Touring Oklahoma

Another great new product from CIMC!
(Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center)

Touring Oklahoma provides students with an opportunity to explore careers in the Hospitality & Tourism cluster within the context of Oklahoma events, attractions, and places of interest. This curriculum also helps students to become more aware of marketing opportunities for destinations in specific regions of the state.

Students will:
Develop an appreciation for and promote pride in Oklahoma.
Gain knowledge of tourism themes and destinations in Oklahoma.
Explore careers in the hospitality and tourism industry in Oklahoma.
Compare economic opportunities in different regions of Oklahoma.
Develop a tourism marketing plan for a designated region of the state.

CIMC is offering unit 4, "Touring Frontier Country," as a free sample to download. Follow the link to preview the free sample and then contact our customer service department at 800.654.4502 to place your order.

Remember, "Touring Oklahoma" isn't just for students. Order a copy for yourself or give it as a present. Learn more about the great state of Oklahoma! JT

Do You Know Who All of Your Examinees Are?

Study Confirms Widespread Cheating on Job Exams
Secret investigation discovers 'proxy test takers' prevalent

By Kevin Baron and Alan Wirzbicki
Globe Correspondents / July 22, 2008

WASHINGTON - A secret international investigation into job certification test fraud conducted by a major US technology company has confirmed long-held suspicions that thousands of people worldwide are cheating on certification exams for coveted jobs.

Cisco Systems Inc., the Silicon Valley firm behind some of the world's biggest computer networks, and Pearson VUE, one of the world's largest test administrators, recently conducted a trial run of an anticheating system intended to identify and crack down on "proxy test takers," people who impersonate others to take exams for them.

Officials at Cisco and Pearson VUE told The Boston Globe this week that during an eight-month span ended in June 2008, they monitored hundreds of thousands of exams given in eight countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Cisco said it had confirmed that one in 200 of those exams was taken by a proxy, and not the actual enrollee.

Randall T. Trask, a vice president at Pearson VUE which administers some of Cisco's tests, said he suspected the numbers were "the tip of the iceberg" because they only measured a limited number of one company's tests. Cisco's exams are given in 4,400 test centers in more than 160 countries, according to Pearson VUE's website.

In many white-collar fields, certification tests have taken on growing significance as a prerequisite for many well-paying jobs and proof that employees are maintaining their skills. In the highly competitive technology industry, surveys have shown that technicians with enough certifications can add up to $35,000 to their annual salary........

As always, click on the title if you want to read the entire article AND if you don't know who an examinee is...just ask to see a photo I.D.!

Star Trek in the Classroom???

Smart Desks Make Sci-fi A Reality In The Classroom

ScienceDaily (Sep. 19, 2008) — Schools are set for a Star Trek make-over thanks to the development of the world's first interactive classroom by experts at Durham University.

Researchers at the Technology-Enhanced Learning Research Group (TEL) are designing new learning environments using interactive multi-touch desks that look and act like a large version of an Apple iPhone.

The team observed how students and teachers interact in classes and how Information Communications Technology (ICT) could improve collaboration. They then set about designing an interactive classroom solution called 'SynergyNet' to reflect TEL's aims of achieving active student engagement and learning by sharing, problem-solving and creating.

The team has linked up with manufacturers to design software, and desks that recognize multiple touches on the desktop, using vision systems that can see infrared light....

(Follow this link to see a demonstration)

Click on the title to read the rest of the article. And believe it or not, there were no Priceline advertisements from Captain Kirk!

Passport to Financial Literacy Act

Can you meet the requirements of the Passport to Financial Literacy Act?

The CareerTech Testing Center and CIMC can help! This legislation requires instruction in financial literacy for all students in Oklahoma, beginning with those who start 7th grade in the 2008-09 academic year.

The CareerTech Testing Center has developed skills standards and a test that address these requirements and CIMC (Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center) now offers "Life Skills: Financial Literacy Skills" that addresses all 14 content areas listed in the recently passed legislation.

Follow the links to view the skills standards and to preview curriculum samples. Then contact our customer service department at 800.654.4502 to order your curriculum.

And don't forget our test!

2008 Testing Liaison Policies and Procedures

Do you ever wonder what factors affect the testing environment or what to do if someone cheats? Then check out the 2008 Testing Liaison Policies and Procedures.

Are you a new testing liaison? Or would you like to brush up on your testing knowledge? Try our new Testing Liaison Training and see what you know about policies, security, and other important information related to administering competency assessments.

See what's new at the CareerTech Testing Center!

J.T.