Effective Planning and Implementation of Computer Technology in Schools

In today's world, the workplace has been transformed. Computer technology is present to one degree or another in virtually every job or profession. To prepare students adequately for the workplace we must recognize that integrating computer technology into the classroom is essential. To execute this integration properly, careful planning must precede implementation. We must be prepared to explore different means of implementation inasmuch as there is no perfect system or a "one size fits all" software program. Each institution must decide to what degree they will implement technology and how quickly they will do so. It is also important to appeal to educational leaders for support as well as gathering preferences from both teachers and students.

In his article, "Investing in Digital Resources" David McArthur explored the notion that the decision regarding whether or not to use technology as an educational medium has already been made. What must be done is plan carefully to ensure that the long-range goals of technology integration are properly served.

The leaders in higher education must "plan for and invest in e-learning." (McArthur, 2004, p3) E-learning has become an accepted method of education just as the "Web" has been accepted in business and at home. Integrating the newer technologies to supplement existing learning has become imperative. When planning is performed correctly, the educational environment should be able to use technologies to increase teacher/student communication, enhance faculty morale by use of an "on-line resource center," (McArthur, 2004, p2) use web-based programs to enhance recruitment, and better prepare students for the workplace.

There are potential problems that must be overcome when planning for technological integration. First, the technological options are myriad and only a few will be appropriate for a given school or college. Second, while many institutions become accustomed to the idea of augmenting their educational system via e-learning, it can be troublesome and radical.

Some key issues in the potential success in the adoption of e-learning can include (but is not limited to) the school or college's present computer network capacity, the willingness of the school's leaders to support change, current or probable resources, the potential accessibility of the e-learning services by the students.

In looking at a comprehensive long-range plan, there are a number of options available. One is "Staged Implementation." (McArthur, 2004, p4) While the critical planning should be virtually complete, not all components of the final plan need be in place at the outset. A planned multi-year plan of implementation can be used. Not only does this allow for the development of resources, it is possible to troubleshoot elements as each stage progresses. Another is "Appropriate Outsourcing." (McArthur, 2004, p4) Not every educational institution has the in-house resources (personnel, tools, equipment) to implement even a staged plan. Outsourcing can be both cost and time saving. While it may be difficult to convince some leaders of the potential advantage in outsourcing, especially since this type of expertise "is regarded as an educational core asset" (McArthur, 2004, p6), drawing comparisons to the business world may help to demonstrate the benefits.

In his article, "Herding Elephants: Coping with the Technological Revolution in our Schools" Scott Tunison addressed the issues of: 1. the extents to which schools need to visit computer technology and 2. The tactics used to make the most of the potential advantages and diminish the potential pitfalls in the integration of the technology.

His reference regarding "Herding Elephants" is allegorical to managing the coming technology and learning to "integrate it into the educational framework" or moving aside and letting the "technological revolution" pass by. (Tunison, 2004, p7) Either way, educational technology is not to be ignored and it cannot be allowed to manage itself.

Fundamentally speaking, much of education is unchanged from long past. The methods that have been used were for the most part appropriate for the subject at hand. A perception might be that, if the concepts to be learned have not changed then a change in teaching method is not necessary. However, even if some of the concepts have not changed, the application context as well as the learners' context has. While computers have entered the educational environment they often have been simple substitutes for other tools that already exist and are in place; tools such as blackboards, books, etc. What this means is that the process of learning remains unchanged when new uses for the available technology are not fully utilized.

Educational reform is necessary if we are going to meet the needs of our students. If our culture has developed electronic media, animation, etc. then that is the context through which we must reach our students.

The changes that must be made can make some educators uneasy. The learning paradigm must shift from the teacher as dispenser of knowledge to the student as active learner. Tunison cites Fullan (2001) in an identification of "three broad phases to the change process." The phases are identified as "initiation, implementation, and institutionalization"

Initiation involves some entity proposing directional change. Sometimes students ask for change and sometimes groups of teachers, administrators, and parents form committees to begin a planning process for technological integration.

Institutionalization includes the perception of importance. One might say this is the stage of "damage control." Clear policies, well trained teachers and administrators, and a supportive school board are crucial in this stage. It is important in this stage to record relevant data regarding the program for analysis. What was well planned and conceived may still have "bugs" to work out. The analysis of the data can assist in the "tweaking" of the program.

Educators must be aware of the importance of technology in the educational environment and be prepared to integrate it. Technology is extensive in our contemporary culture and reaching our students must involve meeting their needs in the world they know. We may, in fact, reach more students and perhaps stem the tide of dropouts.

In her article, "What Students Want to Learn About Computers" Judith O'Donnell Dooling, has informed the reader that students, parents, and administrators have specific preferences with regard to computer technology.

Over time, the importance of computers and related technology has been realized. However, while spending for computers has risen, some schools have not been as successful in identifying specific computer skills and its power as a tool of learning and teaching.

Student responses were varied. Many reported that they began learning about computers at an early age, usually from a more experienced person. Some students, especially in grades four through seven thought learning independently was the most enjoyable.

Interestingly, students of both genders reported that they had a reasonable confidence in their computer abilities, but some differences in perception were evident. To a degree girls, but primarily boys, thought that computers were too technical for girls.

