EMC to Acquire Silver Tail Systems - Arik Hesseldahl - News ...

Data storage giant EMC just announced that it has reached a deal to acquire Silver Tail Systems.

This is the privately held company that specializes in detecting fraud on the Web, and the reason that venture capitalist Marc Andreesseen was speaking so highly of security companies when he spoke at D: All Things Digital in 2011. His firm, Andreessen Horowitz, led Silver Tail?s $20 million B round.

Financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed, and EMC says it won?t be material to the 2012 fiscal year.

I just got off the phone with Scott Weiss, the partner at Andreessen Horowitz who led the firm?s investment. Weiss, you may remember, is the founder of IronPort Systems, now part of Cisco Systems, and became a partner at AH in March of 2011. He?s also a director at Silver Tail.

Silver Tail, he says, will essentially become part of RSA, the security branch of EMC that operates more or less independently within EMC.

Weiss told me that when AH made its investment, Silver Tail had about a dozen employees, two paying customers, and a lot of promise. ?I made 10 reference calls before doing the deal, and the customers made sure I knew they were not on the fence,? he said. ?Some even told me they thought Silver Tail was charging too little.?

That?s not a bad sign. So, what does Silver Tail do, anyway? Banks and insurance companies and Web commerce companies use it to keep track of incoming traffic to their sites in real time, and to distinguish good traffic generated by normal customers from bad traffic generated by criminals probably trying to do bad and shady things that more often than not tend to break the law.

It does this using a form of predictive analytics on live Web traffic, at a massive scale. Among the ways to tell good guys from bad are the speed with which they move from one page within a site to another, and the kinds of data they look for. Traffic that?s outside the norm gets flagged for additional scrutiny. Given that the normal patterns are known, there are almost never any false positives. Weiss told me that Silver Tail?s customers include Merrill LynchE-trade and Citibank.

Update: So I?m hearing from sources familiar with the deal that the purchase price was the neighborhood of $300 million to $400 million. I?m going to try and narrow that down a little bit.

Also I just got off the phone with Silver Tail CEO Tim Eades and RSA CEO Art Coviello. Here?s a few more details on the deal. Eades is calling it a ?match made in Heaven,? in part because of RSA?s knowledge in understanding the specific needs and buying patterns that large enterprises have when it comes to security.

Coviello, who essentially runs RSA as an all-but-independent company within EMC says thats how Silver Tail will run initially. ?At RSA we take the same Hippocratic Oath-like approach that EMC does with acquisitions, that of ?first do no harm.? Silver Tail has tremendous momentum and we?re certainly not going to upset that,? he told me. ?That said, we have a specialized sales organization that understands the unique uses cases of the Silver Tail technology.?

Here?a hint at what kind of momentum. Eades told me that SilverTail had recently deployed its product with a ?large bank,? with 21 million customers. It had deployed its product fully within two days. Not bad.

EMC?s announcement is below:

HOPKINTON, Mass. and MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ ?

News Summary:

EMC Corporation announced it has signed an agreement to acquire privately-held Silver Tail Systems, a leader in real-time web session intelligence and behavioral analysis.

Silver Tail?s innovative technology enhances RSA?s position in the rapidly growing Web Fraud Detection market and complements RSA?s anti-fraud solutions that help leading banks and retailers thwart sophisticated cybercrime attacks.

Silver Tail?s pioneering product portfolio has witnessed rapid adoption by some of the largest brands in financial services, ecommerce and federal government.
Silver Tail?s Big Data approach to fighting cybercrime will help accelerate RSA?s strategy to leverage data analytics and adaptive risk-based controls for broader consumer and enterprise security use cases.

Full Story:

EMC? Corporation (EMC) today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Silver Tail Systems, a leader in real-time web session intelligence and behavioral analysis. Upon closing, Silver Tail will operate within the RSA security division and is expected to extend the capabilities of RSA?s Identity Protection and Verification (IPV) solutions, as well as other areas across RSA?s enterprise security portfolio. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2012, subject to certain closing conditions. The acquisition is not expected to have a material impact to EMC GAAP or non-GAAP EPS for the full 2012 fiscal year.

The rapid evolution of malware and advanced online threats has left growing numbers of online banking, ecommerce and government web sites and their customers vulnerable to attack, account takeover and fraud. In response to this evolution organizations historically have focused on building fraud detection and security strategies that try to identify what a bad transaction looks like, creating solutions that must always play catch-up to the latest threats.

Silver Tail Systems? web session intelligence is the response to this evolution in threats and fraud, using a Big Data-driven approach to gather and analyze mass quantities of information in real time and at scale to deepen visibility into web sessions and mobile traffic. The information is fed into Silver Tail Systems? behavior analysis engine to review at both user and population levels to detect anomalies, IT security threats, fraud, insider threats, business logic abuse and other malicious activity.

Silver Tail Systems has been recognized as a leader by prominent industry analysts for its innovative approach and disruptive technology. Silver Tail?s solutions are deployed globally in large customer environments, helping to secure online banking traffic and ecommerce and government web sites and portals. Their team has extensive experience in building high-performance solutions that provide monitoring for upwards of 330,000 clicks per second for some of the largest ecommerce and banking providers on the market today.

Within RSA, Silver Tail is expected to contribute to multiple areas across RSA?s enterprise security portfolio. Silver Tail?s products will add a disruptive fraud-fighting technology designed to install and begin providing value in a matter of days, lowering complexity and cost of ownership. In addition, it is expected Silver Tail?s core transaction and behavioral analysis technology will help further extend the security analytics capabilities across RSA?s enterprise security solutions portfolio.

Executive Quotes:

Art Coviello, RSA Executive Chairman and Executive Vice President, EMC Corporation

?The industry is well beyond the point of providing effective security using static, perimeter point tools that fail to keep up with dynamic cyber attackers. Customers need better intelligence, analytics, and the ability to respond in real time which is a capability that Silver Tail?s products do extraordinarily well to help foil web-based attacks. Silver Tail offers proven anti-fraud solutions that complement RSA?s portfolio of risk-based and adaptive products and services.

?We see tremendous opportunity with Silver Tail at the intersection of Big Data and Security to leverage our collective expertise and technologies to move beyond the hype to execute on the vision of intelligence-driven security that is risk-based, agile and contextual. Together RSA and Silver Tail can deliver compelling solutions that leverage session intelligence and Big Data analytics to help our customers gain better visibility and control risk.?

Tim Eades, Chief Executive Officer, Silver Tail Systems

?Stopping cybercrime has never been harder than it is today. The recent attacks on the North American banking infrastructure are stark reminders of the pace of innovation in the cybercriminal ecosystem, the convergence of the fraud and info-security attack techniques and the profound responsibility of the CISO to help defend against these attacks.

?Silver Tail pioneered an approach that uses web session intelligence to provide unmatched visibility and the behavioral analysis that detects these threats and protects web-based platforms around the world. Together with RSA, we have an incredible opportunity to extend these capabilities beyond what we do today to protect web-based platforms. Silver Tail?s session intelligence technology demonstrates the capacity to expand the awareness and intelligence of what is occurring on the network with context, helping to rapidly sift through data to identify unexpected behavior and apply controls against advanced threats and malicious attacks.?

Source: http://allthingsd.com/20121030/emc-to-acquire-silver-tail-systems/

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OU research team developing robotic devices to aid infants with cerebral palsy

Public release date: 31-Oct-2012
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Contact: Jana Smith
jana.smith@ou.edu
405-325-1322
University of Oklahoma

Learning to crawl comes naturally for most infants, but those with cerebral palsy lack the muscle strength and coordination to perform the 25 individual movements required for crawling. With a $1.135 million, three-year grant from the National Science Foundation's National Robotics Initiative, University of Oklahoma researchers from the Norman and Health Sciences Center campuses are combining robotics, machine learning and brain imaging to assist infants with CP with the challenging, life-altering skill.

"Because infants with CP are unable to reliably perform the individual movements that make up crawling behavior, they learn to stop trying instead of continuing to practice these movements," said Project Leader Andrew Fagg, associate professor in the OU departments of Computer Science and Bioengineering and project leader. "This substantially delays their development of skilled crawling. In turn, cognitive development and other areas of development are delayed because they both rely on the infants being able to explore their surrounding world."

"In our previous study, we were able to capture many of the infant's actions and had a robot that could assist some of the infant's attempts at crawling. These assists serve as rewards that encourage continued practice of specific limb movements. This grant will allow us, among other things, to develop new robot platforms that can allow a greater range of infant mobility" said David Miller, professor in the OU departments of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering. "In the latter part of this grant, we will also start working with the transition from crawling to walking."

