ATLANTA, Oct. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The advent of new personal computing devices with more memory and greater capabilities means that the workplace computer and the home personal computer will morph into a single device, transforming the workplace yet again and underscoring the continued blurring of lines between work and personal lifestyles.

The trend toward Bring Your Own Technology or "BYOT" are among the findings by CoreNet Global, an association of corporate real estate executives which earlier this year released Corporate Real Estate 2020, a forward-looking study of corporate workplace and real estate trends.

The implications of sharing personal and business computing in a single device include physical and electronic security measures, saving corporate expenses, and varying real estate space allocations.

CoreNet Global's research findings also predict that the power and speed of personal digital devices will eventually make cloud computing obsolete.

By the next decade, information technology (IT) support budgets could decrease by as much as 40 percent, according to the study, as IT provisioning of individuals becomes the responsibility of the employee.

Additionally, another major contributor to BYOT into the corporate workplace will be the accelerated growth of the "contingent" and contract work force expected to comprise up to 60 percent of many organizations in terms of total overall employee headcount by the year 2020.

"Companies will just assume an employee has that device and that it can run any applications, so I don't see why a company wouldn't just have an app that you load onto your personal PC, or iPad, or tablet, or whatever it is. Then, you just access their world through your application," said one corporate executive who participated in the study conducted over the course of 10 months between August 2011 and May 2012.

However, barriers to the adoption of BYOT will remain in the form of security, particularly relevant to the world financial institutions, for whom keeping too much information in the cloud becomes an unnecessary risk.

Still that challenge will give rise in the short term to the development of new and high-tech forms of electronic security, including biometric security.

"BYOT is not quite wearable yet and it's not quite biometric, however, I think that's coming in the next several years in the near very near term future," the same executive commented in the study.

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Corporate Real Estate 2020: Companies Will Adopt "Bring Your Own Technology" Practices for Employees as Workplace ...

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amobee, the company defining mobile advertising, and Personal Argentina, a leading mobile operator in Argentina, today announce their partnership to bring relevant mobile advertising inventory to large advertisers and brands using Amobee's leading-edge mobile advertising platform, Amobee PULSE for Publishers.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120125/SF41724LOGO-a)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121024/SF98971LOGO)

Amobee PULSE for Publishers is the most comprehensive, configurable and secure mobile advertising platform and was designed from the ground up to help large operators and publishers monetize their direct and remnant mobile advertising inventory. With PULSE for Publishers, Personal Argentina is able to serve the most relevant and contextual ads and efficiently manage large mobile ad campaigns. The platform's sophisticated, robust analytics and support for innovative ad formats, like rich media, enables Personal Argentina to offer brands the ability to reach consumers with the most engaging, effective mobile ads.

"For Personal Argentina, the Amobee alliance represents a great opportunity to further strengthen our leadership in the mobile entertainment development and continues adding value to our services," said Ignacio Nores, Marketing Director of Personal Argentina.

"We are proud to partner with Personal Argentina to enable them to be a leader in mobile advertising," said Trevor Healy, CEO of Amobee. "Leading operators like Personal Argentina are in a unique position to fuel the mobile advertising market and gain substantial ROI by serving relevant and engaging mobile ads for large advertisers and brands."

About Personal Argentina

Personal Argentina is thelargest company of mobile communications of Argentina with more than 18,7 million customers. "Each person is a world" is the concept that leverages their business strategy and promotesdiversity as a universal value. Personal Argentina offers services and flexible supplies thatcome together to harness the experience of mobile connectivity for each customer, adaptingitself totheir lifestyles. Personal began operations in 1996 and its shareholder is Telecom Argentina S.A.For additional information http://www.personal.com.ar/

About Amobee[amobee], the company defining mobile advertising, offers comprehensive, end-to-end mobile advertising solutions and services for advertisers, publishers and operators worldwide. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, with offices in Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America and throughout the United States, [amobee] enables its large customers to run targeted, leading edge mobile ad campaigns on a global scale with unparalleled ROI. [amobee] is a division of SingTel's Digital L!fe Group, which is focused on creating new digital growth engines to delight customers and disrupt adjacent industries. [amobee] was declared the winner of the "Mobile Marketing & Advertising Agency of the Year" award at the 17th Annual Global Mobile Awards, held at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Amobee was selected for its sustained leadership, creativity, innovation and success in mobile advertising, successfully spearheading growth, adoption and evolution of this fast-growing industry.