The experience students had prior to school, the teacher, and computer access had a significant effect on student computer learning. Even if they, at home, had seen the computer more as a toy, they began to see them more as a tool in the school setting. They recognized the importance and power of the computer as their exposure increased.

Perhaps unlike other subjects students learn in school, students exchanged computer tips, recommended hardware and software, and generally discussed the subject of computers during their lunchtime and recess.

The students also saw the importance of computer knowledge as it related to its use in the workplace after their school experiences. They observed that, no matter where you work, you would be using computers to some degree.

The teachers expressed the concern that not all shared the same proficiency. Many mentioned that often the students knew more than the teacher did. Teachers also observed that, though the students had a great deal of computer knowledge, it was often limited to games and software. Another observation was that computer curriculums vary greatly school to school.

Teachers expressed that computer knowledge needs to be relevant. That is, it needs to be applied across the curriculum and used as an integral tool of learning. All agreed that the role of teacher needs redefinition and adequate professional development provided to facilitate the needed change.

In conclusion, we have seen that computer technology in the educational setting is essential for learning in contemporary society. Selecting, planning, and implementing must be done with great care to avoid waste and potential incompatibility with the goals of the educational institution. School leaders must be convinced that paradigm shift is not an option; that teachers and students must assume new roles, and their support for new ideas is essential.

We must also be able to meet students where they are. Our culture has created systems of technology to which students are accustomed. To continue teaching in an antiquated fashion does our students a disservice, especially if we are to prepare them for the workforce following their education. We must also be aware of teacher and student preferences if we are to expect them to fully utilize the new resources.

References

McArthur, D. (2004). Investing in Digital Resources. In J. Hirschbuhl & D. Bishop (Eds.), Computers in education (11th ed., pp. 2 - 6). Guilford, CT: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin. (Reprinted from Investing in Digital Resources. New Directions for Higher Education, (2002), pp. 77 - 84).

Tunison, S. (2004) Herding Elephants: Coping with the Technological Revolution in our Schools. In J. Hirschbuhl & D. Bishop (Eds.), Computers in education (11th ed., pp. 7 - 12). Guilford, CT: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin. (Reprinted from Herding Elephants: Coping with the Technological Revolution in our Schools. Journal of Educational Thought, (2002), pp. 167 - 181).

Dooling, J.O. (2004) What Students Want to Learn About Computers. In J. Hirschbuhl & D. Bishop (Eds.), Computers in education (11th ed., pp. 18 - 21). Guilford, CT: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin. (Reprinted from What Students Want to Learn About Computers. Educational Leadership, (2000), pp. 20 - 24).

Fullan, M. (2001) The new meaning of educational change (3rd Ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

Electric Broadband - Promising Technology For Rural Areas

High-speed Internet seamless access is the expectation of recent technology trends. While many of the technologies like High Speed Internet Access (HSPA), Wireless Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) & Long Term evolution (LTE) are promising and meeting the expectations appropriately, 'Digital Divide' still exists when penetrating to the rural areas in a seamless and the cost effective way.

The solution to the above situation is having a way of channeling the broadband internet on the electricity supply so that networking is carried out on power mains. Distribution of internet data on the power lines is called as HomePlug or Broadband over Power lines (BPL).

Electric Broadband!, is an innovation in the recent technology trends. This technology is certainly encouraging and infrastructure cost effective model to offer broadband at high speed internet access - having penetration even into the rural areas since every home in the world is served by power lines.

INTRODUCTION

Realizing how the Communications landscape is changing rapidly since the inception of Internet, Broadband Internet, as known to everyone, is a data transmission mechanism over high bandwidth channels through cables or over the air. Wireline broadband is called Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) and Wireless Broadband technologies emerging are Mobile WiMAX and Advanced LTE. However, all these technologies require much infrastructure costs to cater the needs of the general public. Hence they are mostly limited to the urban areas and the digital divide is prevailing still by internet not reaching to the masses even at rural geographies.

WHAT IS ELECTRIC BROADBAND?

On the contrary to the technology barriers, new innovative technology called 'Electric Broadband' is on the way to reach even the rural areas with NO much infrastructure costs to carry the Internet data over relatively medium/high frequency electric signals. Usually Broadband uses low-frequency electric signals to carry ordinary phone calls and higher-frequency signals to carry Internet data as we see in the ADSL technology. Electronic filters separate the two kinds of signal, with the low frequencies going to your telephone and the higher frequencies to your Internet modem. The principle behind Electric Broadband technology is fairly simple - because electricity routes over just the low-frequency portions of power lines, data packets can be streamed over higher frequencies.

HOW ELECTRIC BROADBAND WORKS?

