"It's no doubt that a country's ability to remain competitive in the global e-commerce marketplace is more critical today than ever before. Business drives economic growth, and e-commerce is an integral part of business. But how can a company determine which countries are ahead in the e-business race? The answer lies in the latest 'e-readiness' rankings from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and Pyramid Research."  http://www.ebusinessforum.com/

Sowinski, Lara L. "Which Countries Are Best Positioned in the E-Business Race?" World Trade, 14(9), September 2001, pp. 32 and 34.  http://www.worldtrademag.com/

What countries are best positioned as leaders, contenders, or followers in the e-business race? What criteria are used to determine the e-readiness rankings? How were scores derived? What aspects of education and literacy are important in "Social and cultural infrastructure?" What good and services are imported by these countries by economy sector and region? What aspects of cultural, diversity, and globalization should be integrated into curriculum? What developmentally appropriate activities could become components of a Career Development program for awareness in elementary education, exploration in middle school, and specialization beginning in high school in an articulated 4+4 Anytime Anywhere Learning (AAL) format? What Career Development programs could be developed in a multi national collaborative format? How can education assess globalization issues and trends plus audit a "Wobal studies" infrastructure to co-create alternative visions of life and work in 2010 thru 2020 with a multi year action plan?

"Asia is back. After a tough few years, Asia is solidly on the comeback trail. US companies that stayed through the bad times will see their patience rewarded, and those that left or lost interest still have time to return. Even companies that haven't given Asia much thought will be rethinking their course of action. Particularly promising sectors for small businesses include e-business ...."

Cino, Maria. "Getting Down to Business in Asia." World Trade. 14(9), September 2001, pp. 20 and 22. Ms. Cino is assistant secretary and director general of the US Commerce Department's Commercial Service  http://www.usatrade.gov/   http://www.worldtrademag.com/

"The possibility of rapid return on investment by driving cost from the healthcare supply chain is spurring the hospital industry to move more quickly into online marketplace procurement and luring their suppliers to join the conversation. Electronic commerce could bring more than $6 billion in savings to healthcare industry supply chain participants, a newly released study ...."

Burgert, Philip. "A Supply Chain Prescription for Healthcare Savings." Electronic Commerce World, 11(8), August 2001, 31 33. http://www.ecomworld.com/

Electronic Commerce World 2001 Conference   Exhibit will be held in Chicago on October 9 12.  Over 80+ educational sessions will be held in 10 tracks: (a) B2B Legal Initiatives like "Electronic Signatures" and "Data Protection," (b) e-Business Web Challenges such as "Ensuring Reliable Transaction Delivery" and "Selling the Concept of eMarketplaces to Trading Partners," (c) Emerging Technologies, (d) Empowering Vertical Industries, (e) Enterprise Integration, (f) Financial Strategies, (g) Improving Customer Service, (h) Security Concerns, (i) Supply Chair Optimization, and (j) Transition from EDI to XMLL.   http://ecmediagroup.com/

"Yes, e-learning saves travel time and is available 24/7, but those often touted advantages of e-learning miss the point. Enterprises that use e-learning as a part of their training strategy can do things that are just not possible with classroom training. The real value of e-learning lies in its ability to integrate into enterprise business processes and to better leverage intellectual capital. Using e-learning, a company can automate training delivery and offer customized training. New software tools allow knowledge located throughout the enterprise to be more easily captured and distributed as e-learning modules."

Lamont, Judith. "KM and e Learning: A Growing Partnership" world. 10(7), July/August,
2001, 10 11 and 13.  http://www.kmworld.com/

"Interest and excitement in speech technology is growing. Speech is making its presence known on the Internet, in the automobile, over carrier networks and in mobile devices. Users are talking to mobile devices, computers, phones, and automobiles at an ever growing rate. Companies have discovered that speech satisfies, cuts costs, and increases profit margins. Speech as an input modality is not just a topic for conversation anymore   speech is an actual deployment consideration for more and more companies."   Awards are given in 12 categories.