"This grant is also important because it builds on and expands our previous work that maximizes the interaction of robotics with what an infant can do," said Thubi Kolobe, professor of rehabilitative sciences at the OU Health Sciences Center College of Allied Health. "Infant learning is integral, and when infants stop trying, parts of the brain responsible for the skill are negatively affected. The next step of this research is to increase the level of help that infants with or at risk for CP are getting. We are looking for combinations of assists that result in the best incentives for these infants. We also want to see if there is a connection between what the infants are learning and what is happening in the brain."

Lei Ding, assistant professor in the OU departments of Electrical Engineering and Bioengineering, will then perform brain scans using electroencephalograph to determine how the infants' brains respond when they are assisted by the robotic device. The EEG technology will assess brain activity of infants during crawling and provide information about changes that occur because of robotics assists and infant efforts.

"Beginning in spring 2013, we will conduct clinical trials to test six infants without CP on the new crawling robot," says Kolobe. "Then, one year later, we will conduct clinical trials to test 24 CP infants on the crawling robot. Initial tests on standing and walking with infants without CP will be conducted by the end of the project. No CP infants will be tested on standing and walking in this grant, only healthy infants."

"This is groundbreaking research, and no one else in the world is doing it," says Kolobe. "We want to invite anyone with an infant who is at risk for CP or severe developmental delays, between four and eight months old, who is interested in participating in these clinical trials to contact Dr. Thubi H.A. Kolobe, at 405-271-2131 ext. 47121 or hkolobe@ouhsc.edu."

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 31-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jana Smith
jana.smith@ou.edu
405-325-1322
University of Oklahoma

Learning to crawl comes naturally for most infants, but those with cerebral palsy lack the muscle strength and coordination to perform the 25 individual movements required for crawling. With a $1.135 million, three-year grant from the National Science Foundation's National Robotics Initiative, University of Oklahoma researchers from the Norman and Health Sciences Center campuses are combining robotics, machine learning and brain imaging to assist infants with CP with the challenging, life-altering skill.

"Because infants with CP are unable to reliably perform the individual movements that make up crawling behavior, they learn to stop trying instead of continuing to practice these movements," said Project Leader Andrew Fagg, associate professor in the OU departments of Computer Science and Bioengineering and project leader. "This substantially delays their development of skilled crawling. In turn, cognitive development and other areas of development are delayed because they both rely on the infants being able to explore their surrounding world."

"In our previous study, we were able to capture many of the infant's actions and had a robot that could assist some of the infant's attempts at crawling. These assists serve as rewards that encourage continued practice of specific limb movements. This grant will allow us, among other things, to develop new robot platforms that can allow a greater range of infant mobility" said David Miller, professor in the OU departments of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering. "In the latter part of this grant, we will also start working with the transition from crawling to walking."

"This grant is also important because it builds on and expands our previous work that maximizes the interaction of robotics with what an infant can do," said Thubi Kolobe, professor of rehabilitative sciences at the OU Health Sciences Center College of Allied Health. "Infant learning is integral, and when infants stop trying, parts of the brain responsible for the skill are negatively affected. The next step of this research is to increase the level of help that infants with or at risk for CP are getting. We are looking for combinations of assists that result in the best incentives for these infants. We also want to see if there is a connection between what the infants are learning and what is happening in the brain."

Lei Ding, assistant professor in the OU departments of Electrical Engineering and Bioengineering, will then perform brain scans using electroencephalograph to determine how the infants' brains respond when they are assisted by the robotic device. The EEG technology will assess brain activity of infants during crawling and provide information about changes that occur because of robotics assists and infant efforts.

"Beginning in spring 2013, we will conduct clinical trials to test six infants without CP on the new crawling robot," says Kolobe. "Then, one year later, we will conduct clinical trials to test 24 CP infants on the crawling robot. Initial tests on standing and walking with infants without CP will be conducted by the end of the project. No CP infants will be tested on standing and walking in this grant, only healthy infants."

"This is groundbreaking research, and no one else in the world is doing it," says Kolobe. "We want to invite anyone with an infant who is at risk for CP or severe developmental delays, between four and eight months old, who is interested in participating in these clinical trials to contact Dr. Thubi H.A. Kolobe, at 405-271-2131 ext. 47121 or hkolobe@ouhsc.edu."

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/uoo-ort103112.php

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A broad horizon | Minnesota Medical Foundation | University of ...

Looking ahead, Meade says he can envision the total elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission. Of the 80,000 HIV-positive women who gave birth in Zambia last year, about 14,000 transmitted the virus to their child. It?s a huge improvement, he says. ?But we?ve still got a long way to go.?

?Internal medicine opened the most doors and allowed me to see the broadest horizon,? he says. ?And now that I?m in my early 50s, I realize this is exactly where I wanted to be. I?m in the right place at the right time, and along the way, I collected all the tools I need to be there.?

There is Tiny Tim & Friends, the charity he established to provide medical, educational, vocational, and nutritional support to HIV-positive orphans, vulnerable children, and pregnant women in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. How did he get there? It?s an interesting story.

The road to Zambia?and fatherhood

When Meade was in medical school, few international opportunities were available; nevertheless, he always knew he wanted to go overseas. Early in his career, while on a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, he got his chance and moved to Russia to work as one of two doctors at the British Embassy there. He stayed 10 years. Toward the end of that time, he took off a year to set up a mother-to-child HIV/AIDS transmission prevention program for Doctors Without Borders in southern Ukraine.

That?s when Meade realized he?d found what he wanted to do.

?My special area of interest is tuberculosis and HIV co-infection in pregnancy, so I needed to find a place where the prevalence rate was 25 percent or higher,? he says. ?That gave me about five countries in sub-Saharan Africa.?

It was 2003, and he found a position as a general practitioner at Corpmed Medical Centre, a private clinic in Lusaka. Besides taking the full-time job, he immediately started volunteering at a local hospice and orphanage, Kasisi Children?s Home, which then had about 40 HIV-positive kids. Not long after, the sisters of Kasisi found a woman with AIDS, seven months pregnant and living in a bus station, and brought her to the hospice. The mother died soon after delivering her baby but not before asking ?Dr. Tim? to care for the boy, whom she named Tim as an expression of gratitude. Meade soon adopted baby Tim as his own son.

A small charity?s wide reach

In March 2004, Meade?s parents traveled to Zambia to visit and volunteer at the orphanage. The experience was both uplifting and heartbreaking for Tom and Betty Meade. When they returned home to Minnesota, they couldn?t stop thinking about the HIV-positive orphans who were dying at a rate of two per month. So they wrote to their family and friends, launched a website, and started raising money to support their son?s work, thus enabling him to establish Tiny Tim & Friends.

Today, the charity provides care for thousands of HIV-positive children. ?We have a rolling census of about 500 kids,? says Meade. ?We look for the ones in the public system who are doing poorly. We take them out of the public system, enroll them in Tiny Tim & Friends for six months, tune them up, and then transfer them back. The public system loves us. And being loved by the public system is really important for a small charity like ours.?

The reality is not all rosy. They lose 10, 15, sometimes 20 percent of the children they treat. The death of a child is always difficult, says Meade, but he and his team have learned they can still achieve a successful outcome in terms of the child?s comfort and the family?s understanding of the dying process.

Early in 2012, Tiny Tim & Friends opened Maluba House, the first pediatric hospice in Zambia. ?Pediatric palliative care is not something I envisioned doing five years ago,? says Meade. ?Now I can?t see how we did without it.?

Much of the financial support for Tiny Tim & Friends today comes from big international donors, including the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatric AIDS Foundation, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, which tend to fund specific projects. ?But at the end of the day,? says Meade, ?it?s the grassroots Minnesota donors that keep us alive.?

Looking ahead, Meade says he can envision the total elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission. Of the 80,000 HIV-positive women who gave birth in Zambia last year, about 14,000 transmitted the virus to their child. It?s a huge improvement, he says. ?But we?ve still got a long way to go.?

By Kristine Mortensen, associate director of donor relations at the Minnesota Medical Foundation.

Source: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/mmf/news/bulletin/2012/a-broad-horizon.html

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Spades Free - highly addictive solitaire spades card game SIM, play ...

Spades Free?is the popular card game of spades trumping other suits. Brought to us by AI Factory, they have meshed their various computer AI player types with human-like qualities in the game as either opponents you play with or against. The interface is slick, animated and highly polished. If you love a game of spades and looking for a good?solitaire?solution, then check?this?review!

Price: Free, $0.99, optional In-app Purchases

Tested on: Samsung Galaxy S3
Content Rating:?Medium Maturity

AndroidTapp.com Android Game Review:

Pros & Cons:

Pros

• Various ?personalities??computer opponents from?novice?to advanced!
• Addictive and casual play-at-your-own-pace solitaire styles of spades!
• Very polished and?animated?user interface!

Cons

• Cannot leave a table or start multiple tables, forced to quit and if you care about your stats, this can negatively affect them.
• Some prompts to install other card/board games.