Key technical concept for the data transmission of the Electric Broadband technology is devised on the fundamental concepts of Radio Frequency (RF) energy bundled on the same line that carries electric current. Since the RF and electricity vibrate on different frequencies, there will be no interference between the two and also the packets transmitted over RF are not lost due to the electrical current. Electric Broadband system consumes only a part of the complete power grid. Usually electricity power generating plants carries to transmit power to substations which then distribute the current using high-voltage transmission lines of 155K to 765K volts and these are not relevant for packet or RF transmission. Solution for the Electric Broadband technology is to bypass the substations and high-voltage wires and concentrate on the medium-voltage transmission lines which typically carries around 7,200 volts and then the transformers convert the electrical current to 240 volts - where the electrical current supplied to the households. Putting in simpler words, standard fiber optic lines are specifically designed for Internet transmissions are going to be used to carry data. These fiber optic lines will be connected to medium-voltage lines. Repeaters are installed at these junction points to repeat the data and boost the strength of the transmission. Couplers or specialized devices are also going to be installed at the transformers to provide a data link around these. After that, the digital data will be carried down the 240-volt line that connects to the residential or office building's electrical outlets which become the final distribution point for the data.

At this juncture, the residents and the enterprises have two options for Internet connectivity. They can get wireless transmitters that will wirelessly receive the signal and send the data on to computer stations or they can get Broadband over Power Lines modems for data filtering -the Electric Broadband will screen out power line noise and let only data through - then send the data onwards to the stations. The wireless transmitter or the Electric Broadband modem can transmit the signal to end-users or computer stations wirelessly (which may require WLAN-capable devices) or through wires (which require computers connected to the data transmitter or Electric Broadband over modem Ethernet cables.

TECHNOLOGY BENEFITS & BUSINESS CASE

Electricity being the widely spread across the global landscape including the rural areas, electric broadband is going to be a penetrating technology to reach the rural areas and breaking the digital divide in the communication space.

Many benefits can be foreseen by the deployment of this technology. It is affordable because, it uses existing electrical wiring and outlets to avoid expensive data cabling pulls-save up to 75% of the infrastructure spend. It is very convenient for the end-users since every electric outlet in every room becomes Internet-enabled. Very easy to use as no software is necessary, simply "plug and play." Technology is reliable unlike wireless solutions that suffer from hit-and-miss service coverage and moreover provides the solutions for universal coverage operating a data transmission speeds of up to 6 million bits per second connectivity.

One of the best business cases will be - Power Grid Management Solution which will become very effective after realizing this Electric Broadband technology. Utilities are able to manage their systems better by having the data streamed to them on the power lines. Because this has such a benefit relating directly to the management of electricity there remains a high likelihood of electric utilities investing more money into Electric Broadband. Being able to monitor the electricity grid over the power grid network will create a virtual workforce with many less man hours needed.

TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES

While this technology has many advantages, there are some challenges as well. RF Interference is the most serious challenge that this technology is currently impacted with. It is facing opposition from ham operators (Amateur Radio) and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) who are concerned that Electric Broadband technology will reduce the number of radio frequencies available for ham and short-wave radio operators and that RF transmission over unshielded medium-voltage lines will cause interference with already-assigned frequencies. One another challenge is the considerable delays happening in the technology standards ratification. Transmission standards for Electric Broadband technology is emerging and yet to see draft versions released. This is further hampering efforts to have the technology adapted by more Service Providers.

CONCLUSION

On a final note, Electric Broadband is at least 2 years away from now. However, from the Google research in vendors involved, Electric Broadband is already happening to the tune of about $10 million annually. Since the technology serves a much larger audience than any of its competing technologies. With that kind of potential, it should be able to sustain a growth rate of two to three times that of either cable or telephone companies.

Venkat Annadata,
Sr. Technical Architect,
Tech Mahindra Ltd,
Bangalore, INDIA

Study In India: The Advantages of Indian Systems of Global Education

India is well known for its diversity in languages, cultures, traditions, flora fauna, and geographical disparities. Being one of the oldest civilizations, India is acknowledged for its significant contributions to the knowledge world. Since ancient times it has proved its excellence in the field of academics. India has nourished many talents in fields like Mathematics, Physics, Economics, Astronomy, Management and Finance over years. In ancient times many foreign travelers traveled to India to enrich their knowledge and education. Ancient university of Nalanda has its golden history of enriching scholars from several corners of the globe during the period of Buddha and Mahavir timing 6th century BC. Prudent education system has its roots back to many centuries in the history of India.

The present education system in India is mostly influenced by the British system of education. Under the influence of British colonialism the modern Indian education system has prospered with systematic approach. In the post-independence era there have been significant reforms in the Indian system of education to make the standards distinct and widely adaptable. In 21st century independent India is roaring as an economical superpower with its fast growing economy, industrialization and globalization. There are numerous world-class educational Institutions exist in India. The standards of education are at par with the top-notched institutions of the world. Even there are institutions which are regarded as the most preferred in their respective majors.

In the mean while India has developed holistic system of education catering for the comprehensive development of an individual. From time immortal there exist an essence of emotional bonding between the student and the teacher in Indian system of education. Out of many structures of education provided in India the "Gurukul" system of education has proven its excellence over others. In the recent years this system of education is being adopted by many frontline educational institutions for attaining superior outcomes.

There are numerous vanguard institutions like Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Delhi University (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Symbiosis International, Xavier's Institute, TATA Institute are present and excelling in India. They have proven their standards on the global platform. India provides its scholars wide choices for individually preferred field of excellence. With world-class facility campus equipped with latest technologies, Indian educational establishments provide its students life time opportunity of education and curricula development. With affordable and qualitative educational system, Indian educational establishments stand apart from its competitive counterparts.

