido, G. Szabo, J. R. Cavallaro, W. L. Wilson, M. C. Smayling and F. K. Tittel, "Submicron Optical Lithography Based on a New Interferometric Phase Shifting Technique," Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 34, no. 8A, pp. 4269-4273, 1995.
J. R. Cavallaro, F. K. Tittel and W. L. J. Wilson,"Submicron Optical Lithography Based on Interferometric Phase Shifting," in NSF Design, Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Grantees Conference, 1995, pp. 395-396.
J. R. Cavallaro and I. D. Walker,"A Survey of NASA and Military Standards on Fault Tolerance and Reliability Applied to Robotics," in Conference on Intelligent Robotics in Field, Factory, Service, and Space, 1994, pp. 282-286.
S. Rajagopal, B. A. Jones and J. R. Cavallaro,"Task Partitioning Wireless Base-station Receiver Algorithms on Multiple DSPs and FPGAs," in International Conference on Signal Processing Applications and Technology (ICSPAT),
M. L. Leuschen, J. R. Cavallaro and I. D. Walker,"Testing on the Curve: Nonlinear Analytical Redundancy for Fault Detection," in Ninth ANS Topical Meeting on Robotics and Remote Systems, 2001, pp. Session 22, Paper F131.
S. Bhashyam, A. M. Sayeed and B. Aazhang, "Time-Selective Signaling and Reception for Communication over Multipath Fading Channels," IEEE Transactions on Communications, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 83-94, 2000.
R. H. Riedi and W. Willinger, "Toward an Improved Understanding of Network Traffic Dynamics," Self-similar Network Traffic and Performance Evaluation, eds Park and Willinger, Wiley, pp. 507-530, 2000.


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As part of its tour in support of Outlaw Gentleman & Shady Ladies, Volbeat will be at the 1STBANK Center on Friday, April 24 with Anthrax opening. Pre-sale tickets go live on Wednesday, October 29 while tickets for the general public go on sale on Friday, October 31 at 10 a.m. Suicidal Tendencies ... More >>
Neil Diamond, who's set to release his new album, Melody Road, on October 21, stops at the Pepsi Center on Sunday, May 31 as part of his 2015 North American tour. Tickets for the general public go on sale on Monday, October 13 at www.livenation.com and through the Live Nation mobile app. With his ... More >>
London-based producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist SBTRKT, who's slated to release a new album in September, will headline the Ogden Theatre on Monday, October 20. General admission tickets ($35) go on sale on Thursday, July 31 at 10 a.m., and early bird tickets are $30 this weekend. Afte ... More >>
String Cheese Incident returns to the 1STBANK Center for a three-night New Year's run on Saturday, December 29, Sunday, December 30 and Tuesday, December 31. Tickets ($56-$80/three-day passes $180) go on sale this Saturday, September 7 at 10 a.m. Keep reading to see what other shows are on sale, wha ... More >>
Foxygen is returning to Denver for a headlining date at the Bluebird Theater on Tuesday, September 24. Tickets for the show go on sale this Saturday, July 6, at 10 a.m. Keep reading to see what other shows are on sale this week, plus a rundown of local radio playlists and the top album sales locally ... More >>
I know it's hard to imagine now, especially with the temperature outside and the blanket of snow currently covering the Front Range, but summertime is just around the corner, which means the festival season is just getting ready to kick off. We know this because we're in the middle of putting togeth ... More >>
PASSION PIT @ 1STBANK CENTER | FRI, 3/1/13 Passion Pit began in as a solo project of lead singer and keyboard player Michael Angelakos in 2007. The project quickly fleshed out into a full band that combined a keen sense for upbeat pop melodies with lyrics that didn't exactly try to sugarcoat the com ... More >>
A bunch of new dates going on sale later this week: This November, the Coup is coming to the Summit Music Hall, Killswitch Engage is due at the Fox and Interpol frontman Paul Banks is slated at the Bluebird. In December, Broncho's at the Gothic and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are at the Ogden. Finally, ... More >>
UMPHREY'S MCGEE with Easy Star All-Stars and New MastersoundsUMPHREY'S MCGEE at RED ROCKS | 7/3/11Fans began lining up for this show on the lower north staircase at 10 a.m. to prepare for the tarp run, a race to get the best spot and claim your place for the entirety of the concert. It was ma ... More >>
If you happened to miss the Disco Biscuits shows at the Ogden this past week or didn't get up to Red Rocks last night for Bisco Inferno -- or if you just can't get enough of those crazy Biscuits: The Disco Biscuits have been added to the lineup for the first annual Eco Music Festival.
There's a brand new festival coming to Snowmass Village over the Fourth of July weekend, and Leftover Salmon (pictured) is among the acts slated to headline. Sharing the bill at the inaugural Eco Music Festival, taking place June 30 through July3, is Perpetual Groove, Tea Leaf Green, the New ... More >>
Janet Jackson visits the Wells Fargo Theatre on Wednesday, April 6 as part of her Number Ones, Up Close and Personal Tour, on which she'll be performing music exclusively from her album, Number Ones. Jackson's new book on self-esteem, dieting and exercise,True You, hits stores February 8. Res ... More >>
Band of Horses recently finished recording a new album, Night Rainbow, which the act has been playing songs from at shows since. While there's still no word on when the disc will be issued, chances are better than good that the band will be playing new material when it hits the Fox Theatre on Monday ... More >>
Modest Mouse visits CU's Balch Fieldhouse February 28. As we reported earlier today, Bruce Springsteen's April 10 Pepsi Center show was announced today, but it's also been a busy week for other concert announcements, including Modest Mouse's February 28 gig at CU's Balch Fieldhouse, Conor Oberst's A ... More >>
Photo: Dave Herrera Rose Hill Drive bringing the rock. It's shaping up to be another banner day at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Today's lineup at the Mile High Music Fest is considerably stronger than yesterday's, with anticipated performances from Flobots, the Roots, the Black Crowes, Pinback and ... More >>
Update: Click here and here for live blog coverage of the entire event. Well, it's finally here, the inaugural edition of the much ballyhooed Mile High Music Festival. On Saturday and Sunday, we'll be holed up at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in the lovely environs of South Commerce City covering bo ... More >>
Update: Click here and here for live blog coverage of the entire event. Tom Petty and Dave Matthews will be bookending AEG's inaugural Mile High Music and Arts Festival, on Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20, respectively. The rest of the bill will be filled out by top shelf acts like John Mayer ... More >>


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Mobile data services play a vital role for utilities to better engage customers and provide vital information during outage situations.
Cyber Attack!
Protecting critical assets in a hazardous world.
holistic view of vulnerabilities affecting the most business-critical assets.
An advanced information security risk management program begins by implementing internal and external intrusion detection systems and establishing 24-hour-a-day incident monitoring. Furthermore, technical audits of SCADA devices and networks, and any other connected networks, are performed to identify security concerns. This includes physical security surveys and assessments of all remote sites connected to the SCADA network to evaluate their security.
On a systems level, it's essential to create and track tickets to put in place controls and remediation to address threats and vulnerabilities in a timely fashion. Continuously reporting on risks, vulnerabilities, and effectiveness of remediation efforts enables an energy infrastructure provider to manage emergency response processes and procedures. Following this approach enables an organization to minimize the damage from a cyber attack.
From a policy and governance perspective, energy infrastructure providers should clearly define cyber security roles, responsibilities, and authorities for managers, system administrators, and users. At the same time, they should document their organization's network architecture and identify systems that serve critical functions or contain sensitive information that require additional levels of protection.
Borrowing from McAfee's current slogan, "safe never sleeps," organizations should conduct frequent self-assessments to test their information security risk management program. At the same time, it's essential to run training programs for employees and contractors to prevent unintended disclosure of sensitive information.
Implementing an ISRM program that integrates and interconnects components for managing security events, assets, threats, vulnerabilities and incident response, as well as software configuration and patches, will allow organizations to increase resiliency, improve response time, and enhance overall system robustness. At the same time they can reduce risk through the ability to make threats and vulnerabilities visible and actionable—enabling utilities to prioritize and address high risk security vulnerabilities prior to them being exploited.
Streamlining processes by leveraging automation and reducing redundant, manual efforts helps to reduce cost too—offsetting the initial expenses of implementing an advanced information security risk management program.
Collaborative Security
ISRM can help prevent and minimize the consequences of cyber attacks on our nation's critical infrastructure. But will it guarantee an organization's safety? As all security professionals are painfully aware, cyber criminals are outpacing many target organizations and security vendors when it comes to finding new ways to attack their victims. Thus, it seems that future attacks will be more severe, more complex, and more difficult to anticipate, plan for, and detect.
Beyond facing direct cyber attacks, which are targeting critical infrastructure systems, more attacks might include information warfare, using social media outlets as a new methodology. A good example of this new threat occurred in Russia, where hackers targeted a nuclear power plant near St. Petersburg in May 2008. 9 The cyber attack led to the shutdown of the plant's website, which would have gone unnoticed by the public if not for the fact that the attackers circulated rumors of radioactive leaks via the Internet. The incident didn't affect the plant operation, but caused panic among citizens living close to the facility.
Another threat scenario lies in the manipulation of energy markets by