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Personal Argentina and Amobee Join Forces in Mobile Advertising

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

borro, the leading online personal asset lender, today announced it has raised $32 million in funding through Octopus Investments (Octopus). borro, which has seen significant growth over the last three years by offering its clients unrivaled speed, ease and pricing, will use the new funding line to meet customer demand for Personal Asset Lending in the US and the UK.

borro has disrupted the mainstream pawn broking and auction industries by creating a liquidity marketplace for luxury personal assets. Launched in the UK in 2008 and in the US in January 2012, borro has defined a new category of lending - Personal Asset Lending - in the process. With an average loan value of $10,000, borro focuses on providing liquidity from luxury personal assets such as watches, jewelry, prestige and classic cars, fine art and antiques.

Octopus, one of the UK's leading specialist investment management companies, first financed borros UK loan book in 2011. The new facility builds on Octopus existing relationship with borro and the growing demand for personal asset backed lending in the US and the UK.

Paul Aitken, CEO and Founder of borro, said: This new funding line represents the confidence the market has in our business, and marks the next development in our relationship with Octopus Investments. It is another exciting step for borro, and will allow us to meet the demand from clients for our unique lending proposition, therefore maximizing our opportunity to become the leading global online liquidity marketplace for luxury personal assets. We have invested heavily in our US and UK businesses with a recent equity injection ($26 million) from a US led venture capital consortium, and in Octopus Investments we have a very important partnership that provides a significant new lending capacity to meet demand for our lending.

Hugh Costello, Investment Manager at Octopus, commented: We have been working with borros management team for the last 18 months and we continue to be impressed by borro's product, its business model and the team. There is significant growth potential within this area of specialist lending and borro is rapidly asserting itself as the market leader in the personal asset backed lending sector.

borro is in a strong position to grow in the US and UK and it is a well-capitalized business. Its recent round of equity fundraising ($26 million) is a testament to the confidence its investors have in its operational focus and loan book management. We look forward to continuing to support the business as it enters its next stage of development.

This latest funding line brings borros financing activities to $58 million in the last two weeks. borro recently announced a $26 million fundraising round from a venture capital consortium led by tech investment giant, Canaan Partners, a global venture capital firm with over $3 billion under management. Ribbit Capital also invested in the round, and previous investors Augmentum Capital, Eden Ventures, and Rockridge participated as well. The investment accelerates rapid growth in both the US and UK markets for borro.

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borro Secures $32M in Funding through Octopus Investments

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- OppenheimerFunds, Inc., a leading investment manager, today announced the launch of the CEO Advisor Institute, a cutting-edge business management and personal development structure. This name reflects the dual responsibilities of financial advisors to manage their practices like a world class CEO and deliver meaningful and insightful guidance as a trusted advisor.

The Institute, led by 25-year industry veteran Paul Blease, was developed in collaboration with Duke Corporate Education. Mr. Blease joined OppenheimerFunds in December 2011 as Director of the CEO Advisor Institute.

"The single greatest challenge facing financial advisors today can be captured in a single word, complexity. In the last two decades we've seen an explosion of new investment products and services, a proliferation of new technologies, and an unprecedented confluence of political, economic and financial challenges," said Mr. Blease. "The CEO Advisor Institute helps advisers manage their sophisticated practices, and deliver meaningful advice and extraordinary service in order to separate themselves from the competition."

The CEO Advisor Institute offers a unique combination of business management, personal and professional development content and investment thought leadership. The curriculum is designed to enhance the ability of financial advisors and their teams to address the complex challenges facing their wealthiest clients. According to a 2011 study conducted by Cerulli Associates1, practice management was the second most requested resource from financial advisors. The program combines right brain creativity with left brain analytics skills world class CEOs regularly deploy.