 Moyers, Gary. "Peak Performance Award Winners Announced." Speech Technology. 6(4),
July/August, 2001, 8 11.  http://www.speechtechmag.com/  SpeechTEK 2001, New York, October 24 26. http://www.speechtek.com/

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is a major resource for information about the world. CIA resource units include (a) Directorate of Intelligence, (b) Directorate of Science & Technology, (c) Center for the Study of Intelligence, (d) CIA's Homepage for Kids, and several other units. The World Factbook contains information by country and fields such as geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues. http://www.odci.gov/

The U. S. Department of State Office of International Information Programs (IIP) "is the principal international strategic communications service for the foreign affairs community. Multi functional IIP teams design, develop, and implement a variety of information initiatives created strickly for key international audiences, such as media, government officials, opinion leaders, and academia in more than 160 countries around the world. IIP prides itself on using cutting edge technology and strategic alliances to produce information products and services, including Web sites, electronic journals, speaker programs, and print publications uniquely designed to support State Department initiatives, as well as those of other U. S. foreign policy organizations . ...IIP provides professional direction and guidance to 170 Information Resource Centers located at U. S. embassies abroad." http://www.state.gov/

The above mentioned two units of the U. S. government have information critical for economic development and essential for inclusion in curriculum, especially in global/international studies. Beyond awareness of issues and trends, Career Development for any number of the 170 Centers requires competencies and skills today that far exceed that which were required a few years ago. Furthermore, competencies for e-commerce and e-diplomacy in the future will become even more complex as advanced nations compete for leadership in global markets and Return On Investment. What competencies and skills do IIP Center staff need in South Korea, Taiwan, and elsewhere?

A June 11, 2001, Special Issue of InternetWeek had a second annual list of top 100 e businesses in 9 major industries based on a rigorous survey conducted by InternetWeek and CIC Research. Categories of industries are chemicals & pharmaceuticals, consumer products, financial services, high technology, manufacturing, retail and distribution, services, transportation, and travel & hospitality. Hilton Hotels Corp., travel & tourism winner, was the top e-business overall.

Violino, Bob. "E-Business Leaders Turn Web Efforts Into Profits." InternetWeek, June 11, 2001.  http://www.internetweek.com/  Link directly to the corporate Web sites.

There are many sources of valuable information about globalization. A few resources are:
Ernst & Young International http://wvw.ey.com/gl...f/International/
Global Crossing  http://www.globalcrossing.com/
United Nations (and UNESCO) http://www.un.org/ and http://www.unesco.org/

`Bob Wood's days are not only a blur of activity but of shapes and colors, too. Woods, director of global IT for Tarrytown, N.Y. based Ampacet, a plastics manufacturer with $750 million in annual sales, is legally blind. With the aid of adaptive technology, such as screen magnifiers and e mail text to speech readers, and with a near flawless memory, Woods not only copes, he ...."

Millman, Howard. "Beyond Sight." InfoWorld. 32, August 6, 2001, 32 33. Go to http://www.infoworld.com/ for a list of service organizations working with the disabled.

"Controlling a computer has been largely defined over the years by the humble keyboard and mouse. Now, researchers are turning their attention to new kinds of controllers, including eye movements, voice commands, and even brain waves."

Pham, Alex. "Computer Developers Aiming to Exterminate the Mouse." Los Angeles Times, August 14, 2001.  http://www.latimes.com/technology/

"The IBM PC was introduced to the world 20 years ago at a press conference in New York on August 12, 1981. Evolving from the NUTS Altair hobbyist computer and taking cues from early PCs such as the Apple II, the IBM PC   and the story behind its development   provided a foretaste of how the whole industry took shape. The IBM PC originated not in Big Blue's ...." A Brief History of the Personal Computer 1971: The first microprocessor, the Intel 4004, is introduced. Now, fast forward to the future. In 2010_ your desktop PC will have eyes and ears (read page 30). http://www.infoworld.com/

Battey, Jim. "It was 20 years ago today..." InfoWorld. 32. August 6, 2001, 28 30.

Although history in all its forms (culture, legal, social, technological) is a foundation, it is a "means" for adding clarity to understanding how Quality Of Life (QOL) can be improved.

What lessons can be learned from an analysis of above mentioned corporations and others in all economy sectors that could be used by similar enterprises in a region and included in curriculum?

