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Web 2.0 and Emerging Learning Technologies/Learning Styles

= Learning Styles and Diverse Learners =

How Can Emerging Technology Support Visual Learners, Auditory Learners, and Kinesthetic Learners?
In March 2006, I went to Walt Disney World in Orlando. I saw an amazing IMAX movie in the Animal Kingdom Park. The name of the movie was “It is Tough to Be a Bug”. The movie talked about the life of bugs. In this IMAX movie, people can use all their senses. People can smell, see, hear and touch. So, many people were surprised when they saw this movie and they learned a lot of information about bugs' lives. The secret in the movie was technology that was utilized to create all these different effects in one setting. This feature is so vital in enhancing learning. Today, technology works effectively with education and learning.

Technology can help many students improve their learning capabilities. In this respect, behavioral sciences are improving the educational technology processes which can identify varied examples of individual differences and innumerable human characteristics. There are many theories that address many students' learning styles. One of them is called VAK. VAK theory was founded and developed by Richard Bandler, and John Grinder. This theory divides students into three types according to their learning styles: visual learners, auditory learners, and kinesthetic learners (Al-Takriti, 1997).

How can we know or identify the visual learner?

First, let’s examine the students who learn by seeing. These students have a special way of learning. They like to hear quick sounds and they are very organized. They are also good spellers who can imagine and visualize the words in their minds. In addition, visual students have good handwriting, and they can remember the spelling of the words by writing the words on paper rather than by moving their mouths and pronouncing words as they read. They also like to learn by using pictures, maps, and charts (Al-Failkawei, 2005).

Some people call visual learners the picture learners or print learners. Although they appear to be similar, there is one difference between them. The picture learner likes to convert language to pictures (Willis and Hodson, 1999). The print learners like to see the words in their minds (Willis and Hodson, 1999). The visual learners like to have a general idea about what they want to learn before they get the details (Al-Failkawei, 2005). Moreover, the visual learners like to organize their place, especially the place where they usually study and learn. A well-organized place will improve the visual learner's ability to comprehend a topic (Al-Failkawei, 2005). Posters can get the visual students’ attention (Al-Failkawei, 2005). There are some words (noun or verbs) that will attract the visual learners. The noun words are vision, scene, image, eye, show, color. The verb words are imagine, clear, recognize, watch, and see (Al-Takriti, 1997). Visual learners like to read books that have color pictures (Al-Failkawei, 2005).

Carole R. Endres, a professor of Economics in the College of Business and Administration (COBA) at Wright State University, described visual learners, on her website, in many domains (Endres, n.d.). One of these domains is the visual students in class. She mentioned that visual learners tend to underline, using different colors, and use charts, pictures, and symbols (Endres, n.d.). For example, if the visual student wants to remember what they read, it is better to use a pen to underline the important points. Also, they can use color to highlight the information. For example, they can highlight the definition in pink; the history background and dates in yellow; and the main idea of the topic or sub topics using green. Finally, visual learners use pictures or charts as a way to remember the lesson. For example, if the student has a lesson about the history of the United States of America, they can use pictures of the past Presidents of the United States of America to help them remember.

Another domain Endres noted was visual learners during exams (Endres, n.d.). During an exam, visual learners prefer to recall the pictures that they studied when preparing for the exam (Endres, n.d.). For example, visual students can recall the map of the Midwest to remember the states that are located in this area. In addition, Endres discusses drawing as a tool for visual students to use to remember information during exams (Endres, n.d.). An example of this is when the visual students have a question about plant parts. They can draw a plant for the purpose. Finally, she talks about the strategies of the practice to shift the pictures to words (Endres, n.d.). For example, the visual learners can remember some animal names; they can imagine these animals and they shift what they imagine to words.

One of my friends is a visual learner. When he came to the United States of America, he did not know any words in English. He used an effective strategy that supported his learning style. He used post-it notes to learn the names of different things. For example, he stuck different ones labeling different objects around his home. This person in short period of time learned a lot of words by using this strategy.

Another material that greatly helps these students learn things is the visual presentation, such as tables, charts, diagrams, and graphics, just to name four.

According to Dabarh Vowell, an English, Journalism, and Technology teacher, technology integration to teachers in high school, and PhD student at New Mexico State University, in her website “Educators are finding more and more that they must teach to specialized learning styles. Some students learn more easily from visual input. The teacher’s repertoire of strategies should include visual learning activities. Creative use of technology may enhance these activities” (Vowell, n.d.).

In the Learner Support Center at Durham College in Canada. A tip sheet is provided for the visual learner (Durham College, n.d.). This sheet has some valuable tips for the visual learner, such as having a clear view to the board, projector, and teacher (Durham College, n.d.). Also, video is used as an effective tool for visual students (Durham College, n.d.). Moreover, a game like Pictionary is well suited to their learning style, because it can be used to ask vocabulary-related questions to others (Durham College, n.d.).

Technology can help visual students by allowing pictures and other visual aids to be used in the classroom. The teachers can use a lot of colors in their presentations by using computers more than they can by using the white board or the black board because computers have many color options that instructors can utilize. Programs like Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Word are good examples of applications that have many color options. Moreover, if teachers give this kind of student papers, it is much better for them to include some pictures in their papers and for them to use different colors in the text. For example, if the teacher is conducting a lesson about US history, the teacher can use some pictures of Abraham Lincoln. In addition, the teacher can match different colors to different events.

How can we know or identify the auditory learners?

Second, we will talk about students who learn by listening. This kind of students likes to learn by listening, and hearing the information. For example, they like to read articles out loud, or they like to hear somebody read it to them. They can remember what people say very well and they can imitate other people’s way of talking skillfully. These kinds of students find some difficulty in writing, but they are very good in speaking. They like to learn by conversation. The auditory students also like to learn through listening to music and the radio (Al-Failkawei, 2005). The auditory learners feel comfortable listening to the normal voice which should not be too loud or too low (Al-Failkawei, 2005). Moreover, the visual auditory likes to socialize and talk with people (Al-Failkawei, 2005). The auditory students prefer to learn by having questions spoken to them so that they can think about answers (Al-Failkawei, 2005). There are some words (noun or verbs) that will attract auditory learners. The noun words are sound, conversation, tone, music, question, and answer (Al-Takriti, 1997). The verb words are hear, listen, ask, speak, sing, talk, and discuses (Al-Takriti, 1997). The visual auditory learners have the ability to easily memorize names (Al-Failkawei, 2005).

According to Nancy L. Eisenberg, Pamela H. Esser, and Ben J. Williams, in Our Special Kids website, she discussed “How to Spot the Auditory Learner in the Classroom”. One of these points is that the auditory student prefers to hear and tell stories (Eisenberg, Esser, and Williams, n.d). In addition, they are good at telling jokes (Eisenberg, Esser, and Williams, n.d). Moreover, they are hyperactive (Eisenberg, Esser, and Williams, n.d). Auditory students like “records, folk dances, rhythmic activities” (Eisenberg, Esser, and Williams, n.d.). The Learner Support Center at Durham College in Canada provides a tip sheet for the auditory learner (Durham College, n.d.). This sheet has some valuable tips for the auditory learner like sitting in place that allow them to hear and listen very well in class (Durham College, n.d). Repeating the lesson to themselves will help the auditory learners memorize the lesson (Durham College, n.d.). In addition, it is better for them to read text loudly (Durham College, n.d.). Audio Books & the Auditory Learners

Technology that can help auditory students in learning is technology that allows them to hear other voices during the class. For example, teachers can insert some animals’ voices if they have a lesson about animals in Africa. Moreover, there are many books on tapes or CDs, which are called audio books, which can help as well. The auditory students can use these sources to acquire knowledge. For example, today students have a chance to read the books without even opening them. Now there are many books on tapes or CDs. These tapes or CDs are popular with so many people. Finally, a tape recorder helps this kind of students by recording the teacher's lecture. The auditory students can then review their lessons again later in their homes (Al-Failkawei, 2005).

How can we know or identify the kinesthetic learners?

The third kind of learning is the kinesthetic learning style. In general, kinesthetic students prefer to manipulate objects (Al-Failkawei, 2005). They like to touch what they want to learn. For example, if the teacher is conducting a lesson about the human body the teacher can bring models of parts of the human body like the face, arms or abdomen. The teacher can allow the students to touch the parts of the human body. Moreover, kinesthetic students have a special way to learn, which means that the teachers can get students to participate in a lot of activities (Al-Failkawei, 2005). One important fact to add about this kind of learners is that they like to learn and explore new things. The kinesthetic learner is often more comfortable with the quiet voices and low music (Al-Failkawei, 2005). He/she does more stuff with hands or things that he/she can work with or touch rather than cognitive mental activities (Al-Failkawei, 2005). They are more sensitive too. Nouns that attract their attentions are: feelings, touch, holding, tough, soft, solid, etc (Al-Takriti, 1997). Verbs that attract their attention are: get angry, take patience, feel that, insult etc (Al-Takriti, 1997). Kinesthetic learners like field trips. When they read they like to act out the scenes.

Kinesthetic learners remember events (Al-Banai, 2001). They also manage and organize their works by putting clear cut steps and they like to put their hands in the work they are leading (Al-Banai, 2001). They also learn better via three dimensional objects (Al-Banai, 2001).

Technology that can help the kinesthetic students in learning is technology that allows them to manipulate tools in the classroom. For example, teachers can allow their students to use I-Mate PDA phones, iPods, laptops, electronic boards, electronic pens, and electronic dictionaries. According to Susan Holzman in her Ph.D. dissertation about reading English as a foreign language with an electronic dictionary: An exploratory study of the processes of L2 classroom reading by L1 Hebrew speaking college students in Israel, students can learn English better with English electronic dictionary than the students who do not use it (Holzman, 2000). Therefore, electronic dictionaries can help kinesthetic students by touching buttons.