"OppenheimerFunds is committed to delivering a consultative platform to help advisors achieve their business goals," said John McDonough, Director of National Sales. "To demonstrate that commitment, we have changed the formal titles of our sales force to Senior Advisor Consultants and Regional Advisor Consultants."

The program consists of three components: keynote presentational content, a multimedia web-based support structure and more than 100 OppenheimerFunds consultants trained by Mr. Blease and Duke Corporate Education2. Our current library consists of the following three modules:

OppenheimerFunds' field force has been immersed in CEO Solution, the internal component of the CEO Advisor Institute, for more than two years, in preparation for delivering a consultative platform for advisors while continuing to provide excellent product and investment insight. CEO Solution received a "2011 Learning in Practice" award from Chief Learning Officer3 magazine.

"Internally, the CEO Solution has taught OppenheimerFunds to leverage whole-brain skills and competencies to deepen relationships with advisors, provide significantly greater value to clients and deliver OppenheimerFunds' promise of high-conviction, active investment management and sophisticated distribution and service," said Mr. McDonough.

For additional information about the CEO Advisor Institute, visit the Financial Advisor Center on OppenheimerFunds website.

About OppenheimerFunds, Inc.OppenheimerFunds, Inc. is one of the nation's largest and most respected investment management companies. As of September 30, 2012, OppenheimerFunds, Inc., including subsidiaries, managed more than $186.4 billion in assets. The Company and its divisions and subsidiaries offer a broad range of products and services to individuals, corporations and institutions, including mutual funds, separately managed accounts, qualified retirement plans and sub-advisory investment management services.

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OppenheimerFunds Launches CEO Advisor Institute to Help Financial Advisors Manage Growing Complexity and Commoditization

Local personal development center focuses on building self esteem in the community through the Powerful Words Character Development program and promotion with the assistance of Route 72 Systems.

Pleasantville, NY (PRWEB) October 21, 2012

Self Esteem Defined: What is it, what we say and think about ourselves.

Self Esteem & Our Abilities: Talent, effort and outcome.

Self Esteem and Comparisons: Body, mind, skills and strengths.

Self Esteem Friends & Family: The people who we want to surround us.

"People with strong self esteem regard themselves highly and feel good about who they are. In order for children, teens, and adults to thrive in school, business, and life, they must see themselves and their contributions as worthwhile." says Dr. Robyn Silverman, Kapatid Martial Arts child & adolescent expert, and creator of the Powerful Words Character Development system used at the facility.

Patrick Consing, owner of Kapatid Martial Arts says, "We all know that Self Esteem is crucial to the success and safety of our kids. With all of the negative attention that bullying is drawing, it's vital that our young people develop strong self esteem to be able to successfully navigate their school age years and beyond. We realize that this character trait will help them succeed in all areas of their lives and we're honored to help them hone it. I enjoy seeing our community recognized as a place with Powerful Character, and seeing our students lead the way! As this community's premier Powerful Personal Development Center, we take this responsibility very seriously. We're thrilled to help our students and our community to thrive and succeed, and Self Esteem month is going to help us to do just that."

Consing has helped thousands of kids, teens, and adults to embrace a positive and healthy lifestyle. With the assistance of Route 72 Systems, whose experience in email marketing and online marketing strategies spans over 15 years, Kapatid Martial Arts can capitalize on the online market. With the use of additional services such as Auto Appender (http://autoappender.com), the company has the ability to provide more value to the community as a whole.