Technically speaking India offers top of the standards facility to experiment and learn so as to develop the creative side of personality. Indian education system emphasizes on creating personalities rather than preparing workaholic machines. The value education has enriched Indian system of education with every facet of life for joyful learning. This is the rationale behind creating global leaders with marvelous potential. Indian is transforming itself as global hub for business process outsourcing. With its relatively low man-hour overheads it is attracting global investors with fair opportunities for futuristic investments. The international exposure of Indian economy has opened up many doors for foreign direct investments. To meet this demand of technical man-force, educational systems in India are continuously devising strategies to provide best of the quality education to its students.

As the cost of education in India is relatively low as compared to the other developed countries, it has gathered wider acceptance from students around world. The opportunities are plenty and this invites people around the globe to explore their share. The future of Indian education system is focusing more on knowledge economy. This provides abundant resources for exposure and experience for any student to learn through a state of rapid changing economy stage.

The options for study in India are widely diversified with wide presence of broad range of choices for education. You can choose to study on campus, off campus, on distance and correspondence learning modes. The flexibility of education system allows virtually everybody to ascertain their scope of education at any level. Moreover you have a friendly atmosphere while thinking of study in India. India is a country with varied of educational standards spread across its length and breadth. Sovereign Government of India facilitates the intermingling of cross-cultural relationships. With all theses distinct advantages, India is adopted as the numéro une choice of education.

Whether you are an Indian or a foreigner, India has unique opportunities in terms of quality and value added education with state-of-the-art infrastructures and veteran faculties for each one of you. This facilitates the person in you to transpose in to a globally acclaimed citizen.

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The Fracture of American Education

A "fracture" is defined as the separation of an object into two or more parts because of being under stress. Today, the American education system is under extreme stress, as it is attacked from the right for being too expensive, from the left as not holding teachers accountable, and from the business community, as not providing the graduate students industry needs. This stress is splitting education into two groups of students and educators; haves and have nots.

After World War Two, the United States recognized the need to educate all its citizens. The technological advances of the war made it clear that the future would require massive numbers of well- educated and technologically sophisticated workers. Finding such as these were also supported by reports from the American Society of Engineering Education which was appointed in May 1952 to study this problem and produced the groundbreaking report, "Summary of the Report on Evaluation of Engineering Education" known as the Grinter report. The age of atomic energy would require larger numbers of trained employees in engineering sciences.

The result of reports such as this was the opening of university doors to increasing number of Americans. The United States in nineteen fifties and sixties became the shining beacon of educational success to the world. Yet, today as the country enters the 21st century and a new era of technological advancement, we begin to see those doors closing. In the name of fiscal responsibility, conservative administrations around the country are balancing budgets by drastically reducing, or in many cases eliminating areas of education and technology. This year, the state of Florida will take $1.75 billion from its educational budget for grades K through 12, and additional significant amounts from its colleges. In states all across the country educational systems are under extreme stress, not to do more with less, but to do something with nothing.

At a time when the country desperately needs well trained and well educated workers, we are removing the very institutions that can provide them. In the years that I have been involved in education in this country, never have I seen such drastic cuts. This stress is creating two particular classes a people within our society, those who have the funds to seek education, and those are being denied access to education because of these cuts. Even as these administrations begin to reduce funding four educational systems throughout the country, the president of United States begins to list all the virtues and needs of having a better educated society to remain competitive in this technological world. These two forces are moving in opposite directions to each other and creating the very stresses that will break our system into two competing camps of haves and have-nots.

The poor, minorities, disenfranchised, will be forever locked out of the system because of economics', and declining opportunity as schools reduce instructors and become more selective in the types of students that they take in an effort to meet the requirements imposed by governments in these tight fiscal times. Already in states such as Michigan there is discussion underway to close half of the public school systems of the state in order to meet fiscal stability. With moves such as these it will not be long before we have seen the establishment of a permanent underclass that will be forever denied education. But this is not the only stress on the educational systems in this country. Teachers find themselves under attack by the very government that is extolling the needs for more educated populace.

In contrast to conservative interest, the Federal Department Education has begun to create its own stress on the educational system as it changes the requirements for instructors and for educational institutions that hire those instructors. In 2011 there'll be rule changes governing a significant sector of the educational systems in this country called "gainful employment". These regulations will require institutions to ensure that students graduating from their programs reach a certain level of heat up within the first two years after graduation, or risk losing their Federal funding to result of this is the institutions will eliminate many programs that have been having difficulty placing students into full-time positions in the numbers the department of education requires.

This also means that these same institutions have begun to shift away from hiring the most capable of teachers, to a posture of hiring the most educated instructors. In the last year I have often battled with institutions of this type concerning education for security professionals. Often, the most qualified person to teach a course in criminal justice will be a police officer. But, these individuals will often lack the upper level degrees institutions now seek to meet the guidelines of the department of education. This increase in the educational requirements is felt to be a theoretical way of guaranteeing that the programs will have the best educated person for the instructors, so the students will be better prepared.

This of course means that instructors that are police officers with years of experience in the field and highly qualified will be excluded from these positions because they lack upper level degrees, such as the master's degree and the Ph.D... This process will create any delete structure for college professors that, we upgrade the radical training, but lacked practical application, and experience. Strangely, one of the forces most active in creating this particular stress on the educational system is that portion of society which benefits the most, the private sector.