Smart watches and learning styles

Now some watches are do more than just tell time. The smart watches allow to the users to know their heart-rate monitors, use training software, and use GPS. These watches will help students learn better.

For example, the Suunto X6-HR is a powerful watch that has many functions inside it like “a heart-rate monitor with an altimeter in a slick package that's water-resistant for 100 meters” (CNET, n.d.). This watch will help the kinesthetic learners to use it when they are on their geographic field trip or when they do some exercises in their physical education class. Moreover, this watch can give the users a chance to analyze and compare their exercise results by using activity manger software (CNET, n.d.).

The second example is The Timex Bodylink. This watch can help the visual and auditory learners to learn by seeing and listening to the heart rate (CNET, n.d.). Also, it has GPS that can show the learners distances (CNET, n.d.). Furthermore, the students can download their data from the watches to their laptops by using USB (CNET, n.d.).

Finally, a watch like Suunto has functions that allows the user to obtain the news from their watches. This will help the auditory learner get the news and discuss it with their classmates and teachers in the class (Krakow, 2004). For example, the students can receive information from a variety of news headline like business news, international news, entertainment news, and health news (Krakow, 2004).

PDA and learning styles

The PDA is personal digital assistance. The PDA has many functions, including a calendar, appointment book, calculator, and notepad. The PDA can also have a web browser, fax, computing, and telephone.

The PDA can support the kinesthetic learners by providing to them touchable screen and some the PDA devices have a keyboard. A new emerging technology is the virtual key which can be provided by a little piece that will throw infrared on a hard surface showing a virtual keyboard that can be used an input device. In addition, some of the PDA devices have voice recognition. The voice recognition will help the auditory learners record their voices or their lectures so that they can play the recordings later at their own convenience. By using IBM's WebSphere Everyplace Multimodal Environment, students can search the information by using the voice recognition. For example, if the students wants to do a research about the tress in the state of Indiana they just need to say “the tress in state of Indiana” (Malykhina, 2006).

Moreover, the visual learners can use the PDA to draw pictures, or they can use it to create a concept map by using notepad (Shally, Cashman, Gunter, and Gunter, 2006). Also, they can download pictures from the internet. It is a good idea for the English teacher to give their visual learners a game like Word Puzzles. This game teaches the students spelling in way that is fun (Tomlinson, 2003). Smart Board and learning styles

Teachers can use the smart board to support the students’ learning styles. For example, the English teachers can use the smart board to help the kinesthetic students to learn vocabulary. English teachers can write words or sentences and the students can edit them (School District of Waukesha, n.d.).

Moreover, the smart board can help the auditory learners to learn a word's spelling by adding the word's pronunciation in the lesson. By listening to the words, the students should write what they listen to on the smart board.

Finally, the visual learners can learn better with smart board by using the electronic pens to draw or put some lines, shapes, and pictures. For example, the History teachers can write a list of words that has countries and states on the smart board, and the students underline the states with a red line and the countries with a blue line. The visual students will enjoy this kind of activity.

InterWrite School Pad and learning styles

It is a wireless technology that covers 300 feet. Students using graphic tablets can do editing on any presentation. Also, it can interact with the smart board (Folsom Lake Collage, n.d.). An example of these school pads is the InterWrite School Pad 400. The good thing about the InterWrite School Pad for students and teachers is, they can use it in the same time.

Although similarities may take place between the uses of the interwrite school pad and the smart board, there are many features in the school pad that make it unique. One of these is that it helps increase the interaction level among students and also the interaction between students and the teacher. School pad is user friendly and very easy to use by little kids in K-12 schools. A student can circle a concept or an idea on the board and another one can highlight another at the same time while they are all sitting in their place. Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners will use it as effectively as the smart board, but with more interaction.

One very helpful activity using a school pad is getting students to build up a story where one starts and others follow. Each will write one sentence that connects to a previous one. In fact, a creative teacher can even divide his/her class into groups representing the three learning styles. For example, while the visual ones will write the story, the auditory will read it and the kinesthetic will act it out.

iPod and learning styles

Most of the students have an iPod. The iPod can support the three learning styles. It allows to the kinesthetic learners to touch the screen. Also, the iPod allows to the auditory students to listen to the audio files. In addition it will help the visual to see and download pictures. A company like Kaplan concerns about learning styles. Kristen Campbell, the national director of SAT and ACT programs for Kaplan, said “Learning styles have changed a lot since Stanley Kaplan founded Kaplan in 1938” (Aspan, 2007). Now Kaplan creates practice test for SAT that students can download it in their iPod (Aspan, 2007). These practice test costs $4.99 to download, and has about 1,000 questions (Aspan, 2007).

Video games and learning styles

Video games provide the learner with real environment that gives the students chance to stimulate what they want to learn. Now, there are many examples of using the video games in school. According to BBC News many educators do not use video games in learning. They think this kind of technology is only for fun and does not benefit their children. This point of view is wrong. According to many researchers, children can learn more effectively when they play video games than when they read books. Dr. David Lewis conducted a research on the MediEvil 2 historical game which is about the history of Victorian London. He found that the children can understand this story better by playing the game more than by reading the book (BBC News, 2000).

Another example is in the military school, the advancement of computer and video games has evolved enough that they are looked as competent training simulations for soldiers. Educational technologists work with researchers at these production companies to create interactive training technologies to immerse soldiers in realistic situations that actually provide the sounds and sensations of battle. This animated type of simulation is now an accepted method of training amongst military personnel (Carlson, 2006). Today, video games can help many students improve their learning styles.

Video games can help visual students by allowing for pictures and other visual aides to be used on the screen. The new games that work on PlayStation 3, Xbox, or Nintendo Wii have a high resolution and the characters in these games look as if they were real.

Also, the resolution of these games is very high which allows students to interact with the game as if they were in a real situation. For example, the PlayStation 3 “can output high-definition video for both video games and movies via an HDMI 1.3 port, supporting up to 1080p HD resolution” (Wikipedia, n.d.).

Video games that can help auditory students in learning are video games that allow them to hear other voices during the class. Games like Guitar Hero 3 will help the auditory students to use the guitar as video games. The music teachers can use this kind of games to teach their students how to use the guitar. Guitar Hero 3 has seventy three songs (Newsweek, 2007). Some of these songs are "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Even Flow" (Newsweek, 2007). Also, Guitar Hero 3 has four levels of difficulty. It starts from the easiest to the most difficult (Newsweek, 2007).

Video games that can help the kinesthetic students in learning are a technology that allows them to manipulate tools in the class. For example, teachers can allow their students to use Nintendo Wii. The Nintendo Wii will support the kinesthetic learners, because it allows them to move their arms when they play the game. Yoshihiro Mori, senior managing director in Wii Company, said “The way people play with the Wii and the type of games people play are quite different from rival offerings” (Sanchanta, 2007). Also, there are some games that you can play with guns, joystick or with wheel drives kinesthetic. All these kinds of joysticks will support the learning style of the kinesthetic learners, because they can touch objects while they learn. Finally, many joysticks have effects like shaking. For example, if the player is racing a car and he/she hits something the joystick will shake in his/her hands. This will let the learners feel the event more and more.

References'''

Al-Banai, Mohammad (2005). Fast Learning.

Al-Failkawei, Abdullah (2005). Study Techniques. Kuwait: Amar.

Al-Takriti, Mohammad (1997). Limitless Horizons. Dar Al-Shrooq.

Aspan, Maria (2007, June 25). Prepare for the SAT Test, or Play With Your iPod? Have It Both Ways. New York Times (Late Edition (east Coast)),  p. C.7. Retrieved November 8, 2007, from National Newspaper Abstracts (3) database. Battle of the Bands. (2007, November). Newsweek, 150(20), 85. Retrieved November 3, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database. BBC News. (2000). "Video Games 'Valid Learning Tools'.". PA. 24 October 23. 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/730440.stm.

Carlson, Scott (2006). War Games Go Virtual. The Chronicle of Higher Education., Vol.53, Retrieved October 21, 2007, from https://search.proquest.com/docview/214659061

CNET, (n.d.). Fitness watches. Retrieved November 2, 2007, from CNET Reviews Web site: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3512_7-5691656-3.html

Durham College, (n.d.). The Auditory Learner. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from Durham College Web site: http://web.archive.org/web/20060506214339/http://www.dc-uoit.ca/assets/Learner~Support~Centre/PDF/Auditory%20Learner%20Tip%20Sheet.pdf

Durham College, (n.d.). The Visual Learner. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from Durham College Web site: http://web.archive.org/web/20060506214333/http://www.dc-uoit.ca/assets/Learner~Support~Centre/PDF/Visual%20Learner%20tip%20Sheet.pdf

Eisenberg, Esser, and Williams, (n.d.). The Auditory Learner. Retrieved October 23, 2007, from Our Special Kids Web site: http://www.ourspecialkids.org/teachers6.html

Elena Malykhina (2006, January). Can It Sing And Dance, Too? InformationWeek,(1072), 64-65. Retrieved November 7, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

Endres, Carole (n.d.). Visual Learner. Retrieved November 2, 2007, from Wright State University Web site: http://www.wright.edu/~carole.endres/vislearn.htm

Folsom Lake Collage, (n.d.). InterWrite School Pad 400. Retrieved November 2, 2007, from Folsom Lake Collage Web site: http://www.flc.losrios.edu/~itv/schoolpad400.html

Holzman, Susan C. (2000) Reading English as a foreign language with an electronic dictionary: An exploratory study of the processes of L2 classroom reading by L1 Hebrew speaking college students in Israel. Ph.D. dissertation, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, United States -- Pennsylvania. Retrieved October 20, 2007, from ProQuest Digital Dissertations database.