Features:

One of the best and stand out features of this?solitaire?style spades card game is the wealth of computer AI opponents you can play against. From novice, to?intermediate? on to advanced players, it offers various playing styles; such as those who are conservative to risk-takers. You choose your teammate as well as the?opponents?you would like to play against, this determines the level of play (I personally always choose expert players as ?card playing? runs strong in my family?s blood). Just like playing real people, each opponent type has their strengths and weakness, they may frustrate you on not-so-smart moves, and you can use these to your?advantage?as strategy? or sometimes it can bite you (i.e. my teammate ?Rob?s? profile is known for stealing tricks, and this happened to me often.)

Games are played until the first team to reaches 500 points. If you?re unfamiliar with scoring and rules, this is a great guide and history on the game. In a nutshell, you bid the number of ?tricks? you believe you will win. Bidding goes in a clockwise rotation left of the dealer. The key object of winning is in how well you can bid to not go too far over or under as both have there consequences. If at the end of a hand you and your partner get more tricks than bid, these are called ?bags?, tally 10 bags and you get penalized 100 points. When you get the number of tricks you bid, these are multiplied by 10, if you do not get them, this is known as being ?set? then you loose those points in multiples of 10.

Spades by AI Factory is a bright, fast-paced, vibrant game, with fluid animations as seen in the host of other games they?ve created- we?ve recently reviewed their Chess game. Each game cross promotes the other, so from time to time you will see these pop-ups, yet not?intrusive? You can change game backgrounds for free, however, changing card decks costs a small fee, or get it free by downloading one of their other games. Lastly, you can see your game stats of the various tables you?ve played.

Fun Factor:

If you?re a spades player, this will definitely bring that nostalgic fun. Plus you can play in short casual bursts or get immersed into a full table as gameplay is at your pace, as you tap to play and/or dismiss tricks.

Addictive:

Highly for those that play. If you don?t know how, the game features a rules guide, and even help hints on bidding and suggestive cards to play if you get stumped.

Graphics:

The graphics are one of the other key?differentiators?of this game, as mentioned it features some buttery smooth animation of cards and menus. Backgrounds and card decks can be changed and the overall theme is pleasant and vibrant.

Accelerometer, Vibration & Sound:

Spades Free features a few sound effects in the background. I tend to mute them in the options menu as they?re unnecessary.

Source: http://www.androidtapp.com/spades-free/

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Common food preservative may slow, even stop tumor growth

Public release date: 30-Oct-2012
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Contact: Laura Bailey
baileylm@umich.edu
734-647-1848
University of Michigan

ANN ARBORNisin, a common food preservative, may slow or stop squamous cell head and neck cancers, a University of Michigan study found.

What makes this particularly good news is that the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization approved nisin as safe for human consumption decades ago, says Yvonne Kapila, the study's principal investigator and professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

This means that obtaining FDA approval to test nisin's suggested cancer-fighting properties on patients in a clinical setting won't take as long as a new therapy that hasn't been tried yet on people, she says.

Antibacterial agents like nisin alter cell properties in bacteria to render it harmless. However, it's only recently that scientists began looking to antibacterial agents like nisin to see if they altered properties in other types of cells, such as cancer cells or cells in tumors.

Oral cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and oral squamous cell carcinoma accounts for more than 90 percent of oral cancers. However, survival rates for oral cancer haven't improved in decades, according to the study.

"The poor five-year survival rates for oral cancer underscore the need to find new therapies for oral cancer," Kapila said. "The use of small antibacterial agents, like nisin, to treat cancer is a new approach that holds great promise. Nisin is a perfect example of this potential because it has been used safely in humans for many years, and now the laboratory studies support its anti-tumor potential."

The U-M study, which looked at the use of antimicrobials to fight cancerous tumors, suggests nisin, in part, slows cell proliferation or causes cell death through the activation of a protein called CHAC1 in cancer cells, a protein known to influence cell death.

The study is the first to show CHAC1's new role in promoting cancer cell death under nisin treatment. The findings also suggest that nisin may work by creating pores in the cancer cell membranes that allow an influx of calcium. It's unclear what role calcium plays in nisin-triggered cell death, but it's well known that calcium is a key regulator in cell death and survival.

Additionally, the findings suggest that nisin slows or stops tumor growth by interrupting the cell cycle in "bad" cells but not the good cells; thus nisin stops cancer cell proliferation but doesn't hurt good cells.

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The paper, "Nisin, an apoptogenic bacteriocin and food preservative, attenuates HNSCC tumorigenesis via CHAC," appears this month in the journal Cancer Medicine.

Yvonne Kapila: www.dent.umich.edu/pom/faculty/links/ykbio

U-M School Dentistry: http://dent.umich.edu

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 30-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Laura Bailey
baileylm@umich.edu
734-647-1848
University of Michigan

ANN ARBORNisin, a common food preservative, may slow or stop squamous cell head and neck cancers, a University of Michigan study found.

What makes this particularly good news is that the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization approved nisin as safe for human consumption decades ago, says Yvonne Kapila, the study's principal investigator and professor at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

This means that obtaining FDA approval to test nisin's suggested cancer-fighting properties on patients in a clinical setting won't take as long as a new therapy that hasn't been tried yet on people, she says.

Antibacterial agents like nisin alter cell properties in bacteria to render it harmless. However, it's only recently that scientists began looking to antibacterial agents like nisin to see if they altered properties in other types of cells, such as cancer cells or cells in tumors.

Oral cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, and oral squamous cell carcinoma accounts for more than 90 percent of oral cancers. However, survival rates for oral cancer haven't improved in decades, according to the study.

"The poor five-year survival rates for oral cancer underscore the need to find new therapies for oral cancer," Kapila said. "The use of small antibacterial agents, like nisin, to treat cancer is a new approach that holds great promise. Nisin is a perfect example of this potential because it has been used safely in humans for many years, and now the laboratory studies support its anti-tumor potential."

The U-M study, which looked at the use of antimicrobials to fight cancerous tumors, suggests nisin, in part, slows cell proliferation or causes cell death through the activation of a protein called CHAC1 in cancer cells, a protein known to influence cell death.

The study is the first to show CHAC1's new role in promoting cancer cell death under nisin treatment. The findings also suggest that nisin may work by creating pores in the cancer cell membranes that allow an influx of calcium. It's unclear what role calcium plays in nisin-triggered cell death, but it's well known that calcium is a key regulator in cell death and survival.

Additionally, the findings suggest that nisin slows or stops tumor growth by interrupting the cell cycle in "bad" cells but not the good cells; thus nisin stops cancer cell proliferation but doesn't hurt good cells.

###

The paper, "Nisin, an apoptogenic bacteriocin and food preservative, attenuates HNSCC tumorigenesis via CHAC," appears this month in the journal Cancer Medicine.

Yvonne Kapila: www.dent.umich.edu/pom/faculty/links/ykbio

U-M School Dentistry: http://dent.umich.edu

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/uom-cfp103012.php

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Reminder: K-12 Online Learning And AECT 2012 ? Virtual School ...

Wednesday October, 31

The Current Status of K-12 Online Learning in Turkey
Scheduled Time: Wed, Oct 31 ? 1:00pm ? 2:00pm Building/Room: East- Suite Tower, 3 ? Jones
In Full Session: DDL-13 Learning Online in the International Community

Presenters/Authors: *Nuray Gedik (Akdeniz University)
*Yuksel Goktas (Ataturk University)

Short Description: The purpose of this study is to reveal the current status of K-12 online education in Turkey in terms of programs, initiatives, and related policies. The data were collected from interviews done with administrators of the Ministry of National Education (MoNE), a systematic search for empirical studies of the online learning in Turkish K-12, and reports and documents of MoNE that informed the online learning. The major initiatives and policies are discussed with related strategies.

