Which Schools Offer AP Capstone Complete List

Which Schools Offer AP Capstone Complete List SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Curious about which schools are offering the new AP Capstone program? Get a complete list here, and also find out how likely it is a school near you will add AP Capstone in the next few years. What Is AP Capstone? AP Capstone is an advanced diploma program – if you can complete the requirements you’ll earn the AP Capstone diploma (in addition to your regular high school diploma), which shows you completed an advanced curriculum in high school. AP Capstone is quite new. The program only debuted in 2014, so the first AP Capstone diplomas will be given out at the end of this school year. To earn the diploma you take two required AP classes – Seminar and Research – along with four more AP classes of your choosing. You need to earn a 3 or higher on each exam to get the diploma. Capstone differs from the â€Å"regular† AP program since that program does not require you to take specific classes or get a minimum score, you just take classes you’re interested in. We have a complete guide to AP Capstone you can read if you want to learn more! The Complete List This list is broken down by state for US schools, and lists participating international schools at the end. If a state isn’t listed, that means it doesn’t have a Capstone program yet. 115 American schools have AP Capstone so far, along with 22 international schools (including 10 in Canada). Check out the complete list below to see if a school near you has AP Capstone. Alabama Schools Hoover High School – Hoover, AL Virgil I. Grissom High School – Huntsville, AL Arizona Schools BASIS Scottsdale – Scottsdale, AZ BASIS Tucson North – Tucson, AZ California Schools Arroyo Grande High School – Arroyo Grande, CA Chadwick School – Palos Verdes, CA John H. Francis Polytechnic High School – Sun Valley, CA Lincoln High School– San Jose, CA Long Beach Polytechnic High School – Long Beach, CA Los Osos High School – Rancho Cucamonga, CA Lowell High School – San Francisco, CA Mira Mesa High School– San Diego, CA Pioneer High School– San Jose, CA Rio Linda Senior High School – Rio Linda, CA Thousand Oaks High School– Thousand Oaks, CA Colorado Schools Erie High School - Erie, Colorado Connecticut Schools Choate Rosemary Hall – Wallingford, CT Conard High School – West Hartford, CT Hall High School – West Hartford, CT Taft School – Watertown, CT Florida Schools Armwood High School – Seffner, FL Astronaut High School – Titusville, FL Barbara Goleman High School – Miami, FL Bayside High School – Palm Bay, FL Boca Ciega High School – Gulfport, FL Boca Raton Community High School – Boca Raton, FL Countryside High School – Clearwater, FL Michael M. Krop Senior High School – Miami, FL Felix Varela Senior High School – Miami, FL Hialeah High School – Hialeah, FL Hillsborough High School – Tampa, FL Lake Howell High School – Winter Park, FL Lake Nona High School – Orlando, FL Lyman High School – Longwood, FL Merritt Island High School – Merrit Island, FL Miami Carol City Senior High School – Miami, FL Miami Central Senior High School – Miami, FL Miami Coral Park Senior High School – Miami, FL Miami Jackson Senior High School – Miami, FL Miami Senior High School – Miami, FL Miami Southridge Senior High School – Miami, FL Miami Sunset Senior High School – Miami, FL North Miami Beach Senior High School – North Miami Bch, FL Northeast High School – St Petersburg, FL Palm Bay Magnet High School – Melbourne, FL Santaluces Community High School – Lantana, FL Satellite High School – Satellite Beach, FL South Plantation High School – Plantation, FL Southwest Miami High School – Miami, FL Spanish River Community High School – Boca Raton, FL Spoto High School – Riverview, FL Suncoast Community High School – Riviera Beach, FL Titusville High School – Titusville, FL West Boca Raton Community High School – Boca Raton, FL West Shore Junior-Senior High School – Melbourne, FL Western High School – Davie, FL Georgia Schools Chestatee High School – Gainesville, GA Robert S. Alexander Comprehensive High School – Douglasville, GA Wesleyan School – Norcross, GA Illinois Schools Glenbard East High School – Lombard, IL Glenbard West High School – Glen Ellyn, IL Lane Technical College Prep High School – Chicago, IL Indiana Schools Carmel High School – Carmel, IN Fishers High School – Fishers, IN Hamilton Southeastern High School – Fishers, IN Madison Consolidated High School – Madison, IN Westfield High School – Westfield, IN Kentucky Schools Glasgow High School – Glassgow KY Highlands High School – Fort Thomas, KY McCracken County High School – Paducah, KY North Oldham High School – Goshen, KY Maryland Schools Bowie High School – Bowie, MD Eleanor Roosevelt High School – Greenbelt, MD Massachusetts Schools Concord-Carlisle Regional High School – Concord, MA Dartmouth High School – Dartmouth, MA Deerfield Academy – Deerfeild, MA John D. O'Bryant School of Math and Science – Roxbury, MA Michigan Schools Lapeer High School – Lapeer, MI Missouri Schools Park Hill High School – Kansas City, MO New Mexico Schools Cibola High School – Albuquerque, NM New York Schools Brooklyn Technical High School – Brooklyn, NY George W. Hewlett