Krakow, Gary (2004). Smart Watches Go for Function Over Form. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from MSNBC Web site: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3932102/

Sanchanta, Mariko (2007, October 26). Nintendo gets a kick out of Wii :[LONDON 2ND EDITION]. Financial Times,p. 24. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

School District of Waukesha, (n.d.). Using Electronic Whiteboards in Your Classroom: Profiles, Ideas, Lesson Plans and Web Sites. Retrieved November 6, 2007, from School District of Waukesha Web site: http://www.waukesha.k12.wi.us/WIT/SmartBoard/specificapps.htm#ELA%20ideas

Shally, Cashman, Gunter, and Gunter, (2006). Teachers Discovering Computers Integrating Technology in the Classroom. Boston, MA: Thomson Course Technology

Tomlinson, Howard (2003). Educational PDA Games Engage Students, Teach Essential Language Skills. The Journal, Retrieved October 23, 2007, from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/16449_2

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Willis, Mariaemma, & Hodson, Victoria (1999). Discovery Your Child's Learning Style.California: Prima Publishing.

Sub chapter
Technological-Savvy Learning Styles

An Introduction

It is undoubtedly true to reiterate that the emergence of ICT has indeed opened an era and avenue of modern learning in the acquisition of knowledge which will come very useful and indispensable for the future generation in many years to come. It is something that we are looking for.The impact of technology is great and indeed 'explosive' in nature. It will be a real waste if human beings do not explore beyond this technology path towards advancement and growth of the human race in general. With the advent of information technology, we see realistically its vast influence and impact in students' learning styles. Educators are no longer traditionally bound to their age-old teaching practices and methods/techniques of teaching. They have to improve themselves by being technology-savvy in order to keep pace with the fast changes due to the onset of globalization which I think it is very close to our daily lives. Without it.one will be helpless so to say. What more learners at large. They have to be exposed directly and indirectly in many ways to such innovative and creative learning styles.Henceforth, it is beyond doubt that the learning styles which involved the use of the latest technology have to be introduced directly and indirectly in the early years or stage of learning i.e from kindergartens until the tertiary level of learning irrespectively.Accessibility of knowledge will be easy if such innovative and creative use of technology are fully provided and utilized.At this juncture, I fervently believe that the developed countries will always be at an advantage as compared with the developing or the third world countries. However, I am of the opinion that the third world countries will have no choice but to be responsive, proactive and at the same time be reactive towards such impending changes that can change the whole scenario of the world at large. Technological Savvy Learning Styles

With the advancement of Information and Technology. learners at large use innumerable computer softwares and gadgets to facilitate learning. They have become virtual learners In such respect, they gradually become autonomous learners. They can work independently. The teachers will act as facilitators in the process of learning and acquiring knowledge.Learning is so much fun as the students are able to pace their process of learning according to their capability, intelligence and knowledge.Similarly,students are widely exposed to the use of latest modern technology which can help them in the process of learning and quest for knowledge.It is a phenomenon that human beings are trying to attain to prepare them for the onset of the 21st century.Henceforth, traditional and obsolete learning styles will have to be replaced with sophisticated and modern technology which cater to the development and needs of the students.

As in Malaysia, we are preparing ourselves for the advancement of Information and Technology which has become the norm in our daily working life as well as an important tool to gain immense knowledge which will become useful for the economic development of the country.Schools nowadays are equipped with the latest modern technology for students to be able to access the internet. We have 'smart schools' which were established to cater to the diverse needs of the students.Under the smart school concept, learning is made more interesting and meaningful as it involves students' mind, spirit and body holistically.Furthermore,computer technology in the 'smart school' system has allowed for flexibility and diversity to be built into the Malaysian curriculum.It is through such provision of multimedia technology that learning is made more self-directed, individually-paced, continuous, and reflective in the long run.By recognizing that there are varied learning needs,the 'smart schools' are then able to ensure that students are stretched to the fullest potential in the learning pace and style that are best suited to them.It is from such context that we could see the existence of freedom and flexibility in learning on the part of students. Students are exposed to the usage of the latest technology with the help of competent IT teachers who will impart the knowledge to them and at the same time help and guide the students accordingly. The process of teaching and learning has become so easy,fun, interesting and challenging as they try to explore and discover the wide realm of knowledge which is a prerequisite for them and the country at large.

Recently,( 22 December 2007 )in a bid to enhance the learning environment in schools, the Malaysian Education Ministry and Microsoft Malaysia had launched 'Generasi-M' which stands for progressive, information ,virtual.mobile .interactive, multimedia, modular and easy respectively There are six core elements under such programme.They are as follows:- 1. The provision of Robotic Studio Development Tools for schools.

2. Student Technology Enabler Pilot,which will be used to drive the usage of information and communications technology(ICT) among younger  students and those from rural schools.

3. Student Ambassador Programme which will allow Malaysian students to interact with their peers around the world through homestay programmes. LIVE@EDU,wherein Malaysian school students will be provided with a personalised online Id that will be hosted on MICROSOFT LIVE Hotmail  thus allowing five million Malaysian students access to 5GB of e-mails,blogs, instant messaging,online storage and space and other internet tools.

4.BOARD of the future, which will comprise a group of primary and secondary school students who will work together with educators to enhance student programmes in schools.

5.DIGITAL readinessi Microsoft Unlimited Potential Group senior vice-president Orlando Ayala said that the programme was about realising the full potential of an individual. It is considered the best ultimatum for students to learn by themselves.Furthermore, the Microsoft also announced that it would be adopting 10 Malaysian schools under the 'Generasi-M' initiative.At the moment, two primary schools were chosen They were 'SK Taman Megah' and 'SK Cyberjaya'.It is envisaged such programme will be extended to rural schools so that they can benefit such initiative. Not forgetting the rural areas in Malaysia, the Ministry of Education has come out with the strategic National Education Blueprint 2006-2010 which focuses on improving the education of the country.As stated in the blueprint's report card, there is an ongoing nationwide deployment of smart school teaching concepts, materials, skills and technologies to schools, including broadband internet access through the SchoolNet project.The expansion of 'TV Pendidikan' (education television) through Web TV, meanwhile has enabled schools to access programmes 'on demand' through the Internet.To ensure that the rural students are not left out with the advent of Information and Technology.Adequate resources are being provided so that they have equal opportunity to acquire vast amount of knowledge, too.According to ''educate@thestar.om.my, the Malaysia's Higher Education Ministry will allocate RM15mil to train 4,000 students in Information and Communication Technology(ICT)this year i.e.2007.

It is envisaged that Malaysia will achieve greater success in the near future with its quick realisation of the impact of technology on    the lives of its people. Hopefully, the economy of the country will change and develop accordingly so that Malaysians can attain the fruit of success.Furthermore, there is a concerted effort on the part of the Malaysian government to tap the potential of IT to the fullest.It is for this ultimate reason that Malaysia is now restructuring its education sector towards betterment and improvement    in tandem with the fast changes that take place globally.It is hoped   by having such foresight, Malaysia will be able to able to enhance its students' learning styles in accordance with the advancement of technology as it is believed that human capital is an asset that needs to be fully tapped for the development of the country.

References

Boe,T.(1989).The next step for educators and the technology industry; Investing in teachers. Educational technology,29(3).39-44.

Harvey,J.,& Purnell,S.(1995, March).Technology and teacher professional development. Report prepared for the Office of Educational Technology,U.S. Department of Education.Santa Monica,CA;Rand Corporation

Moursund,D.(1992).Empowering teachers.The Computing Teacher,20(4).6.

Web 2.0 and the Visually Impaired Learners
Introduction

The emergence of Web 2.0 technologies has created opportunities for the visualization of much information on the web. It is, therefore, one of the empowering sources for learning, or so-called e-learning 2.0 (Downes, 2005). Educators are starting to explore the potential of blogs, media-sharing services and other social software - which, although not designed specifically for e-learning, can be used to empower students and create exciting new learning opportunities. During the past few years, Web technology has been rapidly developed in order to increase its functionalities and design; however, this might indirectly increase more barriers to another group of users. To put it differently, those for whom the Web is inaccessible for whatever reason will become increasingly excluded from mainstream life if it is not made accessible to them. The way this information is presented may mean that it is difficult, or impossible, for people with various forms of disability to access it. A visual on a screen is of no use to someone who is blind. Nonetheless, there are many solutions for this problem today and hopefully even more in the near future.

This paper will start with the general idea that links the Web 2.0 to the impact of online communication and interaction on persons with disabilities. Then the necessary information about the computer/Internet use and the visually impaired will be described to serve as background knowledge for educators and practitioners in the mainstreamed settings. Next, we will move on with practical implications of Web 2.0 toward visually impaired learners. In this section, a definition of accessibility will be discussed as well as its impeded features that prevent these groups of people to access web sites. A final section provides a roundup of worrying trends that have arisen from the Web 2.0. After that, some solutions to these problems are proposed.

Impact of online communication and interaction on persons with disabilities

Bowker and Tuffin (2003) had conducted studies that aim to explore the cultural world which disabled people access when they participate in online conversations. Findings reveal that the visual anonymity associated with online interaction, which lacks of social context information (including status cues and non-verbal behavior) in online communication, encourages more equal levels of participation. People with disabilities have the potential to participate in social interaction beyond the stigma of a disabled identity.