What data can be accessed electronically in mobile text to speech (TTS) formats? How are data being used in decision making in Electronic Networked Cultures (ENCs) to add value to critical enterprise mission priorities of strategic importance to gain a competitive global position?

What applications in biometric, card, speech, and wireless technologies should be in curriculum?

How can children and youth, as well as adult entrepreneurs, be prepared for B2B, B2C, and m-commerce in Africa., Asia, Central and South America, the European Union, and elsewhere?

Countries vary in their capability to create social and technological infrastructure strategic plans. Thus, assistance may have to be provided in analysis as well as in co-creating a vision and a plan. What could a region do to help countries in Africa plan for the digital era? How could African Americans be made aware of and become prepared to compete in the emerging global economy? How could African American children and youth become aware of cultures in African Countries and career opportunities with multi-national corporations, the UN, UNESCO, WHO, CIA, etc?

Countries of          Analysis   Visioning   Action
Africa                                                            Year 1   Year 2   Year 3   Year 4   Year 5
Algeria
Angola

Somalia
South Africa

Zambia
Zimbabwe

How could a region help Latin American countries plan for the digital era? How could Hispanic Americans be made aware of and become prepared to compete in the emerging global economy?

Countries of Analysis Visioning Action
  Latin America                                                 Year I   Year 2   Year 3   Year 4   Year 5
Argentina
Bahamas

Jamaica
Mexico

Peru
Venezuela

The Office of Educational Technology (OET) of the U. S. Department of Education (USDE) develops policy and implements it by working closely within USDE and across federal programs. e-Learning: Puttig a World-Class Education at the Fingertips of All Children is a National Educational Technology Plan to rethink and revise the national strategy for the effective use of technology in elementary and secondary education. http://www.ed.gov/Technology/

OET programs include (a) Digital Divide, (b) Distance Learning, and (c) International Education. International Educational Technology Facts include the following: 
- Nearly every visiting education minister is interested in education technology use in school. 
- Education technology is a leading topic at G8 education summits and economic summits.

Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology (PT3) funded projects in several categories. A "Technology Adept Teachers for Education Reform" project if specifying what graduates in 37 specific teaching roles at elementary, middle, and secondary levels. http://ide.ed.psu.edu/itsc/tater A "National Educational Technology Standards" (NETS) project by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has yielded standards in technology literacy and leadership: Technology Literacy  http://cnets.org/review/ectlitreview2.html Technology Leadership   http://cnets.org/review/ectleadreview2.html   Also, see Technology Standards for School Administrators. http://cnets.iste.org/tssa/

PT3 assembled a Vision Quest (VQ) team to analyze key issues such as Electronic Networked Cultures and draft papers for seven topics. Career Development (CD) for emerging occupations was the topic this author was asked to address. "Career Development e-Paradigms for Digital Dividends" can be accessed at Blackboard.com as indicated on page 8. Analysis of PT3 projects and related activities did not reveal Career Development programs for emerging occupations that are essential to sustaining a digital economy. Nor was there evidence that strategic planning or Vision Quest techniques were being used to assess need or respond adequately to meet needs. Thus, "Vision Quest Thinking for Creating Career Development e-Paradigms via Electronic Networked Communities" was written for a presentation to the Vision Quest team in early July. "Bright lights" were highlighted that included a conceptual framework for (a) a Professional Support Portal for the Milwaukee Public Schools; (b) accomplishments of children and youth in Cooperative Educational Service Area #1 in the greater Milwauke area; (c) Student Technology Services run by the Information & Media Technologies (MIT) Department at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee; and (d) a few of "The Milwaukee Idea" priorities such as Partnerships for Education, Global Passport Project, and UW System Institute for Global Studies (see page 7). "Vision Quest Thinking" can also be accessed at Blackboard.com as indicated on page 8.

An Electronic Learning Community (ELC) is now available at the PT3 site. http://www.pt3.org/  ELCs will be discussed in future issues of STRATEGIC PLANNING with particular emphasis on Career Development e-Paradigms via Electronic Networked Communities. What competencies and skills in Knowledge Management KM are needed for Chief Information Officer (CIO) roles to design and engineer high quality CD e-Paradigms via ENC for emerging occupations?

