Education a Priority in West Virginia

West Virginia Education Portal Recognized Twice for Innovation in National Competitions

Monday September 22, 12:56 pm ET
Link to Article

CHARLESTON, W.Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The recently unveiled West Virginia Education portal (http://www.education.wv.gov) has been declared one of the best education Websites in the nation by the Centers for Digital Government and Education. The new portal was presented the 2008 Best of Web Special Award and the 2008 Digital Education Achievement Award based on its innovative approach to integrating more than 900 education resources into one centralized starting point located within the state’s official Website, http://www.wv.gov.

“We were very pleased to finally see a state develop a comprehensive education component into their overall state Website strategy,” said Cathilea Robinett, Executive Director of the Center for Digital Government. “The West Virginia Education Portal takes the right approach to providing diverse online education resources to West Virginia’s citizens.”

The Best of Web Awards and Digital Education Achievement Awards are national programs that recognize outstanding agency and department Websites and applications that enhance information interactions, transactions, and services. The awards were presented by the Centers for Digital Government and Education, which are national research and advisory institutes on information technology policies and best practices in government and education, during the 21st Century Jobs Cabinet meeting on September 19 in Charleston.

“West Virginia is the first state in the nation to develop a centralized online resource for families to seamlessly access the numerous educational offerings in the state,” said First Lady Gayle Manchin. “These awards highlight the commitment of the state of West Virginia to improving the educational opportunities for our citizens and educators.”

The education portal is the result of the work of the 21st Century Jobs Cabinet, which was formed in 2006 to promote a seamless education system that connects every level of education from early childhood to graduate study. It encompasses job training and lifelong learning to both support and enhance West Virginia's job creation and economic development efforts.

The West Virginia Education Portal was built without using taxpayer dollars by leveraging an innovative public-private partnership between the state and West Virginia Interactive, a Charleston-based subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC (NASDAQ: EGOV - News). Additional services are slated to be released in the upcoming months that will further streamline citizen access to government services and save taxpayer dollars.

About WV.gov

WV.gov is the official Website of the state of West Virginia (http://www.wv.gov) and is the result of an innovative public-private partnership between the state and West Virginia Interactive. West Virginia Interactive works with government agencies to build and manage interactive online services and is a subsidiary of eGovernment firm NIC.

About NIC

NIC manages more eGovernment services than any provider in the world. The company helps government communicate more effectively with citizens and businesses by putting essential services online. NIC provides eGovernment solutions for 2,900 state and local agencies that serve more than 70 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.nicusa.com.

Contact:
The Office of Governor Joe Manchin
Lara Ramsburg, 304-558-2000
Communications Director
or
WV.gov
Peter Fairhurst, 304-414-0265 ext. 103
General Manager

High Gas Prices...

...aren't all bad. Trust me, I am no cheerleader for paying $4.09/gallon (the current price for regular unleaded here in CRW), nor am I a cheerleader for where some of this money we're paying goes. But, there are positive things that can come from this major and often difficult shift in everyone's budget.

Time Magazine illustrates the half-full perspective in the ever-emptying glass of gas we've been sucking down. My favorite line from the article's introduction (emphasis mine):

...it's also true that Americans are finding options where there seemed to be none. They're ready to change — and waiting for their infrastructure to catch up.

One thing I have often thought since fuel prices began rising at such a rapid rate: I would love to see the United States implement a rail system comparable to that of Europe's. A network of high-speed, cross-country trains would be awesome.

Anyway, without further ado, here's the article:

10 Things You Can Like About $4 Gas (via)

I would like to add one more item to the list: Hopefully this means seeing fewer and fewer douchebags driving Hummers.



The cost of filling my Honda CR-V in May 2008.

While I'm on the subject, I'm reminded of some billboards I saw a couple weeks ago on my drive to Alabama. There were several of them along the Interstate during the eastern Tennessee leg of the trip. They were very simple; dark gray with the Exxon/Mobil logo and the following line of text in a slightly lighter shade of gray: "We're Drivers Too."



We're just like all y'all sorry suckers!

My initial reaction? It's condescending. It's passive-aggressive. It doesn't make me feel any better about skyrocketing gas prices. The Time article above helps shine a positive light on the topic, but Exxon/Mobil's new little tagline just... grates.

2008 BFI Contest Winner Has a Vision for Appalachia

Comprehensive Design for a Carbon Neutral World: The Challenge of Appalachia
submitted by Dr. John Todd

"The Comprehensive Design for a Carbon Neutral World project sets forth a revolutionary concept for the design of an entirely new economic model for a region that has been despoiled by extractive industries. Dr. Todd’s vision is inextricably bound to a set of highly advanced ecological design principles that he developed. Appropriately, they reflect not only deep understanding of biological systems, but also the best creative intelligence and cultural wisdom spanning the centuries. These principles are the fruit of Dr. Todd’s decades-long practice developing technologies around the world that build healthy symbiotic relationships between nature’s living systems and modern human needs."

via challenge.bfi.org

This is the first year the Buckminster Fuller Institute has held this challenge. Being that I have a strong affinity for ol' Bucky-- I was first introduced to him when I was on the Academic Decathlon team in high school and we studied some of his works for our Super Quiz (themed Habitat Earth)-- and that I am living in the heart of Appalachia now, trying to absorb as much as I can about this region and the issues it faces, it's really cool to me that the first winner of the first challenge's concept focuses on Appalachia and the mining industry here. The concept, however, can be scaled to eventually benefit energy production and the environment on a global level.



To visually connect the dots of concepts and actions like the one Dr. John Todd submitted to the BFI challenge, check out this photo gallery I stumbled across while writing this entry. From the photo gallery's introduction page: ...with its images of the destructive power of industry juxtaposed against the quiet lives of the region's residents, is sobering, poignant, and powerful.

On Coal and Appalachia by Daniel Shea

New State Website User Friendly

From Metro News:

05/28/2008

The state of West Virginia has a new website with the goal of making it simpler to learn about state government.

Department of Administration spokeswoman Diane Holley says wv.gov will hopefully make it as simple as possible for the public to come to the site and find any information they want about state government.

Holley says the website is topic-driven rather than agency-driven. She says users don't have to know which state government provides which service. She says using an internal google search will look for the information by topic, directing the user to the correct agency.

The site also offers the opportunity to do business electronically with the state. Holley says those opportunities will continue to increase in the months to come. The site also includes an on-line help feature with live chats with a customer service representative from 8-5 weekdays.

"Our goal is to enhance technology with the state of West Virginia's government and this is just one step we are making towards that goal," Holley said.

The state has worked with nationally recognized eGovernment firm NIC to design the site. The new site was built without the use of taxpayer dollars; a public-private partnership was used instead.

The address of the official state website is www.wv.gov.

Don't Block Web 2.0 Access

This is cool.. After my last post about the wonderful world of "Web 2.0" (I am still having a hard time using that term; it seems so buzz jockey-esque), this article about Web 2.0's potential to boost creativity and productivity in the workplace crossed my desk. Timely!

From Government Technology:

Don't Block Web 2.0 Access, Says Gartner

Government Technology | 03.10.08
URL: http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/271948

Businesses need to resist the temptation to exclude their employees' access to Web 2.0 technologies and services if they are to benefit from the considerable creativity that Web 2.0 can unleash, according to Gartner.

Business demands will increasingly require security organizations to secure, rather than block enterprise access to the Web 2.0 global ecosystem. Many IT organizations are responding to the demand for Web 2.0 technologies. According to a Gartner Executive Programs survey of 1,500 CIOs worldwide, half of the respondents said they plan to invest in Web 2.0 technologies for the first time in 2008.

"Rather than just stopping the use of Web 2.0 technologies, IT groups should be providing secure means of developing and deploying such applications," said Joseph Feiman, vice president and Gartner fellow. "The business application movement toward Web 2.0 and other related-trends, such as increased use of open-source software and wider deployment of service-oriented architectures, are combining to change how applications are developed with significant implications for security."

"Web 2.0 enables masses of individuals to become application and content developers and deploy Web 2.0 applications that implement their own versions of established business rules and practices. Although this entails risks, it can also unlock huge business value," Feiman said. "By mapping the business gain against the potential risk, organizations can determine the most effective constraints and controls for enterprise use of Web 2.0."

According to Gartner, with mashups, Ajax and other Web 2.0 technologies already in widespread use, saying "no" to the Web 2.0 ecosystem will generally not be an option. Instead, enterprises should take tactical and strategic steps to increase the odds that business use of Web 2.0 will increase the bottom line rather than have a negative business impact through security incidents.

"Organizations need to extend their security processes to enable safe use of Web 2.0 technologies" said John Pescatore, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. "Strategies to contain and protect the use of new technologies will always be more effective in the long run than security approaches that rely solely on blocking."