Such positive findings for online environments is at least partially due to the fact that visual ontology powerfully affects how bodies may be seen and judged. Through the online communication, the physical differences are neutralized by the visual anonymity. The lack of visual cues may be interpreted as the “non-disclosure” and the disabled gain a sense of personhood within an able-bodied framework or “normality.” To put it simply, this demonstrates that the non-disclosure was operated to preclude negative reactions and prejudice against disabled people. The Internet’s potential helps eliminate discrimination that exists in the context of a real-world social environment in which discrimination still prevails. Therefore, the disabled are more likely to achieve equality. Moreover, the idea that identity can be constructed according to the demands of the situation is a powerful framework for disabled people, because it permits a creative space for developing ideas about the self (Bowker & Tuffin, 2003).

The impact of computer/internet on the visually impaired

Before starting the discussion, I offer a brief definition and explanation of visual impairments in order to enhance understanding of it.

The term 'visual impairment' covers a wide variety of conditions; some present since birth and some resulting from gradual deterioration of sight. Visual impairments include low vision and blindness, or there are many aspects of seeing. Low vision is used to describe a loss of visual acuity while retaining some vision. “Blindness, on the other hand, usually refers to a complete lack of vision. People who are considered "legally blind" may have some useful vision." (World Health Organization, 2002; DO-IT Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technolog project, 2005).

From the above definition, it is understood, in order to qualify as visually impaired, an individual does not necessarily need to be blind or have really severe loss of vision. These visually impaired people, therefore, depend more on receiving information from other sources other than their sight. For instance, computers have increasingly played a great role as the tools for communication. The Internet or WWW is a valuable source that responds to this special need. In addition, Web 2.0 technology allows the blind not only to receive information, but also offers them to easily exchange their opinions with the wider world.

Apart from the benefit of information access, computers and the internet also have a great benefit in terms of social interaction. Computers and the internet help the visually impaired have a greater sense of community and of social networks than they had previously been able to do (Gerber, 2003). Besides, it is obvious that computer-mediated communication (CMC) plays a great role in assisting them to access information independently. Unlike in the past, most of the visually impaired had to depend on others, especially family members and friends, as the important resources (Williamson et al, 2001). Nevertheless, in order to make use of those devices, assistive technology is extremely essential. The primary examples of these technology and equipments are magnification programs for the computer screen, synthetic speech systems, optical character recognition (OCR), Braille display, note takers, and so on. Moreover, Internet via the Web would be a great resource; the visually impaired can gain access provided by this communication channel if only it is made compatible to available technologies which enlarge text or convert the information to audible or tactile media. Recently, a haptic interface has become popular and can be an alternative.

Having known broadly the roles and impact of computers and the Internet on the visually impaired, next I will examine the specific use of such technologies in a real context.

Practical implications of Web 2.0 toward visually impaired learners

It is claimed that the Internet or Web is a major medium for e-learning. Moreover, with high functionalities of the Web 2.0, learners can use this medium as a tool to effectively increase their learning both in the formal and non-formal education. For learners with visual impairments, as stated earlier, the Web 2.0 contributes to the equal access to information. In addition, it helps to promote social interaction among these people in the mainstream society. On the other hand, the design of the Web 2.0 and many online courses actually erects barriers to participation by students with disabilities (Coombs, 2000). This leads to the concept of accessibility. The accessibility and usability are critical issues for users with visual impairments, and it is widely discussed in the Web development community as will be described in the next section.

What is web accessibility?

Web accessibility means that “people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web, and that they can contribute to the Web” (Web Accessibility Initiative, 2008). A far wider remit is taken than saying that a Web site is accessible simply because any potentially excluded group can access it. An accessible web site must be sufficiently flexible to be used by the assistive technologies. To put it simply, an accessible Website means that the Web can be used by all, but it must also mean that it is easy to use by all and should not be labor intensive or arduous. Accessibility should not mean that the user will be able to use some software if they spend two days wrestling with it and learning how to make it work (Zajicek, 2007).

Web 2.0 and E-learning for visually impaired learners

In terms of e-learning, the concept of web accessibility includes other Content management systems (CMS) (e.g., WebCT Vista,  BlackBoard, Lotus Notes, Moodle, FirstClass, VirtualU, Desire2Learn, etc.) and other e-learning systems, (e.g. virtual learning environments, digital repositories, multimedia, web  portals, discussion boards). As a result, learning technologists play a great role in developing their web sites and systems to be accessible. Below are some guidelines and principles for web accessibility.

Accessibility guidelines and standards

Currently, there are a lot of both national and international guidelines, standard, and legislation to insure the rights to access information of persons with disabilities. The most well known and perhaps influential accessibility guidelines are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) (Brewer, 2004). A list of checkpoints is provided that explains how the guidelines apply to typical content development scenarios. Each checkpoint also has a priority level assigned based on the checkpoint's impact on accessibility. The guidelines also define three "levels of conformance" where at Conformance Level "Triple-A” all Priority 1, 2 and 3 checkpoints are satisfied. The guideline is based on the concept of “universal design."

Regarding law and legislation, a number of countries have influenced the accessibility design practices of both education and non-education organizations. In the United States, perhaps the most influential legislation has been the 1998 amendment to the Rehabilitation Act (US Department of Labor, 1973), called Section 508, which includes guidance for determining the accessibility of information technology as well as enforcement procedures. Section 508 requires federal agencies to purchase electronic and information technology that is accessible to employees with disabilities. In addition, to the extent that those agencies provide information technology to the public, it too has to be accessible by persons with disabilities.

The unresolved issues and worrying trends

Although there are many principles and guidelines on accessibility, the study conducted by the United Nations found that 97 percent of the websites tested from 20 countries did not comply with basic accessibility regulations, despite disability legislation existing for over half a decade (Nomensa, 2006). In the case of Web 2.0, many devices and advanced technologies have been developed in order to increase functionalities, visual appearances, and ease of use, just to name three. Examples of Web 2.0 integrated technologies are asynchronous JavaScript and XML (Ajax) and video streaming, and devices which support Web 2.0 such as iPhone. While the design of all these applications and associated devices is striking, it also generates accessibility problems. The iPhone, for instance, has obvious implications for those with vision impairments when there are no physical markers to point towards the phone’s functions (Crichton, 2007). These technological barriers are briefly explained below.

Ajax Nowadays Ajax is currently used in various places, such as in Gmail, Google Apps, and some systems used in the workplace to dynamically create pages (Ajax Matters). This causes a real issue for the visually impaired user because a screen reader is unable to track the relevant bits on the page that move (Almaer, 2006). In addition, pages that use Java are also difficult; it can sometimes be got around with the Java Access Bridge. A solution for building accessible Web 2.0 sites is to follow Hijax principles (Keith, 2006), which allow Ajax type dynamic Web pages but enables more accessible development.

Incompatible products In an ideal world, all Web pages should be able to be accessed by any assistive device. However, there are numbers of web sites that do not allow such technologies to be connected. Even if those are accessible web sites, there is no guarantee that innovative products, such as mobile devices, can be used by the visually impaired (Ellis & Kent, 2008). It is hoped that mainstream manufacturers will be able to come up with solutions to these problems. One recommendation is to follow the universal design concepts and accessibility guidelines.

Video streaming and multimedia In the present time, videos are being used more and more in Web 2.0 either to augment or instead of other web content such as YouTube. Additionally, information which is presented simultaneously makes it difficult to interpret using Braille or speech or access using scanning (Treviranus, 2007). This is one of the greatest problems for the blind and deafblind people. The increased use of this media means they are becoming less and less able to access the web. We need to ensure that people do provide text alternatives.

Verification codes Due to the security measure, many web sites require users to put graphical verification codes in order to protect against the fraud access. Such codes can be a barrier for the visually impaired users since these graphical characters can not be read by the screen reader software. Additionally, reliance of too many blurred or hard to read graphics can be problematic for users with low vision. Occasionally, a sound recording is provided for blind users such as in Google or Facebook. This audio system can help to solve this problem, but sometimes, the sound quality is very low and is hard to identify.

Isolation of particular groups While particular disabled groups can gain support and useful information from special community sites, there is a danger of isolation. While Web 2.0 has enormous potential to bring people together it could encourage the formation of isolated groups that do not engage in mainstream activities and who develop their own sub culture which excludes others (Seymour & Lupton, 2004). In the case of visually impaired communities, discussion topics are more likely to deal with eye care, assistive devices, and mainstreamed technologies. It would be better if these forums include sighted people, or are open for the broader society.

Conclusion

The above issues are only some problems and concerns that arise from Web 2.0 development. It is undoubtedly that the numbers of inaccessible features are definitely increasing day-by-day. Although most problems can be solved by following principles of accessibility guidelines and standards, the bottom-line issue is the awareness of web developers and stakeholders who are dealing with the design and have primary control over these features. A good design can not only make visualization accessible, but can also make the information more accessible.

Web 2.0 is available to be used by people in their everyday lives. It also has the potential to open up the world to people with disabilities, and is often presented as a way to eradicate disability as it is socially constructed. On the other hand, it can cause great barriers and inequality if this medium is inaccessible. The Internet cannot be fully accessible until disability is considered a cultural identity in the same way that class, gender and sexuality are. Accessibility is a universal design issue that potentially benefits both those with a disability and the wider community. It requires collaboration from the relevant sectors in order to promote full inclusion in the society. References

Ajax Matters. (no date). Retrieved 22 November 2008, from http://www.ajaxmatters.com/

Almaer, D. (May 26, 2006). Ajax and Screen Readers. Retrieved 22 November 2008, from http://ajaxian.com/archives/ajax-and-screen-readers

Bowker, N. & Tuffin, K. (2002). Disability discourses for online identities. Disability & Society, 17(3), 327-344. Retrieved 1 September 2007, from EBSCOhost database.