As the cost of educating professionals and employees in this country has risen, private industry has begun to look to foreign countries for qualified professionals to satisfy their job needs. A process of outsourcing has become a statement of fact for American business. As a result, the number of students applying for technological education in United States is on the decline, while competition for education in engineering and technology in countries such as China and India is on the increase. A prime example of this is the nation of Japan, which was once considered the technological rival of United States.

Today Japan's growing society is having trouble finding qualified employees to do the technological jobs that countries industries need. In the last half decade, Japan has been forced to import engineers, technicians, and scientist from India and China because it cannot graduate enough to meet the needs of its country. We're already beginning to see the development of a similar pattern in this country.

In the sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties, United States attracted far more students to universities here for advanced training than any other country in the world. In the last several years that process has begun to reverse. Students no longer see the United States as the mecca for education that it once was. As this process accelerates it will be easier to find cheaper professional labor in foreign countries for lesser salaries. As Jacob Kirkegaard wrote in his book, "The Accelerating Decline in America's High-Skilled Workforce: Implications for Immigration Policy,"

".... American skill levels have stagnated and struggled to make the global top 10. As baby boomers retire, the United States risks losing these skills altogether. In response, the United States should address high-skilled immigration in its broader foreign economic policies in an attempt to remain a global leader in the face of accelerating global economic "

Will this policy ultimately be the stressor that drives America to a two tier education system? Will we truly become a nation of haves, and have not's?

A New Science of Mind and Society?

The reader will not here meet with any of those bold flights which seem to characterize the works of the present age... these generally arise from the mind's collecting all its powers to view only one side of the subject, while it leaves the other unobserved.

Charles De Montesquieu, The Spirit of Laws (1748)

Introduction

This article proposes a restructuring of science in a manner that would enhance human health, happiness, and evolution toward a more intelligently adaptive and creative global society. A method of reuniting scientific and spiritual values is described, and a general plan is suggested for making the transition to a syntropic science that would avert the crises anticipated to occur in the 21st century as a result of both technological evolution and the impact of human civilization on the Earth's biosphere.

In the December 2011 Scientific American, "Ten World Changing Ideas" were featured. The tenth idea was described and discussed by David Weinberger in an article entitled "The Machine That Would Predict the Future." Weinberger is a Senior Research Scientist at the Harvard Berkman Center and a Co-Director of the Harvard Library Lab. He is also the author of Too Big to Know (2012).

"The Machine" in question is actually a computing system being developed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich under the leadership of Dirk Helbing. Several universities and research institutions around the world support the project, and it was once considered the top choice to receive a €1 billion research grant from the European Union. Weinberger's article, however, was subtly critical and may have influenced the EU's ultimate decision to give the award instead to two other projects, one of them being the Human Brain Project (EU) which is designed to reverse engineer the entire human brain. Henry Markham leads this project in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Scientific American's own brief synopsis of the Weinberger article reads as follows: 

1. "Researchers plan to build a computing system that would model the entire world to predict the future.
2. The project would be powered by the enormous data streams now available to researchers.
3. Yet models are not perfect: many researchers think they will never be able to capture the world's complexities.
4. A better knowledge machine may arise out of Web-like principles such as interconnection and argument."

Weinberger's article is an excellent discussion of the problems associated with understanding and modeling large complex systems, and I am using it here as starting point from which to present a proposal for a New Science.

Weinberger asserts, correctly I believe, that we don't have (a) a coherent theory of social behavior upon which to build a coherent social science. I will suggest one. He refers to (b) an exponential rise in difficulties when trying to understand all the layers in a complex system. I will suggest a basis for triage. He mentions (c) natural limits to models of complexity imposed by "two hallmarks of unpredictability: black swans and chaos theory." I offer an approach to working with unpredictability. He describes (d) a tension between "a central organization taking charge" and "'a data commons' that anyone can make use of." This is a well-known and resolvable system problem. Weinberger poses issues with regard to (e) a definition of knowledge. I have an opinion here, too. Lastly, he points to (f) a version of the uncertainty principle in social models that alter the behavior of the system as it's being modeled. I love the challenge.

Why a New Science?

Science can be an expensive activity, and scientists are sometimes accused of wasting money on trivial pursuits. Perhaps there are better ways to organize our quest for knowledge.

Science has long been put into service to defend particular political entities and their sometimes aggressive campaigns. It may be time to evolve past that.

When not put to use in support of religious organizations and movements, science is a fundamentally secular activity that is agnostic with regard to religious beliefs. Science, we should remember, was once a captivating new method of exploring and understanding the nature of reality.

As such, it was regarded with great suspicion by religious authorities. Following the trials of Galileo and Bruno, the French philosopher, René Descartes, rescued both science and religion by establishing the theoretical basis for a territorial divide: the Church would rule over the domain of the soul. Science would be free to explore the body, and by extension, the material Universe. It would surrender Universal Purpose, leaving that to the gods.