High School – Hewlett, NY Queens High School for the Sciences at York College – Jamaica, NY Williamsville East High School – East Amherst, NY North Carolina Schools Western Guilford High School – Greensboro, NC Ohio Schools Indian Hill High School – Cincinnati, OH Oklahoma Schools Jenks High School – Jenks, OK Norman High School – Norman, OK Norman North High School – Norman, OK Thomas A Edison High School – Tulsa, OK South Carolina Schools Oakbrook Preparatory School – Spartanburg, SC Tennessee Schools Hillwood Comprehensive High School– Nashville, TN Hume-Fogg Academic High School– Nashville, TN White Station High School – Memphis, TN Texas Schools Alvin High School – Alvin, TX Carnegie Vanguard High School – Houston, TX Glenda Dawson High School – Pearland, TX Irving High School – Irving, TX Jack E. Singley Academy – Irving, TX MacArthur High School – Irving, TX Manvel High School – Manvel, TX Michael E. Debakey High School for Health Professions – Houston, TX Nimitz High School – Irving, TX Pearland High School – Pearland, TX Westside High School – Houston, TX Utah Schools Taylorsville High School – Taylorsville, UT Vermont Schools Johnsbury Academy – St. Johnsbury, VT Virginia Schools Osbourn Park High School – Manassas, VA Washington Schools Joel E. Ferris High School – Spokane, WA John R. Rogers High School – Spokane, WA Lewis and Clark High School – Spokane, WA Mary Walker High School – Springdale, WA North Central High School – Spokane, WA Shadle Park High School – Spokane, WA West Virginia Schools George Washington High School–Charleston, WV Canadian Schools Burnaby North Secondary School – Burnaby, British Columbia Burnaby South Secondary School – Burnaby, British Columbia Queen Elizabeth Composite High School – Edmonton, Alberta Saint Michaels University School – Victoria, Britsh Columbia Sentinel Secondary School – West Vancouver, Britsh Columbia Clement's School – Toronto, Ontario Malachy's Memorial High School – Saint John, New Brunswick Strathcona Composite High School – Edmonton, Alberta Trinity College School – Port Hope, Ontario York Memorial Collegiate Institute – Toronto, Ontario International Schools ACS Cobham International School – Cobham, United Kingdom American Community School of Amman – Amman, Jordan American School in Japan – Tokyo, Japan American School of Dubai – Dubai, United Arab Emirates American School of Kuwait – Kuwait City, Kuwait Hisar School – Istanbul, Turkey Hong Kong International School – Tai Tam, Hong Kong Kings Academy – Madaba, Jordan Shanghai American School - Pudong Campus – Shanghai, China Shanghai American School - Puxi Campus – Huacao Town, Shanghai, China Singapore American School – Singapore Taipei American School – Taipei, Taiwan AP Capstone school list via College Board. Will My School Get AP Capstone? As we mentioned earlier, AP Capstone is quite new. It was only started in 2014. Odds are that more schools will start implementing Capstone in the next few years. One way to find out if your school is considering AP Capstone is to ask your guidance counselor. If your high school already offers a wide selection of AP classes, it wouldn’t be too hard to implement AP Capstone. It would just need to add two more classes, Research and Seminar. If your school doesn’t have AP classes or only has a few, it’s less likely to implement Capstone. Also consider the state you’re living in. If you’re in a state like Florida, Washington, or Texas that already has a lot of Capstone schools, it’s more likely your school will catch on and add it. If you’re in a state without any Capstone schools or just one, it’s less likely your high school will get it since it would be one of the first in your area. Should I Take AP Capstone? It there is an AP Capstone program nearby, you may be wondering if you should take it, or even if you should travel to another school to take it. Consider the following points if you think you might want to take AP Capstone. Also keep in mind that you should only transfer schools if you're really excited specifically about the AP Seminar and AP Research classes. Otherwise you can take the advanced classes your local high school offers and still have a rigorous schedule. First, can you commit to 6 AP classes? If you’re just taking AP classes without the Capstone diploma, you can drop out of a hard class without penalty, whereas with Capstone you have to complete six classes. Can you commit to paying for 6 AP exams? Again, when just taking AP classes you can decide your exam budget each year. With Capstone you’ll be paying for at least 6 exams during high school. At $91 each, that isn’t cheap. (Of course that can pay off down the line if you pass the courses and earn college credit, but you should be aware of the costs upfront.) Do AP Seminar and AP Research look interesting to you, or would you prefer the flexibility of choosing all of your AP classes? If you're not really interested in taking on your own research project, you may just want to stick to regular AP classes. (You can read more about Seminar and Research over at our AP Capstone guide.) Also, on a related note, who is teaching Seminar and/or Research at your school? Are they good teachers? The Seminar and Research teachers could either make or