Proposed Technology Requirements for Computer-Delivered Assessments

As part of the Regents Reform, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) is planning computer-delivered assessments statewide beginning in the 2014-15 school year.

So they have released the minimum specifications for equipment purchase:

• Processor Speed 1.3 Ghs
• RAM 1 GB
• Hard Drive 1 GB with at lease 512 MB available
• Screen Resolution 1024 x 768

I'm wondering with the push to tablets and hand held devices if this initiative has got us all moving in the wrong direction? Shouldn't they be building apps to deliver the testing?

Just a thought. You can read the NYSED's recommendations here:

http://www.p12.nysed.gov/apda/ac-general/2011/tech-req-assessments.pdf

New Computer Devices and Airline Security

The TV commerical for the newest phone/laptop dock are cute. The Motorola Atrix phone docks into a laptop, so your phone and computer are combined.

In the commercial, airline security are giving the passinger grief about the new device that they haven't seen yet. "Is it a computer or a phone?" they ask.

It reminds me of the trouble I had with airport security back in 1984 when I carried a Compaq computer to Alaska. The Seattle airport didn't know what to make of it and wanted me to "open the case". It was a sealed unit with just the keyboard coming off at the bottom. It weighed almost 30 pounds and was hard to carry too!



You can read about the computer here: http://oldcomputers.net/compaqi.html. I did get it on the plane. I'm sure the new laptop weight much less than 30 pounds!

New Year's Resolution - Online promotion

You know that you want to increase your web presence or promote your business online. I teach a wonderful class called "Blogging 101" at Suffolk Community College. The class is 100% online, so you can take it from home. For $125, you spend a month learning about the latest online tools to promote your business or simply express yourself in a blog.

If you go to Suffolk Community College's online catalog: http://www3.sunysuffolk.edu/ContinuingEd/, you'll see my class XCW111 BLOGGING 101 halfway down the page. Here is a direct link to the class https://lighthouse.sunysuffolk.edu/pls/prod/bwckschd.p_disp_detail_sched?term_in=201102&crn_in=26957

You should consider signing up... It will be fun. The class starts on February 28th and there are only 16 seats left!