Abstract: Having a remarkable history in distance education with increasing numbers of open/distance institutions in higher education level, Turkey placed emphasis to online learning in the Ministry of National Education (MoNE)?s strategic plan of 2010-2014 for lower levels including K-12 (EGITEK, 2011). Guiding students and teachers in using e-learning was suggested as a major strategy where MoNE takes the leadership in the initiatives and related regulations. Online learning in K-12 is a concept with many unknowns for the Turkish context, while big investments are planned and initiated for ICT integration. This study aims to investigate the current status of online learning in K-12 in terms of programs, initiatives, and related policies. The data collected in this study are derived from (a) semi-structured interviews done with administrators and managers of the MoNE, (b) a systematic search for empirical studies of the online learning in Turkish K-12, and (c) reports and documents of MoNE that informed the use of online learning. These activities were undertaken to address two main research questions: 1. What is the current status of K-12 online learning in program and course levels? 3. What policies/initiatives are undertaken for K-12 online learning? Open primary school (OPS) and open secondary school (OSS) programs are distance learning programs and offer online learning facilities for their students. There are 389.948 students in OPS, 421.646 students in OSS, and 179.392 students in Open Vocational Technical Secondary School with a total of 990.986 students as of 2009-2010 academic year. In public education, the initiation of open public schools can be considered a great milestone for online learning. The aim of OPS is to offer distance learning opportunities to individuals who were not otherwise able to complete their primary education (OPS, 2011). These schools educate people from all provinces of the country and citizens living abroad (i.e., Western Europe, Mekke, Riyad, Trablus). The basic technologies to be used in the program were identified as television and radio programs, print books, CDs, and Internet facilities. The online learning facilities are rapidly growing with Internet/TV, online, or radio broadcasts that present instructional content. There are also other forms of free online content (i.e., e-books, tests, etc.). The online contents are in video format and named as tv programs and audios named as radio programs (MoNE Internettv, 2011). The books are also given in pdf format. There are not, however, any interaction opportunities among students or tutors. EGITEK as a unit in MoNE offers in-service trainings on online content development to teachers with a blended learning approach. The example online facilities for these trainings include data access portal (e.g., Global Gateway, Skool.tr Portal, think.com), Microsoft Collaboration in Education Program, Intel Teacher Education Program, Project of Innovative Teachers, and Program of CISCO Networking Education Academy (Eurydice, 2010). In 2010 and 2011 trainings, almost 30.000 teachers who will be potential leaders of online and blended learning in their schools were trained. Currently, there are no predefined establishments or requirements for teaching online. Teachers are required to teach in their F2F classes. Therefore, when teachers aim to use the online environment for courses, blended courses seem to be relevant in the context. The use of computers is usually done during class hours and there are teachers who assign online tasks for their students. There are several online portals designed for primary and secondary education by private institutions and given to teachers and students free of charge. With assigned passwords, there are teachers using these online programs (tutorials, drills, games, etc) in their courses. MoNE is currently developing proficiencies and skill sets for online teaching, but no real implementation exists in practice in controlling or regulating the online teaching yet. The proficiencies and skill sets are given importance in terms of basic ICT usage but no special emphasis is given to e-learning in current regulations. The authorities stated that they are currently working on related establishments and regulations. The new FATIH project which stands for ?increasing the opportunities and improving technology act? is big in scope and anticipates an extensive restructuring and construction for ICT and e-learning use in K-12 programs. It is a three-year project that aims to integrate the ministry?s current ICT integration efforts and establish new ones. Parallel to this project is the EBA-Education-ICT Network that is an extensive web project for educational purposes. It aims to systematically disseminate the ICT use via dynamic web tools and emerging technologies. The main tools include a viable search engine, electronic encyclopedia, e-courses, e-books, web-tv, web-radio, a sharing platform educational news and scientific and research projects, school informatics system, question-answer, and a game platform. The authorities respect this project for enabling opportunities with an open, sharing, and flexible e-learning platform. The new ?Safer Internet Service? is supported by MoNE, which has recently become a controversial issue. The service aims to identify harmful and appropriate content on the Internet based on ?child? and ?family? profiles and allows the access to only appropriate content. There are also online resources supplied in the ministry web page for teachers` use. Teachers are free to use the online education resources in their courses. Kursiyer.net offer instructional materials on the use of computer application programs such as MS Word, Excel, Adobe Photoshop, Swish Max, and 3D Max. There are also e-content in the form of learning objects (i.e., simulations, games, documents, etc) and video or audio. The new EBA project aims to offer variety of open education resources to teachers. Content is mainly developed within the ministry, but schools are free to purchase and use content from the market approved by the ministry. Based on the findings, it can be asserted that the extensive previous experience of higher education institutions with distance education via print and broadcasting technologies can allow a smooth transition to online learning with the use of the Internet technologies. In the case of primary and secondary levels, online learning can be regarded to be at its infants. It is aimed to discuss related strategies in presentation and full paper.

Sustainability and Maturity of K-12 Online Learning Organizations in New Zealand
Scheduled Time: Wed, Oct 31 ? 1:00pm ? 2:00pm Building/Room: East- Suite Tower, 3 ? Jones
In Full Session: DDL-13 Learning Online in the International Community

Presenters/Authors: *Michael Barbour (Wayne State University)
*Derek Wenmoth (CORE Education)
*Niki Davis (University of Canterbury)

Short Description: This session describes a study into the development of K-12 online learning in New Zealand, specifically the obstacles e-learning clusters face to achieve sustainability and maturity through the lens of the Learning Communities Online Handbook. Using a variety of data collection methods, the researcher identified three common barriers and four examples of networked schools. Based on these findings, it is recommended e-learning clusters encourage greater collaboration between clusters and greater consistency of activities.

Abstract: The purpose of this research was to study the development of primary and secondary online learning or virtual schooling in New Zealand, specifically how the Learning Communities Online (LCO) Handbook was used in that development. The project activities were guided by a desire to understand the common barriers that e-learning clusters faced in their development towards maturity and sustainability, along with how mature and sustainable clusters overcome those barriers. There was also an interest in identifying examples of how networked schools are emerging in the New Zealand context through the activities of the e-learning clusters.

While the use of distance education at the primary and secondary levels began in New Zealand around 1922 with the introduction of the Correspondence School, the use of virtual learning and the e-learning clusters began with the creation of the Canterbury Area Schools? Association Technology (CASAtech) project in 1993 (Wenmoth, 1996). As the CASAtech project became the Canterbury Technology Schools Project in 1996, and the introduction of the OtagoNet e-learning cluster in 2002 with the vision ?to create a broadband [network] linking the Otago Secondary and Area Schools, to strengthen existing relationships and collaboration of these rural and geographically dispersed schools.? (Pullar & Brennan, 2008), the roots of the Virtual Learning Network (VLN) began. In 2003 the VLN was officially established as a collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the various clusters that had been independently developing throughout the country. The primary focus of the VLN was to provide a brokerage service for the sharing of courses and programs between clusters.

Through successive information communications and technology strategies implemented by various ministries, the physical infrastructure and human expertise was developed to allow the VLN to eventually grow to 18 geographic e-learning clusters providing virtual learning (Dewstow & Wright, 2005; Powell & Barbour, 2011; Roberts, 2010; Wright, 2010). Parkes, Zaka and Davis (2011) even describe the development of a super cluster that has come together to explore the potential of blended learning in the CantaNet and WestNet clusters (i.e., the Southern Central Divide ICTPD cluster).

The proposed data collection methods included site visits with a selection of clusters to perform semi-structured or unstructured interviews with 10 former & current ePrincipals, 8 VLN cluster member school Principals and Deputy Principals, 12 eTeachers, eDeans & Facilitators, and 18 Students. In addition to the interviews, there was observation of 12 video conferencing classes and tutorials, along with students working during 10 of their scheduled asynchronous virtual learning time. Finally, documents, images and other physical artifacts from the individual schools and clusters were also to be collected (e.g., ePrincipal reports and other data collected by individual clusters, VLN-C documentation, asynchronous course content, school newsletters, and digital images from site visits).

The data indicated there were three common barriers, including a lack of a coherent vision, difficulty in securing the necessary funding and resources (particularly concerning the role of the ePrincipal), and a lack of collaboration and cooperation within clusters and between clusters. In addition, there were several examples of ways in which the e-learning clusters have acted as a change agent to reform the way in which classroom instruction is designed and delivered, along with how schools are organised. There were many instances where the act of teaching in the virtual learning environment changed that teachers? classroom pedagogy, and in some instances the classroom teaching of other teachers at their school. There were other examples where the strategies that had evolved to connect different schools together for the purposes of distance education were being applied within the school environment to allow students to enroll in courses regardless of when the course was being ?taught? by the teacher. At a structure level, there were some schools that had transformed the role of the school-based teacher from a subject matter specialist responsible for teaching a course to generalist responsible for facilitating students? learning of courses being taught by virtual teachers. Finally, there was at least one example of a school that was re-considering the physical learning space to accommodate student learning in a twenty-first century networked school.

Based on these findings, it was recommended that individual e-learning clusters develop specific strategies to encourage greater collaboration between clusters and work towards greater consistency between their activities, including professional and organizational development and also of the approaches to virtual learning. Second, the Ministry of Education continue to provide and expand synchronous and asynchronous virtual learning tools the e-learning clusters are able to use free of charge. Third, the VLN lead the creation of a central repository of asynchronous course content that all e-learning clusters and any school in New Zealand could adopt and adapt. Fourth, the Ministry of Education explore providing some support for the administration and coordination of e-learning based on larger geographic regions. Finally, virtual learning stakeholders in New Zealand consider supporting national research to examine the activity, scope, participation, administration, management, and success of all of the different distance education providers for the schools sector.

References:

Dewstow, R., & Wright, N. (2005). Secondary school students, online learning, and external support in New Zealand. Computers in the Schools, 22(1), 111-122.