break AP Capstone program. If you have great teachers who help you get a lot out of the topics discussed in AP Seminar and your own research project in AP Research, you'll have a great experience. If the teachers aren't very good, you probably won't get much out of the classes. To sum up, AP Capstone could be a great opportunity, especially since you pick up academic research and writing skills before college, plus it could push you to take more AP classes. However, if Capstone is more than you could take on, you could burn out and not even earn the diploma. Think carefully before deciding to commit to it! What’s Next? If you do take AP Capstone, you’re going to have to take at least four AP classes in addition to AP Seminar and AP Research. Read about the hardest and easiest AP classes to help you decide on your schedule. While colleges don’t require AP or IB classes, many require SAT subject tests. Get a complete list of schools that require subject tests and try to match up your SAT Subject Tests with your AP classes. Also studying for the SAT/ACT? Find out how long you should study for (ACT version here) and come up with a target SAT/ ACT score based on your top schools. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Free Essays on The Evolution Of Rap Music

The Evolution of Rap Music In today’s society, many people look down on Rap music and the Hip Hop culture. They classify the music as violent and the many causes of violent behavior among America’s youth. Neither do they look at Rap music as an art form for which it is; instead it is considered a fad that will hopefully disappear. Rap music has been around for over twenty years and has its long memorable history. Just as other genres of music have evolved and been influenced over time, Rap music too has come a long way and should be recognized for the art it as become. In order to understand Rap music, one has to come to understand what is known as the Hip Hop culture. Rap is a very important part of the evolution of this Hip Hop culture. Besides music, Hip Hop consisted of graffiti, break dancing, new attitudes, and a unique style of clothing. As I have come to understand through my resources, the origin of the Hip Hop culture was centered in the Bronx in New York City. To get a better understanding of how the Hip Hop culture developed, we have to get a better understanding of the conditions which existed at this time. In Steven Haver’s book, â€Å"Hip Hop; the Illustrated History of Break Dancing, Rap Music and Graffiti,† he claims that there were three major events that took place in the Bronx that led to the birth of the Hip Hop culture. First, in 1959 Parks Commissioner Robert Moses started to construct an expressway through the middle of the Bronx. Because of this, the most of the middle class vanished overnight. Just as well, businesses and factories began to relocate. Poor black and Hispanic families replaced the former population with crime, drug addiction, and unemployment. The next major event that took place was in 1968 when Parks Commissioner Robert Moses built a 15,382 unit co-op apartment complex at the northern most part of the Bronx right next to the expressway. As a result of this, the remain... Free Essays on The Evolution Of Rap Music Free Essays on The Evolution Of Rap Music The Evolution of Rap Music In today’s society, many people look down on Rap music and the Hip Hop culture. They classify the music as violent and the many causes of violent behavior among America’s youth. Neither do they look at Rap music as an art form for which it is; instead it is considered a fad that will hopefully disappear. Rap music has been around for over twenty years and has its long memorable history. Just as other genres of music have evolved and been influenced over time, Rap music too has come a long way and should be recognized for the art it as become. In order to understand Rap music, one has to come to understand what is known as the Hip Hop culture. Rap is a very important part of the evolution of this Hip Hop culture. Besides music, Hip Hop consisted of graffiti, break dancing, new attitudes, and a unique style of clothing. As I have come to understand through my resources, the origin of the Hip Hop culture was centered in the Bronx in New York City. To get a better understanding of how the Hip Hop culture developed, we have to get a better understanding of the conditions which existed at this time. In Steven Haver’s book, â€Å"Hip Hop; the Illustrated History of Break Dancing, Rap Music and Graffiti,† he claims that there were three major events that took place in the Bronx that led to the birth of the Hip Hop culture. First, in 1959 Parks Commissioner Robert Moses started to construct an expressway through the middle of the Bronx. Because of this, the most of the middle class vanished overnight. Just as well, businesses and factories began to relocate. Poor black and Hispanic families replaced the former population with crime, drug addiction, and unemployment. The next major event that took place was in 1968 when Parks Commissioner Robert Moses built a 15,382 unit co-op apartment complex at the northern most part of the Bronx right next to the expressway. As a result of this, the remain...