Jim Alamia Route 72 Systems, Internet Marketing 877-726-8695 Email Information

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Pleasantville Personal Development Center Goal Is Building Self Esteem In The Community

THE FIRST TIME we see Freddie Quell, the dipsomaniac drifter sex-fiend cult-devotee hero of Paul Thomas Andersons new film The Master, hes peering out over the bow of a ship. All we see of him are his eyes and forehead, shadowed by the brim of a combat helmet. Its just a flash. We dont know what hes looking at or what hes about to face, whether hes about to land on an enemy shoreline or go off on leave, just that its wartime in the Pacific. But whatever happens to Freddie in the war certainly leaves a mark. The next time we see him hes on a beach and clearly strung out, chopping coconuts with a machete like he has a mind to lop off his own hand. He celebrates V-J day by drinking ethanol out of torpedo engines. While the other sailors wrestle, Freddie simulates sex with a woman sculpted out of sand and masturbates into the surf. Back home, he flunks out of an early version of PTSD screening by claiming every Rorschach blot hes shown is either a cock or a pussy or a cock going into a pussy. At this point we start to wonder, why are we following this creep around? Wasnt this supposed to be a movie about Scientology?

The Master is P.T. Andersons sixth film. Over the past 16 years, hes put together a body of work that has made him stand out as one of a handful of bona fide American auteurs directors with a discernible vision, a recognizable visual style, and a commitment to the medium as an art form. Beginning with Hard Eight in 1996, hes made a suite of films in an array of genres and moods: a perfectly executed noir short story, a sprawling Altmanesque group portrait, a haphazard (and to my mind, somewhat curdled) paean to chance, a slim, darkly funny novella, and a return to the DeMille-Griffith fire and brimstone epic. All of them are held together by a fascination with a place (Southern California) and certain types of character (obsessed loners, orphaned children, surrogate fathers). Of all of these, The Master is his strangest and most elusive work. Hard Eight and Punch Drunk Love were genre pieces, however off-kilter. Boogie Nights is an exquisite ensemble piece, but its hardly mysterious. Magnolia and There Will Be Blood were driven by clear, if sometimes overly schematic, clashes. The Master is harder to characterize. Its a play on film history, an unresolved love story, a statement about conformity and rebellion. Above all its a struggle between two characters and two epochs, a duet in which nothing resolves or comes to a conclusion. Its as wide-open and complex a masterpiece, and as ambiguous and puzzling a film as has appeared in America since David Lynchs Mulholland Drive or Todd Hayness Safe.

Freddie is what sticks with you as you leave the theater. Hes like Robert De Niros characters in Mean Streets and Raging Bull as long as hes on screen you cant relax because something might happen to him, or he might do something terrible to someone else. You feel like youve gotten too close to his mania and his tics and you want to push him out. If youve ever been crazy, or known someone who is, you also recognize the terrible energy, like black electricity, which threatens to consume him and which he works so hard to deaden and contain. But even as Freddie is the most surprising and indelible thing about the film, the question remains: What is he doing here?

The answer has something to do with Freddies deep unease, the way he seems at odds and out-of-joint with his surroundings and the times. With his painfully hunched shoulders and a battered, deeply-lined face, he looks like an evolutionary throwback, an australopithecine John Garfield dropped off on the savannahs of a new continent. As played by Joaquin Phoenix, Freddie has the demeanor of a wounded animal. Tight spaces make him uncomfortable. Time and again, Anderson frames him in enclosures a chicken wire shack, a ships hold that make him visibly unhinged. Behind bars in actual prison, Freddie is a complete maniac. When he speaks he keeps his lips pressed together, talking out of the corner of his mouth like a stroke victim. And the damage extends to what he says: hes barely able to articulate a thought or access a memory. Though a creature of appetite, with a constant need for sex and drink, he doesnt have much success with women. Hes a wizard with booze, however a moonshine alchemist who can synthesize rotgut out of whatever happens to be at hand, whether its paint thinner or Lysol. Its this talent that ultimately wins him a place in a provisional community aboard the Masters yacht.