Parkes, S., Zaka, P., & Davis, N. (2011). The first blended or hybrid online course in a New Zealand secondary school: A case study. Computers in New Zealand Schools: Learning, Teaching, Technology, 23(1). Retrieved from http://education2x.otago.ac.nz/cinzs/mod/resource/view.php?id=149

Powell, A., & Barbour, M. K. (2011). An Examination of Government Policies for E-Learning in New Zealand?s Secondary Schools. Journal of Open, Flexible, Distance Learning, 15(10). Retrieved June 28, 2011 from http://journals.akoaotearoa.ac.nz/index.php/JOFDL/article/view/17

Pullar, K., & Brennan C. (2008). Personalising learning for secondary students working in a blended (distance/face to face/vocational) learning environment. Computers in New Zealand Schools, 20(2), 6 ? 16.

Roberts, R. (2010). Increasing access for learners: The Virtual Learning Network. In V. Ham & D. Wenmoth, (Eds.). e-Learnings: Implementing a national strategy project for ICT in education, 1998-2010 (144?152). Christchurch, New Zealand: CORE Education.

Wenmoth, D. (1996). Learning in the distributed classroom. SET Research Information for Teachers, 2(4). 1?4.

Wright, N. (2010). e-Learning and implications for New Zealand schools: A literature review. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education.

CNIE: Does Experience with Online Learning in High School Impact Distance Education Experiences in Higher Education?
Scheduled Time: Wed, Oct 31 ? 3:30pm ? 4:30pm Building/Room: East- Suite Tower, 2 ? Carroll Ford
Title Displayed in Event Calendar: CNIE: Does Experience with Online Learning in High School Impact Distance Education Experiences in Higher Education?

Presenter: Michael Barbour (Wayne State University)Short Description: Enrollments in K-12 online learning in the US have increased dramatically, an average of 30% annually over the past decade and projections indicate that up to 50% of secondary school courses could be delivered online by 2019. Similar levels of growth have been found in Canada. The expansion of online instruction in secondary school has been rationalized in a variety of ways, one of which is the argument that K-12 students need to engage in online learning to prepare them for future online learning opportunities. This research study was carried out to investigate if there are differences between students who complete secondary school courses exclusively in traditional classrooms and those who complete in an online environment with regard to their perceptions of self-regulatory skills, experience with online learning, expectations of online learning, their perceptions of online courses, and satisfaction with learning online. The results indicated when the high school online learners were compared to the other university students who did not have any prior online learning experience there were no significant differences between them on any of the measures included in this study. It is notable, however, that the construct measuring student perception of distance course communication and collaboration was very close to statistical significance. A significant finding would have indicated that the university students in the high school online learner group had a more positive attitude toward communication and collaboration in the distance education course format. These findings suggest high school students do not gain independent learning skills and attitudes through learning in an online environment.

Thursday November, 1

Panel Discussion: Mobile Computing Devices and Applications for Teaching & Learning
Scheduled Time: Thu, Nov 1 ? 1:00pm ? 2:00pm Building/Room: East- Suite Tower, 3 ? Stanley
In Full Session: TED09 ? Mobile Computing Devices and Applications for Teaching & Learning

Presenters/Authors: *Michael Grant (University of Memphis)
*Michael Barbour (Wayne State University)
*Hui-Yin Hsu
*Yu-Chang Hsu (Boise State University)
*Florence Martin (University of North Carolina ? Wilmington)
*Shiangkwei Wang
*Cindy York (Northern Illinois University)

Short Description: Mobile learning offers promise as an instructional strategy that leverages both formal and informal learning opportunities. Due to its nascency, little confirmed research and few stable guidelines exist. The purpose of this panel is to present a wide variety of courses, projects, and research experiences with mobile teaching and learning across varying contexts and theoretical perspectives.

Abstract: There has been a push to introduce technology into the K-12 and higher education classrooms since the 1980s. Over the past decade that technology push has taken the form of online learning, and most recently, the potential of teaching and learning with mobile computing devices. Mobile devices are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in society, particularly with youth. Recent research indicates that 22% of young children, 60% of tweens, and 84% of teens own a cell phone (Center on Media and Child Health, 2007). In addition to this market penetration, ?cell phones are not just about calling or texting ? with expanding functionality, phones have become multimedia recording devices and pocket-sized internet connected computers? (Lenhart, 2010, p. 5). Yet that same research indicated, ?most schools treat the phone as a disruptive force that must be managed and often excluded from the school and the classroom? (p. 4). Even in its infancy, mlearning projects have begun to proliferate in educational environments. For example, publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has created interactive curriculum apps for algebra and geometry, while K-12 online learning programs such as the Florida Virtual School and K12, Inc. have created mobile apps to accompany their virtual school offerings. Similar mobile campaigns have also occurred on college campuses. The Educause Center for Applied Research (2010) Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology states that over 62% of undergraduate college students own an Internet capable handheld device. Moreover, Ball State University?s Institute for Mobile Media Research (Hanley, 2010) reports that nine in ten college students access the Internet with their smart phones and 97% of students send/receive text messages. To leverage this ubiquity, many institutions have created applications for mobile devices (i.e., mobile apps), and a growing number is exploring how these devices may be used for teaching and learning. The purpose of this panel is present a variety of perspectives and contexts on how mobile computing devices are being implemented in K-12 and higher education. Six panelists will briefly present their experiences with projects aimed to integrate mobile computing devices and application (app) development with courses, technology integration, teaching and learning, K-12 schools, and undergraduate and graduate courses. The participants who have agreed to participate in this panel are listed below. In addition to the following list of panelists, each participant has provided a brief biography, short descriptions of their projects with mobile computing devices, and a list of relevant presentations and publications. Additional materials are offered in an appendix.

Friday November, 2

CNIE: The Landscape of K-12 Online Learning: Examining What Is Know
Scheduled Time: Fri, Nov 2 ? 9:15am ? 10:15am Building/Room: East- Suite Tower, 1 ? Laffon
Title Displayed in Event Calendar: CNIE: The Landscape of K-12 Online Learning: Examining What Is Know

Presenter: Michael Barbour (Wayne State University)Short Description: While the use of online learning at the K-12 level of growing exponentially, the availability of empirical evidence to help guide this growth is severely lacking. The presenter will provide an overview of the nature of K-12 online learning today and a critical examination of the literature and ? lack of research ? supporting its use. The presenter will also describe some of the methodological issues surround the limited among of existing research. Finally, the presenter will propose two methodological approaches for future K-12 online learning research and examine some examples of studies that have followed these approaches.

Going the Distance in Global Education: Research Is the Key
Scheduled Time: Fri, Nov 2 ? 10:30am ? 11:30am Building/Room: East- Suite Tower, 3 ? McCreary
In Full Session: DDL-23 Online Distance Education Research

Presenter/Author: *Carol A. McGehe (K12, Inc.)

Short Description: Designing effective curriculum for a global market begins with an earnest study of relevant research. Development teams must be willing to challenge their own assumptions about education and maintain flexibility while working within prescribed mandates. The presenter will facilitate a discussion that promotes the sharing of resources, identifies challenges in global curriculum development and addresses strategies to overcome limiting factors.