This artificial distinction worked for a long time, but like many compromises that satisfy temporal interests, it led eventually to some unhealthy situations. Most organized, monotheistic religions became increasingly dependent on a totalizing revealed truth and faith. The strength of faith-based religions lies ultimately in their unifying Absolute Value, i.e., God, an unchangeable value that is held to be more important than life itself and yet, it promises eternal life. If you doubt this, how would you explain the behavior of the Mayor of Greencastle, Indiana, in 1972, when he stormed out of a Sunday school class saying, "I would rather see my son die than have him treated by a doctor who is a Communist." Was this not Abraham proving to us that one's belief in God is more important than life itself?

Science, on the other hand, deprives us of dedication to such a value. It seems to be saying to us that truth is the ultimate value, yet it denies saying so, asserting that human values are outside the purview of science, and the truth is never fully known. To the extent that human values are studied by science, it is done from a position of neutrality.

In consequence, science became dominated by a variety of paradigms of analytic reductionism, narrowly-focused experimentation, null hypotheses; double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over studies; a Big Bang leading to Universal Entropy, classical Newtonian theory, Einsteinian Relativity, quantum mechanics, scientific modeling (always incomplete), and the concept of evolution by natural selection which led at times to popular fixations on "selfish genes," "social Darwinism," and eugenics. In the modern, secular world, we are bereft of the soothing attachment to an Absolute Value that includes the oxymoronic promise of "life after death," a charismatic promise that survives by stilling the rational mind.

Yet in the faith-based societies, for example in the Republic of Maldives, everything seems clear, and the goal seems worthy of total dedication. In secular societies, it seems everything is tinged with skepticism, doubt, instability, and the potential for fragmentation. Secular societies, in particular, tend toward changing polarities of central vs. peripheral control, inequalities of wealth, and nationalism vs. either irredentism or globalism. Therein lies both the strength and the weakness of a civilization based on democratic freedoms, an openness to all ideas on the one hand, and on the other, to its corresponding struggles, especially, the various emulations of authoritarianism and libertarianism springing from within the undecided, the quasi-democratic context.

The ideology of science, still the best method for ascertaining truth within a limited domain, plays no small role in creating the alleged clash of civilizations that now distracts humanity from its core values relating to and derived from survival.

The need for a re-orientation of science, political economy, and secular education is clear and urgent.

We can preserve the best in science, philosophy, and faith-based spirituality by showing how they converge in a manner analogous to the concept, not surprisingly, of convergent evolution. They converge, because their underlying logic takes them step-by-step, via natural selection, toward a more adaptively and creatively form of intelligent organization.

Fundamental to this convergence is the concept of the Absolute Value. There has always been an unspoken Absolute Value, we will argue, that is intrinsic to both science and secular philosophy. It is this: The survival of human life and its ongoing evolution toward greater levels of adaptive and creative intelligence-made necessary by a constantly changing Universe-is an Absolute Value to humans-and to all living and lifelike systems.

OK, we already know this. We know we want to live, to breathe, feel, be healthy and happy. It's so simple, and it's not news to say we want to survive. Yet we are not-as individuals, large groups, or as a species-acting as though we were fully conscious of the fact that being alive, loving and being loved, experiencing well-being, and enjoying happiness is what is most important to us. We have become distracted from our central purpose, our primary organizing principle.

Every complex, lifelike system is organized around an Absolute Value, a Universal Goal: X is Absolute if no-X equals no other values. Thus if X equals Life, the absence of X means no-Life, and if there is no Life there are no values held by Life. Likewise, if there are no human lives, there are no human values. The same logic applies to faith in God. If there is no God, there are no God-based values. If there is no God but a belief in God there will be beliefs and values attributed to a God that doesn't exist.

We can prove that human lives exist, but there is no proof that God exists except alleged proofs from human assertions that have not stood the test of logic. The point here, however, is that the evidence from the evolution of the concept of God and that from the evolution of Life itself is that both are evolving toward an Ideal that is a fundamental and natural organizing principle in all intelligent, complex, and adaptive information-processing systems.

The faith-based Ideal and the secular Ideal are essentially identical but for one major difference: the faith-based, "revealed" Ideal is believed to exist in a timeless spiritual realm whereas the secular Ideal is projected into a future material realm that can be approached but never fully realized. The difference between a spiritual realm and a never realized material realm? They are both an Ideal. The difference lies in the method of reaching for the Ideal.

Neither the faith-based nor the secular community should be criticized for their choice. The secular Ideal is just an extension of the spiritual ideal. The spiritual Ideal came first-when life was simpler and the material extensions of human abilities were limited. The least expensive way to bring people into a community with a better chance of surviving was to spread a belief system. Nothing but shared faith was needed to pursue its development and protect it.

Now we have many material extensions of our knowledge and abilities that can make us feel invulnerable behind the curtains that we draw between us. Only relatively recently, and perhaps too late, have we discovered the forces that make us all equally vulnerable and subject to dissolution by the material means we thought would save ourselves from each other.

But we're not sure that it's too late, and we can't take the chance of giving up. The important thing now is to recognize that having an Absolute Value as a conscious goal changes everything. It is an evolutionary necessity that can potentially bring enough of us together in time to save all of us.

Adherents to both the spiritual and secular Ideals should be commended for their choice, so long as their attachment to their values promotes an ongoing evolution toward ever greater adaptive and creative intelligence. That has been the obvious choice, up to now, of the creator God, the reincarnation-based religions and philosophies, and the secular approach to living longer in state of well-being and happiness.