Pescatore advised organizations to expand their definition of vulnerability assessment to include the detection of external use of corporate content through mashups and internal exposure of sensitive data through Web 2.0 technologies. He also said that service-level agreements with content and service providers for mashups and other collaborative technologies would help to avoid or at least minimize discontinuities of the service. Organizations should not accept applications developed by external service providers, open-source-software communities or business partners unless they are tested for security vulnerabilities.


Image taken from Strange Maps, one of my favorite sites out there. Check out the Ludacris' Rap Map of US Area Codes. Brilliant.

Existence Justified, Check

It was official before, but it's super-official-official now. My relocation to West Virginia is visible on the horizon! Here's what takes me to the green, green hills of Appalachia (emphasis mine, as it applies to me)...

Business Wire | 11.02.07
LINK

West Virginia Signs Self-Funding Portal Agreement
CHARLESTON, W. Va.--The state of West Virginia finalized an agreement yesterday with eGovernment firm NIC (Nasdaq: EGOV - News) to operate the state's official Web site, WV.gov (http://www.wv.gov), for up to three years.

"A world-class Web site is a competitive advantage for West Virginia," said Gayle Conelly Manchin, chair of the West Virginia Management Steering Committee and first lady of the state. "It will help the state retain and attract companies, help our home-grown businesses to prosper and our residents to get the service from government they expect in the 21st century. NIC was selected as the private partner to help us make that happen."

West Virginia issued its bid for eGovernment services in February 2007 and awarded the contract to NIC from a competitive field. The contract is for one year with two one-year renewal options, the maximum allowed by state law. The state of West Virginia will retain ownership of the content, data and statutory fees.

"NIC will deploy the self-funded model to provide the infrastructure and staff expertise required to develop, maintain and host the eGovernment portal," said NIC President Harry Herington. "We will hire additional employees over time at our Charleston office to support the state's growing eGovernment operations."

NIC expects to launch the first new services in late 2007, and it is currently working with state agencies and the West Virginia Management Steering Committee to identify and prioritize new applications to introduce in the contract's first year. The company also will redesign the state's official Web site and build upon the portal's existing functionality.

"The state of West Virginia has high expectations for its Web site and for the value it can bring to the state's residents and businesses," said Jeff Fraser, NIC's chief executive officer. "We are honored that West Virginia's leaders chose NIC as the best partner to bring their expectations to life."

With the addition of the West Virginia contract, NIC now operates 21 state portals serving more than 69 million residents.

NIC will provide additional context and answer investor questions about market dynamics and financial performance when it reports third-quarter financial performance on November 7.

About NIC

NIC manages more eGovernment services than any provider in the world. The company helps government communicate more effectively with citizens and businesses by putting essential services online. NIC provides eGovernment solutions for 2,600 state and local agencies that serve more than 69 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.nicusa.com.

Testing the Limits of the Human Heart

Because I am pretty much just like every other unmarried, childless, corporate-whoring, consumer-driven, 30something American humanoid, I can get pretty self-centered. My problems become huge to me because, well, they're mine. I only have to worry about me, so everything becomes about me. I care for and love my family and my friends with all my heart, but nobody depends on me. Nobody needs me to nurture and provide for them. So, my world view can easily become The Empire of Coletteistan if I am not careful.

And then I read something like this article, and my heart breaks into a million pieces, and I cry for someone I've never met. And I feel so much love and empathy for this person, because I know how it feels to lose a parent. And I think of my youngest brother being about the same age as the boy in this article, hearing my mom scream for him to help her as my dad slumped to the floor with a thud in the room next door. Just like it was for my family, it was too late for this boy as well. But when I read this article, I was so amazed by his spirit and his pureness of heart... I recognized it in someone I've never seen in my life, because I've seen it in my own family members in moments of unbelievable grief.

As I read this article, the world became dramatically less about me, and more about all of us. I paused to be thankful for everything I have, and more importantly, thankful for everyone I love. I don't take that pause enough. I've been reminded to take that pause more.

Below is both the full text of and a link to the article that stopped me, so quickly, in my tracks.

Creel carries on: ACA player's light shines through while dealing with tragedy
By A. Stacy Long
October 23, 2007

The timeline gnaws at Jordan Creel, who missed his mother by about 15 minutes Wednesday night and woke up early Thursday to a screaming fire alarm and looming smoke.

There were only about 15 minutes between when Creel, tired from a day full of school, football practice and church, went to bed about 9 p.m., and when mom Karen came home from a friend's birthday party.

Creel wishes he had woke up when his mom perhaps kissed him on the forehead -- he isn't sure but is confident she did -- because of what he remembers next.