Abstract: Many who create curricula for today?s distance learners begin by looking at competitors? products to decide what to do differently. These products may be yesterday?s ideas or iterations of formerly ineffective products. This approach is akin to tinkering with dial-up modems when the research could lead to lightning-speed Internet access. Many developers rely solely on the experience of classroom teachers and professors to guide their content and pedagogy. The predominant mindset seems to be that interweaving the experience of educators with that of creative designers will lead to an effective curriculum. While knowledgeable content specialists and talented designers are necessary for any compelling curriculum, they are not the primary catalyst. The true key to success in creating effective and dynamic curricula is to allow innovations to emerge from the research, free from the lenses of what others have done. Within the past decade, research has outpaced product development and transformed our ability to create effective blended (online/offline) curricula. Developers now have access to the most recent research in more relevant fields than ever before: cognitive science, instructional design, and content-specific research. Studies may support what developers know from personal practice or may potentially alter developers? personal misconceptions. To base new development on others? products, or past learning experiences, is short-sighted in today?s market. One team of developers forged into unknown territory to design a curriculum with steadfast attention to current research. This blended kindergarten through grade six (K?6) mathematics curriculum took American developers four years to create and is currently used in multiple and diverse educational settings across the globe. The developers allowed the research to serve as the firm foundation from which all the content, pedagogy, and design were built. The team entered this process with different backgrounds and beliefs about how curriculum should be developed. Development was actually delayed at times because current research countered some of the team?s work. However, team members realized that these new courses would change how research-responsible curriculum should be developed. The presenter will provide a roadmap for other teams that addresses the methodology for developing a research-based curriculum, including: ? changes in reviews of literature and application of research ? key questions to consider when reviewing and narrowing the scope of the research ? strategies to cultivate a research-focused mindset ? constraints and mandates that may limit full application of best practices ? issues related to global marketing The examples shown and the ensuing discussion will benefit anyone who has a hand in developing distance-learning curriculum on any topic: ? evaluation, research, and content specialists ? instructional, Flash, animation, and print designers ? writers, editors, and reviewers ? virtual administrators and teachers ? chief executive officers of distance-learning companies When research is a primary catalyst for curricular planning, the first key question to address is which studies to consider and how to narrow the scope of the research. Setting criteria and synthesizing research in mathematics, mathematics education, cognitive science, and instructional design were essential in the development of this K?6 mathematics curriculum. The developers sought a balance between the philosophies of those engaged in the so-called ?math wars.? Educators on one extreme of the confrontation purport a return to the basics through teacher-guided instruction, while educators on the other extreme emphasize almost exclusive student-centered discovery learning. Research, as the basis for development, provides a unique way to avoid such dogmatisms. The timing of the development of this pioneering curriculum and the release of the findings of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (NMAP) was fortuitous. In 2006, President Bush established and charged this panel to investigate the best scientific evidence available and formulate strategies and guidelines to improve K?6 math education for students preparing for algebra. The panel combed the research for 20 months before releasing its final report in 2008. In an effort to make the ?math wars? obsolete, the NMAP report aligned with the curriculum developers? stance for a balanced approach to mathematics pedagogy. In addition to implementing the research findings of the NMAP, the developers? own evaluation and research group provided team members with the latest cognitive science research and direct access to key researchers in the fields of mathematics and e-learning, including: ? Dr. Liping Ma of the University of California at Berkeley ? Dr. Richard Clark of the University of Southern California ? Dr. Robert Siegler of Carnegie Mellon University ? Dr. Micheline Chi of Arizona State University ? Dr. David Williamson Shaffer of the University of Wisconsin at Madison ? Dr. James Paul Gee of Arizona State University The entire team of content specialists, designers, and reviewers studied and applied this research. With the K?6 math team having made a commitment to a research-based curriculum, they still had to be mindful of constraints that arise when developing curriculum for global use. One of the primary constraints in the United States is fully aligning to each state?s standards, as well as the Common Core State Standards, and providing the optimal sequence of material to promote student success on high-stakes exams. States vary widely in which standards they include and emphasize. Similarly, adaptations for other countries must be made, even for English-speaking countries. For example, when adapting for the United Kingdom, developers must address the UK?s government-mandated curriculum standards, assessments, and inspections, while also tailoring the curriculum to the British measurement, culture, and language. Even certain mathematical terms must be defined differently, such as the definition of a trapezoid. Such adaptations for globalization present numerous and varied challenges. Early data from comparison studies on performance by students who use this research-based mathematics curriculum demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach to curricular development. Curriculum developers can learn how to establish their own paradigms within the bounds of solidly-proven evidence and established mandates, while empowering students locally and around the globe.

?Judging Me by What I Do?: Comparing Special Education and General Education Cyber School Students
Scheduled Time: Fri, Nov 2 ? 10:30am ? 11:30am Building/Room: East- Suite Tower, 3 ? McCreary
In Full Session: DDL-23 Online Distance Education Research

Presenters/Authors: *Dennis Beck (University of Arkansas)
*Robert Maranto (University of Arkansas)

Short Description: Some virtual schools have identified special needs students as a market niche. We surveyed parents (n=159; 39% response) and students (n=339; 65% response) at a school where special education students accounted for 26% of the student body. Findings indicate that special education parents and students are more likely to choose their cyber school because of learning needs, as well as behavioral and bullying issues at their previous schools; they also give it higher relative ratings.

Abstract: School choice in general is growing and cyber schooling, which typically involves parental choice, is growing rapidly. A cyberschool is an institution that teaches courses entirely or primarily through online methods. Cyber schooling offers potential advantages. It enables schools to offer a broader range of courses than would normally be feasible, employing teachers who are not tied to a geographic location. Cyber schooling can serve students who have physical or other disabilities that may hinder them from regularly attending classes. Asynchronous cyber schooling means that lessons can be offered at a student?s convenience, empowering students with young children or jobs to continue their education. It can also offer a refuge for students who have been bullied in traditional public schools. By limiting commuting demands and reducing the need for brick and mortar facilities, cyber schooling can increase efficiency and promote the green economy (Watson et al. 2011; Peterson 2010; Glass and Welner (2011), who are critical of online learning generally, nonetheless admit that major meta-analyses by four different research teams, summarizing 27 experimental and quasi-experimental studies, found that student learning in online K-12 and higher education courses was similar to or slightly better than in traditional classes, usually at comparable or somewhat lower costs. While most traditional public schools offer online courses, charter schools dominate the movement since their autonomy allows innovation without the support of school boards, traditional bureaucracies, school superintendents, and unions, all of which often view cyber learning with suspicion. Cyber schools have made the greatest inroads in states with relatively weak teachers unions (Moe and Chubb 2009; Peterson 2010; Jacob 2011). Further, as schools of choice, charters have some ability to depart from the traditional model of what Tyack and Cuban (1995) call a ?real school,? that is, the sort of school attended by teachers and by the parents of current students. Indeed, it is likely that custom and public opinion have played the greatest role in limiting the spread of cyber schooling (Vander Ark 2012). Since cyber schooling can be conducted at one?s home, relatively free of distractions, there are reasons to think that it may appeal to certain special education students. To study this, we surveyed students and parents at SunTech, a pseudonym for a grade 7-12 cyber charter school with roughly 700 students, 26% of whom are identified as needing special education services. We will test whether special education students and parents select SunTech for different reasons than general education students and parents. We pre-tested our 125-item on-line survey in August 2001, and implemented it September 10-November 15 2011. Respondents were given $10 gift cards in payment for their participation. Non-participating subjects were emailed two follow-up reminders, followed by an automated call from the school. In addition, a small number of parental respondents who lacked email access were mailed paper surveys with stamped, addressed return envelopes. Participants and non-participants were assigned individual identifier numbers to ensure that researchers could not identify individual respondents. SunTech administrators and employees did not receive access to the raw data to assure respondent confidentiality. The survey received a 39% return rate for parents (n=159), 65% for students (n=339). Parents and students typically give SunTech a grade of A-, compared to C- or below for their previous school. Special education parents and students, in particular, rate SunTech better, assigning it mean GPA?s of 3.54 and 3.65 respectively, compared to 1.15 and 1.29 for their prior schools. About 22% of parents and 19% of student respondents report special education status. General education parents and students give SunTech mean grades of 3.33 and 3.52 respectively, compared to 1.98 and 1.63 for their previous school. Generally, parents and students report choosing SunTech for its flexible schedule, an on-line format that suits learning needs, the curriculum, and the teachers. Compared to their previous schools, parents and students rank SunTech higher on 12 of 13 items, including extra-curricular activities and opportunities to interact with peers. The single exception is the opportunity to play sports. Special education parents and students are somewhat more likely to report choosing SunTech because of learning needs, as well as behavioral and bullying issues at their previous schools. In short, it appears that at this school, the cyber learning environment is indeed somewhat more attractive for special education than general education students.

Works Cited

Glass, Gene V. and Kevin G. Welner. 2011. Online K-12 Schooling in the U.S.: Uncertain Private Ventures in Need of Public Regulation. Boulder: National Education Policy Center.

Jacob, Anna (2011) Benefits and Barriers to the hybridization of schools. Journal of Educational Policy, Planning, and Administration: Vol. 1, no 1.

Moe, Terry M. and John E. Chubb (2009). Liberating Learning: Technology, Politics, and the Future of American Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Peterson, Paul E. (2010) Saving Schools: From Horace Mann to Virtual Learning. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Tyack, David B. and Larry Cuban (1995). Tinkering Toward Utopia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. Vander Ark, Tom. 2012. Getting Smarter. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Watson, J., Murin, A., Vashaw, L., Gemin, B., and Rapp, C. (2011). Keeping pace with K-12 online learning: An annual review of policy and practice. Evergreen Education Group, creative commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license. Mountain View, California.

Saturday November, 3

Virtually Unprepared: Examining the Preparation of K-12 Online Teachers
Scheduled Time: Sat, Nov 3 ? 9:15am ? 10:15am Building/Room: East- Suite Tower, 2 ? Carroll Ford
In Full Session: TED11 ? Online Teaching and Learning for K-12 Teachers

Presenter/Author: *Michael Barbour (Wayne State University)

Short Description: Over the past decade, K-12 online learning or virtual schooling has grown as an exponential rate. However, this is still a neglected aspect of teacher education. This session will explore virtual schooling and provide participants with exposure to a variety of existing teacher education models and open access resources that they can adopt or adapt for their own use.

Abstract: In the United States, the first K-12 school to begin using online learning was the private Laurel Springs School in California around 1994. This was followed by the Utah eSchool in 1994-95, which primarily used a correspondence model, but did offer some online courses (Barbour, 2009). In 1996-97, the Florida Virtual School (FLVS) and Virtual High School Global Consortium (VHS), which were created using state or federal grants, came into being (Clark, 2007). At the turn of the millennia, Clark (2001) estimated that there were between 40,000 and 50,000 virtual school enrolments. Almost a decade later, Picciano and Seaman (2009) indicated that there were over 1,000,000 students enrolled in online courses, while Watson, Murin, Vashaw, Gemin, & Rapp (2010) reported significant online learning activity in 48 states, and the District of Columbia. In 2006, Michigan became the first state in the US to require that all students complete an online learning experience in order to graduate from high school (a move that has been followed by other states, such as New Mexico, Alabama and Florida). Finally, some have gone so far to predict that the majority of K-12 education will be delivered using online learning by the year 2020 (Christensen, Horn & Johnson, 2008).

Wood (2005) stated there was a ?persistent opinion that people who have never taught in this medium [i.e., online] can jump in and teach a class, [however], a good classroom teacher is not necessarily a good online teacher? (p. 36). Roblyer and McKenzie (2000) indicated that many of the factors that make a successful online teacher, such as good communication and classroom organization skills, were similar to those for any successful teacher, yet Davis, Roblyer, Charania, Ferdig, Harms, Compton and Cho (2007) discovered ?effective virtual teachers have qualities and skills that often set them apart from traditional teachers? (p. 28). Some of the skills necessary for teaching in an online environment are consistent with those provided by traditional teacher education programs, but there are other necessary skills that are largely absent (Davis & Roblyer, 2005).

At present, there are very few examples of the preparation of teachers for the online environment in teacher education. Even more unfortunate is that Rice and Dawley (2007) found that less than 40% of all online teachers in the United States reported to receiving any professional development before they began teaching online. While some virtual schools provide some training to their own teachers, in most instances no such training is provided to the school-based personnel. This is unfortunate, as Aronson and Timms (2003) indicated that K-12 student success in online learning environment required support from both the online teacher and the local school-based teacher. Clearly there is a need for teacher education programs to equip all teachers with initial training in how to design, deliver, and ? in particular ? support K-12 online learning.

Existing pre-service teacher education initiatives for future teachers that attempt to support K-12 online learning are faced with a variety of challenges such as a lack of research and few models to guide their development. Other critical barriers to effective pre-service K-12 online learning teacher education arise from constrictive geographic regulations around the teacher certification process that vary from state to state. Such policies and procedures are more suited to traditional brick and mortar environments and complicate the reach of K-12 online learning?s broad development. It is generally agreed that teacher education is currently unprepared for the burgeoning demand for K-12 online learning (Kennedy & Archambault, 2011). Given such consensus, how has pre-service teacher education prepared teachers for K-12 online learning? The first comprehensive attempt at designing a national model for pre-service teacher education with an emphasis on K-12 online learning was the Teacher Education Goes Into Virtual Schools project developed at Iowa State University. Next, in the Fall 2008 the University of Central Florida formed a partnership with the FLVS to establish a pre-service student teaching internship to provide an option to education majors to complete their student teaching in this innovative environment (which was also later replicated at the University of South Florida).

In much the same way that there are few examples of pre-service teacher education initiatives related to K-12 online learning, the number of examples of in-service teacher education programs are also quite small. The existing initiatives that are targeted to in-service teachers tend to focus on universities that offer graduate level certificates in online teaching with some kind of K-12 focus (e.g., Arizona State University, Boise State University, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of Wisconsin-Stout, and Wayne State University) and/or universities that offer in-service teachers the opportunity to gain an endorsement to their existing teacher certification (e.g., Idaho, Georgia, and Michigan). The graduate certificates that are offered to educators who would like to learn more about how to teach in an online environment range from certificates that are part of a graduate curriculum and, in some instances, can be used towards a Master?s degree to certificates offered by continuing education divisions to certificates offered by K-12 online learning programs that have partnered with universities. In addition to graduate certificates offered by academic departments, there are a couple of examples of graduate certificate programs that are offered by Continuing Education or Extension divisions within the university environment (e.g., California State University, East Bay and University of California-Irvine). Finally, in much the same way that FLVS has partnered with universities to better prepare teachers for K-12 online learning, the VHS also has long standing relationships with several universities. VHS offers its own six-week professional development courses as a part of its 21st Century Teaching Best Practices series, but has partnered with various universities to allow teachers who complete these professional development courses to obtain graduate credit by paying an additional fee to the participating institution and receive two to four graduate level credit hours depending on the course (Endicott College, Plymouth State University, Framingham State College, Northwest Nazarene University, Salem State College, and North Dakota State University).

(994 words)

References:

Aronson, J. Z., & Timms, M. J. (2003). Net choices, net gains: Supplementing the high school curriculum with online courses. San Francisco, CA: WestEd. Retrieved from www.wested.org/online_pubs/KN-03-02.pdf

Barbour, M. K. (2009). Today?s student and virtual schooling: The reality, the challenges, the promise? Journal of Distance Learning, 13(1), 5?25.

Christensen, C. M., Horn, M. B., & Johnson, C. W. (2008). Disrupting class: How disruptive innovation will change the way the world learns. New York : McGraw-Hill.

Clark, T. (2001). Virtual schools: Trends and issues?A study of virtual schools in the United States. San Francisco, CA: Western Regional Educational Laboratories. Retrieved from http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/virtualschools.pdf

Clark, T. (2007). Virtual and distance education in North American schools. In M. G. Moore (Ed.), Handbook of distance education (2nd ed., pp. 473?490). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Davis, N. E., & Roblyer, M. D. (2005). Preparing teachers for the ?schools that technology built?: Evaluation of a program to train teachers for virtual schooling. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 37(4), 399-409.

Davis, N. E., Roblyer, M. D., Charania, A., Ferdig R., Harms, C., Compton, L. K. L., & Cho, M. O. (2007). Illustrating the ?virtual? in virtual schooling: Challenges and strategies for creating real tools to prepare virtual teachers. The Internet and Higher Education, 10(1), 27-39. Retrieved from http://ctlt.iastate.edu/~tegivs/TEGIVS/publications/JP2007%20davis&roblyer.pdf

Kennedy, K. & Archambault, L. (2011). The current state of field experiences in K-12 online learning programs in the U.S. In M. Koehler & P. Mishra (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2011 (pp. 3454-3461). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.

Picciano, A. G., & Seaman, J. (2009). K-12 online learning: A 2008 follow-up of the survey of U.S. school district administrators. Needham, MA: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Rice, K., & Dawley, L. (2007). Going virtual! The status of professional development for K-12 online teachers. Boise, ID: Boise State University. Retrieved from http://edtech.boisestate.edu/goingvirtual/goingvirtual1.pdf

Roblyer, M. D., & McKenzie, B. (2000). Distant but not out-of-touch: What makes an effective distance learning instructor? Learning and Leading With Technology, 27(6), 50-53.

Watson, J., Murin, A., Vashaw, L., Gemin, B., & Rapp, C. (2010). Keeping pace with K?12 online learning: An annual review of policy and practice. Evergreen, CO: Evergreen Education Group. Retrieved from http://www.kpk12.com/wp-content/uploads/KeepingPaceK12_2010.pdf

Wood, C. (2005). Highschool.com: The virtual classroom redefines education. Edutopia, 1(4), 31-44. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/high-school-dot-com

Source: http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2012/10/29/reminder-k-12-online-learning-and-aect-2012/

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Lack of interest in sex (18+) - Psychology and Mental Health Forum

I apologize for the mature nature of this post, but I doubt the people over in the sexual health section will be able to give clear answers regarding sexuality and ASD.

I've been married for almost two years now, and naturally sex is something that occurs in marriage, however I don't have much interest in it. My lack of interest seems to be a logical reasoning type of thing, which is why I suspect it's linked to ASD, but I really don't know.

For me, I don't really feel any sense of "intimacy" or "bonding" with sex. Right now the only purpose for sex is to achieve orgasm, which according to most NTs is "the most amazing thing in the world," which, for me at least, very much isn't. Orgasm for me amounts to 1.5 seconds of "oh, that feels nice," and that's it. So from my point of view, why spend time, effort, and energy working towards 1.5 seconds of "oh, that feels nice" when I could be playing a video game or riding a roller coaster and experiencing long-term "that was freakin' awesome!".....? Other activities in life give me infinitely more pleasure than sex, and I don't know if that's ASD or if it's just me being me.