Leadership is a process of energy, not structure. in this Essay

Leadership is a process of energy, not structure. in this way,leadership is different from management- managers pursue stabilit - Essay Example This essay will look at the differences between leadership and management in terms of how a leader achieves his purpose and the responsibility of management. The phrase â€Å"Leadership is a process of energy, not structure, in this way, leadership is different from management- managers pursue stability while leadership is all about change† shows that the interest of a manager is maintaining processes and structures ensuring stability while a leader seeks to improve by initiating and driving change in an organisation (Boje, Burnes & Hassard, 2011, p38). In the current business and organisational environment, the decision making organs of an organisation have valued the leadership style to drive change in the organisation, which will ensure that the organisation is competitively placed in the market while still insisting on managerial qualities to ensure reliability in the organisation. One of the key differentiating factors between the leaders and managers is that while the ma nagers maintain the status quo, a leader is interested in developing the organisation to greater heights of success.When a manager is in charge of an organisation or a department within an organisation, his main responsibility is to ensure that that department has maintained the levels of performance that it has. (Mondy, Noe & Gowan, 2005, p68). For instance if a manager is in charge of the human resource department in an organisation, his main interest will be to ensure that the employees do not reduce their levels of productivity or their work ethics, he does this by following the laid down procedures processes and the norms and values that an organisation has. A leader who is in charge of the organisation or the department, his main purpose is to break the status quo in the organisation or department and ensure that it performs better than it was before he took the management position (Kouzes & Posner, 2007, p69). Take a leader for example, who takes control of the human resource department of an organisation, he will learn the operating ethics that the employees have, including the department’s culture norms and values, he will then purpose to learn the strength and weaknesses of the employees in the department. A leader will then analyse these and change the department’s culture if it was an inhibiting factor to good performance, he then will have aim at focussing on improving the performance of the employees based on their strengths and weaknesses and therefore improving the productivity of the human resource department, he is in charge of. While the main point of focus for managers is the systems and structures, a leader is more focused on the people (Wissman, Knippa & Roberts, 2008, p109). A manager’s point of focus is the structures and systems that govern an organisation, these include the set norms, values and code of conduct in the organisation, he then aims at improving these without leaving loopholes that may encourage laxity among the employees (Daudelin, 1994, p35). This in essence means that the employees follow a strict way in performance of their duty and to some extent, their flexibility is limited by the laid down procedures. A manager in a school setting for instance will insist on

Job Description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Job Description - Essay Example The main duties in this job include assessing and treating injured sportsmen; staying up-to-date with the latest research in this practice; and educating and advising athletes on prevention strategies (The Sport Science Resource para1). This job also includes duties such as assisting with basic knowledge in strapping, massage, and response to severe sports injuries to individual athletes and sports teams. It involves working for a wide range of individuals and organizations, such as professional sports teams, basketball players, tennis players, golfers, and college/schools athletics programs among others. This job is attractive in a number of ways, particularly the salary. It is one of the highest paid jobs in the country. The earnings of a sports medicine doctor much depends on the athletic program of the employer. It is estimated that a median salary of a sports medicine doctor is between $172,000 and $397,000 per year (American College of Sports Medicine 4). Apart from attracting impressive salary, Sports Medicine is a job whose vacation has few comparisons. These earnings are often accompanied by other benefits such as insurances, disability plans, retirement benefits, and bonuses. Considering the hard work involved and high earnings in sports, it is likely that professional athletes and sports teams go for expensive vacations in high-end destinations. While in this vacation, they usually go together with their sports medicine doctors. Also, training can take them to different destinations which may double up as vacation. Often, the employers, who can be individuals or sports tea ms, cater for the travel expenses. Besides, the field of sports medicine offers its professionals a great opportunity for advancements (The Sport Science Resource para2). As a sports medicine doctor gains more experience and training, he or she is likely to advance further in terms of career and earnings. Like most professions, it has

Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Economic - Essay Example How does unemployment affect government revenues, furthermore how are these revenues significant in the government benefit payments (such as pensions)?† Body In some circumstances, a country’s labour market maybe impacted upon by externalities. By the term externalities it refers to the factors not emanating from inside the economy. The UK labour market in the 1970s, according to Erickson and others, was inflexible, caused by economy’s lack of being competitive in the world market and it led to escalating levels of inflation. This caused an uphill task for the incoming government of year 1979, which was a conservative government. The new government aimed at changing this by way of deregulation. This resultant situation after the employers faced lesser regulation was aimed at their offering new employment opportunities. Despite this bold move by the government, unemployment levels still remained high. In the 1980s through 1990s decades, the labour market of the UK ensured that the employers’ needs were fully satiated since skilled labour would be applied cheaply. However, the levels of unemployment fixedly remained at approximately 2 million due to the fact that most of the workers could not still find jobs.