The fire alarm and smoke that hovered seemingly just above his nose rustled him from bed. He ran into the living room to find a wall of flame separating him from his mother's bedroom, the one from which he heard a faint cry of "help" when he called his mom's name.

There was nothing Jordan could do.

Karen Creel, the 43-year-old proud mother of three, died while huddled in the marble bathtub in her bathroom, sheltering her beloved dog in her lap, as Jordan feverishly ran to neighbors and pounded on their doors for help.

Just a few more minutes Wednesday night and Jordan would have that final memory he wishes had been perfect.

"I tried to stay up for her," Jordan said. "I remember moving her ring and bracelet to the table by the couch and waiting on her to come home, but I went to bed.

"I wish I would have woke up, if she kissed me on the head or not, but I don't remember. I just woke up at 3 to the fire alarm."

Jordan, a sophomore at Alabama Christian, was the only child of Karen's still living at home on Halcyon Downs Drive. But Jordan was there when 21-year-old brother Dale learned of his mother's death and listened as grandparents Patricia and Steve Barrow told his sister. Katelyn is a freshman at the University of Alabama.

"One thing we're so thankful for is that she went peaceful," Jordan said. "There were no burns and she died of smoke inhalation with Missy, the dog she was sure was reincarnated from her pet when she was young."

Jordan found his peace quickly.

Family and friends came to the Barrows' Deer Creek home in droves Thursday, some skittish to interrupt the mourning with their presence. Instead, Jordan was trying to stay relaxed, playing games as he thought of his mother and her new home in heaven.

"He really encouraged me," said senior Joseph Gibbons, who arrived at school to find eerily silent classrooms and halls, checked out after a few hours and went to see Jordan.

"Before I saw him, I was so down, but he encouraged me with how strong he was."

Creel was only getting started.

He pondered late Thursday whether he should play in ACA's game Friday at Daleville and told coach Gregg Baker that he wanted to play. At midday Friday, about 30 minutes before the Eagles were scheduled to leave, a lunch group was leaving the Barrow's home when someone asked Jordan what he was going to do that night. He decided to play.

ACA athletic director Denise Ainsworth, the mother of Creel's girlfriend, drove him to school. Halfway there, Creel realized he'd left his jersey in his car and the two turned around to fetch it. Ainsworth called Baker and told him to wait.

"She said, 'Don't let the bus leave,'" said Baker, who hurriedly started packing Creel's equipment while the rest of the team, unsure whether Creel was joining them, took their bus seats.

"They'd been asking me all day, 'Is he coming?'" Baker said. "We had his stuff ready, so they knew something was up."

His teammates greeted him with applause.

"Everybody was clapping and I was like, 'Why are you clapping?'" Creel said. "But it's a family out here. Almost better than the family at home."

In the pregame locker room, Creel cried while listening to Baker's speech and even gave one of his own. When the players started for the field, Baker lingered behind and cornered Creel for a one-on-one conversation.

"I said, 'I don't care how you play. I want you to enjoy the next two hours,'" Baker said. "'But I want you to play well for your mama because she's watching you right now.'"

Said Creel, "He told me, 'I love you like a son and I know you're going to have the best game of your life. What a way to give her a going-away party.'"

Creel ran for a career-high 232 yards and two touchdowns, made nine tackles and forced a fumble, and led Alabama Christian to a 24-21 upset of Daleville. His teammates lifted him on their shoulders after the final play, and the Alabama Sports Writers Association named him the state player of the week Monday.

On Friday, Creel needed so long to wade through fans and supporters that he joked there was no shampoo left when he reached the locker room. Daleville coach Sam Holland even came over to speak to the Eagles.

"I told him what he did was a tribute to who he was and what high school football is all about," Holland said Monday. "You hear so much negative about sports, but what he did is what it's all about.

"We all knew the situation and I was very touched by his players picking him up. Here I am saying all this and we lost, but it was very emotional on our sideline to see that, too."

Karen Creel was buried Saturday and their church, Landmark Church of Christ, and ACA are accepting donations for a trust fund for Jordan. On Monday, the family started the tedious business of changing the names on bank accounts and bills.

Creel also picked up a new cell phone. He's saving his mom's final message.

It came halfway through church and she told him she'd be home before too late.

"I'm at peace with it," Jordan said. "She's 10 times happier up there than we'll ever be here. She was always a fun-loving, spontaneous person, so I know she's doing something crazy up there. She's shaking her butt or something."

Link to Montgomery Advertiser article