Students With Tuition Problems

One hears much rhetoric about how education is people oriented - and on the side of the students. It is unfortunate that sometimes the actions do not match the words. With the drastic downturn in the economy, there are some college and university students who are having difficulty paying their second half tuition. Circumstances are such that funds set aside for education simply have to be put to everyday necessities like food and housing. Some families are experiencing unexpected job losses; and long term plans are confronted with immediate necessities.

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Washington Court Rules on TEacher / Student Relationships

There are court rulings that defy common sense. The Court of Appeals in Washington state has made a ruling concerning teacher / student relationships:

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The Economic Crisis Reaches Academic Campuses

Academic institutions are not immune from the present economic crisis. Many students are following the news closely and are concerned. The simple fact is that, for a majority of students, going to university or college is financed through loans. When financial institutions are in jeopardy, there are concerns about what is going to happen with those loans.

An alternative is leaving school and working. And that alternative looks grim as the unemployment numbers are staggering and business are trying to survive this economic downturn.

Catherine Forsythe

Hooded Sweatshirts Banned from Some New Jersey Schools

In the name of efficient surveillance, hooded sweatshirts are banned from some New Jersey schools:

“…The schools say students wearing hoods can conceal their identities from hallway cameras that might catch them cutting class or breaking into a locker.”

link: Some NJ Schools Ban Students From Wearing Hoodies

Along that line of thinking then, caps, rain gear, parkas, anoraks and an endless list of other clothing would be forbidden. Perhaps if the students complain, the authorities can tell them that it is not as bad as wearing radio frequency identification chips (RFID) and being tracked every moment of the day.

Catherine Forsythe

Three Reasons That the Asus Eee 900 Is Not for Students

I am writing this on an Asus Eee 900. I have had it since Thursday to do a review. I will preface these remarks by saying that I have been a fan of the Asus Eee line. It is a terrific idea, if the little machine is used in the right setting. Unfortunately, this is not a machine for students. Here are three basic reasons why I would not recommend this Asus Eee 900 for academic work:

• the keyboard remains a problem. It is fine for making a brief note or two. However, if this is for a lecture setting, then it becomes a problem. It is tiring to use. And, if you know how to type by touch, this will lead to multiple errors. If you are a hunt-and-peck typist, this will be a tiring machine to use. Posture will be a problem. There may be a few surprising aches and pains with long term use of this machine.
• the battery life is an unpleasant surprise. The battery on this machine that I am using is relatively new. It has been ‘out-of-the-box’ for less than two weeks. If a student is intending to use this machine for two consecutive one hour classes, then it would be problematic. The battery life on this machine would be struggling as the two hour mark approaches. That is disappointing. - I did check to see if this was a problem specific to this machine. Six other people with the Asus Eee 900 report that is this approximately the expectations from the battery.
• the costs remain high. The costs of the Asus Eee 900 may be dropping. Any price point that I could quote here would not be valid in a few days. The price range, though, is comparable to a full sized laptop - or close enough that it bears serious consideration.

The Asus Eee line has many positive attributes, like the speed of boot up and the security of the solid state disk. In some settings, the Asus Eee machines would be ideal. However, there are too many basic fundamental concerns to recommend this to students for use in an academic setting.

Catherine Forsythe

Students, Security and Identity Theft

With the start of the academic year on university and college campuses, it is also the start of a fresh round of identity theft. The educational institutions are a source of data that identity thieves covet. There are several reasons for this. For example,

• students usually have not accumulated a poor credit history
• most students usually do not have a criminal record
• it will be some time before students make major purchases, like houses or cars, that require credit checks

Therefore, accessing student data is ideal. The goal is to link a name with a valid social security number. If a date of birth is available, then that is just an added bonus. Kim Komando has a recent article about some of the steps to safeguard one’s identity and financial history.

Students can check their university or college identification. In the past, the student identification number may have been a combination of social security number and year of first registration at the institution, for example. Many educational institutions have moved away from exposing social security numbers in that fashion. If your school still has a system that uses a similar method of identifying students, please be careful. That means that each time you use your student card, you are risking identity theft.

Educational institutions should be moving away from those identification paradigms and most schools have.

When a person registers with an academic institution, that school is entrusted with protecting the student’s personal confidential information. The student has to be proactive too. That social security number allows an identity thief to riches that you don’t have. Those ill-gotten gains will be accessed through your good name.

Catherine Forsythe

The University of Nottingham Presents Videos of the Periodic Table

The University of Nottingham presents an innovative way to learn more about the periodic tables:

“Tables charting the chemical elements have been around since the 19th century - but this modern version has a short video about each one.”

link: The Periodic Table of Videos

This is very creative. It is a fun and informative way to present science. The site should be a basic reference to introduce students to the periodic table. The videos have been immensely popular. And yes, in keeping to the nature of the science, there are a few ‘controlled explosions’ in some of the videos.

Catherine Forsythe

Princeton Review Security Breach Exposes Thousands of Student Files

Princeton Review is a company that assists students in preparing for tests. There has been a security breach on the company web site that exposes thousands of confidential student files:

“…One file on the site contained information on about 34,000 students in the public schools in Sarasota, Fla., where the Princeton Review was hired to build an online tool to help the county measure students’ academic progress. The file included the students’ birthdays and ethnicities, whether they had learning disabilities, whether English was their second language, and their level of performance on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, which is given to students in grades 3 to 11.”

link: Student files are exposed on Web site

The company is issuing statements about how it takes privacy seriously. However, that is not congruent with some of the obvious lapses in security procedures. Possibly class action lawsuits may follow. Legislation should force the security of data bases with basic standards clearly delineated. Violation of procedure would be subject to criminal prosecution. It seems that only severe consequences will force a focus on security and safeguard confidential data.

Catherine Forsythe

Student Privacy, Security, and Secrecy

There is universal agreement that it is paramount to keep students safe. There is no argument about that - none. However, there is a movement to have students disclose mental health issues. An example is Arizona State University:

“An Arizona State University committee considering ways to improve campus safety in the wake of recent campus shootings may suggest that students be required to disclose their mental health histories.”

link: ASU may require students to disclose mental illness

The negative aspect of such an approach is that, if students know that their psychological issues will be disclosed, many simply will not seek out help. Not only would this disclosure contravene federal and state privacy legislation, it also opens a myriad of questions about who should have access to this information. Would a future employer be able to review these data? Would this be included as part of a screening for insurance coverage? What about the issue of mental health issues and obtaining a permit to drive a car?

Once the medical information is no longer confidential between patient and practitioner, security and privacy issues arise. What does the educational institution do with information that, for example, a student is depressed and on medication? Does this become grounds for suspension and for being restricted from campus? Once students know that seeking psychological help has negative implications, there will be a backlash. Emotional issues may not receive professional attention. In the pursuit of security, a stigma may be cast on psychological issues that are typical and not unexpected for a student population.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster

MIT OpenCourseWare - for High School, Too

One of the very best educational sites on the internet is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) OpenCourseWare material. It shows the potential of the internet to deliver educational material to a global audience. It is entering into the virtual classrooms of a stellar educational facility:

link: MIT OpenCourseWare

Now the OpenCourseWare material is expanding. It is providing high school level material, for both teachers and students. Kudos to MIT. The presentation and course material are exceptional. The warning that should be included is that the visitor will have a difficult time leaving.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster