Group items tagged

"The groundwork for machine learning was laid down in the middle of last century. But increasingly powerful computers - harnessed to algorithms refined over the past decade - are driving an explosion of applications in everything from medical physics to materials, as Marric Stephens discovers When your bank calls to ask about a suspiciously large purchase made on your credit card at a strange time, it's unlikely that a kindly member of staff has personally been combing through your account. Instead, it's more likely that a machine has learned what sort of behaviours to associate with criminal activity - and that it's spotted something unexpected on your statement. Silently and efficiently, the bank's computer has been using algorithms to watch over your account for signs of theft. Monitoring credit cards in this way is an example of "machine learning" - the process by which a computer system, trained on a given set of examples, develops the ability to perform a task flexibly and autonomously. As a subset of the more general field of artificial intelligence (AI), machine-learning techniques can be applied wherever there are large and complex data sets that can be mined for associations between inputs and outputs. In the case of your bank, the algorithm will have analysed a vast pool of both legitimate and illegitimate transactions to produce an output ("suspected fraud") from a given input ("high-value order placed at 3 a.m."). But machine learning isn't just used in finance. It's being applied in many other fields too, from healthcare and transport to the criminal-justice system. Indeed, Ge Wang - a biomedical engineer from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the US who is one of those pioneering its use in medical imaging - believes that when it comes to machine learning, we're on the cusp of a revolution."

Identity theft is where criminals obtain personal information such as your date of birth, bank account numbers, your mother's maiden name, your pet's name and so on. These personal details are often used as questions by companies for you to prove who you are over the telephone. So, if the thief can answer these questions there is a good chance they will succeed in impersonating you. This is bad news, as they could purchase things in your name, take out loans, even take money from your accounts!  

"Imagine if we taught pilots to fly without ever letting them in a cockpit. Or gave them the keys to a commercial airplane without the required hours-or years-of hands on training and practice. Sure, we'd show them plenty of PowerPoint presentations and make them sit through a few seminars on the theory and physics of flight, but then we'd slap on a graduation cap and let them take off into the big blue sky. Not only would it likely be ineffective, it would be borderline criminal. Yet when it comes to professional development for classroom teachers, that's almost exactly what we do. Most professional development opportunities for educators are still lecture style - telling, showing, and explaining how something can be done. And when the 'learning' is finished, we push teachers onto the runway with a cabin full of students and wish them luck. Predictably, many crash and burn."

US info

" Learn the secrets to great leadership practices, and get immediate and practical solutions that address your needs. More Permissions ASCD respects intellectual property rights and adheres to the laws governing them. Learn more about our permissions policy and submit your request online. Policies and Requests Translations Rights Books in Translation Home Current Issue Archives Buy Contact Read Abstract Online June 2014 | Volume 71 Making a Difference Pages 16-21 Overcoming the Challenges of Poverty Julie Landsman Here are 15 things educators can do to make our schools and classrooms places where students thrive. Last year, when I was leading a staff development session with teachers at a high-poverty elementary school, a teacher described how one of her kindergarten students had drifted off to sleep at his seat-at 8:00 a.m. She had knelt down next to the child and began talking loudly in his ear, urging him to wake up. As if to ascertain that she'd done what was best for this boy, she turned to the rest of us and said, "We are a 'no excuses' school, right?" A fellow teacher who also lived in the part of Minneapolis where this school was located and knew the students well, asked, "Did you know Samuel has been homeless for a while now? Last night, there was a party at the place where he stays. He couldn't go to bed until four in the morning." I couldn't help but think that if the "no excuses" philosophy a school follows interferes with basic human compassion for high-needs kids, the staff needs to rethink how they are doing things. Maybe they could set up a couple of cots for homeless students in the office to give them an hour or two of sleep; this would yield more participation than shouting at children as they struggle to stay awake. This isn't the first time I've heard of adults viewing low-income children as "the problem" rather than trying to understand their lives. In a radio interview I heard, a teenage girl in New O

"The Internet is an amazing resource for people of all ages. A solid awareness of Information Fluency coupled with a sense of good digital citizenship will keep any Web user on the straight and narrow. But what about beginners? What are the best basic Internet safety rules we can give to young ones who are venturing into cyberspace on their maiden voyage? That's what this infographic from Pumpic focuses on. It features 10 timeless and trusty Internet safety rules for kids exploring online for the first time. While we here at the GDCF don't believe that the Web is strictly a dark place for cyber-criminals that act in shadow, we still encourage everyone to recognize that some online perils exist. A good dose of common sense goes a long way in keeping us safe online. The Internet safety rules in this infographic are ones that not only kids can benefit from, but that all of us can. The folks at Pumpic seem to agree: "Our infographic with 10 guiding principles aims to ensure your child is both safe and responsible online. The Internet needn't be a dangerous place if treated with caution and respect.""

Blog post about Computer Capers site, a part of the Buddy Project - http://www.buddyproject.org/default.asp