Bowker, N., & Tuffin, K. (2003). Dicing with deception: People with disabilities' strategies for managing safety and identity online. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 8(2). http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol8/issue2/bowker.html

Brewer, J. (2004). Web accessibility highlights and trends. ACM Press: ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, 63, 51-55. Retrieved 20 November 2008, from http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=990657.990667

Coombs, N. (2000). Assistive technology in third level and distance education. Retrieved 20 November 2008, from http://www.rit.edu/~nrcgsh/arts/dublin.htm

Crichton, P. (January 22, 2007). More on the iPhone... Access 2.0. Retrieved 20 November 2008, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/access20/2007/01/more_on_the_iphone.shtml›.

Downes, S. (2005). E-Learning 2.0. Retrieved 28 November, 2008, from http://www.downes.ca/post/31741

DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internet working, and Technology) project (2005). Working Together: Computers and People with Sensory Impairments. Retrieved19 November, 2008, from http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/wtsense.html

Ellis, K. and Kent, M. (2008). iTunes Is Pretty (Useless) When You’re Blind: Digital Design Is Triggering Disability When It Could Be a Solution. M/C Journal, 11(3). Retrieved 28 November, 2008, from http://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/viewArticle/55

Gerber, E. (2003). The benefits of and barriers to computer use for individuals who are visually impaired. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 97(9), 536-50. Retrieved 1 September 2007, from Education Full Text database.

Keith, J. (2006). Hijax: Progressive Enhancement with Ajax. Proceedings of X Tech 2006, Building Web 2.0. Retrieved 22 November, 2008, from http://xtech06.usefulinc.com/schedule/paper/29

Nomensa. (2006). United Nations Global Audit of Web Accessibility: Nomensa - Humanising Technology. Retrieved 23 November 2008, from http://www.nomensa.com/resources/research/united-nations-global-audit-of-

Seymour, W., & Lupton, D. (2004). Holding the line online: Exploring wired relationships for people with disabilities. Disability & Society, 19(4), 291-305. Retrieved 20 November 2008, from EBSCOhost database.

Treviranus, J. (2007). The electronic campus and equal access to higher education. Adaptive Technology Resource Centre, University of Toronto. Retrieved 20 November, 2008, from http://atrc.utoronto.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=108&Itemid=94#text

Web Accessibility Initiative. (2008). Introduction to Web Accessibility. Retrieved 20 November, 2008, from http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/accessibility.php

Williamson, K., Wright, S., Schauder, D., & Bow, A. (2001). The internet for the blind and visually impaired. JCMC, 7(1). Retrieved 20 November 2008, from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol7/issue1/williamson.html#Introduction

World Health Organization (2000) International Classification of functioning and disability. Retrieved 20 November 2008, from http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/ICD10Updates_2000.pdf

Zajicek, M. (2007). Web 2.0: Hype or Happiness? ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, 225, 35-39. Retrieved 20 November, 2008, from http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1243453


text:
User:Jahanzeb~enwikibooks

Diarrhea

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: User:Jahanzeb~enwikibooks


text:
Community Health Worker Manual/Diarrhea

Diarhhea is a common disease that can in severe cases lead to death. Be very careful when treating a child with diarrhea, and make sure you know how to classify the severity of each case, and how to treat it. Also learn the causes of diarrhea and teach parents how it is spread so they can take preventative measures.

Treatment Classification Causes

Classification
Diarrhea causes dehydration, which can be identified through various signs. Refer a child to a health center if he has either of the following two danger signs.

 * Sunken eyes
 * Turgid skin

There are also some minor signs—if the child has any two of the following minor signs, refer him to a health center:

 * Restlessness and irritability
 * Thirsty or eager to drink water
 * Listless or fatigued
 * Inability to drink water

Referral Testing Skin Turgidity

Testing Skin Turgidity
Pinch the skin on the child's stomach and time how long it takes to return to its normal position.
 * If it comes back immediately, it indicates no dehydration.
 * If it takes less than 2 seconds, it indicates some dehydration.
 * If it takes longer than 2 seconds, this indicates severe dehydration.

Treatment Overview
There are three principles of treatment for diarrhea:

 * 1) Keep giving liquids
 * 2) Keep giving nutrition
 * 3) Take the child to a health center when necessary

First Principle / Liquids Second Principle / Nutrition Third Principle / Taking to Health Center

First Principle -- Keep Giving Liquids
Keep the following in mind:
 * The mother should feed the child breastmilk for a longer period of time
 * If the child is younger than 6 months and is exclusively breastfed, feed him ORS or even clean water periodically
 * If the child is not exclusively breastfed, in addition to ORS, also give him other foods such as soup, rice water, yogurt, etc.

Please note! If the child has excessive diarrhea, it is important to keep feeding him ORS.

ORS Next Principle Treatment Overview

ORS
ORS or Oral Rehydration Solution, is essential in the treatment of diarrhea. You need to know how to prepare it, how much to give to a child, and how to feed it to the child.

ORS Preparation How much to give Feeding ORS

ORS Preparation

 * 1) Put 4 glasses of clean, boiled water in a jug.
 * 2) Wait till the water cools to room temperature
 * 3) Put in one packet of ORS solution and stir
 * 4) ORS can be used up to 12 hours after preparation at room temperature, or 24 hours if kept in a fridge.

Note: If ORS solution is not available, take a glass of water and put one teaspoon of sugar and one fourth teaspoon SALT and stir

How much ORS to give
After every stool:
 * If the child is younger than 2 years, feed him a quarter to half a cup of ORS.
 * If the child is older than two years, feed him half a cup to a whole cup of ORS.

How to feed ORS to a child
Feed the child ORS with small sips from a cup, or by using a teaspoon. If the child vomits, wait ten minutes and then try again, but slower than before. Keep feeding the child ORS or additional liquids until the diarrhea has completely stopped.

Second Principle -- Keep Giving Nutrition
During diarrhea, feed the child soft food appropriate for his age, such as khichri, sujhi ki kheer, mashed potatoes, mashed bananas, vegetables, seasonal fruit, etc.

 * Previous principle
 * Next principle

Third Principle -- Taking to Health Center
Refer the child to a health center immediately if you see even one of the following danger signs:

 * Listlessness or fainting
 * Inability to drink liquids
 * Blood in the stool
 * Fever
 * Referral
 * Previous Principle
 * Treatment Overview

Causes
Diarrhea is caused by the following:

 * Eating food without washing dirty hands
 * Drinking unboiled water

title: Community Health Worker Manual/Diarrhea


text:
Community Health Worker Manual/Diarrhea/What Is Diarrhea

Diarrhea is a common disease which can lead to dehydration and even death. It is important to recognize severe diarrhea and refer the child immediately to a hospital. For this, understanding the danger signs is very important. However, mild Diarrhea can easily be treated in your community.


text:
Community Health Worker Manual/Diarrhea/Signs/Testing Skin Turgidity

Pinch the skin on the child's stomach and time how long it takes to return to its normal position. If it comes back immediately, it indicates no dehydration. If it takes less than 2 seconds, it indicates some dehydration. If it takes longer than 2 seconds, this indicates severe dehydration.


text:
Japanese/Cover

Japanese

اليابانية Japansk Japanisch Japonés Japonais Japanska Corso di giapponese יפנית 日本語 Japoński Japonês Японский язык Japanin kieli ภาษาญี่ปุ่น 日语

title: Japanese/Cover


text:
Talk:Regular Expressions/Introduction

Untitled
Another tool is TextPad.???

I'm not sure about protocol for wikibooks, but would this reference to a commercial (and fairly pricey, considering many free alternatives) product be appropriate? If we were to list commercial products offering regex support, there are many more than just this one. Just curious. I'm assuming someone is "watching" this page, so I'd be curious about thoughts.

Elhannah 21:31, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: Talk:Regular Expressions/Introduction


text:
User:Ohtechwiz

I am just starting a CCNA certification program at Whatcom Community college. It will be a good supplement to my 15 years experience in IT. So far it is fun.

title: User:Ohtechwiz


text:
Wikijunior:How Things Work/Nuclear Bomb

Who invented it?
When Enrico Fermi and colleagues studied the results of bombarding uranium with neutrons in 1934, people started to realize that nuclear energy could be used to create a bomb — any fast energy release can be turned into a bomb. It took the Second World War to push scientists into actively pursuing the idea into reality. The Germans, under the rule of Hitler made several initial investigations into the field and were on the right path but never seemed to reach the ability to create a bomb. The allies knew about the Germans' efforts, and actively sabotaged and undermined them. This also prompted the United States of America, together with Britain and Canada and deliberately without the then Soviet Union ally, to create the Manhattan Project, under the leadership of Robert Oppenheimer, to specifically design and build the first nuclear bomb.

These independent efforts lead by the US were spied on by the Soviets almost from the start, it could be stated that this was the initial step for the future cold war, as the bomb would shift the geopolitical power balance. Of notice is that the Soviets had from the start been making large contributions to this specific field of physics and to a large degree managed to develop their own bomb, using only the spied data from the Manhattan Project as a verification and simplification tool to archive their goal.

What idea(s) and/or inventions had to be developed before it could be created?
A tentative listing would certainly include Fire, Tool Use, Science, Mechanics, Metallurgy, Mineralogy, Chemistry, Explosives, Mathematics (Geometry and Algebra), Physics, Radiology, Engineering, Economics, Politics and the Nation State, "Modern" Warfare (Post-Industrial Age).

The binding energy, which is how much energy is stored in the heavy nuclei such as uranium and plutonium, had to be discovered. The process of creating material capable of reaching critical mass is very difficult and represents a significant engineering challenge.