There are such minor differences as cancer cures, organ transplants, treatments that stop epidemics, and longevity extended to a much greater degree than existed before the rise to global acceptance of scientifically-based preventive and curative medicine, but for the faithful these are also the ways of God. And just as God's existence can't be proved, so too we cannot prove God's inexistence.

Belief in God remains a powerful force in human affairs, and many human problems cannot be resolved without the support and cooperation of both faith-based and secular communities. The New Science, if it is to be based on the consciously promoted goal of survival and the healthy evolution of Life, must promote respect and cooperation between the two types of community by pointing out that, ultimately, our two types of Absolute Value are structured as nearly identical Ideals.

Even the methods of secular and faith-based decision-making on a daily basis are converging over time with both methods being increasingly employed and reinforcing one another. From a religious perspective, it can be argued that if a creator God created Life and us in particular then we ought to respect God's decisions-insofar as they are actually "known" and understood.

The Value of a Consciously Selected Secular Absolute

What might be the benefit to humans of having a secular [Absolute] Value? For one thing, it can be a unifying force in relation to conflicting streams of history and culture. An Absolute Value provides a unifying compass in Life, something that gives direction and the perception of a deep meaning to individuals, societies, cultures, and civilizations.

The West and its Enlightenment values are currently seen from the perspective of some cultures as void of any sense of an ultimate purpose in Life. This is threatening to those civilizations that base themselves on service to an all-defining Absolute Value.

The West has also been criticized, not without some justification, for veering toward a mindless consumerism and an existential ennui that derives from it's having an anti-teleological stance in relation to human and spiritual values.

This materialist focus is seen as destroying the Earth's natural environment for future generations as well as leading to an aggressive expansionism that in the past heartlessly disrupted the lives and cultures of more traditional peoples. The balance among peoples, nature, and meaningfulness is thus seen as seriously disturbed even as the wonders of science and technology amaze and seduce the human personality, drawing us out of our environment of natural selection into a strange new world that seems to have lost its bearings. We are seen within our own technological communities as an evolution toward a "singularity" beyond which we will neither understand the decisions of cyborgs nor those of AI machines nor the relevance of any human future. Is this the end result of Enlightenment thinking?

We don't think it is. So let us very briefly outline the history and future of the human race as we envision it from the syntropic perspective. The evidence indicates we came into being in Africa, migrated in waves out into the rest of the world, evolved different races and cultures in relatively isolated ecosystems, flourished and expanded. The human family is now growing back together. However, at the present stage we are still engaged in tribal-like divisions, mutual misunderstandings, and violent conflicts that debilitate and actually make us an endangered species despite the obvious successes and present vitality of modern human societies. The conditions that now threaten all of us require that we begin to think in new ways, but we've been slow to let go of the old ways.

Thus two of the reasons for proposing a New Science are (1) to further the establishment of peaceful connections among the peoples of the world, and (2) re-establish an ongoing balance between our whole species and the natural environment that sustains us.

Thirdly, we are too slowly waking up to the issue of a human trend toward extinction via an unintended self-destruction by those very means that are lifting us further up and away from our early Garden of Eden, an environment that has been characterized as paradisical but may have actually been filled with lives that were poor, nasty, brutal, and short.

A fourth justification for establishing a New Science is that numerous studies have shown that humans are healthier and happier when we have a sense of purpose, when our lives are meaningful in relation to something larger than ourselves, when we share values with others, and when we stimulate, challenge, and are eventually rewarded by success at what we do.

Fifth, a branch of science devoted primarily to military defense and offense in the modern world is more than just wasteful. It is necessary as long as we are divided into sovereign nation-states, but it is based on a logic whose end result is genocide or self-extinction-the ultimate bad ideas.

Sixth, the technology that now exists, or that will very soon exist, enables a new science of complex systems.

Simultaneously, the Internet, together with increasing inequalities, racism, and ethnocentrism, is producing a regressive, retribalization of the "forgotten people" that need jobs and a sense of purpose. Currently we are fostering isolated, sometimes vastly overcrowded communities based on values and misrepresentations of facts that keep Special Interests happy-while the overall trend is antithetical to authentic democracy.

We need new methods for re-integration of isolated belief systems within carefully authenticated democratic decision-making processes that the vast majority of peoples can believe in and support. New ideas and technologies can not only help with that, they can transform the game, but the ultimate solution-for machines as well as for people-is faith in a Universal Value that encourages an ever greater adaptive and creative intelligence.

End of Part One.

Getting Started in Science Writing

Science writing is one of the most exciting niches in journalism--science writers get to travel, meet intelligent and interesting people and report on new developments from the dramatic and groundbreaking to the quirky and peculiar. Science writers may specialize in one of the traditional natural and physical sciences--biology, geology, physics, and chemistry--or write about anthropology, archeology, medicine and health, engineering, space and planetary science, mathematics or the environment.

Breaking into the science writing field can be daunting due to the scarcity of mid- to low-range markets, but the field is rewarding. You don't have to have a science background to be a successful science writer. John McPhee, famous for his lyrical geology articles in The New Yorker (some of which are collected in the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Annals of the Former World), studied English, not geology. If you do have a science background, that can help you, but overcoming your training to use technical language may be an obstacle.