Early in the movie theres a striking interlude when hes working as a department store photographer. His suit looks like it may, at any second, strangle him. His job is to take stiff, formal portraits of ordinary American families. Theyre the visual equivalent of the new Levittowns springing up all over the country. In a beautiful, fluid sequence, scored to Ella Fitzgeralds rendition of Get Thee Behind Me Satan, he seduces (or is he seduced by?) an in-store model, but he passes out when they go to dinner. The following day, he assaults a fat businessman whos come to have his picture taken. Next, he turns up in a California cabbage field, a migrant farm worker. Before long, he accidentally poisons the patriarch of a laborer family and has to take off, running through the plowed fields pursued by a vengeful mob. On the run, he ends up at the North Bay docks. An exquisite gliding shot captures Freddie shambling in the foreground while a group of well-dressed revelers dance on the deck in the background. He stows away, passes out, and has his flask stolen. The next morning begins his involvement with The Cause.

From this moment, The Master becomes the story of the relationship between these two vastly different men. Its a story of initiation and servitude, and its a strange kind of love story, a wary dance between two figures who clearly stand for more than themselves. Lancaster Dodd, the self-styled master of the title, is a pompous charmer in charge of his own religion, called, prosaically enough, The Cause. Its a small-time cult with big-money donors, which promises its adherents a cure for all mental handicaps and certain forms of leukemia, as well as an end to nuclear war. Dodd has an enormous sense of his own importance. In his own words, hes a writer, a doctor, a nuclear physicist, a theoretical philosopher but above all I am a man. Hes a genial charlatan and a barely restrained bully, but hes also an immensely charismatic, frivolous, joyful presence. Dodd is a drinker and a gadabout, a blowhard and a fraud, a giddy charlatan and a theater ham. More than once, he leads his disciples in a satyr dance, and he draws Freddie to him with a giddy wedding toast about taming dragons until they roll over.

If Phoenixs Freddie descends from the early performances of DeNiro and Brando, Philip Seymour Hoffmans Dodd is Orson Welles, especially the self-consciously theatrical show-off of the later years, the man behind the curtain from Mr. Arkadin and the bogus magician of F is for Fake. You get the sense that if he didnt hold the keys to the last 60 trillion years of human spiritual existence, Dodd would have been a brilliant magician, as Welles was during the war years, when he was staging magic shows for the troops with Marlene Dietrich for an assistant, sawing Rita Hayworth in half every night while dreaming of running for president. And remember that, with the radio broadcast The War of the Worlds, Welles created, however briefly, his own moment of extraterrestrial awe and terror. But Anderson doesnt just call up Welles the magician; The Master also draws on the noir Welles, the Welles of impossible and dangerous desires. Sly references to Lady From Shanghai tumble throughout the film. Theres the initial stowaway sequence and the voyage on the Alethea from San Francisco to New York, the exact reverse of the course taken by Welless Michael OHara in Lady. Then theres the backstory with Freddies would-be child bride, whom he leaves to be an oiler on a merchant marine cruise to Shanghai. And finally, theres the song. In their final meeting, just as he is about to banish Freddie for good, Dodd sings him, Id like to Get You on a Slow Boat to China, in a low, steady voice, as if it were a lullaby or a plea. Its a shocking moment, at once comic, absurd, and tragically sexy one of the sexiest things Ive seen on screen in years. For these two, Shanghai is a ways off from Welless wickedest city in the world. Its their territory ahead, the dream space of their imaginary, infinitely displaced union.

Of course, on a more direct level, Dodds character and appearance are clearly modeled on L. Ron Hubbard, down to the self-description as a theoretical physicist. His movement, The Cause, strongly resembles the early version of Scientology, the one that became an overnight sensation thanks to the success of Dianetics. With some scrambling and compression of chronology, many of the events of Hubbards life are in The Master as well the sojourn on the boat, the refuge with wealthy patrons, the embezzlement, the party congress in Phoenix, the retreat to England are all based on fact, with the exception that the real story of Hubbards rise was much weirder and more sordid, featuring multiple divorces, a kidnapping, fraud charges, conspiracy theories, and a cabal of well heeled Southern California necromancers.