How does it work?
There are two types of nuclear bombs, fission bombs and fusion bombs. Fission means to break apart and fusion to merge.

The fission bomb works on the principle that it takes energy to put together a nucleus with many protons and neutrons. Sort of like rolling a heavy cart up a hill. Splitting the nucleus up again then releases some of that energy. Some atoms have unstable nuclei which means that they tend to break apart with little or no nudging.

You may have heard of uranium and plutonium and that they are radioactive elements. These two have such unstable nuclei which causes their radioactivity. When a nucleus breaks into two smaller nuclei, a couple of neutrons shoot out. This is the radiation. Naturally occurring uranium and plutonium have atoms constantly undergoing radioactive decay. These are spaced sufficiently far apart so that the neutrons rarely bump into other unstable nuclei.

When a neutron, however, does hit an unstable nucleus, just like someone bumping into a cart at the top of a hill, it causes that nucleus to break apart and send out another couple of neutrons. By increasing the concentration of these unstable atoms, the probability that a neutron from one decay causes another one increases. The concentration where the reaction sustains itself is called critical mass and the reaction then called a chain reaction.

With each step of the reaction, energy is released and another step or two is started, and so an avalanche of reactions and energy release continues until the fissile (unstable) material is spent.

Actually, any nuclei heavier than that of iron (Fe56 which has 56 nucleons, to be precise) will release energy when broken apart. Lighter nuclei on the other hand usually release energy when they merge, or fuse. The most energy is released when two hydrogen nuclei fuse into a helium nucleus. Unlike the radioactive elements, getting the two helium nuclei to merge already takes a good deal of energy. Sticking with the analogy of the cart, it is like it's sitting in a hole at the top of the hill and needs a considerable push before rolling down.

The fusion bomb initial energy is created by heating the hydrogen up to a tremendous temperature with a fission bomb as the first stage. In the split second between the initiating fission going off and the hydrogen being blown apart, the temperature causes it to fuse into helium, releasing many times more energy.

The special case of a dirty "nuclear" bomb
A dirty bomb can also be loosely defined as a nuclear bomb but does not require weapons graded fissionable material, it has more in common with chemical weapons. It uses a conventional explosive system to spread radioactive contaminants across an area. No bomb of this type has so far been used. Its effects would be similar to what occurs in large atmospheric nuclear disasters, like the one of Chernobyl.

How dangerous is it?
The bomb in its stored state isn't very dangerous, as it takes some effort to set it off. Once detonated, the explosion is extremely dangerous. Even those that survive the blast and the fires will be subject to varying levels of radiation (mostly depending on how close they were to the bomb) that can cause death, cancer, leukemia, or harm to reproductive organs resulting in a higher level of birth defects, or even complete sterility.

Only two nuclear bombs have been used in warfare. Toward the end of World War II, the United States dropped bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The death-toll from these bombings was in the hundreds of thousands.

In Hiroshima, the immediate effects of the blast killed about 70,000 people. In the aftermath, between 90,000 to 140,000 more people died from burns, radiation, and related disease.

What does it do?
The nuclear bomb explosion, like any explosion, releases an enormous amount of energy in the form of heat and kinetic energy (force), that accounts also for the sound, heat and light. The size of an explosion is dependent on the yield (strength) of the bomb, and that depends on its makeup. It can vary from a fairly small explosion from a "battlefield" nuclear weapon to an explosion big enough to destroy a very large city. The energy release capability of nuclear devices is so great that it is one of the strongest explosions mankind is capable of setting off.

The energy released from a nuclear weapon exploded in the air is split four ways:

 * Blast—40-50% of total energy
 * Thermal radiation—30-50% of total energy
 * Ionizing radiation—5% of total energy
 * Residual radiation—5-10% of total energy

Depending on the bomb's yield and on the environment of the blast. It can generate ground shock waves that are even stronger than the strongest naturally occurring earthquake, that energy and the sound waves alone can reach considerable distances and alone flatten buildings and kill people. The explosion is so strong that a vacuum is created in its center; so that after the energy expansion dissipates the air is pulled back into the detonation point.

The huge force generates not only a light that may be several times stronger than that of the sun (due to the high energy collision of matter) but will push away the air around, forcing it to expand, this acceleration creates a shock-wave so strong that is able to level entire cities by itself. The kinetic energy will also be turned into heat, creating a massive fireball. The heat alone will burn people to death and cause fires miles away from the point of explosion. But the major devastation and impact is the radiation that unleashes terrible suffering not only on those nearby that may miraculously survive but also those living at range of the ensuing radioactive contamination, poisoning and causing genetic defects for several generations (lifetimes).

Unlike any other type of bomb that have simply a tactical destructive purpose of life or installations, the nuclear arsenal has so far been solely been under the control of nation states and primarily served as a deterrent and political tool to avoid prolonged and open conflict. Note that special attention is given to the delivery system of the devices. From a "crude" bomb that was intended to be dropped from a plane it evolved into technologically advanced payload for intercontinental missiles, since the first shot will be strategically the deciding factor of who suffers less form the outcome of a nuclear conflict, where there are no victors.

How has it changed the world?
The nuclear bomb is one of the most destructive weapons ever created. But it was not its development that changed the world but the realization that nations would consider using such weapons. Toward the end of the second world war, the United States dropped two nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This was done mainly to make Japan surrender sooner, so the US would not have to invade Japan itself and the USSR would not start to invade the Japanese territories. The reckless destruction and immediate and long-term effects of the bombings have created a strong sentiment against the use of nuclear weapons.

After its use against Japan, there was a major shift in world political power towards the US, that permitted the US to block, even dismiss, previous understandings with Stalin — the head of the USSR government, who had been allies during WWII — about territory and areas of influence. This new unbalance was the start for the nuclear arms race and greatly increasing nuclear tests with drastic effects on the environment.

Soon after the end of WWII, the US, with support of the previous major power and principal ally, the United Kingdom — and of its pre-war Empire that was then ending — took steps to block the advance of the Soviets (USSR) expansion into Europe. This led, for decades, to a gridlocked power struggle known as the Cold War. Both sides had enough nuclear bombs to completely destroy each other, which would also do terrible damage to the entire world population. This gave everyone a very strong reason to avoid starting a war, creating a strategy called mutually assured destruction (MAD), which influenced world politics during the Cold War and defined the balance between Super-powers.

Nuclear De-escalation
The principal goal of nuclear de-escalation is intended to preserve a balance of power between all opposing poles of the geopolitical nuclear table, like the United States versus Russia or Pakistan versus India and to a lesser degree China or even in a near future Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia. This is also the central point of the continual ransom game North Korea plays with the US, South Korea and Japan.

While treaties alone saves those nations resources in a continual power struggle for world or regional influence where economic and technology might then takes prominence over the capability of mass production of nuclear weapons. At the same time this mutually agreed strategy has its flaws or is clearly skewed to favour one side, for example with the ban on nuclear tests the nation that has a better technological capability to advance nuclear armament through simulations and related technologies like delivery systems (distance, stealth and miniaturization) and improved detonation systems gains an advantage, this and the creation of abilities to intercept and disable intercontinental delivery vehicles puts pressure in having not only more weapons but develop capabilities to influence (social-economically) the opposition and be able to detect and monitor nuclear weapons stockpiles and movements.

Who has "The bomb"?
The United States, United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan, Russia, North-Korea, and China all admit that they have a nuclear arsenal. Israel does not admit it but is believed to also have nuclear weapons; this is also supported by an unclaimed test done near South-Africa/Antarctica (the Vela Incident), and Israel having bought elements for nuclear weapons.

The South African government dismantled all of its nuclear weapons in 1990, the first nation in the world to voluntarily give up all nuclear arms it had developed itself.

There are many other states that may have nuclear weapons created in secret or maintained by some sort of accord with a nuclear nation. For example, by November 2009, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey were still hosting US nuclear weapons as part of NATO.

title: Wikijunior:How Things Work/Nuclear Bomb


text:
XQuery/Sequence Diagrams

Background
Sequence Diagrams are tedious to draw, even with a diagramming tool. They are even worse to edit when the sequence changes. An alternative is to define an XML vocabulary to define the message sequencing and to use XQuery to render this description as XHTML. This textual approach also allows explanations to be revealed at each step and alternative renderings of the XML definition of the Sequence to be generated, such as a printed version.

This demonstrator uses a simplified meta-model, with only messages between actors and actions undertaken by actors.

(article under re-design - CW)

3-tier architecture
Here is a sample description of interaction in a 3-tier architecture: (badly needs re-writing)

 3-tier architecture An overview of the 3-tier Architecture user The User pink client The user of the site browser Presentation Layer lightgreen client A browser such as Firefox, Opera or Internet Explorer server Application Layer lightblue server Scripts in languages such as PHP or Java invoked via a web server database Persistance Layer grey server A database server such as Oracle or MySQL user browser on            browser server HTTP to            server database SQL to            user browser click link browser server request URL http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~cjwallac/apps/poll2/tally.php?pollid=2  server decode input   server create SQL request  server database request SQL statement database server</to> respond tables <do> <at>server</at> create page with data in table </do> server <to>browser</to> respond HTML page user <to>browser</to> read page </SequenceDiagram>

Rendering the diagram
The script 'displayDiagram' renders this model as an XHTML table:

declare option exist:serialize "method=xhtml media-type=text/html indent=yes"; declare variable $homesym :=' || '; declare variable $leftsym := ' >> '; declare variable $rightsym := ' << ';

declare function local:makeText($event){ concat($event/action,' ',string-join($event/object,' + ')) };

let $id:= request:get-parameter('id','') let $sd :=//SequenceDiagram[@id=$id] let $trace := $sd/trace

let $actors := $sd/cast/actor let $nactors := count($sd/cast/actor) let $width := 100 div $nactors return Sequence Diagram {string($sd/@id)} {string($sd/name)} {$sd/description/node }

Display

Further example Diagrams
Model Display
 * 1) A GoogleEarth application

Animating the Diagram
Rather than display the complete interaction, the diagram can be simply animated by displaying only the first n steps, together with explanatory text for the last step. The addition of some controls allows the user to step forward and backward in the sequence.