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Disclaimer: Content on the YP4 blog does not necessarily reflect the views of Young People For or People For the American Way Foundation. The views, ideas, statements or claims posted on this site by members of the public cannot in any way be attributed to either Young People For or People For the American Way Foundation.
Think you can help people register to vote? Tell that to Florida and South Carolina.
Last year Florida passed HB 1355, or what's commonly referred to by voting rights advocates as the "Voter Suppression Act" for its disenfranchising impacts, including its reduction of early voting hours and its harsh new restrictions on community groups seeking to help register voters – restrictions that caused the Florida League of Women Voters to drop its registration efforts. DOJ concerns have been filed as part of ongoing litigation. (Click here for more from the Brennan Center.)
Stephen Colbert shed light on the part of the Florida law that mandates community groups turn in voter registration forms within 48 hours of completion, instead of the previous 10 days, and attaches a fine for non-compliance. The Colbert piece features Representative Rich Glorioso, who attended last year's ALEC meeting. Representative Dennis Baxley, the bill's lead sponsor, also has ties to ALEC.


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Browse through several infographics that offer help with college issues and insights into the education industry.
Is a college degree worth it? Read through this infographic to find out the answer!
Check out this infographic to see how education can promote social mobility for individuals across the United States.
With the financial aid process, timing is everything. How early you start thinking about scholarships and when you apply for aid can dramatically affect how much college will actually cost. Here's how to stay on top of all those deadlines.
Looking to expand your education with a master's degree? Then learn what to expect from the exam that can help you get there in this infographic about the 411 on the GRE.
Need to get student aid for school? Learn what you need to do with FAFSA in order to fund your education in this infographic.
When most people contemplate the gender wage gap, a familiar refrain pops into their heads: "77 cents on the dollar." Are men and women really paid differentially for the same work? The answer is more complex than most people realize.
Interested in going to college? Learn about the many benefits of attending college including the financial and health benefits of it in this inforgraphic.
Beginning in spring 2016, it's out with the old and in with the new SAT. Get details on the what the new test entails and SAT test prep tips.
As more students graduate from higher education institutions, many are experiencing the hard reality of paying back their student loans. Get the facts about student loan debt in this infographic.
Bullying is a major issue in schools that needs to be addressed. This holds especially true for bullying against students in the LGBT community. Learn the facts about the issue in this infographic.
Men have been dominating the field of mathematics, but women are just as capable of growing the area. See how women compare in mathematics to men and the disparities between the two in this infographic.
This infographic examines college students' dependence on high-speed, convenient Internet access and the efforts of universities to respond to this demand.
Digital social resumes are a modern take on traditional resumes. Recruiters are looking in all sorts of interesting places for the next great employees for their companies. Learn more about social resumes in our infographic.
Have you ever taken an online class, or would you take on? And just who are the nearly one-third of higher education students who are taking at least one online class? Check this infographic our to see if you fit the online college student profile.
Location-based apps can be useful for college -- they help students explore their campus and meet and make friends. LBS apps also build a marketplace where they can sell, buy or barter everything from bikes to tickets to tutoring. Take a look at the infographic to learn more.
Should college-age students be given more attention by Presidential candidates or are their votes already locked away? Check this infographic out to learn more about the political and social views of college students.
Smartphones are becoming an integral part of our lives, and not just for their capacity to make phone calls. Some might even say our smartphones define us, telling the world more about us than we even realize. Check this infographic to see if you fall into the smartphone personality spectrum!
Smartphone usage is on the rise and no group of people is happier than college students -- who rarely leave their phone far from their grasp. Discover how and how often college students are using their smartphones in this infographic.
The rise of social media means less Americans are interacting in real life and more are using computers to socialize with friends and family instead. Find out what social networking sites they use to socialize and why they are using social media to interact with friends in the first place in this infographic.
Employers are starting to use social profiles as additional indicators of an intern's skill-set. Find out more in this infographic how more and more potential employers are using social media to hunt for their next crop of interns.
Founded in March of 2010, it hasn't taken long for Instagram, Apple's 2011 App of the Year, to take the social media world by storm. Find out more about how Instagram has grown into one of the most popular social media apps in this infographic.
Whether you are liberal or conservative, one thing is certain: your social media profile doubles as a political profile. Find out more about how social media reflects your political leanings in this infographic.


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Gentile: Take this COIN and shove it
COINhata Col. Gian Gentile, director of military history at West Point, has a provocative article in the new issue of Parameters, the journal of the Army War College. "Currently," he asserts,
U.S. military strategy is really nothing more than a bunch of COIN principles, massaged into catchy commander's talking points for the media, emphasizing winning the hearts and minds and shielding civilians.
I think he's wrong, in a lot of ways, but I also think his article is worth reading. Col. Gentile is asking the right questions. (Just fyi, I get popped in a footnote as a "hagiographer." No worries -- that's more polite than a lot of words I get called. I have no problem with robust discourse.)


text: A great set from Bobby Womack's late 70s years at Columbia Records – one of our favorite records of this chapter in his career! Bobby's move to Columbia in the late 70s did a heck of a lot of good things to his music! At the label, he forged a strong mellow soul sound that still incorporated a lot of his roots and his strengths, but which was also a lot more forward-looking, and which helped Womack escape from some of the cliches of his later UA albums. In a way, his shift was similar to that of Johnnie Taylor at the label, and it's no surprise that the great Don Davis was at the helm – producing the record with a great blend of modern and deep soul modes. There's plenty of great guests, too, like Candi Staton, David Ruffin, and The Horny Horns – all of whom really help enrich the sound. Titles include "Trust Your Heart", "It's Party Time", "When Love Begins, Friendship Ends", "Caught Up In The Middle", "Never Let Nothing Get The Best Of You", and "Wind It Up". CD features 4 bonus tracks – "Wind It Up (single)", "Trust Your Heart (single)", "When Love Begins Friendship Ends (single)", and "Trust Your Heart (12" ext mix)". © 1996-2014, Dusty Groove, Inc.


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Netflix continues to try to ramp up its options for the popular Watch Instantly streaming service.
The company teamed with Hollywood studios Paramount, Lions Gate and MGM this week to announce streaming rights to movie features that will be available from Netflix three months after they're out on pay television, according to the Los Angeles Times (via the New York Times).
At last count, the Watch Instantly feature from the online and mail-in rental giant was around 17,000 movie and TV selections to be touted—just a fraction of the 100,000-plus physical discs Netflix offers. But the company recently padded its streaming service through agreements with Relativity Media and Warner Bros (expanding that relationship) before this week's news.
The deal with Paramount, Lions Gate and MGM is actually a teaming with cable movie channel Epix, which has rights to films from those three studios. However, if you haven't heard of Epix you're probably not alone. It's certainly no HBO or Starz.
Still trying to gain some of that cable and satellite market share, though, Epix and Netflix agreed to the three-month window before such movies will stream onto Netflix, so the cable and sats are catered to first.
Then you'll be able to start queuing up what you can find and streaming away, and maybe not have to complain as much about the lack of options from Watch Instantly.Follow Electronic House on Facebook and Twitter.
The Aries serves as a bridge between the lossless online streaming service and a DAC.
Lutron lighting control and Crestron home automation bring light, entertainment and security to luxury home.
A look at the current and upcoming Blu-ray discs t that will support the new Dolby Atmos audio format.