Education

While almost every writers' organization seems to offer travel writing courses, science writing courses are rare. Health and medical writing courses are most commonly taught, but colleges and universities occasionally offer more general science or environmental writing courses. Be sure to look carefully at the instructor's publications before deciding whether to take the course. Seminars on science, environmental and medical writing are sometimes offered at regional or national conferences. These courses and seminars can be a great introduction to the field or help you polish your skills.

Some science writers, particularly those aiming at a staff position, may find a graduate degree is the way to go. Graduate degrees are expensive, however, so consider your options carefully. Some respected science and medical writing graduate programs are offered at MIT, Columbia, University of California--Santa Cruz and Boston University.

Professional Organizations

Several professional organizations provide networking opportunities and resources for science writers. Many offer discounted student membership, and some resources are available to nonmembers.

• National Association of Science Writers
• American Medical Writers Association
• Society of Environmental Journalism

Joining local and regional organizations can also be a great way to network.

Read All About It

In addition to the basic freelance writing books, these books for science writers provide more specific information about everything from finding stories and markets to tips for conveying complex technical information clearly.

Ideas Into Words: Mastering the Craft of Science Writing, by Elise Hancock (2003)

This slim book leans more towards craft than marketing, and provides a solid and enjoyable introduction to how to write about science.

A Field Guide for Science Writers (1st ed.), eds. Deborah Blum and Mary Knudson (out of print)
A Field Guide for Science Writers (2nd ed.), eds. Deborah Blum, Mary Knudson and Robin Marantz Henig
These two editions have very different content, and both are a mine of information for the aspiring science writer. They cover different markets and types of writing in detail, with contributions from leading science writers.

Finding Markets

Everyone knows about the big general science magazines like Discover and National Geographic, which are prestigious and pay well, but are also hard to break into. Mid-range specialized magazines like Archaeology and Astronomy may be better targets for some, but they don't have equivalents in all science disciplines.

Fortunately, many magazines accept science stories with the right angle. A forestry magazine might be interested in an article on how a study on bird ecology impacts forest management. Alumni magazines frequently publish articles about science by professors or alumni of the institution. Ecotravel is a booming trend frequently covered by travel magazines.

Don't discount other ways to make ends meet--writing about science for nonprofit organizations, private labs, and businesses is the bread and butter of many science writers, if less glamorous than being a staff writer for Discover.

Break In!

As with any other writing niche, science writers can break in with good, timely writing and perseverance. So research those markets, start sending queries and don't give up!

Melissa Barton is a freelance writer and editor, specializing in science and travel writing. She's written about science and health for magazines like Geotimes, Student Health 101, the Colorado College Alumni Bulletin and for nonprofit and government organizations. Visit her online at Rosetta Stones Freelancing ([http://www.rosettastones.net]).

Information Technology in the Agriculture Business

As the world was preparing to enter the 19th century, a middle-aged man called Eli Whitney invented something that revolutionized the agriculture business forever. Whitney is credited with inventing the cotton gin, a mechanical apparatus that made the cleaning of cotton vastly easier to do. Before the invention of the cotton, people had to manually separate cotton lint from cotton seeds, a task that took hours. Consequently, cotton production was very low. No-one saw the point of growing cotton because it took ages to process. The cotton gin changed all that. Eli Whitney probably did not see the historical significance of what he did but today we can attest to the fact that the invention of the cotton gin changed the landscape of the agriculture business and even had socioeconomic impacts on things like slavery and public prosperity.

Since then the world has seen technological innovation after innovation completely transform the business world, even in the world of agriculture. The assembly line changed the way products were manufactured. Advancements in automobile technology changed work habits, the nature of jobs and even lifestyles. All these technological advancements made their impact in the world of agriculture as well, even the innovations that were not directly applicable to farming, livestock handling and other agricultural processes. Take, for example, developments into the automobile industry and in mechanical engineering in general. Today's largest and most productive farms are planted, maintained and harvested by massive combines that combine the best of automobile engineering, mechanics and even robotics. Similarly, many large farms have adopted the assembly line model to increase their yields and integrate themselves better into the supply chains through which their produce eventually gets sold.

In the last century, however, the one technological revolution that has the potential to revamp the agricultural world much like the cotton gin did is information technology. It is applied in force in many farming operations around the world, particularly in the United States, but people in the agriculture business have only discovered the tip of the ice-berg, so to speak, when it comes to information technology true potential. Intelligent harvesting, for example, that makes use of process control machines to streamline the harvesting process is on the cards. Information technology is also helping farmers make informed, well-based decisions concerning what crops to plant and what variants of these crops to choose. Farmers, particularly those in the American Midwest, that have thousands of hectares of farmland invest in multi-million dollar combines that use GPS, several onboard computers and advanced robotics to harvest a field in a fraction of the time it would have taken before and with a fraction of the workforce it would have required. The result is more efficient farming, better quality farm produce and cheaper prices for the consumer. What is particularly exciting to people in the agriculture business is that the wave of innovation that information technology has brought about is only just getting started. Industry experts hope to see many more innovative revamps of agricultural processes in the decades to come.