Also, on a slightly related note, is it common for Aspies to have an aversion to children? My wife will look at one of her friend's babies and say, "Aw isn't he cute," to which I reply, "Puppies are cute. Kittens are cute. This.....this is a noise and poop machine that will cost its parents $260,000 before it graduates high-school, and will cause unnecessary stress, drama, disappointment, and annoyances." I have to have lots of free time, spent alone, doing things that I enjoy doing. If I don't get that free time I get stressed. When I get stressed, it compounds until I snap and my cognitive functions go to hell and I can't focus on anything and I get extremely irritable. I also require 9-10 hours of solid sleep per night, which is already difficult thanks to the unyielding lunacy of society. On top of the fact that I don't want to pass on all the genetic health conditions that I have been suffering for the past 25 years, I really don't want a kid.

Source: http://www.psychforums.com/asperger-syndrome/topic99612.html

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Price is Right Recaps: TPiRecap: 25 October 2012 (Baby Shower ...

It was just a matter of time... Gwendolyn has just given birth, and Rachel is now herself "in a family way," as they used to say, so why not do an episode where all the contestants are soon-to-be mothers? It seems like an obvious theme to me.

You could even say that...

(?_?)

( ?_?)>??-??
?

(??_?)

...I was expecting it.

[dodges rotten fruit and Plinko chips]

Episode #
Airdate	25 October 2012
VTR	25 June 2012
First Four	Ashley, Sydni, Lan, Giselle (R-L)
Today's Models	Manuela Abre?lez, Amber Lancaster, Gwendolyn Osbourne, Rachel Reynolds

Naturally, Gwendolyn's here today, and through the magic of videotape, still pregnant despite having given birth in "real time" a few weeks ago. ^^;

1. Collection of Safety 1st infant car seats (GO)
Giselle 950	Lan 724	Sydni 500	Ashley ?775
			$850

All of today's contestants, as noted, are pregnant women. All who make it on stage will recieve diapers and baby wipes for a year, courtesy of Jessica Alba's Honest.com ($1,577; AL)

Lucky $even:

2012 Toyota Prius V5 (carpeted mats, Star safety system, remote keyless entry, push-button start, child protector rear locks, security system, LuxCare protection, LoJack Security Gaurantee Plus; RR)

4	3	2	?	?	?	-$2 $5
9	3	2	9	?	?	EXACTA $5
6	3	2	9	7	?	-$1 $4
5	3	2	9	7	2	-$3 $1 WIN!

Our first winner of the year in Lucky $even and it's a biggie! Well done!

2. Nikon 1 point-and-shoot & DSLR cameras (AL)
Giselle 750	Lan 800	Sydni ?1100	Abby 900
		$1450

Squeeze Play:

Trip to Scottsdale, AZ (4n, The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa; GO)

0 0 9						0 0 0 9
	6	4	3	0	7
	0

0 9 9	Remove the 4					0 9 9
	$	6	3	0	7
	$	6	4	3	7
LOSS

My gut instinct was to take out the 3. myself.

---

3. Gablier & Co. mother & child diamond (.20ct) necklace (RR, MA)
Giselle 450	Lan 451	Jamie 2500	Abby 999
			$1248

Grand Game:

• Gerber Nature Select baby food

• Baby Magic baby oil (7oz)

• Nursery purified water (2?gal)

• Pedialyte freezer pops (16)

• Balmex ActivGuard diaper rash cream

• Johnson's baby shampoo (3oz)

Oh, that is not nice, Mike.

Baby shampoo	$2.49	$10.00
Baby food	$1.29	$100.00
Water	$2.99	$1,000.00
Go on...
Baby oil	$4.99	$.00
LOSS

(Freezer pops: $5.79; Diaper cream: $3.99)

See what I mean? I should've known that baby oil was trouble...

---

(CC1: Whink RustGuard)

Showcase Showdown #1:

	Abby	45	30	.75	?	WIN
	Sydni	55	75	1.30		$3,027
?	Ashley	60	95	1.55		$35,399

---

Our next player is one of the more ironically named Rowbirds I've seen in many a year, all things considered... naturally, Drew cracks up.

4. Shutterfly baby photo prints, stationery, and all sorts of stuff to make the kid resentful of you ten years from now (AL)
Giselle 550	Lan 700	Jamie ?850	Virgin 350
		$1300

Bonus Game:

The Ultimate Nursery -- Munir? Sussex baby furniture w/bedding sets & Magnificent Baby 27pc layette set ($5,109; GO)

Motorola wireless baby monitor system	Baby monitor $260 ?	$200 LOWER
ErgoBaby(?) canvas baby carrier	Baby carrier $150 ?	$120 LOWER
Polar Bear-shaped ultrasonic humidifer	Humidifier $37 ?	$49 HIGHER
Turtle-shaped night light (with a classic SP cue!)	Night light $59 ?	$32 LOWER
ACED!

And just to make it official...

$200 LOWER	NO
$120 LOWER	NO
$49 HIGHER	BONUS
$32 LOWER	NO

Well, that was certainly more contestant-friendly than Squeezy and Grandy turned out to be!

---

5. I've seen it all now... Designer diaper bags (MA)
Giselle 800	Lan 801	Elisa 250	Virgin 2075
	$965

That's a number I can respect. ;^)

Take Two:

1. Newco gliding chair w/ottoman (RR)

2. Phil & Teds baby strollers w/accessories (GO)

3. Kenmore Elite washer & dryer (GO, AL)

4. Apple Mac Pro computer (27" HD monitor, 8GB RAM, 1TB HD, upgraded graphics, printer; AL)

Target	$5011		Try #1
Glider & ottoman		?
Stroller package		?
Washer & dryer		$2822
Computer & printer		$3973
TOTAL		6795

Target	$5011		Try #2
Glider & ottoman		?
Stroller package		$1505
Washer & dryer		?
Computer & printer		$3973
TOTAL		5478
LOSS

(Glider & ottoman: $1,038; Glider & ottoman + Computer & printer)

Ugh. I hate these crapshoot setups. (At least we got to see all four ARPs, though...)

---

I don't think I'll banish Giselle to Leftover Island today even if she doesn't get out of the Row... don't want to do that to an expectant mother, certainly. But I'll certainly keep those tickets in escrow for her when it's convenient for her...

6. Destination Maternity designer maternity outfits (GO)
Giselle 1	Tracy 750	Elisa 751	Virgin 700
		$792

Dice Game:

2013 Mazda CX5 Sport (FWD, MT, ALB, dynamic stability ctrl, paint/fabric prot; AL)

	0	0	0	0
2	0	0	0	0
	0	0	0	0

(MA and RR wheel out the table)

Roll #1	4	NO	?
Roll #2	4	NO	?
Roll #3	2	NO	?
Roll #4	1	NO	Auto-?

	0	0	5	4
2	4	4	2	1
	2	1	0	0
LOSS

The Fates were just not with us today. Alas.

---

(CC2: Ambulance chasers / UnitedHealthcare)

Showcase Showdown #2:

	Elisa	75	?	.75	?	WIN
	Lan	10	40	.50		$2,542
?	Jamie	35	25	.60		$8,387

---

Showcases: Abby top winner, Elisa runner-up.

1. Baby Seats (Including One on a Plane)

Graco 3pc baby collection (swing chair, high chair, playpen; MA) Trip to Turks & Caicos (for 3, 4n, Beaches Resort Villages & Spa; AL) 2012 Nissan Quest SV (carpeted mats, roof rack w/crossbars, traction ctrl, brake assist; GO)

Abby passes; Elisa bids $27,500. (My bid: $32,674)

2. It's a Baby-Themed Shoecase! Quick, Somebody Tie Down G-R.net!

52 pairs of Pediped baby shoes (GO) Caribbean cruise (for 3, 7n, MSC Cruises; RR) 2012 Volvo XC-60 (FWD, 3.2L, roll stability ctrl, intelligent driver info system; MA)

Abby bids $33,001. (My bid: $43,295)

As he gives the usual spay-and-neuter signoff, Drew admits that it "kinda sounds funny to say that at the end of a pregnancy show." ^^;;

---

Today's Peanut Gallery/priceisright.com Bonus: TheBump.com $300 gift bags (GO)

Moment of Truth	2. Elisa Trip/Van	1. Abby Cruise/SUV
Bid	$27,500	$33,001
ARP	$43,902	$43,453
Result	?$16,402	?$10,452
	$2,369	Abby wins! $46,278 (Chyron)
My result	?$11,228	?$198 DSW

---

LEADER BOARD: Episode #6054K
	Abby		?	$46,278
?	Ashley			$35,399
?	Jamie			$8,387
	Sydni			$3,027
	Lan			$2,542
	Elisa		?	$2,369
TOTAL WINNINGS				$98,002
Average: $16,334		54.33% of $180,377

Source: http://tpirrecap.blogspot.com/2012/10/tpirecap-25-october-2012-baby-shower.html

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