So what draws Dodd to Freddie and Freddie to Dodd? They have a strange sort of partnership. Dodd has his processing techniques and Freddie has his secret varnish-cocktail recipe. Literally and figuratively, they spend the movie drinking each others moonshine. More than that, an obvious erotic current runs between the two, especially from Dodd to Freddie. They wrestle and lock eyes. In his own life, Dodd is clearly under the thumb (and sexually, the hand) of his wife Peggy, played by the superb if underused Amy Adams, a fanatical believer in the movement and a jealous guardian of her husbands prestige. Maybe as recompense, Dodd enjoys having someone to dominate on his own. At times Freddies his disciple, at others, something closer to a slave. Hes also a science project, a lump of proletarian clay on which to test Dodds theories. For much of the middle portion of the film, Dodd treats Freddie like a savage pet, and seems to relish having such an animal at his command. Hes the violent id to his silken superego. He calls him naughty boy and dog, but at the same time clearly relishes the violence Freddie is willing to do in his name.

But the attraction between Freddie and Dodd has less to do with violence and control than with therapy, and with secrets. In return for his devotion, Dodd is able to give Freddie some kind of relief, which isnt that far from pain. The armys psychotherapy bounces off Freddie completely, but Dodd manages to open him up. In the movies most powerful scene, Dodd casually offers him a session of informal processing below decks. He forces Freddie to keep his eyes open without blinking, while answering a series of questions that go to the root of his shame and fear, his history of incest, alcoholism, family insanity. As he answers, the veins pop out of his face, a scene accompanied by extreme, almost sexual exertion. His past flows out of him, like a boil thats been lanced. Its a scene of incredible intensity, like watching a real life exorcism or someone speaking in tongues. But however effective this treatment is in the short term, it doesnt last, and at a deeper level Freddie never really succumbs to the appeal of The Cause.

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Is “The Master” a retelling of “The Tempest”?

The US state of Minnesota has backed away from a policy that would have banned providers of free web-based higher education from offering courses to its residents.

Last week, El Reg reported that online education startup Coursera was forced to add a clause to its terms of service forbidding Minnesotans from taking its courses, after that state's Office of Higher Education warned it that Coursera's activities violated Minnesota's consumer protection laws.

The only way to continue to offer its courses to Minnesota residents, Coursera was reportedly told, was for each of its 33 university partners to register to offer educational services within the state, at a cost of $1,200 per year plus an initial fee.

On Monday, however, Larry Pogemiller, director of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, was in full spin-control mode.

"Obviously, our office encourages lifelong learning and wants Minnesotans to take advantage of educational materials available on the Internet, particularly if they're free," Pogemiller said in a statement emailed to The Register.

Previously, Minnesota officials had made the case that the state's registration law applied equally to online and brick-and-mortar institutions, regardless of whether they charged for their courses.

The idea of the law is to protect Minnesotans from wasting their money or even their time on low-quality degree programs. But although Coursera offers high-quality course materials developed by top universities worldwide, it neither charges for its courses nor offers credits toward degrees.

In his statement, Pogemiller acknowledged that the company's innovative model made it a new kind of educational resource not envisioned by Minnesota's decades-old law. As such, he said, the Office of Higher Education had no plans to take action against either Coursera or its users.

"No Minnesotan should hesitate to take advantage of free, online offerings from Coursera," Pogemiller wrote.

As far as we know, only Coursera has butted heads with Minnesota over its registration law thus far. Other online-learning startups, such as edX and Udacity, have not reported similar troubles. But the issue may soon be moot, as Pogemiller says the law is due for a refresh.

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Minnesota backpedals from online education ban

The Global Autism Project offers convenient continuing education online lessons to behavior analysts in the U.S. and abroad. Access them at globalautismproject.org.

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 24, 2012

ABA remains the only evidence-based treatment for autism spectrum disorder. It is often recommended that these services be delivered by professionals with board certification in behavior analysis. This certification requires coursework and supervision, along with continuing education after certification is given.

Given these factors, the demand for behavior analysis is increasing. With the rise in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder, along with changes in insurance law, finding the time to attend conferences can be a challenge. "I know that as a working mom, it was nearly impossible for me," says Global Autism Project Clinical Director Ann Beirne, "Even when we do find the time, finding new and exciting continuing education courses can be difficult."