Elizabeth Johnson-Revisonist Method of Theology Essay Example for Free

Elizabeth Johnson-Revisonist Method of Theology Essay Elizabeth Johnson is perhaps one of the most preeminent Catholic theologians of the new millennium. The fact that she is a woman religious who writes from a feminist perspective adds to her unique and distinguished career. This paper will examine the revisionist method espoused by Elizabeth Johnson, in an effort to understand her approach to Christian feminism. An overview of revisionist methodology will be presented so as to understand the framework in which Johnson works. References to some of Johnson! s writings will then be presented in an effort to illustrate her revisionist method. Finally a survey of various critics will then be presented in an effort to determine what has made her method, approach and style groundbreaking in the area of feminist theology. In its simplest form, revisionist methodology involves looking back at one! s tradition in an effort to gain new insights into the situation at hand or to uncover what has been lost. In a more elaborate definition, David Tracey states that, †In its briefest expression, the revisionist model holds that a contemporary fundamental Christian theology can best be described as philosophical reflection upon meanings present in common human experience and language, and upon the meanings present in the Christian fact. †1 Tracy then outlines five theses that are intended to explicate this particular model: The first thesis defends the proposition that there are two sources for theology, common human experience and language, and Christian texts. The second thesis argues for the necessity of correlating the results of the investigations of these two sources. The third and fourth theses attempt to specify the most helpful methods of investigation employed for studying these two sources 1 David Tracy, Blessed Rage for Order: The New Pluralism in Theology (New York: The Seabury Press, 1975) 43. 1 (methods include phenomenology of religious dimension for human experience and language and historical and hermeneutical investigations for Christian texts). The fifth and final thesis further specifies the final mode of critical correlation of these investigations as an explicitly metaphysically and transcendental one. 2 If we apply the aforementioned description to our area of interest, then revisionist Christian feminism can be seen as seeking,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦to mutually and critically correlate the central and liberating themes of biblical and Christian tradition with the experience of women in the contemporary situation. 3 In one of her most noted works, She Who Is, Johnson captures the essence of her revisionist Christian feminism in the metaphor of a braided footbridge,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦between the ledges of classical and feminist Christian tradition. Throwing a hermeneutical span from side to side may enable some to cross over to the paradigm of women! s coequal humanity without leaving behind all the riches of the tradition that had been their intellectual and spiritual home. †4 It clear already from this brief introduction, that Johnson employs the revisionist model of theology. Tradition is key to anyone employing the revisionist model and Johnson is no exception to this. Tradition is important for Johnson, but not necessarily in the sense that one should mindlessly adhere to every aspect of what we inherit. On the other hand, we cannot put our heads the sand and deny the existence of tradition or avoid learning about it. We are all part of a tradition and it becomes part of our shared history and allows us ,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦to see far thanks to the stature of those who have handed on the 2 3 Tracy, Blessed Rage for Order: The New Pluralism in Theology , 43. Shannon Schrein, Quilting and Braiding: The Feminist Christologies of Sallie McFague and Elizabeth Johnson in Conversation (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1998) 2. 4 Elizabeth Johnson, She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse (New York: Crossroad Publishing, 1992) 12. 2 tradition to us. †5 Johnson is respectful of tradition, with the understanding that it often needs to be analyzed to determine if is contributing to pain and suffering. In her book, Consider Jesus, the emphasis is not just on tradition, but on a â€Å"living tradition†.