3 Tier GoogleEarth A function to compute the next step: declare function local:next-step($step,$action, $max) { if ($action = "start") then 0 else if ($action = "back") then max (($step -1,0)) else if ($action = "forward") then min(($max,$step+1)) else if ($action="end") then $max else $step };

and call the function let $step := local:next-step(                               number(request:request-parameter("step",0)),                               request:request-parameter("action", "start"),                               count($trace/*))

A form to provide the controls and maintain the interaction state:

<input type="hidden" name="id" value="{$id}"/> <input type="hidden" name="step" value="{$step}"/> <input type="submit" name="action" value="start"/> <input type="submit" name="action" value="back"/> <input type="submit" name="action" value="forward"/> <input type="submit" name="action" value="end"/>

Limit the events displayed to the specified number of steps:

for $event in $trace/*[position<=$step]

and display the explanation of the last step: {if ($step=0) then $sd/description/node else $trace/*[position=$step]/description/node }

Print the diagram
One of the advantages of having the whole diagram in XML is that the diagram can be displayed differently in print, so that each step can be shown with its description.

Fully expanded Descriptions

title: XQuery/Sequence Diagrams


text: Template:Signals and Systems/Prerequisite


text:
User talk:196.218.32.106

Xania talk 22:14, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:196.218.32.106


text:
User talk:205.174.124.86

Xania talk 22:18, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:205.174.124.86


text:
User talk:122.163.75.140

Xania talk 22:18, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:122.163.75.140


text:
User talk:203.82.55.204

Xania talk 22:20, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:203.82.55.204


text:
User talk:202.71.46.247

Please stop adding nonsense to Wikibooks. It is considered vandalism. If you would like to experiment, use the sandbox. Thank you.

Xania talk 22:21, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:202.71.46.247


text:
User talk:69.119.16.160

Xania talk 22:23, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:69.119.16.160


text:
User talk:219.78.148.69

Xania talk 22:26, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:219.78.148.69


text:
User talk:Lipton lover~enwikibooks

Hi Lipton Lover, welcome to Wikibooks! I am glad that you're interested in the project, however, writing a "wikinovel" is out of the scope of the project. The project does not allow fiction because, among other reasons, it is considered original research which is not allowed on wikimedia projects. For collaborative fiction, I suggest that you try the fiction wikia where such content would likely be welcomed openly. Have a good day! Mattb112885 (talk to me) 22:28, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called Lipton lover. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Lipton lover~enwikibooks that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 23:25, 17 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 05:12, 19 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Lipton lover~enwikibooks


text:
User talk:76.87.168.48

Xania talk 22:28, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

title: User talk:76.87.168.48


text:
Automobile Repair/Volvo

See the Volvo Cars Wikipedia page for full model information. For repair information, use the Volvo model links below.

Passenger Vehicle Models

 * /PV444/ : 1943–1958
 * /PV544/ : 1958–1966
 * /P1800/ : 1961–1973
 * /120/ : 1956–1970
 * /140/ : 1966–1974
 * /164/ : 1968–1975
 * /240/ : 1974-1993
 * /260/ : 1976-1982
 * /740/ : 1984–1992
 * /760/ : 1982–1990
 * /780/ : 1986–1990
 * /850/ : 1992–1997
 * /940/ : 1990-1998
 * /960/ : 1990–1998
 * /C30/ : 2007–2013
 * /C70/ : 1996–2013
 * /S40/ : 1995–2019
 * /S60/ : 2001–Present
 * /S70/ : 1997–2000
 * /S80/ : 1999–2016
 * /S90/ : 1996-1998, 2017–Present
 * /V40/ : 1995–2004
 * /V50/ : 2004–2012
 * /V60/ : 2010-Present
 * /V70/ : 1996-2016
 * /V90/ : 1996-1998, 2016–Present
 * /XC70/ : 1998-2016
 * /XC90/ : 2002–Present

title: Automobile Repair/Volvo


text:
Talk:Directing Technology/Fund

Group Members

Lifang Chang- Grant Section

Timothy McCann- E-rate Section

Michael Cavallaro- Budget Section

COMMENTS FOR GRANT SECTION:

Great job on this section. It was super easy to read and understand. I liked that you included links to websites to find grant opportunities.

Paige Hawkins 12-3-07

COMMENTS FOR E-RATE SECTION:

COMMENTS FOR BUDGET SECTION:

___________________________________________________________________

Great. Thank you. --Lifang 16:16, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

DONE! Lifang. --Timmccann 13:36, 29 November 2007 (UTC)--Timmccann 13:36, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

Sure I can fool with it today. No problem Lifang --Timmccann 13:32, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

Hi Tim, thanks for your good job on the reference section. Could you please help me to delete the first reference? The first one is the same with the 2nd one. Thanks.--Lifang 06:35, 28 November 2007 (UTC)

Sounds great I will check out the section tonight--Timmccann 00:41, 28 November 2007 (UTC)

I think I am done with the draft of grants section. Let me know your comments.--Lifang 18:38, 26 November 2007 (UTC)

Hmm, I am also wiki online now. :)--Lifang 23:41, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

Great I am glad the resources were helpful. I am just sitting down to get some work done (6:20 pm). At some point I will be manipulating content in the wiki to adjust some of the references. I looked over some of the other groups references and most are using a ref tag. The tag automatically puts information into the reference section and should help because I have a couple of books and articles to reference. TIM--Timmccann 23:26, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

I am fine with the grants section. I have looked through all related info about grants topic. Your links are really useful. Sure, I will email you tomorrow if I have any question.--Lifang 05:54, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

It will be great if you can reorganize our reference section. If you need any info in the working process, please let me know. Also,I am working on the wikibook all day on Sunday. --Lifang 05:54, 25 November 2007 (UTC)

I have also been fooling around with the reference/footnote stuff for wikibooks. I looked at alot of pages and the other pages from out class. I think we may need to change some things around in order to reference.I will be happy to do the referencing for the whole thing but I don't want to change things with out your approvals. TIM

Hey Lifang, I will be around all day on Sunday if you need any help with the grant section. Please contact me by email or I will be in the library after 10 am. TIM

I still need short descriptions under each point on proposals and tips. I will add them soon. If you have any suggestion with the samples part, I will be very appreciate.. --Lifang 22:43, 20 November 2007 (UTC)

Lifang, I dont know exactly how far you are in the grant section but I have some ideas on ways to get the content across if you have having a hard time (it is a difficult topic). I know you have been working on the section and I dont want to interfere with your progress. If you want we can talk at class tomorrow. TIM

I am adding content over Grants topic. Thanks, Tim. --Lifang 01:28, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

Nice Job last night for the presentation- I am going to continue Jazzing up my section and working on adding content to the Funding section- Lifang I will keep you posted on what I am working on so that their is no overlap--tim

I think my section is ready for the presentation on Tuesday. I added a dozen or so slides to the presentation. If you have any questions, email me. I'll be checking regularly. Mcavallaro 00:03, 11 November 2007 (UTC)

OK. I think I am done with the Budgeting section. Let me know what you think.Mcavallaro 23:22, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

Hi guys, I changed the sections around to conform with the exact chapter title. If that was out of order, we can change it back. I am almost finished with the Budgeting section. I need to expand on the 12 Principals and add more examples in the Budgeting code section. Give it a quick read and let me know what you think. Mcavallaro 20:29, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

TIM, I saw your kindly suggestion over the funding structure. I agree with your proposal. Then I would like add my thoughts over grants topics. Hope I can have a completed draft by this Wednesday. Michael, thanks your good jobs over budgeting topic. I have deleted the "terms" sub-division below the introduction of budgeting. Do you think the "budget account sample" needs to exist to our budgeting structure? Maybe it is not necessary? You already explain the budgeting process clearly. ---Lifang

I have some good stuff done for the erate section I will be posting it to the discussion page by our monday class. I am adding some graphics/charts that are taking some time... TIM

I will be emailing our prof about the presentation. I have sent you guys some more links on del.icio.us for the funding and erate section. Michale you did some great work thanks. I will be working more on the erate section if that is OK Lifang. TIM

Items to include:

Hi guys I would like to include under types of grants- entitlement grants and competitive grants- But I just don't want to change to much of the structure without your approval. It may also be good to change what we have listed as types of grants to instead grant agencies or grant funding sources, then subdivide into federal, state etc... I just dont want to fool to much with the structure without your approval. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Timmccann (talk • contribs) 20:23, October 9, 2007.

Funding: General Fund Grants eRate

I am working tonight on some funding stuff hope to have at least some eRate stuff up tonight (10:00pm)!!TIM 10/9/08 —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Timmccann (talk • contribs) 19:03, October 9, 2007.

Budgeting Overview of GASB - 12 Principles Budgeting Account samples --Michael--

Should GASB (Governmental Accounting Standards Board)be written as a independent term? Alternatively, we explain the GASB rules (principles? tips?)in the budgeting process such as drafting, revision and final draft. I Need to know more about GASB... --Lifang 02:31, 2 October 2007 (UTC)

Yes, GASB should be written out at least once. We can discuss better once I have posted an outline on GASB. Here is some detail on the process of budgeting. The formatting of the tables is horrible so I will owrk on them.