The Global Autism Project would like to announce that the benefit of their experience is now available to anyone seeking to maintain board certification in behavior analysis as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA). These courses are available completely online and can be taken anytime after purchase, allowing professionals the flexibility to fulfill their continuing education requirements without taking time from their work. The first of their course offerings, Cultural Sensitivity and Evidence Based Practice has been well received and is now required of our global volunteer program (SkillCorps) team members.

Whether you are seeking to maintain certification, expand your skills, or simply learn more about services for individuals with autism spectrum disorder around the world, these courses offer a unique perspective. To access them, simply go to the courses page.

Molly Pinney Molly Ola Pinney (718) 764-8226 Email Information

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Global Autism Projects Announces Online Continuing Education Units

While Minnesota Office of Higher Education banned its residents from using Coursera, a free online college course provider, Boston University students said online education adds a new dimension to learning that is possible with current technology.

The online environment can be very good for more thoughtful communications, more reflecting and interactive communications, said School of Education professor David Whittier.

Coursera offers about 200 courses in topics including business, humanities, medicine, biology and computer science, all online and free of charge. However, taking these online courses does not result in a degree from a university.

Coursera was banned in Minnesota because it never had permission to operate there from the state government, according to Courseras website.

Although online learning adds to the educational experience, Whittier said it is no replacement for classroom learning.

When you meet together in a classroom with people, there is an exchange of energy between people, he said. By having a hybrid learning experience, you can try to capture the advantages of both forms.

Online forums provide information exchange and document repository for reflective discussions, Whittier said. The classroom allows students and teachers to build social intelligence and interpersonal interactions.

Some students said they support online courses and learning for its valuable flexibility and accessibility.

A lot of adults in higher education, if they work, need some alternate to day classes in classrooms, said Erin Robinson, a School of Social Work graduate student.

Some members of the BU community also said taking online courses, such as those offered by Coursera, is helpful for students who want to academically branch out.

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Minn. ruling highlights online classes

Free online education platform Coursera says they are education for everyone. But after a decision by one U.S. state, they may have to throw an almost into that motto.

In a truly baffling display of governmental ignorance, the state of Minnesota has outlawed Coursera. Yes, the state of Minnesota has outlawed free, online education. As The Chronicle of Higher Education reports it, the ban cites a decades-old law that forces educational institutions to get permission from the state before they begin operating there.

A spokesperson for Minnesotas Office of Higher Education defended the declaration by saying,

This has been a longtime requirement in Minnesota (at least 20 years) and applies to online and brick-and-mortar postsecondary institutions that offer instruction to Minnesota residents as part of our overall responsibility to provide consumer protection for students.

From Courseras standpoint, the Minnesota law focuses on degree-granting programs which Coursera is not. Of course, a decades-old law would not have been able to foresee free, online education providers but it begs the questions: Why would the state expand the scope of the law to include them?

Adding to the odd nature of the decision, its entirely unclear how the state plans to enforce the new law. And its also unclear whether the state has included other similar online education services like edX and Udacity in its ban.

Either way, Coursera has done their part to inform Minnesota residents of the decree. Theyve posted this in their terms:

Coursera has been informed by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education that under Minnesota Statutes (136A.61 to 136A.71), a university cannot offer online courses to Minnesota residents unless the university has received authorization from the State of Minnesota to do so. If you are a resident of Minnesota, you agree that either (1) you will not take courses on Coursera, or (2) for each class that you take, the majority of work you do for the class will be done from outside the State of Minnesota.

Sorry, Minnesotans who wish to expand their knowledge. Im sure you can find everything you need to know on Facebook.

Coursera was launched earlier this year by computer science professors from Stanford University. As of today, knowledge-seekers can access 198 different courses in 18 different categories ranging from biology to business & management, from economics to engineering. Coursera currently boasts 33 University partners.

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Minnesota Gets Tough on the Enemy That Is Free, Online Education