Miniaturization Of Computing Technology Information Technology Essay

Miniaturization Of Computing Technology Information Technology Essay The revolution of electronic miniaturization began during World War II and is continuing to change the world till now. Miniaturization of computer technology has been the source of a seemingly endless battle between technology giants over the world. The market has become so competitive that the companies that develop microprocessors are constantly working towards erecting a smaller microchip than that of their competitor, and as a result, computers become obsolete almost as soon as they are put out on the market. The concept that underlies technological miniaturization is the smaller the better; smaller is faster, smaller is cheaper, smaller is more profitable. It is not just companies that profit from miniaturization advances, but entire nations reap rewards through the capitalization of new developments. Devices such as personal computers, cellular telephones, portable radios, and camcorders have created massive markets through miniaturization, and brought billions of dollars to th e countries where they were designed and built. In the 21st century, almost every electronic device has a computer chip inside. The goal of miniaturization is to make these devices smaller and more powerful, and thus made available everywhere. It has been said, however, that the time for continued miniaturization is limited the smaller the computer chip gets, the more difficult it becomes to shrink the components that fit on the chip. Devices made of semiconductors, notably silicon, are essential components of most electronic circuits. A process of lithography is used to create circuitry layered over a silicon substrate. A transistor is a semiconductor device with three connections capable of amplification in addition to rectification. Miniaturization entails increasing the number of transistors that can hold on a single chip, while shrinking the size of the chip. As the surface area of a chip decreases, the task of designing newer and faster circuit designs becomes more difficult, as there is less room left for the components that make the computer run faster and store more data. Gordon E. Moore introduced the concept known as Moores law in 1965, and it has been used in the semiconductor industry to guide long-term planning and development. The law predicts a long-term trend in which the number of transistors inexpensively places on an integrated circuit would double approximately every two years. His original statement appeared in his publication Cramming more components onto integrated circuits, Electronics Magazine 19th April 1965: The complexity for minimum component costs has increased at a rate of roughly a factor of two per yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Certainly over the short term this rate can be expected to continue, if not to increase. Over the longer term, the rate of increase is a bit more uncertain, although there is no reason to believe it will not remain nearly constant for at least 10 years. That means by 1975, the number of components per integrated circuit for a minimum cost will be 65,000. I believe that such a large circuit can be built on a single wafer (Appendix 1) The original statement made reference to one year, but was later altered to two years. Moores law describes a driving force of technological change in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The development and capabilities of several digital devices are linked to Moores law. Some of these include processing speed, memory capacity, and sensors. These devises are still improving at an exponential rate and have dramatically increased the usefulness of digital electronics in every segment of the world economy. One such segment is that of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This type of technology allows users to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly transformed by access to varied and developing technologies. ICTs impact on several areas of the economy, including productivity and innovation, as well as advances in science and technology. They are the leading factor in improving innovation and creativity, and as such, a great portion of the productivity gains in the economy are due to the impact of ICTs on products and services. In science and technology, they transform the way researchers conduct their research. Owing to increasing economic and social demands, technology must be brought closer to people and organizational needs. This entails making technology functional and simple to use, affordable and available, as well as meeting new preferences and needs. This demand calls for the proliferation of miniaturization whic h results in the emergence of a new wave of technologies. The Benefits and Challenges of Miniaturization Miniaturization is one of the fastest changing megatrends. Although it can be a great benefit for society, it also has its downsides. The challenges include cost-expensive, data inaccuracy, software unreliability, information overload and may result in: Invasion of Privacy and Identity Theft On the side of problems, one of the biggest growing crimes in America is caused by the affects of miniaturization. Invasion of personal privacy and identity theft are two very dangerous crimes that can not only embarrass you, but can also cause financial problems as well. A report composed by the news organization PRWeb states that 10 million consumers in the US become identity theft victims every year and those people spend a countless amount of time and money to correct these attacks. Not all 10 million are caused by miniaturization related electronics, but with the advancement in technology, miniaturization has greatly helped to increase the number of identity theft victims. Miniaturization plays a role in this crime because it has created the technology of miniature spy cams which aid voyeurism. Voyeurism is a practice in which an individual derives sexual pleasure from observing other people  [1]  . Some forms of voyeurism are legal, but if the person being viewed is unaware of the action, then it is illegal and considered an invasion of privacy. Loss of Electronic Devices