Process of Budgeting The Technology Director is responsible for budgeting for all technology needs for the District. Budgeting is a time-consuming process that takes months to complete properly. An experienced Technology Director will rely heavily on the previous year’s budget during planning for the new year. There are many items that will help the director during planning. Let’s look at some of these items in detail.

Long Range Planning The budgeting process is made easier by how well the district long range technology plan was developed. The long range technology plan governs the overall direction of technology in the district. They often project years into the future so the director must always be aware of what is coming down the road. The plan must provide a clear vision of where the district wants to be all throughout the plan. A well developed plan will be as useful in its last year as it was in its first. The importance of a plan is clearly visible. The administration and the School Board rely on you to tell them where the district will need to be in future years. This will give the board an understanding of future budgetary needs long before they are needed.

EXAMPLE Let’s look at adding wireless to your high school. First adopters started installing wireless into schools as early as 2002. You are writing a long range plan in 2002 that lasts until 2007. You know the technology is there but aren’t sure if you will need it. Costs in 2002 show it would take at least $500,000 to complete the project. You estimate that there is a better chance than not that you will need to address this down the road. You decide to include it in your long range plan for the last year, 2007. As a result, the school board is aware of the plan. They know there will be a substantial cost to complete the project and they can plan for it. The end result is that you install wireless around the time the state releases its one to one plan. Had you not planned for it, it would have been much harder to secure funding for such a large project.

The more time you spend on the long range plan, the easier you make your budget process each year.

Documentation

A technology department relies on proper documentation to run. It isn’t the most glorious job but it is essential to many different areas such as disaster recovery and of course, budgeting. A district will have countless systems that carry annual maintenance contracts, have fixed terms, or need frequent replacement. Knowing these items will help you to know what is needed each year. Unfortunatley, as a new director, you need to rely on the documentation the previous director left. Hopefully, it is complete and accurate. If not, begin creating a new document immediately.

EXAMPLE Product	Description	        Term	Start Date	End Date	Cost	   Next Budget Microsoft SLA  Site License Agreement	1 year	7/1/2007	6/30/2008	$110,000 	2008

Cisco SmartNET	Maintenance Cisco gear	1 year	8/1/2007	7/31/2008	$48,000 	2008

SurfControl	Internet Fileter	3 Year	8/1/2005	7/31/2008	$35,000 	2008

Sophos AV	District Anti-virus	2 year	7/1/2007	6/30/2009	$30,000 	2009

CLIU	       Student Info System	1 year	7/1/2007	6/30/2008	$48,000 	2008

This document helps you plan the costs year to year. By looking at this, you can tell that you don’t need to worry about Anti-virus this year.

Replacement Schedule

In addition to the long range plan, a district should have well documented replacement schedule. A director should be able to tell what equipment is scheduled to be replaced this year in a matter of moments. A replacement schedule documents how long equipment will last before it needs to be replaced. This schedule will serve as a guide since technology is not always replaced on a one to one basis. Some equipment may not get replaced or will be replaced with something new when the useful lifespan has retired. An added bonus of replacement schedules it that staff will also know when their equipment is due for replacement, thus eliminating the constant questions of “when will my computer will be replaced.” Many organizations have classically used three to five replacement schedules. With the addition of Act 1, many districts have opted to move toward plans that span five or more years. Here is an example of a fairly simple replacement schedule..

EXAMPLE Product	Quantity	Schedule	Year Purchased	Year replaced Desktop	                 300	            5Year	      2006	    2011

Server	          5	            5Year	       2006	    2011

Switches	 15	            6year	       2006	    2012

Desktops	 400	            5Year	       2007	    2012

Laptops	         100	            3Year	       2007	    2010

Servers	          10	            5Year	       2007	    2012

Switches	  25	            6Year	       2007	     2013

Take note that the 300 Desktops purchased in 2006 may be replace with laptops once 2011 arrives.

All of these items help the technology director prepare to draft a budget. They serve as a point to start. There is still much work to be done towards presenting a complete budget. Inevitably, items will appear that are not in use and were not planned on in the long range plan. The tech director needs to evaluate them and determine if they should be included.

--Michael-- —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Mcavallaro (talk • contribs) 18:56, October 2, 2007.

12 Principles

(Need detailed descriptions)

1. Accounting and Reporting Capabilities

2. Fund Accounting System

3. Types of Funds

4. Number of Funds (maintain only number of funds needed)

5. Accounting for Capital Assets and Long-Term Liabilities

6. Valuation of Capital Assets

7. Depreciation of Capital Assets (follow IRS guidelines for equipment)

8. Accrual Basis in Government Accounting

9. Budgeting, Budgetary Control & Budgetary Reporting (LEA must prepare budget for general fund)

10. Revenue, Expenditure, Transfer & Expense Account Classification

11. Common Terminology & Classification (we must be consistent in budget terms and categories)

12. Interim and Annual Financial Reports

Michael

During the budgeting process, the technical director will find the budget going through numerous revisions. The budget starts as a draft and will certainly look much different once completed and approved. First Draft The first draft acts much like a wish list. It should include everything that you would like to fund for the upcoming school year. At this time, exact prices are not necessary. Instead, gross estimates should be made. When estimating, always be certain to estimate high. You certainly do not want to be in the position of underfunding a project as the budget gets revised. The document does not need to adhere to budgeting codes at this time, however, if the code is already defined, it should be included.

The draft should be separated into at least three sections. The first section should list your all recurring costs such as support contracts or licensing agreements. This is where your documentation becomes necessary. With proper documentation, you will ensure that all your recurring costs are covered and none are forgotten. If the district is experiencing growth in any of these contracted areas, be certain to account for this when estimating the new costs. Most, if not all of these items are required and therefore cannot be cut as the budget goes through revision.

The next section of the draft should list new projects or objectives the district may fund that are included in the long range technology plan. These items are not technically required, however, they have been taken from the long range plan. The techology director should strive to obtain funding for each item in this section, even if it means nothing from the last section makes the final budget. Once this section is complete,it is often helpful to compare the draft with the previous years final aproved budget.

The last section should list the projects that the district would like to fund but have not been accounted for already. This section will usually see the most cutting. Rarely will you be able to fund all three sections completely. This is where the process of revising becomes critical.

Revisions Once the "draft" budget has been completed,it should be reviewed and compared to the current year's budget. You should be able to speak with your Cheif Financial Officer or your Superintendent to determine how much,if any, growth will be allowed in the technology budget. Once you have this information, you will be able to begin the revision process.

Once the initial comparison is complete, the technology director should begin the process of obtaining official quotations on each item. If using PEPPM pricing, there is no reason to shop around for better pricing, however if PEPPM is not used, it is a best practice to obtain multiple quotes. At this point, the lowest price should be inserted into the budget.

Michael

Needs assessment How, as the technology director, do you decide what the district needs? Hopefully, you do not need to do this alone. The direction of the technology in a school district should be governed by a committee with representatives from the various groups of stake holders. This group should perform a needs assessment to help aide this process.

Michael

Under Revisions Once the technology director has real numbers, a more accurate picture of the budget begins to form. The director can compare his draft to the allowable budget. Now, items need to be prioritized to determine which projects or objectives will fit under the budget cap. From this point, the budget begins to get revised. The revisions mostly come by the way of cuts. Items that are low on the priority list are the first to be sacrificed. Eventually, a final proposed budget will be produced. This proposed budget needs to be aligned to the proper budget codes (reviewed later in this chapter) and then gets presented to the CFO and Superintendent.

The final revisions to the budget will be completed once the proposed budget has been reviewed by the district administration. The best possible outcome would be that the budget is approved with no cuts or modifications. Most likely, this will not happen. Instead, the technology director will be told either to cut projects or a certain dollar amount. Once the director makes the final revisions, the final budget is forwarded to the business office to be inserted into the district's operating budget to be approved by the school board.

Michael

I decided to add a new section - Budget Coding Structure. I think it is important to discuss briefly how the coding is done as well as show some examples.

(Pchu=Pei)Does anyone know how to create a link that opens a new browser?

title: Talk:Directing Technology/Fund


text:
New Zealand History/Famous New Zealanders

‹ Back to Mid to Late Twentieth Century

Famous New Zealanders

Edmund Hillary

On the 29th of May 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary became the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest with Nepalese climber Tenzing Norgay (the summit at the time was 29,028 feet above sea level). He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on his return. Sir Edmund Hillary was famous after news spread he had reached the summit, but he didn't finish at Mount Everest. He led the New Zealand section of the Trans-Antarctic expedition from 1955 to 1958.

In the 1960s, he returned to Nepal to build clinics, hospitals and schools for the Nepalese people. He also convinced their government to pass laws to protect their forests and the area around Mount Everest.

In the 1970s, several books were published by Hillary about his journey up Mount Everest.

Edmund Hillary is one of the most famous New Zealanders, and appears on the New Zealand five dollar note.

He died on the 11th of January 2008.

Ernest Rutherford

Ernest Rutherford was a nuclear physicist who became known as the 'father' of nuclear physics. He pioneered the Bohr model of the atom through his discovery of Rutherford scattering off the atomic nucleus with his Geiger-Marsden experiment (gold foil experiment).

He was born in Brightwater, New Zealand, but lived in England for a number of years.

He received the Commonwealth Order of Merit, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908, and was a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom and the Royal Society.

Rutherford appears on the New Zealand one hundred dollar note.

Forward to Politics in the Twentieth Century ›


text: Template:Goodbook/C Sharp Programming

title: Template:Goodbook/C Sharp Programming


text: Template:Movedto

title: Template:Movedto