An education enterprise extends from birth through postgraduate activities. A fraction of the formal learning occurs in private and public structured settings. How can collaborative planning for Career Development occur to meet Quality Of Life (QOL) needs over the next several years? Detailed plans must be created for specific goals like articulated Career Development programs: "It is our goal to design and perfect a CAREER DEVELOPMENT system that can be modeled in AAL and traditional formats that will be qualitatively superior to ad hoc services currently in use."

Exploration middle years (contemporary hand held devices in Community Technology Centers).  Analysis of e-books and critique of How Stuff Works. http://www.howstuffworks.com/

Specializations & Concentrations articulated 4+4 secondary plus postsecondary years with roles. Critique of emerging roles in e-business, Health Informatics, the Genome Project, KM, CIO, etc. Serving as a Student Technology Support Aide, especially for "challenged" learners and adults.

How could Milwaukee Idea "Partnerships for Education" areas of focus also contribute to CD? How could "Global Passport Project" and a University of Wisconsin System Institute for Global Studies contribute to articulated CD e-Paradigms domestically and internationally?

Partnerships for Education
1.  Preparing students for college
2.  Preparing teachers
3.  Integrating technology into education programs

Global Passport Project
1.  Expanding global opportunities
2.  Promoting international understandings
3.  Promoting cross cultural understandings
4.  Improving competencies and proficiencies necessary in global communities

UW$ Institute for Global Studies l . Creation of new knowledge 2. Global workforce development   collaborative program with Taiwanese American Assn. 3. International education initiatives AAL format 4. Business, government, and community partnership outreach programs.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) provides grants for math, science, engineering, and technology education as well as to provide leadership in improving education in these areas.  http://www.ehr.nsf.gov/

Access http://www.blackboard.com/courses/webcom/ and enter as a guest. Click on "Announcements," "Course Documents," resources listed below and/or "Warren Groff s Newsletters." Newsletters contain many Web sites to which individuals can link.

"Career Development Through Knowledge Management" was distributed at Summer Institute (SI) along with numerous publications to assist individuals plan for practicums and dissertations. Curriculum content in formal contexts only covers a fraction of critical knowledge essential in many occupations. Directed Study (DS) is a flexible way to pursue critical knowledge essential to career objectives. DS 1 could add clarity to Practicum #1. DS 2 could add clarity to P 2, etc. I will serve as a DS facilitator for CD HRD and technology type topics. A model of how DS can promote effectiveness and efficiency in high quality degree completion is as follows:

Directed Study Practicums  Dissertation
DS 1   =   Clarity with P1 CLARITY in problem and issues,
DS 2   =   Clarity with P 2  analysis of research
DS 3   =   Clarity with P 3 critique of exemplary...
DS 4 or DEVELOPMENT problem solving methodology course

Electronic Networked Communities (ENC) and Career Development (CD) were highlighted with a brief discussion about how awareness, exploration, and specialization/concentration needs to be strengthened to meet techforce needs of the Human Genome Project and biotechnology industry. The handout then contained information about how to access documents and ideas for topics such as (a) "Putting It All Together: Strategies for Program Assessment" focused on student learning outcomes assessment for business and international studies programs; (b) "Building Bridges Through Technology" focused on biometric, card, voice, and wireless technologies and the need for developmentally appropriate activities in curriculum; and (c) "Linking Courses to Practicums and Practicums to Courses" used in a workshop for research faculty during the winter of 2001. The handout also contained a list of topics in newsletters.  May, 2000, through February, 2001. CD was featured in April, 2001. KM was featured in March with many links to KM sites.

Then, click on "External Links" and "The Friendly Forum" and browse "The Friendly Forum: Class Discussion." Browse Asia Society, Globalization and the Family of IT Careers, Taiwan, Korea, etc. Access a few of the links. Consider requesting one the Asia Society Electronic Newsletters. Analyze competencies and skills from some of the "Family of  IT Careers" links.  Analyze "Taiwan" and critique the educational goals for the Ministry of Education (MOE).