Another problem with the trend of miniaturization, due to computerized electronics to become extremely more portable, is the increased ability to lose your electronic devices or have them stolen. As stated in the Apple patent, Current portable electronic devices such as laptop computers, hand-held devices such as cellular telephones and personal media devices, such as the Ipod from Apple Computer, and even devices such as compact disc players, are sufficiently compact and lightweight as to make them easily movable. Unfortunately, such ease of transport also implies ease of theft. While the rightful owner of a portable electronic device may conveniently transport it almost anywhere, so can a thief. (MacNN.com: Apple Patent,2007) Hearing Loss A third problem with miniaturization is the growth in use of portable MP3 players. These players have caused physiological damage because of the extended use of the ear buds and playing the players music extremely loud  [2]  . Noise-induced hearing loss involves individuals losing the ability to hear higher frequencies, evidenced at times by mild ear-ringing or trouble following conversations in noisy situations  [3]  . This hearing loss is directly related to the use of the MP3 players. What are some of the devices that have been impacted by miniaturization? There are multiple examples that reflect miniaturization, but perhaps the most well known miniaturized device is the cellular phone. The theory of mobile telephones was born in the early 1900s in the United Kingdom and the United States.   They were born out of research on mobile car phones, and calculated out that by limiting the range of transmitters, they could recycle the same radio frequencies. This allowed them to theorize the possibility that with this technology, many users would be able to share the same network. They were unable to put a production system together to prove this theory, due to the limit of available technology. In the early 1970s, ATT and Bell Labs proposed the first commercial cellular, mobile phone network.   The proposal was for a cellular network,  which was to consist of many small broadcast towers, covering a small area (termed a cell), a few miles in radius.   As the mobile phone moved across this network, the call would be passed on from towe r to tower. The first fully automatic, first generation cellular network (1G), was developed by Nordic Mobile Telephone in 1981.   1G was still based on analog radio signals. The advent of Second generation (2G) was in 1991.   High speed, third generation (3G) cellular networks became a reality when the Japanese company NTT DoCoMo rolled out its commercial WCDMA network. In 1986 cost between $2,500 to $3,500 and weighed just under 3 pounds (Appendix 2). Today, they are razor thin, weighing between 4 and 6 ounces and can cost from JMD$1,000 to JMD$60,000. Some of the most prominent include Nokia  and  Motorola. Other examples are the iPod Nano, Motorola Razor V3 and Dell Inspirion 700m. Ipod Nano The Ipod Nano, manufactured by Apple Computer, Incorporated, is a digital compression music player that delivers up to 1,000 songs. It features a very slim and compact design with dimensions of only 3.5 x 1.6 x 0.27 inches and 1.5 ounces and supports a colour LCD screen, the Apple Click Wheel, plays continuously for 14 hours, and holds other information besides music files. It also contains 2 gigabytes of memory that holds 500 songs. The Ipod Nano is able to be used for many purposes when you are unable to use a CD player or even for replacing a CD player. A few examples are exercising, going on vacations, among others. Also in recent news, Apple released a new form of miniaturization with the Ipod Video. This device will replace the older Ipods and will be able to support not only playing songs, but also displaying video on a two and a half inch screen (Appendix 2.1). Moto Razr V3 The next example of miniaturization is the Moto Razr V3, which is made by the Motorola Corporation. The features of the Razr V3 include ring tone downloads, calculator and currency converter, date and clock, alarm clock, calendar, instant messaging, text messaging, video games, photo camera, and video clip downloads. The Moto Razr V3 supports all this while still only weighing 3.35 ounces and having dimensions of 3.86 x 2.08 x 0.54 inches. The applications of this phone basically compare to those of a palm pilot. By having a phone with this power, anyone will be able to keep a strict control on their life (Appendix 2.2) Dell Inspiron 700m The final example is the Dell Inspiron 700m notebook, made by Dell Incorporated. It is the slimmest and lightest of all of Dells laptops being 4.1 pounds and 1.5 inches thick. Other features on this laptop include an Intel Pentium M Processor, Windows XP, a minimum of 256 megabytes of RAM, 12.1 inch screen, a hard drive with 40, 60, or 80 gigabytes, and an ethernet card for internet access. This laptops applications are very broad and diverse and can be used for meeting other people through the internet, doing business, recreational purposes like watching DVDs, burning DVDs, listening to music, playing computer games, or  by applying this computer to almost any aspect of a persons life (Appendix 2.3) Convergence Traditionally, communications media were separate and their services were distinct. Broadcasting, voice telephony and on-line computer services were different and operated on different platforms: television and radio machines, telephones and computers. Convergence is the combination of all these into one operating platform. It is the merger of telecom, data processing and imaging technologies. This convergence is incubating a new era of multimedia, in which voice, data and images are combined to provide services to the users. Traditional convergence is noted in the combination of the personal computer and the internet technology. This combination provides a convergence of data processing, images and audio services. Convergence makes it possible for one element to provide multi-service. An illustrated example of this is in the mobile phone, which was initially designed for voice communications. These days cell phones offer more functions: They offer print and text media as in the Short Message Service (SMS); they provide reception links to radio stations and access to broadcast information, they provide links to access the web, they capture, send and receive pictures and so forth. New generation of mobile phones are designed to capture video images.This had led to the death of many traditional devices like the Personal Digital Assistant and the proliferation of miniaturized devices. Miniaturization and the Digital Divide In the early 1990s, when someone referred to the digital divide they were really making reference to gaps in society between individuals who owned and had access to computers and those who had not. As the term evolved it adopted new meanings, it came to refer to the gaps between people with effective access to digital and information technology and those with very limited or no access at all  [4]  as well as refer to the inequalities between groups of people in their ability to use information technology fully. It also speaks to the imbalances in resources and skills needed to manipulate information on the internet. Therefore, the term digital divide is really two folds, it relates to the imbalances created by the inability to physically access technology and the unequal acquisition of skill attained with the constant use of said technology. Due to this the term is often interchangeably used with the knowledge divide, as it is proposed that if there is little to no access to the vast amount of information provided via the internet and technology individuals will be deficient in the attainment of knowledge supplied via this source. The four major components that contribute to the digital divide, as discussed by Bharat Mehra (2004, Digital Divide, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) are socio economic status, income, educational level, and racing among other factors associated with technological attainment. These are all major issues that affect society on a whole on a social level. The global divide on the other hand, refers to the same concept but in relation to countries as oppose to individuals. It really refers to differences to technology accessibility between Countries or the whole world. Miniaturization of technology in its truest form, if utilized properly will make an attempt to drastically reduce the gap in society that has significantly helped to perpetuate this problem. The continuous miniaturization of technology will among other things make technology more accessible to everyone. This is due to the fact that as technology gets smaller, it uses less resource to manufacture them and hence cause a reduction in the production cost. This in turn, causes a reduction in the selling cost, making it cheaper and more accessible to everyone. Technology is no longer only for the wealthy or the wealthiest countries, nor is it a means by which the rich can showcase their wealth. Now that miniaturization has made it accessible to almost everyone, the digital divide as it pertains to access to technology is noticeably dwindling. Projects like One Laptop per Child offer a partial solution to the global digital divide; these projects tend to rely heavily upon open standards and free open source software. The OLPC XO-1 is an inexpensive laptop computer designed and intended to be distributed to children in developing countries around the world, to provide them with access to knowledge (Appendix 3). Organizations such as Geekcorps, EduVision and Inveneo also help to overcome the digital divide with the use of now miniaturized technology. They often do so through the use of education systems that draws on information technology. The technology they employ often includes low-cost laptops, subnotebooks, handhelds (eg Simputer, E-slate), tablet PCs, Mini-ITX PCs, and low-cost WiFi-extending technology as cantennas and WokFis. In addition, other information technology material usable in the classroom can also be made diy to lower expenses, including projectors. Surely one can see, by these examples, where the continuous miniaturization of technology is playing some part in diminishing the global digital divide. These and other continuous efforts are reducing the digital global divide in developing countries owing mainly to miniaturization. As time progresses individuals will find new and innovative ways to make technology smaller and smaller and hence making them more accessible to the general public and more importantly, to developing nations. The Future of Miniaturization The future of miniaturization is uncertain as there have been many different projections as to where designer and creators want it to go. Some believe that the idea is to get more transistors on a single chip. Increasing the number of transistors ultimately leads to more power in the computer, cell phone, handheld PDA and other electronic devices that have a computer chip inside. In our times just about every electronic device has a computer chip inside. The pursuit to make these devices more powerful, and thus effectively independent of a constant power source, is the focus for miniaturization in computer technology. Ultimately the goal is to have computers everywhere by making components smaller and more powerful. However, what we do know is that technology will get smaller and smaller until they are almost microscopic. Technology created in the future will all have a few similar characteristics, they will be smaller, lightweight, durable, reliable, tamper-proof, and consume very l ittle power. However with these advances comes a certain level of concern. One of the biggest and most common concerns in making computer technology smaller is the availability of the Internet. As computers are miniaturized down to the subatomic level, computers could literally be floating around in the air. By building computers on the subatomic level, the laws of physics do not apply as we know them. This allows for greater flexibility in computer connectivity, and may eventually make wiring computers together obsolete. While this and other concerns are valid, with the continuous creation and evolution of technology, they will soon no longer be relevant concerns. Appendix Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Appendix 2.1 Appendix 2.2 Appendix 2.3